The journal English Language and Linguistics (ELL) publishes up to two special issues each year, and we would now like to invite proposals for special issues to be published in 2026 and 2027.

Special issues should be focused on a specific topic which is of key interest to specialists in the various sub-disciplines of English linguistics. The topics and contents of past special issues can be consulted by viewing back issues on the ELL website:
www.cambridge.org/ELL

The topics for the forthcoming 2024 and 2025 special issues are:

• Fragments: Construction and reconstruction
• Indexicality and enregisterment in pop culture
• Constructional approaches to creativity and productivity in English
• Cognitive approaches to variation and change in the English modal domain

As a rough guideline, a special issue should be a collection of 5-10 targeted (often commissioned) articles, including a lead article or 'perspectivizing' introduction by the Editor(s), with a maximum length of 100,000 words for the volume. 

However, no strict format is prescribed and editors are welcome to propose novel formats (for example, articles may be followed by responses from others), although all articles submitted for a special issue will be subjected to the same rigorous quality and reviewing standards as regular submissions to ELL. 

The issue's Editor(s) will collaborate closely with one of the regular editors of the journal during the reviewing stage and when deciding upon the ultimate selection of papers to be published. 

The timeline for special issues for 2026 and 2027 is as follows:

• SI June 2026: deadline first drafts 1 Sep 2025, final versions 1 Mar 2026
• SI Dec 2026: deadline first draft 15 Jan 2026, final versions 1 Sep 2026
• SI June 2027: deadline first drafts 1 Jul 2026, final versions 1 Mar 2027
• SI Dec 2027: deadline first drafts 15 Jan 2027, final versions 1 Sep 2027

Proposals for a possible special issue should be no longer than 4 pages, including:

• Information on the relevance of the topic and on what makes it attractive to the international English Linguistics community
• The special expertise of the Editor(s)
• A preliminary list of contributors
• Potentially, short abstracts of the papers (c. 50 -75 words).

Please send proposals by 31 January 2025 to the following email address: [email protected] 

This will distribute the proposal to all three Editors of ELL. Feel free to contact any or all of us in advance of this deadline if you have any queries about any of this this. We would encourage those thinking of submitting a proposal to contact us to discuss it.

Bernd Kortmann ([email protected])
Laurel Brinton ([email protected])
Warren Maguire ([email protected])