“Forging Linguistic Identities”

a conference of

The Department of Foreign Languages
Towson University

Conference Dates: March 16-18, 2017
Location: Towson University; Towson, Maryland
Keynote: Dr. Jennifer Leeman, Associate Professor of Hispanic Linguistics at George Mason University and Research Sociolinguist at the US Census Bureau
Deadline for Abstracts: October 1, 2016

The information below has been provided by the conference organizers:

The conference seeks to examine language as socially embedded within historical and geographical contexts.   Possible topics might include, but not be limited to:

• Dialects/diglossia and their role in group identity formation
• The standardization of national and/or majority language(s) and its impact on national or regional politics
• Multi-lingualism in states and regions and its negotiation and practice by the communities of use.
• Use(s) of indigenous languages under transnational states
• National reception of dialect/minority-language literature and verbal culture
• Migration
• Translation studies

The scope of the conference is not limited by region, language, or time period.  Proposals involving languages taught by the Department of Foreign Languages (Arabic, Chinese, French, German, Ancient Greek, Biblical and Modern Hebrew, Italian, Japanese, Latin, Portuguese, Russian and Spanish) are especially encouraged.  Proposals are welcomed across disciplines, from scholars of languages and literatures, education, geography, history, psychology and sociology.  Please send an abstract of 250 words by email to: Prof. George McCool (gmccool [at] towson [dot] edu).  Please include your name, full address, institution affiliation, day telephone, fax and email address.  Please note that Conference papers must be limited to 20 minutes.

Faculty at all ranks are encouraged to participate. We will offer discounted hotel rooms near campus, and a graduated scale of conference fees.