Endangerment of languages across the planet: The dynamics of linguistic diversity and globalization

27 mars 2014

Endangerment of languages across the planet: The dynamics of linguistic diversity and globalization

There is general consensus among linguists and language experts that slightly more than 7,000 languages (Ethnologue 2013) are spoken across the world today and that half of them are under threat of extinction within fifty to one hundred years. Today at least 3,000 tongues are endangered, seriously endangered or dying in many parts of the universe. It is a deplorable fact that many linguists have remained rather ignorant to the threat to most of the world’s languages until fairly recently. This conference aims to examine the reasons behind this dramatic loss of linguistic diversity, why this matters, and what can be done and achieved to document and support endangered, moribund and small languages especially in the context of an ever increasing globalized world. In fact, to date there is very little empirical research on the impact of globalization on endangered languages and language shift. How can a minority/indigenous language be maintained in this era of globalisation and what is the role of language policies and language planning strategies in multilingual contexts? And finally, what are the benefits of documenting and archiving endangered languages for linguistics, related disciplines and human cultural heritage in general, especially in the light of new advances in technology and data collection methodologies? In this vein, the context of globalization and language threat will be explored, with all the challenges and consequences involved and discussed from a variety of perspectives: sociolinguistics and the sociology of language, language contact, language policy/planning, language ecology, language endangerment and documentation.

Organisateur:

University of Koblenz-Landau

Type d'événement:

Symposium

Date:

31/03/2014 - 02/04/2014

Lieu:

University of Koblenz-Landau, Landau

Pays:

Allemagne

Conditions pour participer:

ouvert à tous

SUBMISSION OF ABSTRACTS Submissions are solicited for theme session presentations by one or two authors within a thirty-minute period, including time for discussion. All submissions for presentations should be in line with the following abstract guidelines: The deadline for abstracts is September 15, 2013.

Groupes cibles:

Chercheurs
Enseignants en langues
Experts en langues

Domaines thématiques:

Linguistique

Champ d'action:

International

Adresse de la personne de contact

Martin Pütz
University of Koblenz-Landau FB 6 Institut für Fremdsprachliche Philologien, Fach Anglistik, Marktstr. 40
76829 Landau/Pf., Germany
Téléphone