MINELRES: First Mercator International Symposium on European Minority Languages and Research

[MINELRES moderator]

Original sender: George Jones <zyw@aber.ac.uk>


Dear Sir / Madam

I would like to draw your attention to a symposium to be held at the
University of Wales Aberystwyth in April next year, namely the First
Mercator International Symposium on European Minority Languages and
Research: Shaping an Agenda for the Global Age.  Further details can be
found by following the links at www.mercator-education.org 

With best regards,

George Jones
Mercator Media
Dept. of Theatre, Film and TV Studies
University of Wales Aberystwyth


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The First Mercator International Symposium on European Minority
Languages and Research: Shaping an Agenda for the Global Age -
University of Wales Aberystwyth April 8-10 2003.

A substantial corpus of research and documentation now exists on various
aspects of minority languages, conducted by those working in linguistic,
sociolinguistic and other disciplines, as well as those directly
concerned with language revitalisation and promotion.  To what extent
does this exisiting corpus supply needs on the part of minority language
speakers and communities and how far does it facilitate the process of
language revitalisation and normalisation?  What are the principal
lacunae in the current research and information provision and what are
the priorities for their development?

This two-day symposium will take a wide-ranging look at the research and
information agenda for minority languages in the global age, pinpointing
priorities in the fields of academic research and dissemination of
information and awareness around European minority languages.  It will
be an opportunity for participants to present their own most recent work
and to indicate what they see as the cutting edge of research and
information activity in their fields as well as the most urgent needs
for further development. The discussion will also consider how the
overall research and information agenda is best to be taken forward.
Contributions will be welcomed from those working with minority
languages in any academic discipline as well as those practically
involved with these languages and their promotion in other professions. 
The discussion will seek to bring together academic research and
language promotion, looking at how the one can supply the needs of the
other.

Minority languages in this context are defined as autochthonous European
languages present within their current territories since before modern
times and in some way restricted in terms of their fields of use.