Conference announcement

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Language, Attitudes and Education in Multilingual Cities

Date: 27-May-2004 - 28-May-2004 Brussels, Belgium Contact: Luk Van Mensel
Email: bilingbr at vub.ac.be

This colloquium seeks to examine the role of education in developing
multilingual competencies and attitudes in a variety of urban
environments. Theme: At a time when cities around the world, for various
reasons, are becoming more multilingual, this colloquium seeks to examine
the role of education in developing multilingual competencies and
attitudes in a variety of urban environments.  Focal points include the
role of education in language development and maintenance, linguistic and
cultural pluralism, educational needs and responses, curriculum practices
including medium of instruction, and social and psychological dimensions
including attitudinal, motivational and cognitive aspects.

Programme:

- 6 invited presentations, each focusing on a different multilingual
city (e.g. Brussels, Montreal, Basel, Hong Kong, Rotterdam, Barcelona)

- poster sessions (preceeded by short oral introduction)

- 2 panel discussions focusing on language development and attitude
formation

- 2 keynote presentations

The languages of the colloquium are English,  Dutch, and French.

Call for Poster Presentations:

Participants are invited to submit a proposal for a poster
presentation. Proposals should be between 300 and 500 words and must
be sent as an email attachment to <bilingbr at vub.ac.be> by December
1st, 2003.  Notice of acceptance will be sent in January 2004 along
with the second circular which will include details about the
registration procedure, accommodation and programme.

A selection of the contributions to the colloquium will be published
at a later date.

Registration fee :
  Students: 40
  Others: 80

Organisation:

 Scientific Research Network of the Fund for Scientific Research ''
Flanders : Research on Brussels and other multilingual cities/capitals
Centre for the Interdisciplinary Study of Brussels (VUB)  Centre for
Linguistics (VUB)