Students × Scholar Forums

LWI Events

Our flagship event series brings the world's top field linguists directly into conversation with our student researchers. These sessions cover language documentation methodology, phonetics, morphology, fieldwork ethics, and community engagement - live, interactive, and free for all participants.

5+ Forums Held1 In-Person Conference2 Upcoming Events
Upcoming

Register Now

Our upcoming forums are open to all LWI members and interested students. Register via the links below to secure your spot.

UpcomingStudents × Scholar Forum

Prof. Chad Howe

Professor of Linguistics - University of Georgia
DateAug. 29, 2026 · 10 AM EST
WhereOnline · Zoom

Specializing in language variation and change, Professor Howe focuses on structural phenomena in Romance Languages - working on Spanish/Quechua contact as of recently. Sign up for this talk for free and join in hearing about Professor Howe's work and expertise. There will be Q&A/discussion at the end of the talk!

Language Variation & ChangeRomance LanguagesSpanish/Quechua Contact
UpcomingStudents × Scholar Forum

Dr. Michael Everdell

Lecturer in Linguistics - Boston University
DateSep. 12, 2026 · 10 AM EST
WhereOnline · Zoom

Interested in syntax, semantics, and the syntax-semantics interface, Dr. Everdell uses fieldwork on Southern Tepehuan languages to document languages and explore broader cross-linguistic questions. Sign up for this talk for free and join in hearing about Dr. Everdell's work and expertise. There will be Q&A/discussion at the end of the talk!

Syntax & SemanticsSouthern TepehuanFieldworkCross-Linguistic
Past Events

Previous Forums

A record of the scholars who have spoken with our students. Each session is a permanent part of our community's education.

PastStudents × Scholar Forum

Prof. Lenore Grenoble

Professor of Linguistics - University of Chicago
DateMar. 21, 2026 · 10 AM EST
WhereOnline · Zoom

Prof. Lenore Grenoble from The University of Chicago gave a talk with Lost Worlds Institute. Open to students, scholars, linguists, and enthusiasts alike - the recording is linked below.

PastStudents × Scholar Forum

Prof. Laura McPherson

Associate Professor of Linguistics - Dartmouth University
DateDec. 20, 2025 · 11 AM EST
WhereOnline · Zoom

Prof. Laura McPherson from Dartmouth University gave a talk with Lost Worlds Institute. It was fascinating to hear about her work at the intersection of language & music, as well as about linguistic diversity - the discussion/Q&A with students was very lively and engaged!

PastStudents × Scholar Forum

Prof. Claire Bowern

Professor of Linguistics - Yale University
DateNov. 8, 2025 · 10 AM EST
WhereOnline · Zoom

Prof. Claire Bowern from Yale University gave a talk with Lost Worlds Institute. It was a great success! (Apologies for the lack of audio in the recording - there was a technical issue. We had that fixed for subsequent talks.)

PastIn-Person Conference

LWI Conference on Endangered Languages

Sponsored by Harvard Dep't of Linguistics · Fong Auditorium, Cambridge, MA
DateApril 5, 2026
WhereIn-Person · Cambridge, MA

LWI's inaugural in-person conference brought together students, mentors, and community members for a full day of research presentations, a keynote by Dr. Kaden Holladay (Harvard), and The Care Lab transcription workshop - held at Fong Auditorium on Harvard's campus. Thank you to Dr. Kaden Holladay for presenting & Harvard's Department of Linguistics for allowing us to use the space, Fong Auditorium, on campus!

Research PresentationsWorkshopsCommunity BuildingIn-Person
Format

What to Expect at a Forum

Part 1

Scholar Talk (~45 min)

The guest scholar presents on their area of expertise - covering a language, methodology, fieldwork experience, or research question relevant to LWI's active documentation projects.

Part 2

Q&A with Students (~30 min)

LWI students submit questions in advance or ask live. Scholars engage directly with our research teams, offering personalized guidance on their specific language documentation challenges.

Part 3

Takeaways & Action Items

After each forum, LWI research leads compile key insights and distribute them to all teams as updated documentation guidelines - turning every event into lasting institutional knowledge.

Access

Free for All Members

All forums are free for LWI members and open to interested students and scholars. Email us to be added to the events list and receive registration links ahead of each session.

contact@lostworldsinstitute.org
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