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The conference “Tense, Aspect and Modality in L2” (TAML2) brings together researchers from different countries and theoretical traditions working on the acquisition, learning and teaching of tense, aspect and modality (TAM) in second, third and additional languages. Since its inception in 2014, the conference has provided a forum for discussing current developments in the study of TAM in foreign language learners and multilingual speakers. The conference responds to the continuing need for updated theoretical accounts, innovative methodological tools, and cross-linguistic perspectives in research on TAM.
The acquisition of TAM remains one of the most challenging domains of second, third and additional language acquisition. Over the past decades, a wide range of hypotheses have been proposed to explain how learners develop morphological, semantic, pragmatic and discourse-related knowledge of TAM categories. Research has examined the role of lexical semantics, discourse structure, syntactic structure, information structure, input frequency, and transfer in shaping the development of learner grammars (e.g., Ayoun, 2025; Bardovi-Harlig & Comajoan-Colomé, 2020; González & Quintana Hernández, 2018; Stutterheim & Nüse, 2003; Rastelli, 2020; Salaberry, 2024). At the same time, recent advances in corpus linguistics, experimental methods, multilingualism research and language pedagogy have opened new avenues for investigating how learners acquire temporal, aspectual and modal meanings across languages (e.g., Bardel et al., 2025; Eibensteiner, 2024; Minor et al., 2023; Fuchs & Werner, 2020).
As in previous editions, TAML2 seeks to strengthen international networks of scholars working on TAM from different perspectives and to provide a collegial environment for the exchange of ideas. We invite proposals for paper and poster presentations on any topic related to tense, aspect and modality in second, third and additional languages. We particularly welcome submissions from doctoral researchers and early-career scholars.
You have the option of giving an oral presentation or presenting a poster. Please select one of these two presentation types when submitting your abstract.
Relevant topics include, but are not limited to:
- Temporal, aspectual, modal and evidential representations across languages
- Transfer and cross-linguistic influence in L2, L3, and Lx acquisition
- Corpus-based, experimental and methodological approaches to TAM research
- Heritage and minority language acquisition in TAM research
- Pedagogical applications of TAM research findings and the teaching of TAM in the foreign language classroom
Submission Guidelines
Abstracts for oral presentations and posters should present original, unpublished work. More than one submission per author is permitted. All abstracts will undergo anonymous peer review by the scientific committee and will be evaluated according to their scientific rigour, clarity, originality and relevance to TAM research.
Abstracts should be anonymised and should not exceed 500 words, including title and references. Please follow APA (7th edition) guidelines for citations and references.
Further information regarding submission procedures, important dates and conference registration will be announced on the conference website.
For questions, please contact us at: taml2@uni-jena.de
Key dates
- Submission deadline: 31 December 2026
- Notification of acceptance: 1 March 2027
- Registration opens: 1 March 2027
References
Ayoun, D. (2025). The Second Language Acquisition of English Tense, Aspect and Modality. Benjamins.
Bardel, C., Bergström, A., Gudmundson, A., & Vallerossa, F. (Eds.). (2025). Tense and aspect in multilingual romance language education. De Gruyter.
Bardovi-Harlig, K., & Comajoan-Colomé, L. (2020). The Aspect Hypothesis and the Acquisition of L2 Past Morphology in the last 20 Years: A State-of-the-Scholarship Review. Studies in Second Language Acquisition, 42(5), 1137–1167.
Eibensteiner, L. (2024). Complex transfer processes in multilingual language (L3/Ln) acquisition of Spanish past tenses: The role of non-native language (L2) transfer. International Journal of Multilingualism, 21(3), 1313–1331.
Fuchs, R., & Werner, V. (Eds.). (2020). Tense and aspect in second language acquisition and learner corpus research. John Benjamins.
González, P., & Quintana Hernández, L. (2018). Inherent Aspect and L1 Transfer in the L2 Acquisition of Spanish Grammatical Aspect. The Modern Language Journal, 102(3), 611–625.
Minor, S., Mitrofanova, N., Guajardo, G., Vos, M., & Ramchand, G. (2023). Aspect processing across languages: A visual world eye-tracking study. Frontiers in Language Sciences, 1, 1–14.
Rastelli, S. (2020). The acquisition of aspect in a second language. Cambridge University Press.
Salaberry, M. R. (2024). Thirty years of studying lexical aspect in L2 acquisition: Moving towards an expansive research agenda. Ampersand, 13, 1–10.
Stutterheim, C. V., & Nüse, R. (2003). Processes of conceptualization in language production: Language-specific perspectives and event construal. Linguistics, 41(5), 851–881.