Date/Time:
Type: Conference/Symposium, Presence
Location: Bibliotheca Albertina, Vortragssaal, Beethovenstraße 6, 04107 Leipzig

On 7 June 2024, the international conference „Investigating children's irony comprehension. Current trends, challenges, and perspectives”, organised by Julia Fuchs, will take place at Leipzig University in the lecture hall of the Bibliotheca Albertina. The conference is funded by Fritz Thyssen Stiftung. The conference results will be published in a Special Issue of Pragmatics & Cognition, edited by Julia Fuchs as Guest Editor.

Contact and registration

Jun.-Prof. Dr. Julia Fuchs

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Conference programme

6 June 2024

  • 18:30 
    Pre conference dinner

7 June 2024

  • 09:00 – 09:15 
    Introduction
    Julia Fuchs (Leipzig University)
  • 09:15 – 10:15 
    Investigating the development of irony comprehension: Challenges and ways forward (Keynote)
    Ingrid Lossius Falkum (University of Oslo)
  • 10:15 – 10:30 
    Short break

Section 1. Empirical approaches: Age of acquisition and influencing factors

  • 10:30 – 11:15 
    The role of attention in irony processing: evidence from children and adults
    Franziska Köder (University of Oslo)
  • 11:15 – 12:00 

    Irony comprehension and epistemic vigilance: Developmental insights 
    Ana Milosavljevic (Université de Neuchâtel)

  • 12:00 – 13:15

    Lunch

  • 13:15 – 14:00
    Training studies provide new insights about mechanisms of irony development
    Penny M. Pexman (University of Calgary

Section 2. Methodological approaches: Novel research designs

  • 14:00 – 14:45 
    LEIRO: The Leipzig Kit for testing irony comprehension
    Julia Fuchs & Cornelia Schulze (Leipzig University)
  • 14:45 – 15:00 
    Short break
  • 15:00 – 15:45 
    To what extent can an irony measure be ecologically valid? The conversational response paradigm
    Maria Zajączkowska (University of Economics and Human Sciences in Warsaw)

Section 3. Theoretical approaches: Solving the puzzle of late acquisition

  • 15:45 – 16:30 
    Kidding kids: the role of epistemic vigilance in irony development
    Diana Mazzarella (Université de Neuchâtel) & Nausicaa Pouscoulous (University College)
  • 16:30 – 16:45 
    Short break

Panel discussion

  • 16:45 – 17:30 
    Challenges, desiderata, and perspectives
    Moderation: Julia Fuchs
  • 19:00 
    Possibility to participate in the Social Dinner (at own expenses)

Registration fee

There is no registration fee. Participation in this conference is free of charge. Please register in advance.

Travelling to the conference

If you arrive at BER Berlin Airport:

Depending on when you arrive at BER Berlin, there are different trains to Leipzig. Usually you first take a train to Berlin Südkreuz or Berlin Central Station; from there you take an ICE (express train) to Leipzig Central Station. The journey from BER to Leipzig takes around 2 hours. You can choose your connection depending on your individual arrival time here: https://int.bahn.de/en

If you arrive at Leipzig/Halle Airport:

To get from Leipzig/Halle Airport to Leipzig Central Station, take the S-Bahn S 5 or S 5X. The journey takes about 15 minutes.

You can purchase your ticket from the ticket vending machine at the station or via the following app: LeipzigMOVE – https://leipzig-move.de/

Conference venue

The conference will take place in the lecture hall of the Bibliotheca Albertina (Beethovenstraße 6, 04107 Leipzig). If you have a hotel in the city centre, you can either walk 20 minutes or take Bus 89 in the direction of „Connewitzer Kreuz” and get off at the „Wächterstraße” stop, from where it is only a few steps to the Bibliotheca Albertina.

Author: JP Dr. Julia Fuchs