Fwd: SLE Workshop: English as a Global Language

[Francisco Ruiz de Mendoza]

---------- Forwarded message ----------
From: J.M. Hernandez-Campoy <jmcampoy at um.es>
Date: Fri, Nov 5, 2010 at 9:27 AM
Subject: SLE Workshop: English as a Global Language
To:



*CALL FOR PAPERS


English as a Global Language:
A Sociolinguistic Approach to the Influence of English on the Lexicon of
Other Languages
Workshop Proposal
*

To be held within the *44th Annual Meeting of the Societas Linguistica
Europaea* (SLE)
(University of La Rioja at Logroño - Spain, 8-11 September 2011)

*http://sle2011.cilap.es/

*
Convenor: Eduardo Saldaña Navedo (Universidad de Murcia, Spain)

Nowadays, English enjoys a privileged position in language use and choice.
In fact, it has some kind of special status (as a first, second or foreign
language) in over 70 countries, and it is the most commonly used lingua
franca in international contexts of communication.

Its influence is so important that many intellectuals and scholars are
afraid that several historical languages (such as French, Spanish, German
and numerous minority varieties) might change drastically because of
English, and even end up disappearing. For fear of it, many national governs
have tried to avoid or - at least - control the use of foreign words and/or
loanwords come from other languages, specially English.

On the other hand, it is well-known that lexical transfers is not a new
phenomenon. It has always been quite common in history having very
influential cultures and languages which have exported several of their
features to other nations and linguistic systems. Moreover, lexical
transfers must not necessarily be seen as a negative aspect derived from
globalization. They may provide languages with unique opportunities to
enrich their lexicon with new voices and previously nonexistent shades of
meaning, so that they can define all the innovations and new realities that
are coming up faster and faster.

            This workshop is intended to be a forum for the discussion of
the different factors that play a role in the transference of words from
English to many other languages all over the world.

            With this scenario in mind, the presentations for this workshop
should place emphasis on some of the following topics:

-The effects of globalization on the acquisition of words coming from
English.
-The influence of mass media on the diffusion of lexical transfers from
English.
-Technical discourses written in English as a gate to Anglicisms.
-The importance of bilingual speakers (including translators) in the
spreading of Anglicisms.
-The relevant role that teaching English as a foreign language may be
playing in the increasing amount of lexical transfers from that linguistic
system.
-The relationship of different socio-demographical factors (age, gender,
social class, etc.) with the rates of knowledge, use and acceptance of
lexical transfers from English.
-The influence attitudes towards English language and/or British and North
American culture may have in speakers’ acceptance of foreign words and
loanwords from English.

All presentations will be 20 minutes plus a 10 minute question time.

Interested researchers in taking part in this workshop are kindly invited to
contact Eduardo Saldaña Navedo (esn18615 at um.es) with their name, affiliation
and a provisional title by *12 November 2010*.

If the present workshop proposal is accepted (the date of notification being
15th December 2010), abstracts should be submitted to SLE conference website
(http://sle2011.cilap.es/) by 15 January 2011.


Selected references:

-Crystal, David. (2001) *English as a global language*. Cambridge: Cambridge
Universty Press.
-Jenkins, Jennifer. (2007) *English as a lingua franca: attitude and
identity*. Oxford: Oxford University Press.
- Rosenhouse, Judith & Rotem Kowner (eds.). (2008) *Globally speaking:
Motives for adopting English vocabulary in other languages*. Bristol:
Multingual Matters.
-Thomason, Sarah G. (2001) *Language contact*. Edinburgh: Edinburgh
University Press.
-Thomason, Sarah G. & Terrence Kaufman. (1992) *Language contact,
creolization and genetics linguistics*. Berkeley: University of California
Press.
-Trudgill, Peter. (2000) *Sociolinguistics: An introduction to language and
society*. London: Penguin.
-Weinreich, Uriel. (1953) *Languages in contact: Findings and problems*. The
Hague: Mouton.


(apologies for multiple postings)


 ==================================================
Prof. Juan Manuel Hernández-Campoy (Dr.)
Departamento de Filología Inglesa
Facultad de Letras
Campus de La Merced
Universidad de Murcia
30071 Murcia (Spain)
Tel.: +34-868-88.31.81
Tel. Móvil: 629-552424
Fax.: +34-868-88.31.85
E-Mail: jmcampoy at um.es
 http://webs.um.es/jmcampoy
==================================================