12th International Conference on Minority Languages

Thu Jun 12 14:39:26 UTC 2008

I haven't seen this (yet?) on LINGUIST, but I got it from another list, so here
it is, with apologies for cross-postings!

Damien Hall
University of Pennsylvania

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Full Title: 12th International Conference on Minority Languages
Short Title: ICML XII
Date: 28-May-2009 - 30-May-2009
Location: Tartu, Estonia
Contact Person: Mari Mets
Meeting Email: icml lists.ut.ee
Web Site: http://www.icml.ut.ee
Linguistic Field(s): General Linguistics
Call Deadline: 01-Oct-2009

Meeting Description:
The University of Tartu and partners are pleased to announce the 12th
International Conference on Minority Languages (ICML XII) which will be held in
Tartu, Estonia, 28-30 May 2009.

Call for Papers
Conference theme: Language revitalisation and new technologies The ICML
conference in Tartu will focus on the study of autochthonous minority
communities and their language use. New perspectives have emerged for the
revitalisation of lesser-used languages due to modern technological
development. However, new educational and communicational technologies and
tools have not been fully applied in the development of minority communities
and their languages. This conference will provide an academic opportunity to
discuss which barriers need to be overcome, myths to be broken, processes to be
followed and changes to be undertaken.

Background and goals:
Given their colonial past and often-shifted state borders, but also today’s
multimodal media and fluid identities, scholarly attention to autochthonous
languages always confronts a number of problems.
What are the consequences of standardisation?
How are the issues of language ownership reflected in schooling?
Do multiple identities and languages visualised into landscapes add to
linguistic diversity?
What is the role of primary socialisation in language maintenance?
Does the way researchers or planners name languages decide their very existence?
Have minority communities and their languages benefited from the World Wide Web?

ICML XII aims to search for answers to these questions and to reconsider some
theoretical orthodoxies. Furthermore, we hope to hear from the experience of
such communities who have taken advantage of technological innovations.

Main themes for paper and poster presentations:
- Notions: autochthonous language, minority and/or regional language (RML).
- Revitalisation and maintenance of RML: case studies of actual practice.
- New technologies and methods for revitalisation and maintenance of RML.
- Language policies and language planning concerning autochthonous languages.
- Language acquisition and education in RML: home, pre-school, school.
- Experiences of bilingual education. New technologies and methods.
- Literature, theatre and music as tools for language revitalisation and
maintenance.
- Any topic concerning autochthonous RML’s in the Baltic region.
- Contact-induced change in minority languages.
Plenary speakers:
Uldis Ozolins (La Trobe University)
Sarah Thomason (University of Michigan)
Anna Verschik (Tallinn University)
Richard Villems (Estonian Academy of Sciences)

Location of the conference:
This conference will be the first ICML conference to be held in the region. The
historical towns of Tartu and Võru are located in the South-East of Estonia.
Tartu is often considered the intellectual and cultural hub of Estonia,
especially since it is home to the oldest and most renowned university in
Estonia. Võru is the capital of Võru County and the centre of the historical
Võru Parish. Both these towns are known as the centres where the South Estonian
literary language was used from the 17th to the early 20th century. Today, the
South Estonian Võro language is mainly spoken only in the areas of the
historical Võru Parish.
Proposals regarding original and previously unpublished research on minority
languages are invited in three formats: colloquia, individual papers and
posters. Proposals should fall broadly within the conference theme.

Proposals for colloquia:
Colloquia are collections of paper presentations that relate to a narrowly
defined topic of interest, and are offered in a three-hour time block.
Proposals for colloquia are limited to 700 words, and should include brief
summaries of each of the papers to be included, along with paper titles and
individual authors’ names. Sufficient detail should be provided to allow peer
reviewers to judge the scientific merit of the proposal. The person submitting
a proposal for a colloquium is responsible for securing the permission and
co-operation of all participants before the proposal is submitted. A chair for
the session must also be identified. Although the proposals should be submitted
in English, the language of the colloquia may be chosen freely. The submission
deadline for proposals for colloquia is October 1, 2008.
Submissions should be sent to icml lists.ut.ee.

Proposals for individual papers or posters:
Please submit by e-mail a one-page (500-word) abstract of your paper or poster,
including your name, affiliation, address, phone and e-mail address at the end
of your abstract. The abstract should include enough detail to allow reviewers
to judge the scientific merits of the proposal. All abstracts will be reviewed
anonymously by the members of the Scientific Committee of ICML XII. We kindly
ask you to attach to your abstract a short presentation of your professional
activities (in third person singular form) in maximally 150 words. We will
accept for presentation by each author: (a) a maximum of one first authored
paper/poster and (b) a maximum of two papers/posters in any authorship status.
At the time of submission you will be asked whether you would like your
abstract to be considered for a poster, a paper or both. Oral papers will be
allotted 30 minutes, allowing 20 minutes for presentation and 10 minutes for
questions. Posters will be on display for a full day with two attended sessions
during the day. The official language of the conference is English. The
submission deadline for proposals for individual papers and posters is November
1, 2008. Submissions should be sent to icml lists.ut.ee.
Acknowledgment of receipt of the abstract will be sent by e-mail as soon as
possible after the receipt. You will receive notification of acceptance no
later than December 20, 2008.

Organizer Institutions:

University of Tartu (http://www.ut.ee)
Võro Institute (http://www.wi.ee)
Tallinn University (http://www.tlu.ee)
Institute of the Estonian Language (http://www.eki.ee)
Estonian Bureau of Lesser Used Languages (http://www.estblul.ee)
Estonian Ministry of Education and Research (http://www.hm.ee)

Organizing Committee:
Reili Argus - Tallinn University
Andres Heinapuu - Estonian Bureau of Lesser Used Languages
Kadri Koreinik - Võro Institute
Mari Mets - University of Tartu
Sven-Erik Soosaar - Institute of the Estonian Language
Tõnu Tender - Estonian Ministry of Education and Research
Ilona Tragel - University of Tartu
Virve-Anneli Vihman - University of Tartu

Further Information:
Further details regarding ICML XII will be available on the conference website,
http://www.icml.ut.ee. Please visit the website periodically for regular
updates.