International Conference

Plurilingualism and pluriculturalism in a globalised world : which pedagogy?


Paris, 17th-19th June 2010

Call for papers


Organised jointly by the research team
Pluralité des Langues et des Identités en Didactique : Acquisition, Médiations (PLIDAM) of the Institut National des Langues et Civilisations Orientales (INALCO) in Paris, France and the SOAS-UCL Centre for Excellence in Teaching and Learning ‘Languages of the Wider World’ (LWW CETL) in London, UK, this International Conference will bring together lecturers and teachers to discuss topics and theoretical disciplinary backgrounds for a plurilingual and pluricultural perspective in education.

Today, Language Learning and Teaching needs to position itself in relation to an internationalised context of knowledge, tools for assessing competences adaptable to a globalised world and in relation to societies in which affiliations are apprehended as diverse. The impact of globalisation can be seen in political structures (states, national and international institutions), in social structures (urban life, family and individual stories and trajectories) and in dynamic communications (information and social networks). In this multi-dimensional context, characterized by international mobility, mixed affiliations and social and cultural representations, languages, which have become less and less foreign as well as those which have a more and more hegemonic position, are also perceived as both technological and social instruments.

The conference follows the wide debate launched with the publication, in 2008, of the Précis
du plurilinguisme et du pluriculturalisme (Handbook of multilingualism and multiculturalism) - Editions des archives contemporaines.

The conference seeks to identify the changes and the new theoretical disciplinary dimensions which are emblematic of this new perspective within the field of Language and Culture Pedagogy, by answering the following questions:

    Notions and concepts which have emerged or are gaining acceptance in Europe (Common European Framework, European Portfolios, etc.) shall be analysed and developed through the following:


      Abstract of up to 2500 characters (references included) will be required to present theoretical background, key words, the kind of data or corpora used as well as the methodological approach. This should be sent with the attached questionnaire (to be filled in) to
      colloque-plidam-2010@yahoogroupes.fr before 30th November 2009.

      Languages for the conference are French and English. Conference proposals will be blindly reviewed by two readers and papers accepted for publication after the conference will only be published after a second assessment.

      Conference Scientific Committee

      Ahmed Boukous, Royal Institute of Amazigh Culture, Rabat, Morocco
      Aline Gohard Radenkovic, University of Fribourg , Switzerland
      Hideo Hosokawa, Waseda University, Tokyo, Japan
      Claire Kramsch, University of California at Berkeley, USA
      Danielle Lévy, University of Macerata, Italy
      Samir Marzouki, University of Manouba, Tunis, Tunisia
      Jean Paul Narcy-Combes, DILTEC, Université of Paris III, France
      Nishiyama Noriyuki, Kyoto University, Japan
      Fu Rong, University of Foreign Studies, Beijing, China
      Claire Saillard, Université de Paris Diderot-Paris VII, France
      Hugh Starkey, Institute of Education, University of London, United Kingdom
      Monika Szirmai, Hiroshima International University, Japan
      Li-Hua Zheng, Guangdong University of Foreign, China

      SOAS-UCL Centre for Excellence in ‘”Languages of the Wider World”, University of London:
      Itesh Sachdev, Michalis Sivvas, Joanne Eastlake, Noriko Iwasaski,, Jane Fenoulhet (UCL, University of London).

      PLIDAM, INALCO : Joël Bellassen, Pierre Martinez, Patrick Maurus, Thomas Szende, Geneviève Zarate

      Organising Committee, PLIDAM, INALCO
      (coordinator Geneviève Zarate)

      Evelyne Argaud, Georges Alao, Martine Derivry, Heba Lecocq, Jin-ok Kim, Nozomi Takahashi, Lin Chi-Miao, Ali Saoudé, Soyoung Roger, Elli Suzuki.