The Seminar
Debates on imperialism and globalisation have been taken up especially in economic and political spheres. Recently, globalization is being seen as a cultural process which shapes identities and conflicts. Globalisation has changed the circumstances under which language learning takes place and has also posed newer challenges to the language teaching professionals.
Issues pertaining to linguistic imperialism have been much debated since the early 1990s. There are conflicting views among the theorists as to whether globalisation represents reassertion of western hegemony or opens up new possibilities of dismantling the old repressive structures. However, critics of linguistic imperialism are arguing that regional languages, particularly in Far East, Africa and South America, have been or are being coercively replaced or marginalized by the language of a dominant culture in the world. It is a truism that the ascendancy of English as the sole language of new capitalist order has virtually threatened the existence of many minority languages and also led to the erosion of human knowledge.India has a very rich and rare heritage of 400-odd languages and 3000-odd dialects. However, this diversity is deeply marked by hierarchies and these hierarchies of language in India are more complex than they appear to be. India has ancient varna, caste and gender-related roots dating back to the days of Sanskrit. In modern times, colonial rule, through differentiated language policy, shaped as well as marginalised the regional languages. Today, these languages are feeling the heat of globalization and many of them are on the verge of extinction.
English education in India is being seen as both - free from caste education and religious injunction and also as marker of imperialism and class privilege. However, though English is hypothetically accessible to all, only a minority of elites in both preindependent and postindependent phases held a tight English leash over the institution of power/knowledge.
The present seminar works with the assumption that there is an urgent need to seriously engage with contemporary linguistic asymmetry by using sound theory with explanatory adequacy. The paper readers are expected to explore languages policies in India and their intended and unintended consequences in the context of globalisation.
Issues
~ Globalisation and Culture~ Globalisation and ELT~ Linguistic Imperialism~ Language Death in India~ Colonialism and Language Politics in India~ Hegemony, Ideology and Politics of English in India~ Curriculum Planning under Globalisation~ Tribal and Minority Languages in India~ Classroom Techniques and Teaching Methods ~ Globalisation and Translation~ Media and Languages in India
Scholars to Participate
Some of the prominent scholars who have consented to participate in the seminar are Prof. Probal Dasgupta (ISI, Kolkata), Dr. Wandana Sonalkar (Dr. BAMU, Aurangabad), Dr. Ashok Thorat (AISE, Pune), Dr. S. B. Gokhale (Pune University) and Dr. N. M. Aston (Pune).
Call for Papers
We invite papers on the aforementioned or related themes. Abstract (300 words) should be submitted by 30 November and full paper by 10 December 2008. Local hospitality will be provided to all the participants. However, we regret that we will not be able to provide TA/DA to all. Please send your abstract, paper and queries to conindianlanguages@gmail.com or dilipchavan@gmail.com.