Call for papers: Eleventh International Conference on Methods in Dialectology ("Dialects across borders" theme) -- DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS 30 NOVEMBER

Thu Oct 4 15:38:25 UTC 2001

METHODS XI: Eleventh International Conference on Methods in Dialectology

5-9 August 2002, University of Joensuu, Finland

SECOND CIRCULAR

The Eleventh International Conference on Methods in Dialectology
(Methods XI) will be held from 5 to 9 August 2002, at the University
of Joensuu, North Karelia, Finland. This conference, which has
previously met triennially at various places in Canada and the United
Kingdom, is now for the first time arranged in northern Europe. From
its initial focus on problems of methodology, the conference series
has gradually expanded its scope to cover the whole range of issues
relating to regional, social and also historical variation in any
language, group of languages or linguistic area. A special theme for
Methods XI will be "Dialects across borders", which accords well with
the nature of North Karelia as a historical border area between two
states and two different linguistic and cultural traditions.

Abstracts and papers

Abstracts for papers are invited on any topic in regional, social or
historical language variation. The presentations will last for 20
minutes, followed by a 10-minute discussion period. Abstracts should
be 300-400 words long, excluding bibliographies, and should preferably
be submitted by e-mail as RTF (or ASCII text) files to the following
address:

	methodsxi at joensuu.fi

Those who do not have access to e-mail should send their abstracts by
regular mail to:

	Methods XI Organising Committee
	Department of English
	University of Joensuu
	P.O. Box 111
	FIN-80101 Joensuu
        Finland

The conference language is English, but papers read in French and
German are also welcome. The deadline for submission is 30 November,
2001. The authors will be notified of acceptance in January 2002.

Given the nature of North Karelia as a historical border area between
two states and two different linguistic and cultural traditions, a
special theme for Methods XI will be "Dialects across
borders". Invited speakers include Peter Auer (Freiburg), Jenny
Cheshire (London), Ruth King (Toronto), Tapani Lehtinen (Helsinki) and
Dennis Preston (Michigan).

Papers and workshops or special sessions are particularly welcome on
topics dealing with the effects of political, ethnic, cultural or
other kinds of borders on all aspects of dialect or language
variation. Suggestions for special sessions, workshops, demonstrations
or poster sessions on other topics are also welcome. Further
information will be announced on the conference website
http://www.joensuu.fi/fld/methodsxi/ which is updated regularly.

Workshops and special sessions

Workshops or special sessions are particularly welcome on topics
dealing with the effects of political, ethnic, cultural or other kinds
of borders on all aspects of dialect or language
variation. Suggestions for special sessions, workshops, demonstrations
or poster sessions on other topics are also welcome.

Conference venue

The conference will be held on the main campus of the University of
Joensuu. One of the newest universities in Finland, it celebrated its
thirtieth anniversary in 1999. The University has six faculties and a
student population of slightly over 6,000. It is situated in Joensuu,
which is the administrative centre of North Karelia, the easternmost
province of Finland. This area can be described as a meeting point
between two different cultural traditions, one looking to the
Protestant west, the other drawing on the East Orthodox religious
tradition. The latter retains a strong presence in North Karelia and
especially in those areas of historical Karelia which are now on the
Russian side of the border. Indeed, it is the closeness of the border,
with its numerous changes over the centuries, which adds special
flavour to the cultural atmosphere and everyday life of North
Karelia. While the border was virtually closed in the years before the
collapse of the Soviet Union, access to Russian Karelia is now
relatively easy. Various kinds of cross-border traffic connections and
trade links are being established with great vigour.

The city of Joensuu was given its charter in 1848 by Czar Nicholas I,
who at that time was Grand Duke of Finland. From a small town of only
a couple of hundred people, the town gradually grew to be an important
trading centre for its large surrounding area. The growth of
population received a significant new impetus from the rapid process
of industrialisation in the 1950s. Today Joensuu and its neighbouring
areas have a population of about 100,000 people. The main industries
include traditional forestry and related activities, but in recent
years various kinds of high-tech metal and plastic industries have
come to account for most of the growth in the industrial
sector. Joensuu and it environs also boast a lively cultural life,
featuring, e.g. annual folk-music and classical music festivals.

