9. Forthcoming Meetings

Archiving Language Materials in Web-Accessible DBs - Ethical Challenges: 22 April 2001, U. Texas at Austin.

In recent years, the emergence of new technology and standards has made it possible to easily access electronic versions of textual and audio materials stored in digital databases, using web browsers and free internet-downloadable software. This has created an opportunity for applying this new technology to the archiving, dissemination, and analysis of linguistic materials. Language archives using this web-based technology are now being launched, and it is necessary to consider the ethical implications of these new preservation and dissemination centers.

The purpose of this colloquium is to advance the discussion of the ethical issues raised by these new language archives. The organizers are especially interested in the ethical challenges raised by the use of web-accessible archives for indigenous and endangered languages, but presentations focused on other languages are also welcome.

This, a parasession of the 9th annual Symposium About Language and Society - Austin (SALSA). Sunday, April 22nd, 2001, will be held at 1 pm - 5 pm at the University of Texas at Austin. For further information, email ailla@uts.cc.utexas.edu . (Abstracts were due by Friday, March 23, 2001.)

Registration for SALSA is required of colloquium participants; for more information, visit http://www.utexas.edu/students/salsa .

Deictic Systems & Quantification In Languages Spoken In Europe & North & Central Asia, May 22-25, 2001

The international symposium will take place at the Udmurt State University, in Izhevsk, Russia, on May 22-25, 2001. Izhevsk is the capital of the Udmurt Republic in Russia. Invited Speakers:
· Prof. Dr. William Croft, University of Manchester, Manchester
· Prof. Dr. Östen Dahl, Stockholm University, Stockholm
· Prof. Dr. Martin Haspelmath, Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig
· Prof. Dr. Alexandr E. Kibrik, Philological faculty, Moscow State University, Moscow
· Prof. Dr. Ulrike Mosel, Seminar fuer Allgemeine Sprachwissenschaft, Universität Kiel, Kiel
· Prof. Dr. J.-L. Moro, Paris

The languages spoken in Europe and North and Central Asia belong to several major language families. The Indo-European, Uralic and Turkic languages are the largest language families in Europe and North and Central Asia. In addition, Tungusic languages and the Palaeo-Siberian languages belong to the indigenous languages of the area. In Central Asia, the area overlaps with the area of the Mongolic languages, and in the Southeast, the Sinitic languages. In the South, the area also borders on the languages spoken in the Caucasus, and the western part of the main area of the Semitic languages is located on the border of the languages spoken in Southern Europe. During the course of history, this area has been a meeting place of numerous cultural and linguistic strands. In most cases, this large area is multi-cultural and multilingual, and many people living in the area know, in addition to their native language, some other languages spoken in the area.

The most important goal of the symposium is to gather information on the deictic systems and quantification in languages spoken in the area. Among these languages, the Indo-European languages are best known, but most of the languages spoken in the eastern part of this large area are poorly known even among linguists. The new research work would provide material for research work on the contacts among these languages and on the study of the universals of language. One of the goals of the symposium is understanding the areal distribution of deictic systems and quantification. For that reason, papers on the languages bordering on the area are also welcome in the symposium. When collecting new information about these languages, it also is possible to gather new information for cross-linguistic studies.

The elements of the deictic systems of language are located in several sub-systems of languages. The most typical elements belonging to the deictic systems can be found in the following groups:

· The pronominal systems: personal pronouns, demonstrative pronouns, adverbs and adjectives; anaphoric elements;
· The temporal systems: tense and the elements denoting temporal aspects;
· Social deixis: polite forms and expressions concerning different kinds of social relationships.
URL:
http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/uhlcs/
symposium-izhevsk/symposium-announcement.html

E-mail symposium-izhevsk@eva.mpg.de

Pirkko Suihkonen
Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Dept. of Linguistics
Inselstrasse 22, D-04103 Leipzig, Germany
Phone: +49-(0)341-9952 328, Fax: +49-(0)341-9952 119

Conference on Indigenous Bilingual Education: Guatemala, July 25-27, 2001

The First Hemispheric Conference on Indigenous Bilingual Education will be held in Guatemala City, Guatemala, July 25-27, 2001. The Conference is intended to create a dialogue among policy-makers, practitioners, and researchers from countries throughout the Americas where multi- cultural and multilingual issues impact upon society and the education system. Its primary purpose is to promote a sustainable exchange of pedagogical experiences, methodologies, and policies that yield the structures, programs, and materials needed to support effective bilingual and intercultural education in our hemisphere.

