Languages in a Digital World
CALL FOR PAPERS
Conference at Al Al-Bayt University, 8-9 April 2025
Languages in the Digital World
As part of this conference, several discussion topics will be open to contributors. The following list is not exhaustive, but its main axes will allow for the identification of assessments, the evaluation of ongoing data, and the outlining of perspectives for the future.
In order to provide the broadest possible picture of the multiple dimensions of the interaction between living languages and the digital world, the debates will focus on these areas, which present as many opportunities as challenges for our societies.
Preservation & Diversity of Languages
Digital technology offers powerful tools to preserve and promote minority and endangered languages. Through digital platforms, recordings, databases, and social networks, it is possible to archive and disseminate languages that are at risk of disappearing. This accessibility contributes not only to the preservation of languages but also to their transmission to younger generations, who are the primary users of digital technology. Digital technology thus becomes an essential space for maintaining global linguistic and cultural diversity.
Standardization & Linguistic Homogenization
The digital age contributes to linguistic homogenization, dominated by certain global languages, such as English, which occupies a central place on the internet, in business, financial transactions, and education. This leads to a risk of marginalization of local languages and a decline in linguistic diversity, favoring international standards at the expense of regional particularities. This phenomenon raises major issues for language policies, which must find ways to promote national and local languages in the digital space to avoid this homogenization.
Education & Language Learning
The advent of digital technology at the turn of the 21st century has profoundly transformed language learning, making educational resources more accessible to a wide audience through applications, online videos, and interactive courses. This phenomenon democratizes language learning, allowing millions of people to develop language skills without the need to travel. This accessibility also facilitates mutual understanding and cross-cultural interaction thus opening up perspectives for better communication between peoples. However, beyond the access to this data for the most disadvantaged, which remains an issue, this aspect of our era also raises concerns about the pedagogical quality and potential biases of digital tools.
Artificial Intelligence & Machine Translation
With the advancements in artificial intelligence, automatic translation tools are improving, offering instant communication solutions between speakers of different languages. Although this facilitates exchanges, machine translation software can present biases and errors, influencing the way certain languages and cultures are represented. Artificial intelligence also raises ethical challenges around intellectual property and the influence of algorithms on linguistic representations. A balance between digital assistance and respect for linguistic and cultural specificities is therefore crucial.
Bibliographic References:
Bart, Daniel, and Daunay, Bertrand, "Digital Literacy and the Didactics of Languages and Cultures." French Today, no. 212, 2021.
Bélisle, Claire, Learning with Digital Technology: Myths and Realities, Presses Universitaires de Grenoble, 2011.
Bigot, Violaine, Christian Ollivier, Thierry Soubrié, and Camille Noûs, "Digital Literacy, Rethinking Language Education Open to the World," Lidil(Journal of Linguistics and Language Didactics), no. 63, 2021.
Blanchet, Philippe, Minority Languages Today: Practices, Rights, and Representations, L'Harmattan, 2001.
Brunel, Magali, "Adolescent Digital Literacies and Teaching Perspectives: The Case of Fanfiction." *Lidil(Journal of Linguistics and Language Didactics), no. 63, 2021.
Calvet, Jean-Louis, Sociolinguistics, PUF, 2009.
Crystal, David, Language and the Internet, Cambridge University Press, 2006.
Gardin, Benoît, Languages and Digital Cultures, Armand Colin, 2016.
Grin, François, and Gazzola, Michele, Efficiency and Fairness in Multilingual Communication, Peter Lang, 2013.
Pennycook, Alastair, Language and Mobility: Unexpected Places, Multilingual Matters, 2012.
Schmoll, Laurence, "Digital and Language Learning: Multidisciplinary Approaches.", Alsic, vol. 26, no 2, 2023.
Organizing Committee
Prof. Wael Rabadi, Prof. Ahmad Abu Baker, Dr. Saber Mahmoud Abdelmontaleb, Dr. Tariq Arar
Scientific Committee
English Language
Prof. Nayef Al-Joulan, Prof. Ahmad Al-Sharif, Dr. Reema Salah
French Language:
Prof. Saed Haddad, Prof. Isabelle Bernard, Dr. Mohamad Zoubi
Spanish Language:
Dr. Ali Oweidat, Dr. Mohammad Alaghawat
Italian Language:
Prof. Matteo Viale, Dr. Ida Plastina, Dr. Saber Mahmoud Abdelmontaleb, Dr. Ahmad Oleimat
Conference details:
- Deadline for submitting the abstracts: February 8. 2025- Deadline for submitting the full research: March 8. 2025- Conference Date: April 8-9. 2025- Language of Communication & Publication: English- The presentation will be of 30 minutes, followed by questions.- Format of Proposals: 300-500 words with 3 keywords and a short biography.- Registration Fee: Free of charge.- Conference Avenue: Al al-Bayt University, Mafraq, Jordan. - Conference email: waelrabadi@aabu.edu.jo