Language and Identity Workshop III (Call for Papers)

Workshop Series: Language and Identity

The nature of interaction between language and identity is a central topic in today’s academic discourse in numerous fields, including linguistics, psychology, education, media, and political science. The complexity and urgency of the topic has resulted in a number of approaches and methodologies aimed at the detection and investigation of features of identity, ranging from approaches informed by sociolinguistics and anthropology to those rooted in developmental and social psychology. Today, while simultaneously exploring the particularities of mechanisms of identity expression in and through language, linguistics identity research also informs approaches to multicultural education, language policy, and language in the workplace.

In this workshop series, we focus on building common ground between various approaches to identity and language, forming a cross-disciplinary view on such fundamental issues as levels of identity (personal, relational, or collective), identity stability and fluidity, the broader nature of identity (discovered or constructed), and identity and language in the context of digitization and globalization. These workshops aim to present a diachronic, multidisciplinary view on approaches to language and identity in a variety of linguistic contexts and traditions. We also welcome researchers investigating the interaction between language and identity from the perspectives of media, political science, psychology, healthcare, and history.

The workshop series opens with an event aimed at discussing the fundamentals of language and identity from a theoretical perspective. They will be followed by workshops focusing on the interaction between language and identity in media and communication, education policy, and linguistic landscape.

Each workshop will open with a keynote lecture followed by a discussion.  Each workshop aims to discuss several short papers on the topic.

Language and Identity Workshop III.  Language and Identity in the Classroom: Policy and Education

Place: Tokyo College, the University of Tokyo (online)

Time: Monday, 17 April 2023, 2:30 pm - 4:00 pm (JST)

Language: English is the main language of the workshop (Japanese translation is provided for the keynote)

Keynote:  Dr. HASHIMOTO Kayoko (The University of Queensland), "Japan’s Language Policy and Assumptions about Learner Identities: Promotion of English Language Teaching for Japanese and Japanese Language Teaching for Foreigners" , 17 April 2023, 1:30 pm - 2:30 pm (JST)

Presentation & Abstract: for a short 15 min presentation, please submit 250-words abstracts in English (excluding references)

In this workshop, we will discuss how the question of identity is reflected in education and language policy, through the process of standardization of the national language, as well as the teaching and treatment of the foreign, national, regional languages. 

Topics that are particularly welcome:

• Language standardization
• Language regulations (language academies, laws etc.)
• Treatment of dialects and regional languages 
• Foreign language education
• Language and intercultural communication

Important dates:

February 24 Call for papers opens

March 24  Call for papers closes

April 3 Notification of acceptance

April 17 Workshop

How to Submit: Please submit your abstract in PDF before 17:00 JST March 24 to  tokyo.college.event@tc.u-tokyo.ac.jp with Language and Identity Workshop in the subject field.