Scholars gather in Madison to discuss impact of language

For the first time in its 40-year history, the World Congress of Applied Linguistics will be held in the United States, specifically at UW–Madison, on Sunday-Friday, July 26-29 at the Pyle Center and the Monona Terrace.

“Madison was the choice because of the university’s commitment to international studies, foreign language learning and linguistic research,” says Richard F. Young, UW–Madison professor of English and chair of the conference.

The congress will bring in around 1,500 scholars from around the world to exchange ideas and insight into how languages are learned and taught, and how linguistic and social issues interact within and between societies and cultures.

The theme of the congress is “The Future is Now,” inspired by a quote from Frank Lloyd Wright. According to Susan Gass, president of the sponsoring American Association for Applied Linguistics, it’s a particularly timely idea.

“International events like this have made everyone more aware of language and cultural differences among peoples, and these same events have made it more imperative to create a world environment where differences can be appreciated,” Gass says. “As applied linguists, we have an important role to play in fostering tolerance. And UW–Madison provides an ideal venue – it represents the best of American education and is committed to ethnicity, diversity and internationalism.”

All conference participants will be able to hear a lecture by Deborah Brandt, UW–Madison professor of English, on “The Social Contexts of Literacy: Writing in the Face of Change.” Her talk will focus on what repercussions the emerging “knowledge economy” pose for literacy. Brandt will speak on Monday, July 25 at 11:30 a.m. in Exhibit Hall B.

About 50 faculty, staff and students from UW–Madison will be involved in the congress. All plenary sessions will take place in Exhibit Hall B. In addition, smaller panel sessions will investigate such topics as language and aging, international Englishes, the role of schools in indigenous language preservation, the role of language on family life and more.