[EDLING:535] CFP: Bi- and Multilingualism and Cognition

[Francis M Hult]

Seminar on Bi- and Multilingualism and Cognition (BML). Bolzano (Italy),
19-21 May 2005
The aim of this seminar is to discuss the most recent research on
cognitive aspects of bi- and multilingualism. Since language research is
basically cognitive research, a cognitive theory of language is the most
suitable theoretical framework in which to bring together psychology,
linguistics, and bilingualism. Research has demonstrated that a
significant amount of cognitive development results from the
internalization of interpersonal communicative processes. Cognitive
approaches to bi- and multilingualism attempt to find out what happens if
these interpersonal communicative processes involve the use of more than
one language. Earlier research studies concentrated on the bilingual
person and the product of thinking, while recent trends have seemed to
favour the process of thinking, focusing on language recall, reaction
time, information processing and memorization, on the one hand, and social
and conceptual development on the other.

Issues reflecting these developments will be addressed and discussed in
the seminar. Ample time will be allocated to discussion. The first two
days will be devoted to presentation/discussion of the invited speakers'
contributions, while the third one will be taken up by panel/short
presentations. Power point presentations are encouraged. If you are
interested in attending the workshop and/or contributing your own ideas,
please send a mail (with a two-page abstract if you intend to give a
presentation/panel) to the address below before April 15.

Invited keynote speakers

- Ellen Bialystok (Department of Psychology, York University, Canada):
''Cognitive effects of bilingualism across the lifespan.''

- Ton Dijkstra (Nijmegen Institute for Cognition and Information, The
Netherlands): ''Task and context effects in bilingual processing.''

- Istvan Kecskes (State University of New York, Albany, USA): ''Synergic
concepts in the bilingual mind.''

- Michel Paradis (McGill University, Cognitive Neuroscience Center,
Canada): ''The components of the bilingual cognitive system.''

Organization

The conference will be organized by the Mitteleuropa Foundation, Bolzano,
Portici Street, 30, Italy (http://www.mitteleuropafoundation.it)

Call Deadline

15th April 2005

For further information

Liliana Albertazzi
liliana.albertazzi at unitn.it
http://www.mitteleuropafoundation.it