56th Annual Conference of the International Linguistic Association 2011

Through this theme we encourage examination of the interplay between new forces of globalization, new forms of language contact, and new ways in which languages can be considered endangered. With all the nuances and contestations over its meaning, globalization has often been seen as a potentially fatal force, silently limiting the use of local languages both nationally and functionally, and precipitating sociolinguistic conditions that lead to the endangerment of less powerful languages by more powerful ones--those whose perceived power derives from political, economic, cultural, or other conditions. This danger acquires momentum with the increase in both incidence and avenues of language contact resulting from the expanding network of peoples, cultures, goods, services, and ideas across the globe. For this conference, participants are urged to examine whether or not, in fact, globalization is affecting the constellation of languages in the same ways and at the same rate in different regions of the world, how local experiences of language contact and language change may vary from place to place, and how languages in contact may be used side-by-side, sometimes to complement and at other times to compete with each other within the broader context of an inter-dependent world. We hope to forge a diverse canvas of the dynamics and counter-dynamics of language contact, language change, language shift and maintenance, language endangerment and language vitality, through the varied interpretive lenses of globalization.