Subject: CFP: Endangered Languages - Edinburgh, 25-27 Sept 98
From: Nicholas Ostler <nostler@chibcha.demon.co.uk>
To: elsnet-list@let.ruu.nl
Date: Tue, 24 Feb 1998 10:37:59 +0000



          Endangered Languages - What Role for the The Specialist?
             --------------------------------------------------

               Edinburgh, Scotland   -   25-27 September 1998

                            CALL FOR PAPERS

The workshop will provide a forum for researchers and activists working for
the maintenance of indigenous languages that face an uncertain future.


                        CONFERENCE SCOPE AND AIMS

In recent years,  number of support organizations have established
themselves, all aiming to mobilize research effort, popular opinion and
money in defence of declining languages.

The question is often raised of how these outsiders can really help the
cause that they have identified. Language communities must have inner
strength in order to survive, or at least the will and the means to go on
using their traditional tongues.  Outside organizations, however
well-meaning, cannot supply such qualities directly.  Some ask whether the
organizations even have the right to try to interfere.

This conference, the second organized by the Foundation for Endangered
Languages, is seeking answers to one part of this question.  How can
language specialists, whether professional linguists, educators, media
professionals or whoever, actually contribute to language maintenance?

We shall be looking for testimony on the actual effects of professional
involvement on small language communities throughout the world: both
community members, and the professionals themselves will have their tales
to tell.

We do not expect a common set of conclusions to emerge from this sharing of
experience and analysis.  But we shall be looking at the variety we find,
and asking if it points to a good way to define the roles of the support
organizations: how they can complement one another, perhaps sharing
techniques, perhaps transmitting knowledge?

Some Themes that need to be addressed:

        When does the professional best act as an external consultant,
        when as a team-player?

        What are useful relations:
        among grammarians,lexicographers and sociolinguists?
        among community-leaders, language-activists and language-scientists?
        among ordinary speakers, creative users, broadcasters and publishers?

        What have been great successes in specialist language work, and what
        motivated the people responsible?

        How does local work benefit from  EL support organizations with a
global
        or continental view? Is the need for technical assistance,
production of
        materials, publicity, funding, political agitation?

        Should EL support organizations themselves specialize?
        If so how: regionally, or by function?

The dates  will be 25-27 September 1998, and the venue the Pollock Halls in
Edinburgh. There will be a preliminary volume of proceedings distributed at
the Conference.

Presentations will last twenty minutes each, with a further ten minutes for
discussion.  All presentations should be accessible largely in English, but
use of the languages of interest, for quotation or exemplification, may
well be appropriate.

Organizers:

   Dr Nicholas Ostler      Foundation for Endangered Languages, Bath, England
   Prof Kenneth Mackinnon  Universities of Edinburgh and Hertfordshire
   Dr Briony Williams      University of Edinburgh, Scotland

Programme Committee:

Akira Yamamoto, Mahendra K Verma, Andrew Woodfield, Anthony Woodbury,
Tasaku Tsunoda, Jane Simpson, Mari Rhydwen, Jon Reyhner, Nicholas Ostler,
David Nash, Christopher Moseley, Kenneth Mackinnon, John Clews, Margaret
Allen.


                            ABSTRACT SUBMISSION

Abstracts should not exceed 500 words.  They can be submitted in one of two
ways:  hard copy or electronic submission.  They should be in English.

A)  Hard copies (or faxes):

Three copies should be sent to:

             Nicholas Ostler
             Foundation for Endangered Languages
             Batheaston Villa,  172 Bailbrook Lane
             Bath           BA1 7AA        England

This should have a clear short title, but should not bear anything to
identify the author(s).

On a separate sheet, please include the following information:
NAME : Names of the author(s)
TITLE: Title of the paper
EMAIL: Email address of the first author, if any
ADDR:  Postal address of the first author
TEL:   Telephone number of the first author, if any
FAX:   Fax number of the first author, if any

The name of the first author will be used in all correspondence.

If possible, please also send an e-mail to Nicholas Ostler at
<nostler@chibcha.demon.co.uk> informing him of the hard copy submission.
This is in case the hard copy does not reach its destination.  This e-mail
should contain the information specified in the section below.

B)  Electronic submission:

Electronic submission should be in plain ascii text email message giving
the following details:

# NAME : Name of first author
# TITLE: Title of the paper
# EMAIL: E-mail address of the first author
# ADDR:  Postal address of the first author
# TEL:   Telephone number of the first author, if any
# FAX:   Fax number of the first author

and in a separate section
# ABSTR: Abstract of the paper

IMPORTANT DATES

Abstract submission deadline              March 29
Notification of Committee's decision      April 27
Authors submit camera-ready text          July 14
Conference                                Sept 25-27

----------------------------------------------------------------
                        Nicholas Ostler
Managing Director                                      President
Linguacubun Ltd              Foundation for Endangered Languages
                http://www.bris.ac.uk/Depts/Philosophy/CTLL/FEL/

             Batheaston Villa,  172 Bailbrook Lane
             Bath           BA1 7AA        England
             +44-1225-85-2865 fax +44-1225-85-9258
                  nostler@chibcha.demon.co.uk