LLC News

CFP: 3rd International Language Management Symposium

3rd International Language Management Symposium: Special Focus on Research Methodology

Sponsorship: Charles University in Prague & Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic
Dates: September 13-14, 2013 (Fri & Sat)
Venue: Charles University in Prague, Faculty of Arts, nam. Jana Palacha 2, Prague,Czech Republic

Following on the tradition of Language Management Theory originally elaborated by J. V. Neustupný and B. H. Jernudd, the Third Language Management Symposium, sponsored by Charles University in Prague and the Academy of Sciences of the Czech Republic, welcomes papers on empirical studies of language management, defined as any sort of behavior toward language, in other words, the various forms and manifestations of attention devoted to language or its use. Papers highlighting methodological aspects of the research in language management are most welcome.

Language Management Theory (framework/model) (LMT) originated against the background of the language planning theory of the 1960s and 1970s and both Neustupný and particularly Jernudd were originally involved in this language planning research. However, they transformed this research into what has become LMT, followed by new generations of researchers. LMT focuses on the acts and activities (such as noting, evaluation) of individual speakers as well as institutions of varying complexity (families, social and political groups, schools, government ministries, media), with the aim of uncovering the relationships between the activities of speakers on the one hand and those of institutions on the other. Another important feature is that it views linguistic activities in the context of communicative and sociocultural ones (for details see J. Nekvapil & T. Sherman, eds., Language Management in Contact Situations: Perspectives from Three Continents. Frankfurt am Main, Berlin, Bern, Bruxelles, New York, Oxford, Wien: Peter Lang, 2009).

A theory of such a scope, of course, must seriously address the ways in which it reaches its findings. Thus, the question of the research methodology becomes urgent. The methods used by the scholars subscribing to LMT include some procedures of conversation analysis, various types of interviews (follow-up, stimulated recall, interaction, narrative or semi-structured) and of course the analysis of documents and ethnography in general. Further methods, used only occasionally, include focus groups and
systematic (self) observation. The main purpose of this symposium is to assess the effectiveness of the methods used by the LMT scholars when conducting particular empirical research.

The first international symposium on language management was devoted to "probing of the concept of noting", and was held at Monash University (Clayton, Melbourne) in 2008. The second symposium addressing "norm diversity and language management in globalized settings" took place at Waseda University (Tokyo) in 2011.

We invite proposals for papers which reflect any topic related to the language management framework and particularly, the special focus of the symposium. Questions for discussion include (but are not limited to): Which methods enable the researcher observe the various phases of (simple) management? Do all phases of management need to be directly observable? What are the advantages and disadvantages of elicited data and naturally-occurring data? What is the explicative value of language management summaries elicited in interviews? How is it possible to study the interplay of simple and organized management? How can the relations between linguistic, communicative and sociocultural management be captured?

Abstracts (300-500 words) should be sent to the address below by January 31, 2013. The abstracts will be evaluated by the scientific committee and the authors will be informed by e-mail by February 28, 2013.

Abstracts should be e-mailed to marian.sloboda@ff.cuni.cz
Notification of acceptance of proposals: February 28, 2013

Scientific committee
Sau Kuen Fan (Kanda University of International Studies, Tokyo)
Björn H. Jernudd (independent scholar, Washington, D.C.)
Goro Kimura (Sophia University, Tokyo)
Helen Marriott (Monash University, Clayton, Melbourne)
Hidehiro Muraoka (Chiba University)
Jiri Nekvapil (Charles University in Prague)

Local organizing committee
Jiri Nekvapil (chair)
Marián Sloboda (contact person)
Vít Dovalil
Petr Kaderka
Markéta Pravdová
Tamah Sherman

Enquiries: marian.sloboda@ff.cuni.cz

Posted by Sara Cole on October 22, 2012 3:45 PM | Permalink