ISB History
The International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB) is a biennial conference on a wide range of issues concerning bi/multilingualism. Since its inaugural conference in 1997 at Newcastle University, ISB has become the most significant conference in the field of bi/multilingualism. ISB has a strong focus on showcasing multidisciplinary research with a representation from a range of disciplines at every conference, including education, linguistics, neuroscience, psychology and sociology. The aim of ISB is to bring together bi/multilingualism researchers from all around the globe to advance theoretical and applied research in bi/multilingualism, and to support bi/multilingualism practices in the community.
The 16th International Symposium on Bilingualism (ISB16) will be held in person and in partial online format in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, Canada, June 14-18, 2027.
ISB 16 Conference Theme
Our theme for ISB 16 is Languages in Academia and in Communities, reflecting both scholarly excellence and community engagement. The theme is aimed at meeting ISB’s mission to create a space for researchers with a diverse range of interests to share their knowledge and gain new perspectives, and to foster meaningful cross-disciplinary collaborations. We hope to bring together researchers working on different faces of bilingualism, including different research areas, methodological approaches, and populations. In line with this aim, we have invited key-note speakers who represent different faces of bilingualism. This broad theme reflects the multidisciplinary nature of the organizing committee and multilingualism of our communities.
To capitalize on this expertise, ISB16 will feature the Community Outreach Event to engage with parents, language teachers, practitioners and general public on issues of bilingualism and multilingualism. Reflecting the home of the conference, our special focus is on linguistic inclusion and diversity, as we have distinct areas of Indigenous languages as well as bilingualism and multilingualism in official, heritage, immigrant, regional and other minority languages.
