Language connects: International meeting in Hildesheim on language research

Language connects: International meeting in Hildesheim on language research

In September 2025, “Talking September” took place at the University of Hildesheim, a remarkable event for international language research. Four scientific conferences were held at the Department of Language and Information Sciences. Participants from over ten European countries as well as the USA, Mexico, China and Saudi Arabia came together both on site and online. The topics of the conferences included central developments, future questions and innovative solutions relating to the topic of language.

One of the highlights was the KONVENS conference, which focused on the opportunities and challenges of artificial intelligence in computational linguistics. Central questions of ethics, the application of machine learning and the problem of discriminatory language were discussed here. The importance of Explainable AI and new corpus resources was highlighted to contribute to social participation. Another important part of “Talking September” was the UCCTS conference, which discussed the connection between translation studies and contrastive linguistics.

Innovative approaches in linguistics

At UCCTS, innovative methods such as eye tracking and machine learning were discussed. There were intense debates about the efficient and harmless use of AI in the translation process as well as the consideration of classic forms of translation and barrier-free communication. In addition, the EBSN conference took place, which dealt with the Beat Generation and the relevance of literary translations for identity, protest and global networks.

The annual conference of the Society for Applied Linguistics (GAL) dealt with migration, multilingualism and the use of AI in language didactics. Research on conversation and media linguistics as well as democracy education was emphasized as a basis for social participation. The result of this large number of conferences is clear: Language actively shapes social developments. Inclusion, multilingualism and social cohesion are becoming increasingly important under current social and political circumstances.

Advances and challenges in machine translation

Recent meetings also highlighted advances in machine translation, which has become significantly more powerful thanks to developments in artificial intelligence. Neural networks are key to this evolution because they mimic the structure of the human brain and require large amounts of data for training. This neural machine translation (NMT) technology used today has proven to be significantly more efficient than previous rule-based methods, which often failed due to the complex structures of natural languages.

The quality of these translations has improved so much that Microsoft reported in 2018 that their neural translation system had achieved “human parity” when translating Chinese to English. However, challenges remain, particularly the ambiguity and lack of context of natural languages. Despite these hurdles, machine translation is seen as a useful tool for a basic understanding of foreign language texts.

Additionally, cloud-based translation services are accessible via mobile devices. In-ear translators, like the Google Pixel Buds, enable oral communication, but are also prone to errors. Projects such as the Human Language Project and the EU project INTERACT aim to use machine translation for social participation and to further develop the software.

In summary, the acquisition of foreign languages ​​remains important to promote direct communication and intercultural empathy. The “Talking September” conferences impressively illustrate how closely the topic of language is linked to social developments and current challenges. Advances in AI and machine translation offer opportunities, while at the same time there is a need not to neglect human translators for creative and cultural nuances.