1. GENERAL OBJECTIVE OF THE CONFERENCE:
The main objective of the 10th WGNDV conference is to extend our knowledge on pluricentric languages further. To that end, we particularly welcome scholars from Africa and the rest of the world to provide their insights into the linguistic situation and the specific characteristics of pluricentric languages and their varieties in Africa and beyond.
This international conference builds on the previous nine conferences and workshops held in Graz (2011), Salamanca (2012), Guildford (2014), Graz (2015), Mainz (2017), Nitra (2018), Graz (2019), Stockholm (2019) and Graz (online 2021), all of which resulted in published volumes. Our conferences and workshops explore the field, define terminology and concepts associated with the descriptions of pluricentricity, describe the current situation of non-dominant standards as comprehensively as possible and discuss sociological, educational and cultural implications of managing language standard systems.
2. SPECIFIC SESSIONS OF THE CONFERENCE
Session (1): Pluricentric languages, multilingualism, and linguistic dehegemonisation in Africa
- This session focuses on pluricentric languages in Africa including but not limited to Afrikaans, Arabic, Berber/Tamazight, Hausa, Kiswahili/Swahili, Somali, and English, French, German, Portuguese, Spanish. There is a considerable number of native African languages that have not yet been studied with respect to the concept of pluricentricity. Several languages might be pluricentric due to geographical and linguistic circumstances, e.g.: Bambara (Burkina Faso, Côte d’Ivoire, Gambia, Guinea, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal); Chewa/Nyanja (Malawi, Zimbabwe); Fula/Fulfulde (Benin, Burkina Faso, Cameroon, Guinea, Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauretania, Niger, Senegal); Guinean Portuguese/Português Guineense (Guinea-Bissau); Kabuverdianu (Cape Verde, São Tome & Principe, Guinea-Bissau); Kikongo (Angola, Democratic Republic of Kongo, Gabon); Kiswahili/Swahili (Burundi, Democratic Republic of Congo, Kenya, Rwanda, South Sudan, Tanzania, Uganda), Lingala (Democratic Republic of Congo, Republic of Congo); Shangane (South Africa, Mozambique, Zimbabwe); Soninke (Guinea-Bissau, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal); Sotho (Lesotho, South Africa, Zimbabwe); Swazi/Swati (Eswatini, South Africa, Swaziland); Tuareg (Mali, Niger); Setswana/Tswana (Botswana, South Africa, Zimbabwe); Tigrinya (Eritrea, Ethiopia); Venda/Tshivenḓa/Luvenḓa (South Africa, Zimbabwe); Xhosa (South Africa, Zimbabwe) etc.
- Apart from these, there will probably be many other African languages that possibly are pluricentric, but have not been researched yet. We would like to welcome scholars working on languages of African origin specifically to check their status as a pluricentric language and present their results at the conference.
Session (2): General session – Pluricentric languages worldwide
- In this general session, we are looking forward to papers on pluricentric languages in the rest of the world.
- Additional subsessions and panel proposals can be included as well.
3. CONFERENCE TOPICS
The conference’s topics include, but are not limited to:
- Pluricentric languages and linguistic dehegemonisation in Africa
- Multilingualism in Africa
- Non-dominant varieties of pluricentric languages – perspectives and views
- Decolonial approach to language diversity
- Linguistics and hegemonic discourse: e.g. European linguistics as a tool for power management
- Pluricentric languages: concept, characteristics, description
- Official status of national varieties and language policies
- African national varieties used outside of Africa
- Corpus construction for pluricentric languages
- Language making and language (re)naming
- Pluricentricity and nationalism
- Pluricentric languages and language education
- History of pluricentric languages