CALL FOR PAPERS: Mediating Multilingualism

[Sirpa Leppänen]

CONFERENCE ANNOUNCEMENT AND FIRST CALL FOR PAPERS

Mediating Multilingualism: Meanings and Modalities
University of Jyvaskyla, Finland
June 2-5, 2008

Invited speakers:
Jan Blommaert (University of London / University of Jyvaskyla)
Diane Mavers (University of London)
Ben Rampton (University of London)
Steven Thorne (Pennsylvania State University)
Crispin Thurlow (University of Washington)

Deadline for abstracts: January 15, 2008 Guidelines for submission:
http://www.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/conference2008/en 

Description of the conference:

In today's globalized world of mobilities and flows, multilingualism
is
increasingly an everyday phenomenon that people encounter and have to
cope
with in work, education, institutions, leisure time and media uses,
for
example. In these various contexts, multilingualism can be mediated
not
only by languages, but also by a range of other semiotic means such as
genres discourses, styles, embodied action, and
visuality.

At the same time multilingualism is a mediational system in itself,
sustaining, but also mobilizing and reorganizing language user
identities, relationships and possibilities for action and the
relative values of languages. Multilingualism can thus have
repercussions in terms of what resources and possibilities
individuals and groups have to agency and participation.

The conference on Mediating Multilingualism approaches mediation and
multilingualism from this double perspective: in its focus are the
different ways and means for mediating multilingualism, as well as
multilingualism as a mediational system. The aim is to shed light on
the
complexities of this relationship and to develop new ways of
investigating and understanding the roles, meanings, and modalities of
mediation in multilingual settings. To this end, the conference aims
at
bringing together researchers, students, teachers and other
practitioners
who share an interest in exploring the interface
between mediation and multilingualism as a particular linguistic,
social, cultural and ideological contact zone where the meanings of
languages, identities and relationships are reassessed and
renegotiated.

The conference is organized at the University of Jyvaskyla as the
26th Summer School of Applied Language Studies. It will consist of
invited
keynote lectures, workshops, and paper sessions. The topics of the
keynote
lectures and workshop will be announced later.

Call for papers:
Submissions are solicited for 20-min. papers and posters relating to
the
conference theme. Studies on any languages and disciplinary takes
(e.g.
sociolinguistics, linguistic anthropology, discourse studies,
pragmatics,
ethnography, and language learning and teaching) are
welcome. The main working language of the conference is English.
Individual papers and posters can be presented in other languages, but
no
interpretation services are automatically provided by
conference organization. Young scholars are encouraged to contribute;
five
postgraduate students from non-EU countries will be excused from
paying
the conference fee (applications to be included in the online
registration
form, to appear on the conference website).

Abstracts in English (max. 300 words) should be submitted via
"submissions" on the conference website
http://www.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/conference2008/en.

The deadline for submissions is January 15, 2008.

All submissions will be reviewed; notification of acceptance March 15,
2008.

For further information, see the website:
http://www.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/conference2008/en 

The Organizing Committee
Sirpa Leppanen, Paivi Pahta, Hannele Dufva, Sari Pietikainen, Tarja
Nikula, Sirkka Laihiala-Kankainen, Samu Kytola, Marianne Toriseva,
Tiina
Virkkula, Satu Julin, Eeva Riipinen

Contact: multilingualism(AT)jyu.fi
Paivi Pahta
Research Professor
Department of Languages
Finland Distinguished Professor project on Multilingualism
P.O. Box 35
40014 University of Jyvaskyla

http://www.jyu.fi/hum/laitokset/kielet/fidipro/en 





Sirpa Leppänen
Professor
University of Jyväskylä
Department of Languages/ English
P.O. Box 35 (P)
40014 University of Jyväskylä
Finland
tel. +358-14- 260 1210 (work)
+ 358-50-3529044 (mobile)