The Eighth Language Creation Conference
The 8th Language Creation Conference took place in Anglia Ruskin University, Cambridge, United Kingdom, on the 22nd and 23rd of June 2019. It was hosted by Bettina Beinhoff.
The list of speakers and presenters along with their abstracts can be found here, while the conference schedule can be found here. Maps of the city of Cambridge and of the Anglia Ruskin University campus there can be found here. LCC8 speakers presented in the university’s Science Centre (SCI).
LCC8 Live Stream Videos
Dates
The dates for the conference are the 22nd and 23rd of June 2019 (Saturday and Sunday), with a pre-conference get-together on Friday evening, 21st of June. This timing makes it easier to find suitable accommodation, as many colleges will have rooms available.
Transportation
Cambridge is connected very well to the national rail and coach network, and, through London, it is within easy reach of international destinations. There are three to four trains each hour between Cambridge and London and the journey takes about an hour. The ARU campus is located in the city centre of Cambridge and is only a short walk from the railway station, coach station, colleges, market square and the shopping area.
Airports by coach
(all direct connections)
The central coach station (called ‘Cambridge Parkside’) is less than 5 minutes walking distance from the campus. There are direct connections from all London airports by coach and from most major cities in the UK: https://www.nationalexpress.com/en
- London Heathrow – Cambridge Parkside, hourly service during daytime, takes between 2hrs-20mins and 3hrs-40mins, cost: £26-36 one way (though advance tickets can be much cheaper).
- London Gatwick – Cambridge Parkside, hourly service during daytime, takes around 3hrs-50mins, cost: £36 one way (though advance tickets can be much cheaper).
- London Stansted – Cambridge Parkside, every two hours during daytime, takes 50 mins, cost: £8-14 one way (though advance tickets can be cheaper).
Airports by train
http://ojp.nationalrail.co.uk/service/planjourney/search
The railway station is about a 15 minute walk from the ARU campus.
- London Heathrow – Cambridge railway station, trains run every 30 mins during daytime, takes around 2hrs, change trains from London Paddington to London Kings’ Cross, cost: £52.40 one way (return tickets are £80.50).
- London Gatwick – Cambridge railway station, trains run every 30 mins during daytime, takes around 2hrs, change trains at London St Pancras/Kings’ Cross, cost: £34.40 one way (return tickets are £49.10).
- London Stansted – Cambridge railway station, trains run every 30 mins during daytime, takes 33 mins, direct service, cost: £7.50-11 one way (return tickets are £15.60).
International busses/coaches
There are also direct coach services running from London Victoria international coach station and trains/underground from London Victoria (change at London King’s Cross or London Liverpool Street for trains to Cambridge).
International trains
Eurostar trains from Paris and Brussels (and very soon also from Amsterdam) arrive at London St Pancras station. There are direct trains to Cambridge from St Pancras and from London King’s Cross station (which is on the other side of the road from St Pancras).
Visas
You may need a visa to enter the United Kingdom. Find out here: https://www.gov.uk/check-uk-visa (enter “tourist visa”). If you do need a visa, remember to apply well in advance.
Location
The location is Anglia Ruskin University in Cambridge, UK (https://www.anglia.ac.uk/student-life/life-on-campus/cambridge-campus).
Accommodation
There is plenty of choice for accommodation in Cambridge and near the conference venue. Below is a short list of the main hotels, but accommodation is also available through Airbnb and similar sites. Early booking is recommended as rooms can go fast during the summer.
There is a Travelodge and a Premier Inn close to the ARU campus (both are just a 15-20 mins walk away).
- Travelodge (rooms from £59.00 per night): https://www.travelodge.co.uk/hotels/577/Cambridge-Newmarket-Road-hotel
- Premier Inn (rooms from £89.00 per night): https://www.premierinn.com/gb/en/hotels/england/cambridgeshire/cambridge/cambridge-city-east.html
In addition, the 32 colleges of the University of Cambridge offer accommodation in central Cambridge: https://www.visitcambridge.org/accommodation/college-rooms
The cheapest rooms in Cambridge are at the Youth Hostel: https://www.yha.org.uk/hostel/yha-cambridge (from £18 a night). The Youth Hostel is within walking distance (circa 15 minutes) of campus, or a 5 minute walk from the railway station.
And for those with a more extensive budget, there is the University Arms hotel, just a 5 minute walk from campus (https://universityarms.com/), and the Lensfield Hotel (http://www.lensfieldhotel.co.uk/) which is just 10-15 minutes walk away.
Points of Interest
Several museums are within a 15 minute walking radius (the Fitzwilliam Museum, the Sedgwick Museum of Earth Sciences and the Museum of Archaeology and Anthropology). Further attractions worth visiting are the Round Church, Cambridge University Library and Great St. Mary’s (the university church). In addition, Cambridge has many green spaces for extended walks and outdoor activities; the river with the college boathouses is only a 15 minute walk away.
The most popular sights are the colleges of the University of Cambridge, some of which date back to the 1200s and 1300s. Many of these colleges are open to visitors and some (such as Trinity College and St. John’s College) occasionally open their library to visitors. It’s worth checking their websites in advance.
Just next to the ARU campus is Parker’s Piece, which is used for leisure activities and sport. It is, in fact, the birthplace of the modern rules of football and has a statue to commemorate this (https://www.cambridgerules1848.com/).
The Cambridge University Library is one of the most striking buildings in Cambridge and usually has an exhibition which is free to visit.
Other attractions include the Round Church and Great St. Mary’s (the university church). Great St. Mary’s has a tower which is open to the public (for a small entrance fee) and which offers splendid views of central Cambridge.
See also https://www.visitcambridge.org/ for more information.
Code of Conduct
The LCS expects all attendees to abide by the LCC Code of Conduct.
Cambridge map
One of the conference speakers and volunteers, Dr. Oliver Mayeux, kindly put together a map of the area around campus which points delegates to recommended lunch places and also has other important places (e.g. the venue for the conference dinner, etc), as seen below: