Academic Programs

Language and Territory

Welcoming words from the co-chairs of the International conference on Language and Territory

Welcome to the new website of the International Conference on Language and Territory. The conference will allow members of the scientific community from around the world to meet, to network, and to share knowledge and expertise in a unique and inspiring environment. The conference also stresses learning and training, both of established and student researchers, so as to promote the exchange of expertise, the acquisition of new tools, and the dissemination of the latest knowledge.

Our new website will be your guide and your source of information on the conference. On it you will find information pertaining to activities planned in conjunction with the conference as well as information regarding Laurentian University and the City of Sudbury. Further details will be posted on the website as we near the conference date as well as after the event. Updates will also be posted regarding audiovisual material, interviews, details on the papers, etc

On the website you will also find information regarding conference registration, transportation to and from Toronto’s Pearson International Airport, conference accommodations, and general information about the Sudbury region. We hope that the information on the sessions and workshops, on the cultural activities and on the special events will help you to plan your stay with us.

We look forward to welcoming you to Sudbury and Laurentian University.

Best wishes.

Ali Reguigui et Julie Boissonneault

Description

Languages, as vehicles of history and culture, evolve differently on diverse territories. As such, the significance of a given language varies from one territory to another. The concept of territory, understood in a broad sense, is often used to circumscribe the activity of a language, by imposing either geopolitical and judicial frontiers or social parameters. The “borders” drawn between languages and territories are, however, not impervious. In fact, these borders change through time and space; they are subject to prevailing factors such as the migration of populations, linguistic policies, linguistic and social representations, education, mass media and socio-cultural values.

The study of languages and of their territories encompasses the study of the evolution of languages, of their strengths and weaknesses, their vitality and their future. Indeed the interaction between languages and territories is dynamic, at times either harmonious or discordant.

Moreover, contact between languages has a profound effect on how speakers understand and conceptualize their language(s) as well as the language(s) of others. The issues arising from language contact are thus diverse, differing widely according to the “territory” on which the contact occurs.

The conference Language and Territory proposes to address, in a systematic and analytical fashion, the often tenuous and porous categories of language and territory. Participants may address issues pertaining to: