Between Languages: When languages meet in Northern Europe

Colloquium organised by the Danish, Norwegian and Swedish language teachers at the Department of Scandinavian Studies at Marc Bloch University
Strasbourg
April 12-13, 2007

The challenge of linguistic inter-comprehension is at the heart of the construction of a multicultural Europe. The Scandinavian countries have a complex linguistic situation, both from the point of view of the similarities between the Scandinavian languages themselves and from the point of view of the emerging modern multiethnic societies. During the colloquium, we will discuss, from a sociolinguistic perspective, some of the intersections between language and contact among speakers of different languages in Scandinavia today. Mutual comprehensibility between the Scandinavian languages and communication among speakers of immigrated minority and majority languages will be the focus of our study.

How is language used to facilitate comprehension in encounters between Scandinavians? How is English used and how does it work as a language of instruction in Scandinavian universities? What challenges does the growing linguistic diversity create for the Scandinavian societies (discrimination based on linguistic reasons, official communication within minority groups, etc.)? Are new identities and linguistic varieties being created by the younger generation in areas where many different ethnic groups co-exist, and what shapes do they take? A historical perspective, as well as perspectives from a language acquisition viewpoint, will also be examined with respect to these issues.

Researchers from several European (Groningen and EUCOR: Freiburg, Basel) and Scandinavian universities (Copenhagen, Oslo and Uppsala) will participate in the colloquium.

The colloquium is supported by the Nordic Council

Working language: English

Contact: Henriette Bruun, hbruun@umb.u-strasbg.fr
Karin Ridell kridell@umb.u-strasbg.fr

>> Programme

Thursday 12 April
 
16.00
Welcome
16.15-16.45

Sebastian Kürschner, University of Groningen
Linguistic determinants of mutual intelligibility in Scandinavia
16.50-17.20 Karin Ridell, Marc Bloch University/Uppsala University
Making yourself understood. Linguistic comprehension in bilingual Danish-Swedish workplace talk-in-interaction
17.20-17.40 BREAK
17.40-18.30 Jens Normann Jørgensen, University of Copenhagen
On modern sociolinguistics
 
Friday 13 April
 
09.30-10.00
 Merike Jürna, University of Copenhagen
Pronunciation and time: Acquisition of Danish pronunciation skills by Estonian learners and the influence of length of residence on the process – a longitudinal study
10.05-10.35

Nina Møller Andersen, University of Copenhagen
Danish Phonetics and pronunciation for foreigners: sketches to a reader in
Danish Phonetics
10.35-11.00 BREAK
11.00-11.30

Marie Nelson, Uppsala University
Communication at work. The communicative situation of immigrants at a Swedish company
11.35-12.20 Unn Røyneland, University of Oslo
The emergence of multiethnolectal styles in Oslo - fieldwork, methods and some preliminary results
12.20-14.00 LUNCH
14.00-14.30 Juni Arnfast, University of Copenhagen
When curiosity is more important than the demand for relevance in conversations between non-native and native speakers of Danish
14.35-15.20 Ursula Ritzau, University of Basel/ Marta Kirilova, University of Copenhagen
Danish with an Accent. Native and Non-Native Speakers' Attitudes towards
Danish Spoken with a Foreign Accent
15.20-15.45 BREAK
15.45-16.15 Hedda Söderlundh, Uppsala University
On Language Use in Swedish Higher Education. Findings from a pilot study
16.20-16.50

Janet Duke, University of Freiburg
Finding the balance between sociolinguistic and language-internal factors in Middle Scandinavian deflection: The gender reduction case study
16.50- Concluding discussion