The International Sociolinguistic Research Symposium (TARA 23) was held at the 15 July Culture and Congress Center on 23-25 November 2023, in cooperation with the Faculty of Letters, Faculty of Education (Ziya Gökalp), and the School of Foreign Languages at Dicle University. The symposium, which addressed the social dynamics of language and its role in social interaction from an interdisciplinary perspective, brought together academics, researchers, and students working in various branches of the social sciences, creating a vibrant scientific and social meeting point.
The opening program was attended by our Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karakoç, Vice Rector Prof. Dr. Ahmet Tanyıldız, deans, school directors, academics, and students. On behalf of the Symposium Organizing Committee, Assoc. Prof. Dr. Osman Solmaz, in his opening speech, stated that the symposium brought together academics working at the intersection of language, culture, and society in Diyarbakır and aimed to pave the way for future collaborations by encouraging the sharing of knowledge. In his remarks, our Rector Prof. Dr. Mehmet Karakoç emphasized the importance of language use, underlining that language is a powerful element that shapes society, and thus, social sciences hold great value.
Following the opening speeches, Prof. Dr. Yasemin Bayyurt from Boğaziçi University delivered a presentation titled “Exploring the Impact of Multilingualism on Global Education and Language Learning,” and Prof. Dr. Nurettin Demir from Hacettepe University presented “A Preliminary Study on Ankara's Linguistic Landscape.” Over the two days, a total of 60 academics shared 40 different presentations, revealing how language is intertwined with society and how social interaction takes shape. In addition to expert academics, graduate students also contributed to the event with their work.
The symposium’s call for papers included a wide range of topics, such as (im)politeness, cultural differences, changing social norms, digital language and society, language attitudes and ideologies, language and identity, language socialization, bilingualism and multilingualism, language and media, conversation and discourse analysis, language and gender, language policy and planning, linguistic landscape studies, language acquisition, and language and culture. The sessions enabled academics and researchers to share their latest findings and develop new perspectives on the social processes of language.
This year, as the symposium organizing committee proudly celebrated the 50th anniversary of Dicle University, they also dedicated the event to the memory of those who lost their lives in the 6 February Kahramanmaraş earthquakes, commemorating them with respect and compassion. Additionally, the symposium promoted the Sociolinguistic Research Network, aiming to expand opportunities for collaboration and knowledge sharing to support the growth of the field.
TARA 23 stands as a significant academic and social event reflecting our university’s interdisciplinary scientific approach and international collaboration vision.
📌 Below, you can find photos, posters, program details, and access to the Book of Abstracts from the symposium...