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Dialect 3.0 - The Future of Regional Language

From March 25 to 27, 2026, the conference "Dialekt 3.0 – Die Zukunft der Regionalsprache" [Dialect 3.0 – The Future of Regional Languages] will take place as part of the celebrations marking the 150th anniversary of the Research Center Deutscher Sprachatlas.

The conference will explore the dynamics of regional varieties of German from a future-oriented perspective, based on the premise that regional languages not only reflect social change but are also increasingly shaped by technological processes, such as social media or their integration into AI applications. The term "Dialect 3.0" thus stands for a third phase of regional language use; moving beyond traditional dialects (1.0) and the more recent regiolects (2.0), the focus now shifts to the digitally and medially shaped future of regional forms of expression.

The goal of the conference is to systematically explore these future perspectives. By bringing together experts from fields such as neurolinguistics, systemic linguistics, pragmatics, and computer science, the conference creates an interdisciplinary forum that consolidates scientific findings and sparks new research initiatives.

Program

The conference program, including all abstracts, can be found here:

• Conference Program (including abstracts)

As part of the conference, Alfred Lameli will give a public evening lecture titled "150 Jahre Zukunft am Deutschen Sprachatlas" [150 Years of Future at the Research Center Deutscher Sprachatlas] on March 25, 2026, at 6:00 p.m.

• Event

The exhibition "Typisch Hessisch - Dialekte als kulturelles Gedächtnis" [Characteristically Hessian—Dialects as Cultural Memory] will open on March 26, 2026, at 6:30 p.m.

• Event
• Homepage

Registration

We welcome registrations at dsa2026@uni-marburg.de.