Conference: The Efficiency of Intercomprehension: A Holistic Approach

[Harold F. Schiffman]

Forwarded from Linguist-List,

The Efficiency of Intercomprehension: A Holistic Approach
Date: 13-Jun-2005
From: Eric Castagne <eric.castagneuniv-reims.fr>



Date: 07-Jul-2005 - 09-Jul-2005 Location: Gap (Provence Alpes Cte d'Azur),
France


Linguistic Field(s): Cognitive Science; General Linguistics; Philosophy of
Language; Sociolinguistics; Translation

Meeting Description:

The Efficiency of intercomprehension: A Holistic Approach The aim of this
conference is to help eminent researchers from around the world come
together (respecting man-woman parity) and share their different points of
view, given their different research backgrounds, in order to show that in
Europe (and perhaps even globally), it is important to opt for
plurilingualism, for cultural diversity so that sharing our various
heritages can become true riches thanks to a globalisation respectful of
the other's feelings, thought and experience. So that the world can become
one and multiple at the same time.

Efficience de l'intercomprhension: Approche Holistique L'objectif du
colloque sera de runir, dans un cadre d'excellence de la pense et de la
recherche respectant la parit femmes/hommes, des acteurs internationaux de
divers continents et de diverses disciplines qui contribueront l'tude du
thme propos en montrant qu'en Europe en particulier et plus gnralement
dans le monde, il importe de faire le choix du plurilinguisme, de la
diversit culturelle et de l'enrichissement patrimonial accessible grce la
mondialisation pratique avec respect, c'est--dire en faisant le choix d'un
autre sentiment, d'une autre pense, d'une autre exprience: un monde un et
multiple la fois.

Le Conseil General des Hautes-Alpes,

La Delegation Generale a la Langue Francaise et aux Langues de France du
Ministre de la Culture et de la Communication,

and

Le Centre Interdisciplinaire de Recherches sur les Langues, les
Litteratures, la Lecture et l'elaboration de la pensee (EA 3794) de
l'Universite de Reims Champagne-Ardenne as part of its European
InterComprehension programme (EIC)

are glad to announce the

International pluridisciplinary symposium - Gap (France) july 7-9 2005
Second international conference on European InterComprehension
The Efficiency of intercomprehension: a holistic approach

At a time when the globalisation of exchanges increases and the European
Union expands to 25 countries, a two-fold question is becoming more and
more important in the minds of people all around the world and in Europe
in particular, who come from various countries with populations,
histories, languages and cultures both ancient and diverse : will they
choose to understand each other? And if so, which way(s) will they choose
to reach that goal?

With information and knowledge the global circulation of which still
persists (despite pessimistic predictions) in many different languages
thanks to the action of a number of various means of diffusion, and with
the will to construct a European Union that respects the varied identities
(demographic, linguistic, historical and cultural) of the countries it is
composed of, it is impossible to consider the choice of one common idiom
satisfactory.

History shows that no language has ever been able to become and remain the
international or universal language. Contrary to current assumption,
international English (or ''globish'') does not work for a majority of
speakers who are forced to (over-)simplify what they want to express.
French, which for a long time has sustained the values of universality,
never succeeded in reaching universal status. And Esperanto, a language
artificially created from common romance roots and with a minimal grammar,
has never really been taught or spoken.

The main reason for this is that no ''one common idiom'' solution can
guarantee the majority of speakers the linguistic autonomy required for
the
majority of situations, i.e. too few people actually manage to master all
the aspects of a foreign language. Another reason dwells in the fact that
any language that knew (inter)continental expansion would evolve in such a
way as to split into several varieties impeding intercomprehension :
there are several types of Chinese (Shanghai, Beijing, Macao?), of Spanish
(in Spain, Cuba, Mexico, Argentina?), of French (in Europe, Quebec,
Africa?), of English (in Europe, America, Australia, Africa?), of Arabic
(in Syria, Egypt, Algeria, Mauritania?)...

The aim of this conference is to help eminent researchers from around the
world come together (respecting man-woman parity) and share their
different
points of view, given their different research backgrounds, in order to
show that in Europe (and perhaps even globally), it is important to opt
for plurilingualism, for cultural diversity so that sharing our various
heritages can become true riches thanks to a globalisation respectful of
the other's feelings, thought and experience. So that the world can become
one and multiple at the same time.

Gnral information

Speakers:
Claire Blanche-Benveniste (France), Ulla Brestam (Sweden), Lera
Boroditsky (USA), Franoise Canon-Roger & Jean- Emmanuel Tyvaert (France),
Eric Castagne (France), Augustin Giovannoni (France), Erik Hemming
(Finland), Pierre Janin (France), Stavros Karamoudis (Greece), Bernard
Laks (France), Ludmila Mekov (Slovakia), Elvire Maurouard (Haiti) & Ali
Abdelfattah (Egypt), Hanan Bahey El-Dine Mounib (Egypt), Ketty Salem
(Syria), Tsvia Walden (Israel), Gerd Wotjak (Germany), ?

Key-words:
Efficiency, cognition, language(s), thought(s), (inter)comprehension,
plurality, diversity, parity, comparison, experience,
inter/transnationality, pluri/inter/transdisciplinarity, genders.

Location:
Foyer Saint-Louis de Charance - route de Veynes - 05000 Gap (France)

Organisation contact:
Dr. Eric Castagne eric.castagneuniv-reims.fr