Workshop on Language Policy and Multilingualism

Language Policy has been a central field within sociolinguistics ever since Einar Haugen did his ground-breaking research on language contact in the Norwegian community in America in the early 1950s.

Studies in this field used to focus on corpus planning (linguistic infrastructure) and status planning (the use and status of language). Under the influence of structuralism researchers saw language as an object which could be codified and standardised.

The field tended to be descriptive, but we are now witnessing an increasing focus on systems of power, identity, and discussions of whether standardisation transfers nation state ideologies to minority languages. During the last decade migration and decolonialisation have contributed to a growing interest in multulingualism.

The seminar will address these topics and also aim at identifying some central future topics for research in the field of language policy and multilingualism.

 

Research seminar for invited participants

Sunday August 19, 11.00-17.00

Venue: P. A. Munch's building, seminar room 5 (ground level). Street address: Niels Henrik Abels vei 36, Blindern. Metro stop: Forskningsparken. Tram stop: Universitetet Blindern.

International guests:

• Francis M. Hult. Assistant Professor of Applied Linguistics at the University of Texas at San Antonio. From August 2012: Associate Professor, Lund University.
• Alexandra Jaffe. Professor, Department of Linguistics at California State University, Long Beach.
• Kendall King. Professor of Second Languages and Cultures, College of Education and Human Development, University of Minnesota.
• Thomas Ricento. Professor, Faculty of Education, University of Calgary.
• Natalie Schilling. Associate Professor, Department of Linguistics, Georgetown University, Washington DC.
• Elana Shohamy. Professor, School of Education, Tel Aviv University.

The Norwegian researchers present project outlines/ideas for research projects to be discussed at seminar. Please send draft/summary to Beate Trandem (beatet@ilos.uio.no) by August 1. Norwegian participants:

• University of Oslo: Elizabeth Lanza, Anne Golden, Bente Ailin Svendsen, Unn Røyneland, Pia Lane and Ingjerd Hoëm.
• University of Tromsø: Tove Bull, Anna-Riitta Lindgren, Hilde Sollid and Mari Keränen.
• (Uppsala University: Leena Huss)

Dinner in the evening (19.30): Nodee, Middelthunsgate 25, Oslo.

 

Day of open lectures

Monday August 20, 9.00-17.00 (18.30) 

Registration is required, please write to Beate Trandem within August 16. Limited number of places.

Venue: Niels Treschow's building, 12th floor, seminar room 1224 (end of corridor). Street address: Niels Henrik Abels vei 36, Blindern. Metro stop: Forskningsparken. Tram stop: Universitetet Blindern.

Programme

From 09.00: Coffee

09.30-09.45: Welcome

09.45-10.45: Francis M. Hult (Lund University): Ecology of Language and the 'New Wave' of LPP Research

10.45-11.45: Kendall King (University of Minnesota): Multilingualism, language policy, and transnational families

11.45-12.30: Lunch

12.30-13.30: Thomas Ricento (University of Calgary): Multiculturalism and the Monoglot Ideology: Incommensurate Worlds?

13.30-14.30: Alexandra Jaffe (California State University, Long Beach): Language planning as mise-en-scène: structured improvisation, linguistic personae and projected usage for a minority language

14.30-15.00: Coffee

15.00-16.00: Natalie Schilling (Georgetown University, Washington DC): Language display as response to cultural (and linguistic) endangerment: A case study from Smith Island, Maryland, USA

16.00-17.00: Elana Shohamy (Tel Aviv University): Assessment of Multilingualism as Language Policy

17.00-18.30...: Tapas

 

Lectures will be given by invited participants only, and there is no call for papers. Other participants will have to cover their own expenses related to travel and accommodation, and we do not offer any grants.

Organisers: Pia Lane, Elizabeth Lanza and Anne Golden.

 

The workshop has received funding from NFR BILAT, NFR FRIHUM and Kultrans.