As the new semester starts, we are excited to welcome back so many wonderful reading groups related to Linguistics!
If you are considering joining a new reading group, please take a look at the groups below, or learn more on our Reading and Discussion Groups page.
Fall 2025 Calendar
| Monday | Tuesday | Wednesday | Thursday | Friday | |
2pm-3pm: ClaSSi 2pm-3pm*: Slavic Linguistics 3pm-4pm: SDLVC
| 12pm-1pm: Historical Linguistics 1pm-2pm: F3 | 1pm-2pm: SLAB 1pm-2pm: Chinese Linguistics 3pm-4pm*: Computational Linguistics 3pm-4pm: Korean Linguistics | 2pm-3pm: LSD | 10am-11am*: LTRG 11am-12pm: Experimental Linguistics 12pm-1pm TESL Pro |
* denotes a bi-weekly schedule. Click the full schedule for each organization to determine which weeks will hold meetings.
Group Information
Commentary on the Latest Approaches to Syntax and Semantics (claSSi)
Contact: chaeeun4 AT illinois.edu or jsoelle2 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: every Monday 2-3pm LCLB 2090b
In our claSSi group, we discuss and present work related to syntax and semantics, mostly from a formal perspective, although not exclusively. Membership is open to whomever is interested in syntax and semantics. As the group stands, we have faculty and students from both the Linguistics Department and the Spanish & Portuguese Department
Computational Linguistics Reading Group
Contact: taia2 AT illinois.edu and gunjana2 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: every other Wednesday 3-4pm, in LCLB 2090b (also available on zoom)
The Computational Linguistics Reading Group at UIUC meets every two weeks to discuss seminal works in computational linguistics and natural language processing, learn about state-of-the-art models, and go over useful tutorials in the field. We hold friendly meetings where we talk about topics of interest, research ideas, give practice talks for conferences and qualifying exams, and socialize.
Experimental Linguistics Group (Exp-Ling)
Contact: es43 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: every Friday 11am LCLB 4100
The experimental linguistics group is a forum for graduate students (as well as any interested undergraduate students, faculty, or visitors) to present research or lead discussions in any area of experimental linguistics.
Phonetics and Phonology Forum (F3)
Contact: maialen2 AT illinois.edu and jg31 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Tuesday 1-2pm, LCLB 2090B
In F3 [ɛf.θɹiʲ], we discuss and present work related to phonetics and phonology. The group’s interests are quite diverse, therefore the topics discussed range from formal linguistic discussions to applied linguistic discussions. Membership is open to whomever is interested in all areas of phonetics and phonology. As the group stands, we have faculty and students from both the Linguistics Department and the Spanish & Portuguese Department.
Historical Linguistics Reading Group:
Contact: asteph30 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: every Tuesday from 12:00pm to 1:00pm., LCLB 4100
Are you interested in Historical Linguistics? If so, come join the Historical Linguistics reading group, where we discuss various topics related to Historical Linguistics (e.g., sound change, syntactic change, philology, phylogenetics, etc...)! Faculty and students alike are welcome!
Korean Linguistics Reading Group
Contact: isilve2 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Every Wednesday 3-4 pm in LCLB 4100
This group is a space for graduate students, undergraduate students, faculty, and visitors to present research and/or lead discussions in any area of Korean linguistics.
Language and Society Discussion Group (LSD)
Contact: samanj2 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: 2-3pm Thursdays; email Saman for Zoom link
We meet once a week to explore and engage with cutting-edge research in sociolinguistics. Each session focuses on reading and discussing a selected paper, offering an open space for lively conversations and shared insights. Whether you're passionate about language and society or simply curious about how sociolinguistics intersects with real-world issues, this reading group is for you. Join us as we dive into thought-provoking topics and connect with fellow enthusiasts!
Language Testing Research Group (LTRG)
Contact: xinyima5 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Fridays 10-11am bi-weekly; Email Xinyi for Zoom Link
The LTRG has a long history at UIUC, with a tradition of meetings to discuss articles and issues pertaining to second language testing and assessment. Occasionally featured are conference-paper practice sessions and talks by visiting language testing scholars.
Second Language Acquisition and Bilingualism Discussion Group (SLAB)
Contact: mwg4
AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Wednesday 1-2pm LCLB G70
Interested students and researchers are welcome to join Dr. Silvina Montrul and collaborators in discussing research happening in connection with the SLAB lab. Current projects include work on child L2 and heritage language acquisition, gender cues, and differential object marking. SLAB Meetings take place weekly every semester.
Slavic Linguistics Reading Group
Contact: es43 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Every Other Monday 2-3pm LCLB 4100
Welcome to the Slavic Linguistics Reading Group! This is a great opportunity to discuss research papers, present research proposals or works in progress, and practice presentations relating to Slavic linguistics. It is intended to be an approachable forum with stimulating conversations and insights for Slavic linguistics enthusiasts.
Social Dynamics of Language Variation and Change
Contact: wa4 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Mondays 3-4pm LCLB 2142 (Zoom option available; email Willie for link)
SDLVC is an interdepartmental group of faculty and students who meet every two weeks to discuss bi/multilingualism, sociolinguistics, language contact, language variation, and language change. We focus on reading the latest literature regarding linguistic varieties in oral, written, and digital communication, and how the social dynamics of language contact impact language use. We also welcome and encourage both students and faculty to present their original research.
TESL Pro
Contact: rtywoniw AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: 12pm Fridays, LCLB 3092c
TESL PRO is an interest group made for and guided by MA TESL and Applied Linguistics-focused PhD students. Like other interest and reading groups in the department, we have a discussion on a different topic each week. The goal is to focus on topics that give you a chance for academic socialization, such as discussing thesis-writing, data collection, stats, action research, literature reviews, and sometimes just sitting quietly and writing together
Chinese Linguistics Group
Contact: jg31 AT illinois.edu
Meeting Time: Biweekly 1-2pm Wednesday 3092C LCLB
Chinese Linguistics Group Full Calendar
The Chinese Linguistics Group at UIUC is an informal space for discussing research papers, sharing insights, and exploring topics in Chinese linguistics and applied linguistics together. It serves as a forum for members to present their own work—whether conference presentations, qualifying papers, class projects, dissertation chapters, or even early-stage research ideas. Our goal is to foster collaboration and intellectual exchange in a supportive and informal setting.