Sponsored by World Learning, with support from the U.S. Agency for International Development and the Guatemalan Ministry of Education, the Conference will facilitate a sustainable exchange of ideas, information, and approaches relating to the development of bilingual and intercultural education throughout the Americas. Among the core areas of dialogue will be:

· The educational context of indigenous people of the hemisphere
· Pedagogical studies and innovative techniques in bilingual and
· intercultural education
· Community-based approaches to indigenous education
· Effective policies for supporting bilingual and intercultural education

The conference will include various programs designed to inaugurate regional collaboration and partnerships among individuals and organiza- tions in North, Central, and South America. Additional highlights of the conference will be a meeting of the Indigenous Parliament of America and a marketplace offering indigenous and bilingual education materials and resources from each of the participating countries.

For additional information or to register for the conference, visit the website at:

www.worldlearning.org

To participate in the workshops as a presenter of innovative methods, materials, or policies, contact:

In the United States:
Naoko Kamioko, World Learning
tel: +1-202/408-5420
(feria@worldlearning.org)

In Guatemala:
Jose' Angel Zapeta, World Learning/PAEBI
tel: +1-502/366-2356 or 366-5451
(feria@worldlearning.org)

Linguistic Perspectives on Endangered Languages: Univ. Helsinki, Aug 29 – Sept 1, 2001.

This symposium of The Linguistic Association of Finland will bring together linguists interested in questions relating to endangered languages. We invite papers addressing general linguistic questions as well as papers taking the viewpoint of one (or more) particular language(s). Themes include documentation of endangered languages, standardization of language corpora, and the possible effects of endangerment on the grammar of a language. Other topics relating to language endangerment are also welcome.

Invited speakers:
• David Harrison (Univ. Pennsylvania), Nomads on the internet: documentation, endangered languages and technologies
• William McGregor (Aarhus Univ.), Structural changes in language shift/obsolescence: a Kimberley (Australia) perspective
• Marja-Liisa Olthuis (Sámi Assizes, Finland): The Inarisaami language as an endangered language
• Tapani Salminen (Univ. Helsinki), Linguists and language endangerment in north-western Siberia
• Stephen A. Wurm (Australian National Univ.), Languages of the world and language endangerment

Activities: • lectures by invited speakers
• presentations by participants (20 min + 10 min for discussion)
• demonstrations by participants

Abstracts:
The deadline for submission of abstracts was 30 March, 2001. Accepted abstracts are published on the webpage of the symposium http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/sky/el.html

Registration deadline and fees:
For all participants this is June 21, 2001. Register by e-mail to the address above. Registration fees:
• general: FIM 200
• members of the association: FIM 100
• undergraduate and MA students free
For participants coming from abroad we recommend payment in cash upon arrival. The organizers will provide a list of hotels later.

E-mail: el-organizers@ling.helsinki.fi URL: http://www.ling.helsinki.fi/sky/el.html.

Language and Society on the Threshold of a New Millenium: Moscow, 23-26 Oct. 2001

International conference organized by Research Center of Ethnic and Language Relations of the Institute of Linguistics, Russian Academy of Sciences, and Institute of Foreign Languages

The President of the Organizing Committee is Prof. Vida Mikhal’chenko. Topics will include:

· Social linguistics: theory, methods and basic notions
· Language situation and language politics throughout the world
· Language legislation: concepts, implementation and change
· Language contacts, bilingualism and code-switching
· Functioning of languages; functional classification of languages of the world · Endangered languages
· Modern methods of sociolinguistics
· Language conflicts and their causes
· Language and culture
· Sociolinguistic prognostication
· Sociolinguistic aspect of education
· International languages: social requirements, teaching and functioning
· The sociolinguistic aspects of terminology
Working languages: Russian, English.
Contact Information:
Postal Address: 1/12 Bolshoy Kislovsky Lane, Moscow 103009, Russia
E-mail: socioling@mail.ru
Web page: http://socioling.narod.ru
Fax: +7-(095) 290-0528
Tel: +7-(095) 290-5268, 290-4611
Costs: Registration $120; Hotel $60–$100 per n’t
Des langues collatérales - problèmes de la proximité linguistique: Amiens, 21-24 nov. 2001

