[lg policy] 1st Soillse Residential Conference: Maintaining and Revitalising Minority Languages in their ‘Heartlands’

[Harold Schiffman]

1st Soillse Residential Conference

Date: 31-Aug-2011 - 03-Sep-2011
Location: Sleat, Isle of Skye, United Kingdom
Contact Person: Mr. Iain Cambeul, Prof. Robert Dunbar
Meeting Email: < click here to access email >
Web Site: http://www.soillse.ac.uk/news/event.php?ID=8

Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics

Call Deadline: 25-Jun-2011

Meeting Description:

Maintaining and Revitalising Minority Languages in their ‘Heartlands’

Gaelic is traditionally associated with the Highlands and Islands of
Scotland, but ever since UK census data has been collected on Gaelic,
the language has generally weakened in this large geographic area.
Among the key issues are weaknesses in intergenerational transmission,
increasing English dominance in a greater range of linguistic domains,
significant inward migration of non-Gaelic speakers, population loss
(especially of young people), vulnerable local economies which are
heavily dependent on traditional economic activities (including
agriculture and fishing), and, until recently, a generally
unsupportive policy and public administrative context. While each
minoritised language differs in important respects, the Gaelic
experience is not an uncommon one.

The 1st Soillse Conference will explore two themes: First, we hope to
explore the problems and challenges faced by Gaelic and other
minoritised languages in their ‘heartlands’ – the areas with which
they have been most used in social and community life – in order to
understand better the nature of the challenges and the extent to which
these are the result of broader national and international forces, as
well as local ones.

Second, we hope to explore the various policy initiatives which have
been instituted not only in Scotland but in other jurisdictions to
address the problems and challenges faced by Gaelic and other
minoritised languages in their 'heartlands', in order to understand
better the sorts of interventions which have, and which have not,
worked so well.

Call for Papers:

We welcome proposals for papers on any aspect of the foregoing two
themes. Presenters may, example, wish to present a case study of a
particular minoritised language or a particular minoritised language
community/district in a 'heartland' area, a set of policy
interventions or a particular intervention, or any combination of the
foregoing. The only requirement is that presentations are related to
at least one of the two themes.

We would welcome submissions of proposals for papers (abstracts) of
not more than 350 words in length, in Scottish Gaelic or in English,
by no later than 25 June 2011 to Iain Caimbeul, Soillse's Senior
Project Manager (iain.caimbeulsoillse.ac.uk).

Abstracts should include the presenter's name and institutional
affiliation, if any, a very brief biography (not more than a further
100 words), and a contact e-mail address.

It is expected that information on acceptance of proposals will be
communicated by 2 July 2011.

Enquiries may be directed to Mr. Caimbeul or to Professor Robert
Dunbar, Soillse's Director (sm01rduhi.ac.uk). Further information,
including information on registration, travel and accommodation, will
be available on the Soillse website, http://www.soillse.ac.uk

http://linguistlist.org/issues/22/22-2419.html

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