28.520, Calls: English, Sociolinguistics/UK

[The LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List: Vol-28-520. Wed Jan 25 2017. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 28.520, Calls: English, Sociolinguistics/UK

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Date: Wed, 25 Jan 2017 18:21:06
From: emmanuelle Labeau [e.labeau at aston.ac.uk]
Subject: English Spoken: the Position of English in Brussels

 
Full Title: English Spoken: the Position of English in Brussels 
Short Title: ESB 

Date: 30-May-2017 - 30-May-2017
Location: Brussels, United Kingdom 
Contact Person: Emmanuelle Labeau
Meeting Email: e.labeau at aston.ac.uk
Web Site: http://www.aston.ac.uk/lss/research/research-centres/clara-home/news-and-events/ 

Linguistic Field(s): Sociolinguistics 

Subject Language(s): English (eng)

Call Deadline: 05-Mar-2017 

Meeting Description:

The research day is primarily intended to facilitate cross-disciplinary
discussions as a starting point for a large scale research project on English
in Brussels. Attendance is free but limited and subject to registration:
https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/english-spoken-the-position-of-english-in-bruss
els-tickets-31021669649

Located in a Germanic dialectal area as attested by all historical toponyms,
Brussels has known over the centuries an increasing influence of French that
culminated in the 19th century when French became de facto the language of the
newly funded Belgian state. That state of affairs discriminated against
speakers of Dutch dialects, which led to claims for linguistic equality that
is still being pursued through the reforms of the Belgian State. Since 1989,
Brussels is officially bilingual (French-Dutch). However this status does not
reflect the linguistic diversity of the capital city where over 100 languages
are spoken according to the latest ''Taalbarometer'' (Janssens 2013) nor the
influence of English that is the second best known language after French.


Call for Papers:

The presence of English as a world language is well documented in metropolises
but it may have found in Brussels a very fertile ground due to the presence of
EU- and international institutions but also due to its increasing instrumental
value as a lingua franca between French-speaking and Dutch-speaking Belgians.

Yet, the position of English in Brussels is under-documented and the first aim
of this research day is to offer a better overview of the prevalence and
functions of English in Brussels. More specifically, the following questions
among many others could be discussed:

- In what domains - for instance business, advertisement, (higher) education,
the media - is English used in Brussels?
- Is the use of English widespread or restricted to specific geographical
areas?
- Where and how is English visible in Brussels? How prevalent is it in the
linguistic landscape? What is its share in the local media?
- Among which groups is it used? Is it the prerogative of highly educated
expats or is it reaching other parts of the population such as recent
migrants? Could it become an intra-national lingua franca between - Dutch- and
French-speakers?
- What are the attitudes towards English? Is it welcome as a prestige marker
or a useful neutral lingua franca or is it resented as a foreign influence?
- What are the characteristics of the English spoken in Brussels? Is it a
foreign language relying on British or American norms or is it turning into a
second language with local features as may be the case in EU institutions and
their 'Euro-Speak'? Could the recent Brexit influence the future of English in
Brussels?
- The research day is primarily intended to facilitate cross-disciplinary
discussions as a starting point for a large scale research project on English
in Brussels.

Proposals of 400 words (+ references) for 20-minute papers (+ 10 minutes
discussion) are invited by 5 March 2017 through Easy Abstracts:
https://easychair.org/cfp/ESB1




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