| 26 Jul 2013 | All day | CRASSH, Alison Richard Building, 7 West Road, Cambridge CB3 9DT | |
- Description
Description
Registrations are now closed
Conveners
Mari Jones (Department of French/Peterhouse,
University of Cambridge)
Christopher Connolly (Peterhouse, University of Cambridge)
Plenary Speaker
Professor Lenore Grenoble (University of Chicago)
Summary
Language policy is where
linguistics meets politics. Linguistic legislation serves as a medium
through which power is negotiated between different speech communities
within a given society. Where varieties are endangered, language policy
often takes the form of specific ideologies that underlie language
planning strategies. As such, its goals may be specific and practical in
nature, such as orthographic reform, or more emblematic, such as
measures for the promotion and protection of vulnerable languages.
However, language policy issues are imbued with a powerful symbolism
that is often linked to questions of identity, with the suppression or
failure to recognize and support a given endangered variety representing a refusal
to grant a ‘voice’ to the corresponding ethnocultural community. This
conference will consider how and whether the interface between people,
politics and language can affect the fortunes of the endangered
linguistic varieties involved. Can policy really alter linguistic
behaviour, or does it merely ratify changes already underway within the
speech community? Do governments have a moral obligation to support
endangered languages? Should linguists play a role in shaping language
policy and, if so, what should that role be? When policy decisions are
at odds with the will of the speech community, which will triumph?
linguistics meets politics. Linguistic legislation serves as a medium
through which power is negotiated between different speech communities
within a given society. Where varieties are endangered, language policy
often takes the form of specific ideologies that underlie language
planning strategies. As such, its goals may be specific and practical in
nature, such as orthographic reform, or more emblematic, such as
measures for the promotion and protection of vulnerable languages.
However, language policy issues are imbued with a powerful symbolism
that is often linked to questions of identity, with the suppression or
failure to recognize and support a given endangered variety representing a refusal
to grant a ‘voice’ to the corresponding ethnocultural community. This
conference will consider how and whether the interface between people,
politics and language can affect the fortunes of the endangered
linguistic varieties involved. Can policy really alter linguistic
behaviour, or does it merely ratify changes already underway within the
speech community? Do governments have a moral obligation to support
endangered languages? Should linguists play a role in shaping language
policy and, if so, what should that role be? When policy decisions are
at odds with the will of the speech community, which will triumph?
Sponsors
Supported by the Centre for Research in the
Arts, Humanities and Social
Sciences (CRASSH), University of Cambridge, the Association of Language Testers in Europe (ALTE) and Cambridge University Press
Accommodation for non-paper giving delegates
We are unable to arrange accommodation, however, the
following websites may be of help.
Visit
Cambridge
Cambridge Rooms
University of Cambridge accommodation webpage
NB.
CRASSH is not able to help with the booking
of accommodation.
Administrative assistance: events@crassh.cam.ac.uk
