Keynote, talks, program

Hans-Georg Wolf is a professor for English language and linguistics at Potsdam University. His research focuses on varieties of English and their development from a cognitive-linguistic perspective.

English as a lingua franca – a critical appraisal and a quest for a wider framework

In the past decade, English as a lingua franca (ELF) has emerged as a new research paradigm within the wider context of World Englishes studies. Primary foci in the ELF field have been on structural processes, intelligibility, and pedagogical consequences. However, proponents of this field have had little substantial to say about culture in ELF encounters – despite the fact that these encounters, more often than not, involve speakers from different cultural backgrounds. In my talk, I will critically review some of the tenets held and proposals made in the ELF camp. Specifically, I will argue that the neglect of culture by ELF proponents is due to an underlying theoretical restriction and will propose Cultural Linguistics as a viable approach to capture the cultural dimension in ELF encounters. The practical applicability of Cultural Linguistics for intercultural understanding – particularly in lexicography – will also be discussed.

Talks:

Presentations will be 20 minutes in length followed by 10 minutes for questions and discussion.

A pdf with all accepted submissions can be found at the bottom of the page.

Program:

The program (version March 08) can also be downloaded following the link at the bottom of the page. Expect minor changes.

Thursday, 12th March 2015

11.00 – 12.50 Registration

13.00   Opening

13.30   Keynote by Hans-Georg Wolf (Potsdam University): English as a lingua franca – a critical appraisal and a quest for a wider framework (Main Lecture Hall)

15.00 Coffee break