Special Issue: Multimodality, Language, and Aging (JLAR)
Call for Papers | Special Issue of the Journal of Language and Aging Research: “Multimodality, Language, and Aging”
Special Issue Editor
Prof. Dr. Lihe HUANG, Tongji University, Shanghai, China
Multimodality, Language, and Aging
Population aging has intensified research interest in how language changes across the lifespan. While traditional linguistic research has primarily focused on verbal or textual forms, human communication is inherently multimodal, involving the coordinated use of speech, prosody, gesture, facial expression, and body movement (Kendon, 2004; Norris, 2004; Perniss, 2018). From a multimodal perspective, aging is associated not only with changes in linguistic abilities but also with shifts in pragmatic and interactional resources (Petriglia et al., 2025; Yang & Huang, 2024). In cases of neurocognitive disorders such as Alzheimer’s disease, individuals may rely on compensatory mechanisms, drawing on multimodal resources including gestures, facial expressions, gaze, and intonation to support communication (Perkins, 2007; Zhou & Huang, 2023; Duboisdindien & Bolly, 2024, 2025). A multimodal approach therefore enables a more comprehensive account of communicative change and adaptation in aging (Huang et al., 2021), inspiring the creation and use of new multimodal resources for the study of language and aging.
Building on this background, this special issue invites submissions of original research papers on the theme of “Multimodality, Language, and Aging”. We welcome contributions that adopt a multimodal paradigm to examine language changes and communicative mechanisms in older adults. Potential topics include, but are not limited to:
• Multimodal interaction in aging;
• Cognitive aging and multimodal compensatory strategies;
• Multimodal construction of age-related identities in cross-generational communication;
• Advances in multimodal corpora and AI-assisted modeling of aging trajectories;
• Multimodality in pathological aging and neurocognitive disorders;
• Cross-linguistic and cross-cultural perspectives on multimodal communication in aging.
Submission Instructions
Submission Types: Submissions may take the form of full research papers or brief reports, with lengths ranging from 4,000 to 10,000 words, depending on the submission type.
Formatting: Manuscripts must be written in English and adhere to the journal’s formatting guidelines. Detailed instructions are available on the journal website: https://journals.sub.uni-hamburg.de/hup2/jlar/authorGuidelines.
Submission Process: The submission follows a two-stage process:
- Stage 1: Abstract Submission. Authors must first submit an abstract (300 to 500 words) outlining the research background, methodology, and key findings. Abstracts should be sent via email to ageing@tongji.edu.cn. Please use the subject line: [JLAR SI Abstract] - Your Name - Paper Title.
- Stage 2: Full Paper Submission. Authors of accepted abstracts will be invited to submit their full manuscripts. Full manuscripts should be submitted through the journal’s online submission system. Please indicate that your submission is intended for the special issue “Multimodality, Language, and Aging” in the abstract during submission.
Peer Review: All submissions will undergo a double-blind peer review process.
Important Dates (UTC+8):
- Abstract Submission Deadline: July 15, 2026
- Notification of Acceptance: August 15, 2026
- Full Paper Submission Deadline: November 15, 2026
Journal Information
The Journal of Language and Aging Research (JLAR) is a peer-reviewed open-access journal focusing on the intersection of aging and language. JLAR has been established in recognition of an emerging community of scholars that is working to discover what actually is happening with language during this varied yet universal process of aging we are all experiencing, and to provide a venue for those investigating this fertile topic to share their findings with each other and with the wider scholarly community.
Bibliography
Duboisdindien, G., & Bolly, C. T. (2024). Videos to study Interactions in AGEing (VIntAGE): A longitudinal, ecological and multimodal French corpus. Journal of Language and Aging Research, 2(2), 50–63. https://doi.org/10.15460/ jlar.2024.2.2.1524
Duboisdindien, G., & Bolly, C. T. (2025). Heterogeneity of verbal and gestural functions in spoken discourse with MCI. Journal of Neurolinguistics, 73, Article 101227. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jneuroling.2024.101227
Huang, L., Yang, J., & Liu, Z. (2021). ????????????? [Pragmatic compensation for the elders with cognitive impairment: A speech act perspective]. ?????? [Chinese Journal of Language Policy and Planning], 6(6), 33–44.
Kendon, A. (2004). Gesture: Visible action as utterance. Cambridge University Press.
Norris, S. (2004). Analyzing multimodal interaction: A methodological framework. Routledge.
Perkins, M. R. (2007). Pragmatic impairment. Cambridge University Press.
Perniss, P. (2018). Why we should study multimodal language. Frontiers in Psychology, 9, 1109.
Petriglia, F., Marini, A., Gabbatore, I., & Bosco, F. M. (2025). Pragmatic and narrative decline in healthy aging: A multilevel assessment of their interplay. Journal of Communication Disorders, 118, 106593.
Yang, J., & Huang, L. (2024). ????????????????????????? [Multimodal analysis of beneficiary illocutionary force expressed by normal elderly and elderly with Alzheimer’s disease]. ????????? [Journal of Xi’an International Studies University], 32(4), 24–29.
Zhou, D., & Huang, L. (2023). ??????????????? [Performance and mechanism of multimodal compensation in pragmatic impairment]. ???? [Modern Foreign Languages], 46(1), 15–28.
Tongfu Yang