Call for papers: Journal of Language, Identity, and Education -- DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSION 1 FEBRUARY 2001

[Scott McGinnis]

	 The Journal of Language, Identity, and Education
	 Thomas Ricento and Terrence G. Wiley, co-editors
	
	 Call for Papers
	 Special Topic Issue:
	 Celebrating Local Knowledge on Language and Education
	
	 Scholars in a variety of disciplines have recently displayed a
sensitivity to
	 the ways in which academic knowledge is contextual. The
establishment of
	 legitimate knowledge is perceived to be implicated in conflict
and power.
	 Historically, scholarly circles in the western hemisphere have
played a
	 dominant role in knowledge construction processes. While
European colonialism
	 enjoys a shaping influence in the formation of many
disciplines, a
	 particularly effective way in which this dominance is
maintained today is
	 through the centralization of academic publishing practices.
	
	 The consequences of this limited participation in knowledge
construction
	 affect all communities. In the language-related disciplines, we
realize that
	 such central constructs as the native speaker, speech
community, and
	 linguistic competence lack complexity, generating a search for
new
	 terminology. We also find that the dominant models in language
planning,
	 bilingual education, language acquisition, and literacy are not
	 representative of the experiences of many communities. Imposing
these
	 constructs on diverse local contexts  may result in negative
outcomes.
	
	 While we have been fortunate to read occasional articulations
of these
	 problems  in mainstream publications, there is a need for a
more focused
	 exploration. The purpose of this special issue is to re-examine
knowledge
	 about language, especially as it relates to educational
concerns. Education
	 refers here not only to language teaching, but to the
implications of
	 language in the knowledge creating/disseminating practices of
any discipline.
	 Both micro-level processes of linguistic communication  and
macro-level
	 sociolinguistic affairs are of relevance. Papers may critique
dominant
	 constructs in the light of research in atypical settings;
explore the
	 implications of existing paradigms for periphery communities;
articulate
	 local knowledge on communicative and pedagogical practices;
critique the
	 assumptions of central constructs in the context of divergent
lived
	 realities; negotiate the conflicting knowledge traditions
across communities;
	 or  imagine ways in which meaningful collaboration can improve
international
	 understanding and disciplinary discourse.
	
	 The Journal of Language, Identity, and Education invites
contributions to
	 this special issue to be published in Winter 2002. Papers which
bridge
	 focused research and reflexive interpretation, local cases and
global
	 concerns, and theorization and practice are preferable.
Contributions from
	 nontraditional settings and under-represented scholarly circles
are
	 encouraged. We are currently soliciting two- to three-page
abstracts for this
	 issue. Send two copies of the abstract and a biographical
statement (of about
	 50 words) with a full mailing address, daytime/evening phone
numbers, and
	 e-mail address (if available). Proposals for Brief Reports and
Book Reviews
	 are also welcome. Abstracts should be mailed no later than
February 1st 2001
	 to the following address:
	
	 Suresh Canagarajah, Department of English, Box G-0732, Baruch
College of the
	 City University of New York, New York, NY 10010. E-mail:
canax at aol.com