International Communication – International Languages

Timetable

Module aim (aims)

• To introduce the participants to the linguistic problems of international communication
• To give an overview on ethnic languages which fulfilled the role of international languages
• To analyse English as an actual lingua franca (ELF)
• The language policy in the multilingual and multinational European Union
• To present pidgins and creole languages
• To outline the role of planned languages in international and intercultural communication

Pre-requisites in terms of knowledge, skills and social competences (where relevant)

No special knowledge needed, only proficiency in English.

Lecturers:
prof. dr hab. Iwona Koutny Instytut Etnolingwistyki, Kierownik Zakładu Hungarystyki i Kierownik Studiów Interlingwistyki
mgr Michael Farris, wykładowca w Zakładzie Hungarystyki, Instytut Etnolingwistyki

Syllabus

Week 1: International communication: its historical and areal aspects 

 

Week 2: Ethnic international languages: from ancient times to the present day

 

Week 3: Pidgins and Creole languages: creation, structures, functions 

 

Week 4: What is interlinguistics? (in both broad and narrow senses)   

 

Week 5: Planned international languages (throughout history)

 

Week 6: Constructed languages (newer planned languages)

 

Week 7: Language policy in the multi-lingual and multi-national European Union        

 

Week 8: Modern use of English as a lingua franca  (history and problems)       

 

Week 9: Linguistic and cultural aspects of international communication

 

Week 10: Psychological and sociological aspects of international communication, linguistic rights      

 

Week 11: Esperanto as an international language       

 

Week 12: Structure and vocabulary of Esperanto – language economy

 

Week 13: Acquisition of Esperanto vs that of ethnic languages

 

Week 14: International English and Esperanto in intercultural communication 

 

Week 15: Review and evaluation

Reading list

Barandovska-Frank, Vera 2018: Concept(s) of interlinguistics. In: JKI 13: 15-31.  jki.amu.edu.pl

Blanke, Detlev 2001: Plansprachen und europäische Sprachenpolitik. In: Blanke, D. (ed.): Sprachenpolitik in Europa.  “Interlinguistische Informationen“. Beiheft 6. Berlin: Gesellschaft für Interlinguistik e.V. 85-105 http://www.interlinguistik-gil.de/wb/media/beihefte/06/Heft_6_Blanke.pdf

Chan Kai L.  2016: Power Language Index.  https://www.kailchan.ca/wp-content/uploads/2016/06/KC_Power-Language-Index_May-2016.pdf

Christiansen, Pia Vanting 2006: Language policy in the European Union. European/English/ Elite/ Equal/Esperanto Union? In: Language Problems, Language Planning 30/1: 21-44.

Farris, Michael 2014: The psychological economy of the English language industry. In: Język Komunikacja Informacja 9: 27-36. http://jki.amu.edu.pl/files/JKI%20-%209%20-%202014.pdf

Fiedler, Sabine 2010: Approaches to fair linguistic communication. In: European Journal of Language Policy, 2.1. 1-22

Fiedler, Sabine 2011: English as a lingua franca – a native- culture-free code? Language of communication vs. language of identification, In: Apples – Journal of Applied Language Studies Vol. 5/3: 79-97.  http://apples.jyu.fi/article_files/Fiedler_final.pdf

Gazzola, Michel 2014: Language Policy and Linguistic Justice in the European Union: The Socio-Economic Effects of Multilingualism. In: ELF Working Papers 15.  https://www.unige.ch/fti/elf/files/7314/5865/9208/elfwp15.pdf

Gobbo, F. 2020: International Auxiliary Language. In J. Stanlaw (Ed.), The International Encyclopedia of Linguistic Anthropology Wiley   https://www.uva.nl/en/profile/g/o/f.gobbo/f.gobbo.html?cb

Gobbo, F. & Marácz, L. 2021: Two linguas francas? Social inclusion through English and Esperanto. Social Inclusion, 9(1), 75-84. 

Graddol, David 2006: English next. British Council https://englishagenda.britishcouncil.org/sites/default/files/attachments/books-english-next.pdf

Koutny, Ilona 2015: A typological description of Esperanto as a natural language. In: JKI 10: 43-62. http://jki.amu.edu.pl

Koutny, Ilona 2015: Can complexity be planned?  In: INDECS 13(2): 236-249. http://indecs.eu

Montagut, Abel: The Contribution of the International Language Esperanto towards Linguistic Diversity  http://www.uea.org/vikio/Artikolo_De_Abel_Montagut

Mufwene, Salikoko 2001: Creoles, Pidgins and the Evolution of Languages: http://fathom.lib.uchicago.edu/2/21701718/

Phillipson, Robert 2003: English-only Europe? Challenging language policy. London and New York: Routledge, Summary: http://www.uea.org/vikio/Summary_Of_English-Only_Europe

Phillipson, R. 2010: The EU and languages: diversity in what unity? In: Linguistic diversity and European democracy, ed. Anne Lise Kjær and Silvia Adamo, Farnham: Ashgate: 57-74. Also: http://ebookbrowse.com/eu-languages-diversity-unity-doc-d93911624 

Piron, Claude. The language challenge -- facing up to reality http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Piron&search_type=&aq=f

Schubert, Klaus (ed.) 1989: Interlinguistics. Aspects of the Science of Planned Languages. Berlin / New York: Mouton de Gruyter; Introduction http://dok.esperantic.org/ced/interl.htm

Skutnabb-Kangas, Tove (2012). Linguistic Human Rights. In: Solan, Larry and Tiersma, Peter (eds). Oxford Handbook on Language and Law. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 235-247. http://www.languageandlaw.org/Oxford%20Handbook.html

Tonkin, Humphrey 2015: Language planning and planned languages: how can planned languages inform language planning. In: INDECS 13(2): 193-199  http://indecs.eu/2015/indecs2015-pp193-199.pdf

Universal Declaration of Linguistic Rights: http://www.linguistic-declaration.org/index-gb.htm

Weber, George 2008: Top Languages. The World’s 10 most influential languages. http://www.andaman.org/BOOK/reprints/weber/rep-weber.htm