For further information, visit the following websites:

	University of Joensuu	http://www.joensuu.fi/englishindex.html
	City of Joensuu		http://www.jns.fi/
	Finnish Tourist Board	http://www.finland-tourism.com/

Travel information

Joensuu can be easily reached by air via Helsinki (flight-time about 1
hour) and there are several trains per day from Helsinki, Tampere and
Turku. For those travelling by car or coach, the roads from Helsinki
or the other major ports offer a beautiful journey through some of the
best parts of the Finnish Lakelands.

Further information can be obtained from the following websites:

	Finnair 		http://www.finnair.com/
	VR (State Railways) 	http://www.vr.fi/e-index.htm
	Bus Services 		http://www.matkahuolto.com/
	Finnish Tourist Board 	http://www.finland-tourism.com/

Registration and accommodation

For detailed information, see Registration form on the conference website
(http://www.joensuu.fi/fld/methodsxi/).

Excursions

A. Conference excursion

The conference programme will include an excursion to the Koli
National Park, which is situated some 75 kilometres north of
Joensuu. Reknowned for its nature and 'national landscape', with
magnificent views over Lake Pielinen, it has provided a source of
inspiration for some of the best-known Finnish artists and composers,
including Pekka Halonen, Eero Jurnefelt, and Jean Sibelius. This
excursion will take place on Wednesday afternoon, 7 August, and is
free of charge for those who have paid the conference fee.

B. Post-conference excursions

After the conference, on Saturday 10 August, the delegates will have an
opportunity to take part in two alternative post-conference trips, each
lasting for one day:

(i) Visit to Sortavala and the monastery of Valamo in Russian Karelia

This excursion has as its destination the Russian Orthodox monastery
of Valamo in the northern part of Lake Ladoga. According to church
tradition, this monastery was founded in the twelfth century by
St. Sergius and St.  Herman. One of the biggest of its kind at one
time, it housed 1300 monks at its best. After a troubled period
following World War II, monastic life on the islands has gradually
been revived, and the monastery now has a brotherhood of some 100
monks. The excursion will be made by chartered coach and by boat, and
it will include a sight-seeing tour of the formerly Finnish town of
Sortavala in Russian Karelia. The fee will cover full board and the
services of professional guides during the trip. Since Valamo is in
Russia, participants will need PASSPORTS and VISAS. It should be noted
that, under the current regulations concerning travel into the Russian
Federation, each delegate and accompanying persons should acquire the
required documents by themselves well in advance BEFORE coming to
Finland.  Please turn to your local travel agents for further details
and assistance.  For the price of this tour and for signing up, see
the Registration form on the conference website
(http://www.joensuu.fi/fld/methodsxi/).

(ii) Shooting the rapids at Ruunaa

This excursion is also a one-day trip to the Ruunaa Rapids, which are
situated some 150 kilometres north-east of Joensuu in a largely
uninhabited border area. The unspoilt nature of this area has made it
a popular venue for shooting the rapids. The participants will travel
in specially-designed wooden motor-boats, each carrying some 15
persons. Professional drivers and guides will guarantee an exciting,
but entirely safe, passage through six wild streams and
interconnecting waterways, the total length of which is 23 kilometres
(c. 14 miles). The boat trip will include a substantial
traditional-style meal, enjoyed in the wilds by the fireside. No
special documents are needed for this tour; for the prices and for
signing up for this tour, see the Registration form on the conference
website (http://www.joensuu.fi/fld/methodsxi/).

We look forward to seeing you in Joensuu in August 2002.

Organising Committee:

Markku Filppula (chairperson)			markku.filppula at joensuu.fi
Marjatta Palander (vice-chairperson)		marjatta.palander at joensuu.fi
Juhani Klemola					juhani.klemola at helsinki.fi
Jussi Niemi					jussi.niemi at joensuu.fi
Lea Siilin					lea.siilin at joensuu.fi
Ossi Kokko (conference administrator)		ossi.kokko at joensuu.fi
Esa Penttila  (conference administrator)	esa.penttila at joensuu.fi
Heli Pitkanen (conference administrator)	heli.pitkanen at joensuu.fi
Kenneth Meaney (webpage administrator)		kenneth.meaney at joensuu.fi

Conference website: http://www.joensuu.fi/fld/methodsxi/
Fax: +358-13-251 4211
E-mail: methodsxi at joensuu.fi

Postal address:

Methods XI Organising Committee
Department of English
University of Joensuu
P.O. Box 111
FIN-80101 Joensuu
Finland