Two conferences I plan to attend…

Vlora (Albania), September 11-13
This seems to focus more on English linguistics and Anglophone literature, so it’s not immediately relevant to my needs. But it should be an interesting intercultural experience…

Izmir (Turkey), October 28-30
Focussing on English as an International Language. Chomsky’s keynote speech should be one of the highlights of the event. I might turn a paper in myself…

6 comments

  • Achilleas Kostoulas

    Now we are treading onto dangerous territory, Richard, so I will resist my very strong urge to comment on that, at least in public. My career prospects in Greece are already under threat seeing as I’ve just presented a paper in Albania; let’s not make things any worse 🙂

    To change topics: it appears that the other conference I was considering has been cancelled. I would have been quite angry if I had actually sent them a paper and a registration fee.

  • Achilleas Kostoulas

    Hi!

    Conference is great. More on that later.

    Thanks also for suggesting the book! It is a subject that I care deeply about, and I am very much looking forward to reading about it from an ‘outsider’s’ perspective, which is perhaps not quite as affected by considerations of national ideology. The following is not in any way meant to detract from the value of the book, but I can’t help but notice that by cutting off the narrative in 1976, Mackridge tactfully avoids reference to some of the most controversial topics, such as the spelling reforms of the late 70s, the linguicidal policies carried out in the name of Allagi (the ‘Cultural Revolution’ writ small) during the early 80s, and the introduction of ‘new’ minority languages from the 90s onwards.

    Till later!

    • Richard Fay

      THe same author also edited a volume all about “the development of Greek Macedonian cultural identity since 1912” in a volume called Ourselves and Others back in 1997 with Berg publishers (I have it on my shelf here) …

  • Richard Fay

    Great Achilleas. Also interested to hear more about your peceptions/experiences of Albania if the conference timetable permits any 🙂

    By the way, have you heard about this work?

    Maybe of interest. The author has written on this theme before I think.

  • Achilleas Kostoulas

    Off to Albania tomorrow. This should be fun.

    I will post the ppt and an account of the experience by this time next week.

  • Do you know Nicos Sifakis? and Vally Lytra? They are part of a collaborative team I am in thinking about EIL. In fact, Nicos is presenting on our behalf at an English as a Lingua Franca event in Vienna next week. So, if you do decide to present, I’d be interested to see your ideas 🙂

    I will add the ppt etc from the ELF conference as a separate posting.