8th International Pragmatics Conference

[Jef Verschueren]

8th International  Pragmatics Conference
Toronto, Ontario, Canada
13-18 July 2003

Chair:
Monica Heller (University of Toronto)

Themes:

As always, the conference will be open to all themes relevant to the
pragmatics of language in its widest sense as an interdisciplinary
cognitive, social, and cultural perspective. In addition, there is a special
theme:

"Linguistic pluralism : policies, practices and pragmatics"

This theme was chosen for a variety of reasons. It permits one to link
cognitive, linguistic, social and political approaches to a phenomenon of
long-standing interest in pragmatics and of current theoretical, as well as
social and policy importance. The theme is one which also fits the venue,
given Canada's historical involvement in debates on such issues, and
Toronto's profile as a major centre of new globalized urban multilingualism.
However, it is meant here to go beyond traditional ideas about
"multilingualism" understood as connecting linguistic difference primarily
to ethnic or national distinctions, and rather to extend that concept to the
links between language and all forms of social difference and social
inequality. The theme is also based on a commitment to tying academic
approaches to broader public debates.

Call for papers and panels:

A formal call for papers and panels will be launched in early 2002. The
anticipated deadline will be 1 November 2002.

All further developments will be regularly updated on the IPrA website:
http://ipra-www.uia.ac.be/ipra/8th_conference.html