The International Linguistic Association 58th Annual Conference

12-14 April 2013
Kingsborough Community College, CUNY, Brooklyn, NY 11235

Conference theme: English - Global and Local

The theme of the conference is English - Global and Local. Over the past half century, English has become ever more widely spoken across the globe, and at the same time multiple and increasingly distinctive varieties have emerged. Both phenomena have given rise to questions and controversy. What accounts for the spread of English? Is it to be considered entirely or mainly a product of political, economic, or cultural imperialism? Or is it better explained as a result of social and economic change at the local level? How do we account for the development of local varieties? How should those varieties be handled in formal education and in literature? What is the significance of English and the diverse English languages for the political and social identities of people in different parts of the world? What are the consequences of the dominance of English for the use of other languages?

Click here for the conference program

Plenary Speakers

Janina Brutt-Griffler
Professor and Associate Dean, GSE
Foreign and Second Language Education
University at Buffalo, The State University of New York

Luis Francia
Adjunct Professor
Asian American Studies
Hunter College, City University of New York