What makes it worth participating in YLMP conferences? Without any doubt we could give a plethora of reasons for doing so. There is one problem - our words might not seem credible. This, however, does not concern our former participants and special guests. Below you can find some thoughts and reflections that YLMP2009 participants kindly shared with us.

• Dr. Alexander Rapp (Die Universitatsklinik fur Psychiatrie und Psychotherapie: die Arbeitsgruppe Kognitive Neuropsychiatrie, Tubingen):

"I definitively enjoyed my time at the YLMP every minute: the organisation was perfect and couldn´t be better, the venue is ideal for the meeting, but the best thing was the fresh and stimulating atmosphere during the meeting. A lot has been said about problems to arouse interest for research in students these days, but meetings like the YLMP are definitively an absolutely excellent idea. I can only advice young colleagues to join the 2010 meeting! The meeting is as well brilliant for non-linguists who want to learn in this field, really interdisciplinary in its very best sense! It would be a pleasure for me to come back in 2010."

• Prof. Patrick Hanks (Charles University in Prague):

"YLMP 2009 was a most impressive and enjoyable event. It was organized by junior faculty and research students, but was in no way inferior to longer-established senior linguistic congresses. The quality of the selected papers was first class, with some well-researched and thought-provoking contributions, presented in a professional style. The organization and admin. was faultless. Perhaps because the congress was organized by young Polish academics and attended by young linguics from all over the world, it was especially notable for its buzz of intellectual excitement and enthusiasm. The choice of visiting speakers was imaginative, with a stimulating interdisciplinary mixture. It was a great pleasure for me to be able to attend, to meet new people, and to learn so much. Well done, YLMP! I wish you equally successful congresses in future years. The future of linguistics in Poznan is in good hands."

• Marta Marecka, BA (Adam Mickiewicz University in Poznan)

"YLMP 2009 was an extraordinary experience. The selection of papers and key-note speakers was top-notch. The majority of the presentations, lectures and workshops I attended were just exquisite. I particularly enjoyed the comprehensive session in clinical linguistics and neurolinguistics and I sincerely hope there will be one during YLMP 2010. The organisation of the event (including the conference venue and the catering) was very professional (which is even more admirable, when one considers how low the conference fee was). I also have to mention the unique atmosphere of the event, the delightful people I've met there and a fantastic conference party. I will definitely attend YLMP 2010 and I'm really looking forward to it :)."

• Prof. Miriam Meyerhoff (University of Edinburgh):

"I thought your conference was terribly well organised and the quality of the sociolinguistics presentations was very good. There's clearly demand for a meeting like this and also the quality in the European post-graduate student community to support it. I am sure it will go from strength to strength."

• Prof. Kenneth Hugdahl (University of Bergen):

"The YLMP initiative is unique in that it is initiated and run by students and junior faculty"

"The quality of research presented by YLMP members was impressive and speaks to the increasing interest in neurolinguistics"

"The way students and senior researchers had the opportunity to interact at the YLMP2009 should be a model for other meetings"

• Below you will find an enthusiastic e-mail from a YLMP2009 participant:

"Dear YLMP Team,

I am writing to thank you for the great conference last weekend and to let you know how very impressed I am by your achievement.

The organisation was great, from the info on the website, through the Registration Desk, to the session frames and breaks (I mean, honestly, even the pastries and biscuits were more than delicious! :-). I deem the scientific standard of the participants and the discussions as mostly really high, and obviously the plenary discussions and workshops with top specialists in their fields lent the meeting extra quality.

Almost a year ago I organised a student conference myself, though a much smaller one, and I have a vague idea of what effort you had to put into organising YLMP. I truly admire you for your determination and hard work and believe that the conference was an undeniable success. To me, it was a great pleasure in several ways.

Thank you again and I wish you good luck with your future undertakings. I certainly do hope we will meet at YLMP 2010.

Warmest regards,

Weronika Szemińska,
University of Warsaw"