The Centre for Research in Linguistics and Language Sciences (CRiLLS), is pleased to announce a forthcoming conference--- the International Symposium on Chinese Theoretical and Applied Linguistics (ISOCTAL) on 10th - 12th December, 2015. The Symposium aims to promote worldwide collaboration on Chinese theoretical and applied linguistics by giving researchers an opportunity to share their work. Confirmed speakers for the conference are: Professor James C.-T. Huang from Harvard University Dr Boping Yuan from Cambridge University Professor Martha Young-Scholten from Newcastle University Dr Clare Wright from Reading University Professor Xinsheng Zhang from Richmond University Professor Yi Xu from University College London Presentations are invited on topics including but not limited to the following aspects of the Chinese language – understood broadly as Sinitic languages (e.g. Mandarin, Cantonese and all regional varieties):  Syntax Morphology Phonetics and phonology Semantics Language variation and sociolinguistic studies Diachronic change Language contact Typology and comparative studies Child language acquisition Second language acquisition and teaching Applications of translation and code-switching to pedagogy