Foreword

Abstract

We are happy to present a new volume of Linguistics in the Netherlands, a collection of internationally peer-reviewed articles presenting current linguistic research. This volume is based on the 54th annual conference of the Linguistics Society of the Netherlands (AVT), convened on February 3, 2023. This meeting was the first to take place on location again, after two online conferences in response to the COVID-19 pandemic. It was a great joy to be able to meet each other in person again. The conference featured 66 contributions in 8 parallel tracks, among which two special panels: one on science communication of linguistics in the Netherlands, and one on the riches of intercultural communication. A duo keynote was delivered by Annemiek Hammer and Martine Coene (Free University, Amsterdam), paying special attention to the day's theme of inclusion. They provided a comprehensive overview of the obstacles faced by individuals with hearing disabilities when it comes to accessing spoken communication. Furthermore, they shed light on how everyday communication and interactions have undergone significant transformations due to Covid-19-induced social distancing measures and the use of personal protective equipment. They effectively conveyed the paramount significance of ensuring equal accessibility to communication for people of all ages, promoting the active participation of every individual within society.Following the conference we received 16 submissions, of which we were able to accept 14 for publication in the present volume (the other 2 being invited to resubmit for the next volume). The volume also contains two papers presented at the 2022 conference. We thank the 35 reviewers who were able to provide us with their expert judgements in a timely manner. Just like last year, we are happy to report that all empirical and experimental contributions to this volume contain a link to materials, data, and/or analysis code available online, in support of our commitment to open and durable science. Besides a sustainable science, we are also committed to a sustainable environment. For this reason, Linguistics in the Netherlands is only printed on demand. All volumes in full are available online on the publisher's website: https://benjamins.com/catalog/avt/.