32.1471, Calls: Applied Ling, Pragmatics, Socioling/Italy

Tue Apr 27 19:15:41 UTC 2021

LINGUIST List: Vol-32-1471. Tue Apr 27 2021. ISSN: 1069 - 4875.

Subject: 32.1471, Calls: Applied Ling, Pragmatics, Socioling/Italy

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Date: Tue, 27 Apr 2021 15:15:11
From: Giovanni Tallarico [giovanni.tallarico at univr.it]
Subject: Multilingualism in professional life. Manifestations, management

Full Title: Multilingualism in professional life. Manifestations, management 

Date: 25-Nov-2021 - 26-Nov-2021
Location: Verona, Italy 
Contact Person: Giovanni Tallarico
Meeting Email: giovanni.tallarico at univr.it
Web Site: https://www.multilinguismoverona.eu/colloque-international-25-26-novembre-2021/ 

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; Pragmatics; Sociolinguistics 

Call Deadline: 21-Jun-2021 

Meeting Description:

The Department of Foreign Languages and Literature of the University of
Verona, in collaboration with the Progetto di Eccellenza : le Digital
Humanities applicate alle lingue e letterature straniere (Project of
Excellence in the Digital Humanities), is organising an international
conference with the aim of exploring the question of multilingualism in
business and industry and what this implies for acquiring the relevant
language skills. Building on the two-year MultilinVR project, which analysed
the language needs of businesses in the Verona region and the experience of
specialised training in language skills, it is time to reflect more globally
on multilingualism in the professional context and to open up new avenues of
research.

Call for Papers: 

To start off with, it is important to take stock of how globalisation,
immigration, transnational lifestyles, increasing mobility (including
professional mobility) have played a decisive role in the way multilingualism
is perceived. Multilingualism can take on different forms, individual, social,
state-based, and involve various players such as supranational institutions,
international organisations and establishments of higher learning. In this
sense, multilingualism is a question of public interest. The recent conference
of the European Observatory for Plurilingualism (EOP) stressed the fact that
multilingual skills are an essential asset in the present-day context. All
this implies that exploring multilingualism, while preserving and promoting
it, is a major issue in our societies. It is an opportunity to seize and a
challenge to respond to. Multilingualism has become a crucial issue at a time
when Brexit (Kelly 2018) calls into question the linguistic status quo in
Europe challenging the dogma of English as the lingua franca (Tietze 2004) in
European institutions and in trade. This conference aims at exploring
multilingualism and what impact it has in professional contexts, in particular
those strongly impacted by the phenomenon.

It is now an accepted fact that correct management of languages in the
workplace has a direct effect on a firm’s competitivity (Grin 2010; Zorzi et
al. 2012; Truchot 2015; Gerolimich & Vecchiato 2016; Brivio 2018). The
competitive advantages of multilingualism are well documented (Carrère et al.
2016; Hogan-Brun 2017; Gazzola 2017; Gazzola & Mazzacani 2017). Many studies
show that there is a link between foreign language skills and succesful export
performance (PIMLICO Project 2011). Research by English-speaking experts
(Angouri 2013; Feely & Harzing 2003; Ginsburgh & Weber 2011; Welch 2005) has
focused on multilingualism as a strategic management tool used in an
essentially pragmatic context. In Scandinavia several studies have stressed
the dynamics of power associated with multilingualism (Andersen & Rasmussen
2004; Fredriksson et al. 2006; Lønsmann & Mortensen 2018). The importance of
affect should not be underestimated either in business negotiations (Allred et
al. 1997) nor the emotional resonance that using the negotiating partner’s
language can procure (Bordia & Bordia 2015). This brings us to further
investigate strategies used to promote multilingual communication, calling on
translators and/or interpreters (Clouet 2019), adapting websites (Mattioda
2015), hiring native speakers or staff with language skills, providing
language learning facilities. Furthermore, the question will be addressed as
to how companies can best define and contribute to a meaningful strategic
management of the language question in business.

Proposed papers may correspond to the following orientations (non-exhaustive
list):
1. Observing good practices in companies and cases of language management
2. Economic value of languages
3. Needs in multilingual terminology in business communication
4. Integrating non native-speaking workers by taking into account their
multilingual skills
5. Managing intercultural differences in multilingual firms
6. The limit of the all-English mantra: case studies
7. The role of translation in professional contexts
8. Learning languages for professional reasons
9. European language policies and recommendations concerning the workplace

Proposed papers should be sent to the following address:
info at multilinguismoverona.eu by 21 June, 2021. Please note the following
requirements:
 - Word format or compatible
 - Author(s): papers are anonymous
 - Length: around 500 words

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LINGUIST List: Vol-32-1471	
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