“The borders of my language are also the borders of my world“

L. Wittgenstein

English is the language of today‘s multicultural world - the lingua franca of the 21st century and the tool of international communication and understanding. Statistics show that more than 3.5 billion people are acquainted with the language, and that these days, most conversations in English take place between non-native speakers. While English, as the language of international trade, work and the media, is introduced into the every day communication of people around the globe, it is also undergoing changes. Local adaptations such as “Chinglish“, “Ponglish“, “Hinglish“ are all phenomena related to the ongoing international integration taking place through the worldwide migration of people, goods and information, and the growing influence of telecommunication and new media.

This conference aims to discuss the impacts of globalisation on communication, work and education in the modern world. Social phenomena such as multilinguism and the internationalization of education and work are influencing our everyday and economic activities.

The conference will aim to discuss the following areas:

• language as a tool of globalisation in history and at present; English – the language of a global world
• international integration and communication: the relationship between “small“ and “big“ language and the revitalization of languages
• internationalization of work and study; the impact of international integration on local cultures, identities and economies.

The conference is sponsored by IELTS – International English Language Testing System

Dates  

Monday, October 21, 2013, 9:30 – 18:30

Venue  

Prague
Hotel Jalta, Václavské  náměstí 818/45, 11000 Prague 1

Conference fee    

250 CZK for online registration

150 CZK for online registration for members of the Addvantage programme

400 CZK on-site payment (due to the limited number of places, be sure to confirm your attendance in advance on ieltsconference@britishcouncil.cz)

Online registration will close on October 15, 2013.

Lunch and coffee breaks are included in the conference fee. The participants will be given a conference bag with IELTS promo materials and a copy of Martin Hilský’s translation of Shakespeare’s sonnets. The conference will be simultaneously interpreted from Czech into English and vice-versa.

A partner conference, organised by the British Council Bratislava, will take place on October 22, 2013. For more information, please click here