Des objets spécifiques
Les variétés ou idiomes - « langues » dans un sens général – que nous visons ont été longtemps décrites (anciennement de façon consensuelle) comme « dialectes », « patois », mais non « langues ». Elles sont appréhendées aujourd’hui de façon non consensuelle : « dialectes » ou « langues ». Elles sont senties comme proches – « trop proches » - de la langue dominante ou standard (« toit »), à laquelle elles sont historiquement associées dans leur genèse même. Elles sont pour la plupart déclarées en déclin ou en danger – mais certaines depuis 2 siècles ! Ces images brouillées n’empêchent pas qu’elles sont porteuses d’attachements et de démarches d’identité culturelle, et objets de revendications « de langues » (linguification ?) au sens de la Charte européenne. Ces objets suscitent une sorte d’embarras des politiques et des contradictions même chez les linguistes. Nous proposons de discuter des cas, en les comparant, et des concepts descriptifs, sous la désignation – à mettre à l’épreuve – de « langues collatérales ».

Derrière la terminologie
D’innombrables travaux sur les « dialectes » ont produit de nombreuses propositions de classification d’objets : langue/dialecte, langue nationale/langue régionale, di-, tri-, tétra-, poly-glossie, variétés H, M, B, colinguisme, badume-standard-norme, …

Le point sur des questions théoriques précises
- comment objectiver-évaluer la distance-proximité (ressemblance-dissemblance) linguistique
- quelle est la part de la « parenté » historique dans la « proximité »
- quels sont les enjeux de l’érection des « parlers » en « langues »
- comment décrire le rôle des auto- et hétéroreprésentations dans le status de ces variétés, dans les pratiques et politiques linguistiques
- comment opère l’institutionnalisation dans le paysage linguistique, et quel est le rôle actuel de l’Union européenne dans l’institutionnalisation.

Des implications pratiques
- les promoteurs de ces langues ont-ils, doivent-ils avoir des revendications spécifiques ?
- quelles politiques sont appliquées à ces langues, au niveau national et européen ?
- quelle position d’expertise adoptent/doivent adopter les linguistes à leur égard ?
- quelle articulation entre les politiques concernant ces langues collatérales et les autres langues régionales et minoritaires ?
- quelle articulation entre la gestion politique de ces langues et l’ouverture au plurilinguisme ?
- quel avenir pour ces langues, articulé avec l’avenir des langues « toit » ?

Présidence du colloque
· Bernard CERQUIGLINI, Directeur de l’Institut National de la Langue Française, Vice-président du Conseil supérieur de la langue française
· Jean-Luc FAUCONNIER, Président du Conseil des Langues Régionales Endogènes de la Communauté française de Belgique

Organisation: Olivier ENGELAERE, Agence Régionale du Patrimoine, de la Langue et de la Culture de Picardie

Programme culturel
- visites : Cathédrale d’Amiens, Musée de Picardie
- conférences grand public : Henriette WALTER, Claude HAGEGE
- spectacle de variétés : Musiques d’aujourd’hui en wallon et en picard
- spectacle de théâtre en picard

Inscription - Communication

A adresser le plus tôt possible
- Auteur de la communication et institution, avec adresses postale et électronique
- Titre de la communication envisagée
- Langue(s) et pays concernés (éventuellement)
- dans quelle langue sera donnée la communication (voir ci-dessous : Choix de la langue de travail)

A adresser AVANT le 15 juin 2001
Le Résumé de votre projet de communication (200 mots maximum) devra être adressé, de préférence par courrier électronique, au Comité scientifique, à l’adresse suivante : cep@u-picardie.fr

Le Comité scientifique indiquera vers la mi-juillet les communications retenues.

Choix de la langue de travail: entre
allemand, anglais, espagnol, français, italien.

Contents.