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Time to Zoom! On now: Distinguished Prof Ingrid Piller @Lg_on_the_Move presents on the latest #Multilingua Special Issue:
"Linguistic diversity in a time of crisis: #Language challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic"
- @MQLinguistics Research Seminar
"Linguistic diversity in a time of crisis: #Language challenges of the COVID-19 pandemic"
- @MQLinguistics Research Seminar
Aussie highway signage <Stay Covid safe. Feeling unwell? Get tested> would've meant little to us 8 months ago... “COVID-19” may well take the crown as the vocabulary item that has entered the linguistic repertoire of the largest number of people in the shortest amount of time."
As we learn more about the pandemic, we're faced with an 'infodemic' as well as challenges to we can communicate ( #multilingual) health messages effectively. Even messaging in English isn't always that straightforward, as discussed via @Lg_on_the_Move : https://www.languageonthemove.com/does-every-australian-have-an-equal-chance-to-know-about-covid-19-restrictions/
In March, @Lg_on_the_Move launched a COVID blog series... they've had ~25 contributions from Middle East, South America, China the relatoinshipo between language diversity and social participation https://www.languageonthemove.com/category/language-and-health/
#Multilingua's call for papers “Linguistic diversity in a time of crisis” received over 200 submissions ... six months later & the Special Issue has been published. It's available Open Access via @dg_mouton https://www.languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-in-a-time-of-crisis/
Save the date! @Lg_on_the_Move is hosting free online symposium with contributors of #Multilingua special issue “Linguistic diversity in a time of crisis”
- Thurs, Nov 05, 2-4pm, Beijing time (in Chinese)
- Sat, Nov 07, 3:30-6pm, Beijing time (in English) https://www.languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-in-a-time-of-crisis/
- Thurs, Nov 05, 2-4pm, Beijing time (in Chinese)
- Sat, Nov 07, 3:30-6pm, Beijing time (in English) https://www.languageonthemove.com/linguistic-diversity-in-a-time-of-crisis/
Three former @MQLinguistics PhD students joined the Research Seminar to talk to us about their #Multilingua contributions: Dr Li Jia (Yunnan University), Dr Jie (Jenny) Zhang (Wuhan University), & Dr Gegentuul Bai (Macquarie University) - also all @Lg_on_the_Move PhD-sisters!
Dr Jie (Jenny) Zhang & Yuquin Wu - Providing mulitlingual logistics communication in COVID-19 disaster relief. They interviewed volunteer translators in Wuhan who acted as initiators of on-the-ground rescue efforts https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/mult/39/5/article-p517.xml
Dr Li Jia & colleagues - Longitudinal ethnography investigating how international students from South-East Asia & South Asia studying in China accessed #multilingual public health communication https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/mult/39/5/article-p529.xml
Dr @gegentuul - Grassroots practices of sharing COVID-19 health information through traditional oral folk art among ethnic Mongolians in China https://www.languageonthemove.com/fighting-covid-19-with-folklore/
The #Multilingua Special Issue suggests three key implications for changes within the field of #socioliguistics (Piller, Zhang & Li, 2020, p. 10): https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/mult/39/5/article-p503.xml
"First, #sociolinguistics needs to include local & indigenous knowledges & grassroots practices in a meaningful way for the field to move beyond its entrenched English-centric monolingual mindset." (Piller, Zhang & Li, 2020, p. 10)
"Second, #sociolinguistics, like most of the social sciences, is a product of the 20th century global order...To understand language in this new world order, we will need to adjust our frameworks to become more adept at dealing with multidirectionality, fuzziness, and complexity"
"Third, sociolinguistics needs to re-enter dialogue with policy makers and activists." (Piller, Zhang & Li, 2020, p. 10) --> read up on these implications via the Open Access introduction to the #Multilingua Special Issue https://www.degruyter.com/view/journals/mult/39/5/article-p503.xml
