2027 Five-Minute Linguist

The Five-Minute Linguist is a high-profile event which features LSA members giving lively and engaging presentations about their research in a manner accessible to the general public. No notes, no podium, and an actual timer. A winner is chosen at the end of the event. The goal of this event is to encourage LSA members to practice presenting their work to a broad audience and to showcase outstanding examples of members who can explain their research in an accessible way.

When the call for abstracts goes out for the Annual Meeting, all LSA members will have the opportunity to prepare a 300-word pitch for the Five-Minute Linguist event. Members who submit regular abstracts for the Annual Meeting will see an option which they may use to enter their pitch for this event, but abstracts will also be accepted that are not concurrently submitted for the Annual Meeting and may have been presented elsewhere, or that are being considered for presentation at one of the LSA's Sister Societies.

Please note, the Five-Minute Linguist pitch is NOT simply a shortened version of the main (500-word) LSA abstract! It is not intended as a pitch to academics and fellow linguists! Instead, it should be written in an accessible style that is more suitable for the general public—linguists and beyond! The Selection Committee wants to see how effective the speaker would likely be at giving a publicly accessible version of their talk. The abstract pitch is used to provide guidance on that matter. Note that after selection, the PRC chair and other members work closely with the authors to revise their abstract even further. We frequently accept “diamonds in the rough.”

Deadlines: Submissions for 2027 LSA Annual Meeting are closed.

View the details for submitting an abstract in the system.

View Previous Five Minute Linguist Presentations on the Resource Hub

What is a 5-Minute Linguist Abstract?

A 5ML abstract IS:

clear, engaging, compelling!
a concise, public-facing abstract that pitches exciting, original research to a community of linguists and language enthusiasts from diverse backgrounds.
your chance to communicate the novelty, attraction, and relevance of your research to a broad audience (inform and inspire!).
an opportunity to promote research by junior researchers and students, alongside more seasoned linguists.
a pitch that exemplifies for reviewers how you will present the talk itself.
the basis for an abstract that, if accepted, we will later work with you to revise for the purpose of circulation beyond the Linguistics community and promote public awareness of new language research.

A 5ML abstract is NOT:

an abbreviated annual meeting abstract with a smaller word count!
a "dumbed-down" version of an abstract intended for academics.
boring, jargony, insular.
necessarily a theoretically tight and polished work of art. It can be a work in progress with a promising outcome.
a pitch just towards phonologists, semanticists, sociolinguists...or even just towards linguists.

How do I write a good 5ML abstract?

You SHOULD:

start from a blank page.
focus on what drew you to your research in the first place.
think of how to convey your research to your family, friends, a Dean from another department, a social media audience -- people beyond linguists.
choose a title that's clear, simple, and eye catching.
situate your work in a broader context, and make it clear why it matters and why others should care!
include at least one example of your phenomenon of interest, and introduce it early on (people will remember these, and it will help anchor what they're reading).
introduce a concept and then define it or share the term for it, helping the reader to follow along.
view previous 5ML events on the LSA Resource Hub to get a sense of the "voice" for these presentations.
have someone who knows very little, or nothing, about linguistics read your abstract and tell you what they find compelling and what they don't understand...and accept that feedback!

You should NOT:

start with the abstract you wrote for the annual meeting and edit down the words.
use terms linguists are used to and expect the general public to understand them, or even share the same meaning.
try to impress the reader with your knowledge of technical terms.
stick with the status quo; shake things up and invite people to think about things differently.
submit without vetting it with others first -- linguists outside of your area and non-linguists!

Five Minute Linguist FAQ

Q. Are multi-authored pitches allowed?

A: Yes. Typically only one or two authors present on stage.

Q: Does my abstract for the Five-Minute Linguist count towards my total abstract submission limit?

A: No. Pitches submitted for the Five-Minute Linguist are separate and do not count towards this abstract limit .

Q: How will the presenters be selected?

A: The Selection Committee is composed of members of the LSA's Public Relations Committee, if necessary/possible, in consultation with the Program Committee. The committee views the pitches as representative of what the talk will be like, so your pitch should be accessible to a broad audience just as the talk should be. If necessary, the Selection Committee may invite authors of regular abstracts or other members of the LSA community to participate. The Committee will select eight presentations for the event.

Q: How will the event unfold?

A: Prior to the event, presenters will receive 1-1 coaching focused on how to make their presentations as accessible as possible. At the event, each participant will speak for five minutes, without notes. Visual aids (e.g., slides) are allowed. At least one emcee will introduce and comment on the presentations. There may also be non-academic judges. Crowd participation will be strongly encouraged by multiple means. The crowd and judges will vote on the winner. Presentations will be recorded for later viewing.

Q: What is the prize?

A: The winner will receive a commemorative plaque.

Q. Is this event related to the book or radio program of the same name?

A. The LSA is the beneficiary of a generous donation of author royalties from the sale of the 5-Minute Linguist. Many LSA leaders and members contributed content to both the book and the radio feature. The LSA obtained permission from both the authors and the publisher to use this name for our event.

Q: What if I have questions about entering the event?

A: Questions about the 5ML pitch may be directed to the Public Relations Committee Chair: Kristen Syrett