Inaugural Lecture of Prof Quentin Williams | Arts and Humanities скачать в хорошем качестве

Inaugural Lecture of Prof Quentin Williams | Arts and Humanities

Topic: “Thinking Multilingualism for the future of Historically Marginalised Speakers” Abstract: In this lecture, I reflect on the notion of multilingualism and its importance for the empowerment of historically marginalized speakers. I first discuss why it is desirable to rethink how we understand multilingualism (as a social and political phenomenon), highlighting the potential of a rethought multilingualism to be an important linguistic and semiotic resource for individuals and communities. I go on to speak to what rethinking multilingualism might imply for constructs such as linguistic repertoire, multilingual practice, agency, voice, linguistic justice and the remaking of speakership in realising the empowerment of historically marginalised speakers. Throughout the talk, I illustrate the arguments with recent work in status and prestige development, and intellectualisation of Kaaps (also known as Afrikaaps) and its speakers. Speaker Biography: Quentin Williams is Director of the Centre for Multilingualism and Diversities Research (CMDR) and Full Professor of Linguistics in the Linguistics Department at the University of the Western Cape (UWC). In 2024, he delivered the Martin Luther King Jr Linguistics Lecture at Michigan University (USA). He is co-editor of the CMDR’s journal Multilingual Margins, founder and chairperson of the Society virrie Advancement van Kaaps (SAK) and an editorial board member of SAK’s flagship journal, Aweh: a journal for minoritized languages. His research interests include but are not limited to multilingualism, linguistic citizenship, popular culture and the intellectualisation of Kaaps (also known as Afrikaaps). His recent books are Struggles for Multilingualism and Linguistic Citizenship (with Tommaso Milani and Ana Deumert) and the Trilingual Dictionary of Kaaps (TDK) (forthcoming 2025). #IAmUWC #UWCInauguralLecture