[Lingtyp] Call for abstracts - Minority Languages & Cognitive Linguistics: towards a two‑way relationship (ICLC-15)

[Simon Devylder]

ICLC-15 Theme session proposal

Simon Devylder, Alice Gaby, Jonathan Schlossberg

*Minority Languages & Cognitive Linguistics: towards a two‑way relationship*

We would like to invite short abstracts (100 words) for participation in
our proposed theme session on “Minority Languages and Cognitive
Linguistics: towards a two-way relationship” at the 15th International
Cognitive Linguistics Conference (ICLC-15) at Kwansei Gakuin University,
Nishinomiya, Japan (
https://iclc2019.site/conference-information/call-for-papers).


Studies of minority languages (both signed and spoken) have not only played
a significant role in the inception of Cognitive Linguistics (CL) four
decades ago, but have continuously provided researchers with unique
insights into the study of language ever since (Rice, 2017). The
‘preconception-altering’ fieldwork experience of linguists, and the
cross-linguistic perspective that comes with it, has indeed been one of the
most fertile sources of inspiration for contributions to CL frameworks.
Many of the most prominent figures in cognitive linguistics have tapped
into the diversity of the world’s languages to develop models, theories and
methods to better understand language as a dependent cognitive faculty in a
variety of domains of inquiry. A far from exhaustive list includes:
research on spatial semantics and cognition, lexical categorization,
polysemy and radial categories, event representation and semantic typology,
the interface of syntax and semantics, and so on.  In sum, studies of
minority languages have been pivotal to CL.

But what has CL done for minority language communities? And perhaps more
importantly, what can it do? UNESCO reported in 2010 that 2,700 of the
world’s 6,700 languages, each carrying generations of worldviews and
cultural traditions, are at risk of extinction. This is certainly tragic
for modern social sciences scholarship, but more importantly, it threatens
the linguistic and cultural heritage of minority language communities
around the world.

We would like to invite researchers with experience and interest in the
study of minority languages from a CL perspective to contribute to a
discussion of the path to a more balanced two-way collaboration between
(indigenous and non-indigenous, deaf and hearing) cognitive linguists and
signed and spoken language communities. We invite proposals that address
the two following questions:

1. How can the study of minority languages illuminate and enrich the study
of language from a cognitive linguistic perspective?

2. How can minority languages and communities benefit from the cognitive
linguistics enterprise? Especially in cases where the cognitive linguist’s
expertise is more specific than the broad knowledge required for more
‘standard’ revitalization and maintenance practices.

We especially welcome contributions from members of minority language
communities.

Abstract submission

*Please submit a brief summary (100 words) for a 25-minute presentation to
minlangcogling at gmail.com by September 7th 2018*


Simon, Alice, and Jonathan.
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