March 13, 2011: Abstract submission deadline for the 15th FEL conference

The Foundation for Endangered Languages (FEL, led by British linguist Nicholas Ostler) provides financial support and plays an active part in the documentation, protection, and promotion of endangered languages across the world. The organization holds international conferences in a different city each year, and has been doing so for the last fifteen years, gathering number of language researchers and defenders.

The 2011 edition takes place from September 7 to 10 at the Faculty of Communication, Linguistics and Literature based at the Catholic University of Quito, Ecuador. The theme put forward this year is the impact of minority languages on the outside world. Among the various questions raised:

– How are endangered language communities perceived in the general public? What kind of image and message do these endangered languages present to « majority » speakers? And how are they received?

– What kind of image does the media convey?

– What are the common strategies set in motion by language defenders? Etc.

Participants are now welcome to submit their propositions for contribution. Abstracts should be submitted by March 13 (500 words max by MS Word document either in English, Spanish, Quichua or Shuar). Notifications of acceptance will be addressed on April 10th, and if eligible, full papers will be due by August 1st.

Abstracts and papers should be emailed as attachments to both of these addresses:

endangeredlanguages2011@gmail.com (Conference Chair)

nicholas@ostler.net (Foundation Chair)

More information on the web site of the Foundation

Conference Chair contact:

Marleen Haboud

Facultad de Comunicación, Lingüística y Literatura

Pontificia Universidad Catolica de Ecuador

Quito, Ecuador

Tel: + 593 2 2991700

Foundation Chair contact:

Nicholas Ostler