CALL FOR PAPERS

XV1^th International Conference of Creole Studies

'Creole Worlds, Creole Languages and Development: Educational, Cultural and Economic Challenges'

28 October 2018 - 3 November 2018, Mahé, Seychelles

The International Committee for Creole Studies (Comité International des Etudes Créoles (CIEC)) has organized International Conferences on Creole Studies for the past fifty years, at regular intervals. In 2018, the XVIth International Conference of Creole Studies will be held in Seychelles; the organization has been entrusted to the University of Seychelles in liaison with the CIEC.

The international community (UNESCO, UNDP etc.) and the Organization Internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) support the educational linguistic policy and the possible institutionalization of Creole languages in the dozen of Creole-speaking countries (France and its Departments, Haiti, Dominica, Mauritius, Saint Lucia, Seychelles, Cape Verde, Guinea-Bissau, San Tome and Principe) that are members of OIF. Creole studies are called upon to contribute decisively to these programs and endeavours.

The importance of Creole studies stems primarily from its contributions to the linguistic, cultural and social development of Creole -speaking societies. Beyond, the study of the genesis and development of Creole social, linguistic and cultural systems constitutes a remarkable field of study for human and social sciences, because 'Creole' societies have been formed recently (three to four centuries of existence as a rule) and because of how they are composed and evolve.

The XVIth International Symposium on Creole Studies will focus on:

'Creole Worlds, Creole Languages, Development: Educational, Cultural and Economic Challenges'.

This theme invites philosophers, historians, anthropologists, economists, sociologists, linguists and other researchers in human and social sciences to present their work on contemporary Creole societies in their historical, linguistic, social, political, economic and cultural evolution.

The focus of the colloquium will be on the following four major themes:

A. Creole languages and education

B. Creole Worlds and their Cultural and Economic Challenges of Development

C. Creole languages in a multilingual environment: description and analysis of the dynamics of Creole languages

D. Creole grammar: typology, variation and teaching

Presentation of the themes of the Conference

A. Creole languages and education

Faced with the challenges of education for all, in basic and middle schools, sovereign countries that use a French Creole language have introduced some measure of Creole language teaching in their schools. Some states, such as Seychelles or Haiti, have acquired a vast experience in the domain that should be examined. Mauritius has recently also embarked on this venture which calls for evaluation. The Creole-speaking Outremer Departments, whose creoles are recognized regional languages of France and which benefit from the texts regulating the teaching of regional languages in France, have also many educational practices to share.

B. Creole Worlds and their Cultural and Economic Challenges of Development

Anthropology and the history of Creole worlds are called upon to account for how the creole-speaking social formations, resulting from European colonial expansion, are facing the challenges of development and globalization.

The role of Creole languages in the development of economy (tourism, reception of migrants, etc.) has to be assessed.

Literary production in the Creole speaking islands of the Caribbean and the Indian Ocean has developed greatly in recent years in French and English as well as in Creole languages. The study of this renewal of literature and cultural practices also forms part of theme B.

The migratory movements of creole speakers (see also topic C) will also be discussed.

What are the paths of the institutionalization of the Creole languages in their respective areas of influence (see the question of Creole language academies)? Creole militant practices may also be mentioned.

C. Creole languages in a multilingual environment: description and analysis of the dynamics of Creole languages.

Recent globalization have caused many displacements of Creole-speaking populations towards more developed economic zones. New Creole-speaking communities have thus been created outside the territories of birth, such as Haitian communities in North America, populations from the Creole speaking Departments in metropolitan France, Mauritians in Australia and Seychellois in the United Kingdom. Creole speaking newcomers are found in prosperous creole-speaking areas, for instance, Haitians in Guyana and elsewhere in the Caribbean.Immigration to Creole-speaking areas also leads to the emergence of neo-learners of Creole languages. Globalization has led to an unprecedented diffusion of Creole languages, including via language and culture industries. These new sociolinguistic situations of diffusion have hardly been described to date. Similarly, little is known about the impact of these migratory movements on the dynamics of Creole languages. To these themes may be added the study of the genesis and evolution of Creole languages.

D. Creole grammar: typology, variation and teaching

The description of Creole language systems (phonology, grammar) remains necessary. The analysis of the variation of Creole languages and of their linguistic systems is still unsatisfactory. This theme should bring together contributions that attempt to analyze and explain phonological, morphological and grammatical systems in a typological perspective.

This theme may also include work on grammar for teaching. Indeed, in Haiti, the Seychelles and Mauritius, as in the French DROMs, questions arise concerning 'grammar models' and the use of linguistic analyses for teacher training and for teaching of Creole languages as first languages.

Questions

Topics that could be addressed, either in the form of individual papers or as workshops (please contact the organizers), include the following:

- 'Creole' diasporas and their linguistic practices

- Creole varieties developed outside the territories of birth

- The linguistic varieties of neo-learners of Creole languages

- The co - presence of Creole and French

- The development of literacy programs in Creole

- Bilingual education programs integrating the Creole language

- Literatures of Creole-speaking countries

- The state of research on Creole language corpora

- Creole development at school

- Morphology, Syntax etc. of creole languages

- The diachronic studies of Creole languages

- Relations between Creole languages and languages of the slave population (African languages, Malagasy, etc.)

- Creole history, landscape and society

- Creolization and the development of Creole societies

- Philosophy and history of ideas in Creole societies.

Enoch Aboh, Christian Barat, Arnaud Carpooran, Penda Choppy, Guillaume Fon Sing, Renaud Govain, Marie-reine Hoareau, Thom Klingler, Sibylle Kriegel, Ralph Ludwig, Carpanin Marimoutou, Salikoko Mufwene, Joelle Perreau, Laurence Pourchez, Lambert-Félix Prudent, Gillette Staudacher-Valliamee, Albert Valdman, Justin Valentin, Daniel Véronique

The papers and proposals for workshops may be included in one of the themes of the Conference and / or in a cross-cutting theme.

Proposals for papers or workshops (groupings of 3/4 papers) written in French, English or any French Creole language, with the address and institutional affiliation of the communicant (s) must reach the following e-mail address: Ciec.Sez2018@gmail.combefore 15 January 2018.

The abstracts will describe the theme of the paper, the database, the results expected and will not exceed 3,000 characters or 500 words (including bibliography). Submit 2 copies of the proposal, one anonymous (which will be used for the review), the other with the author's name, address and institutional affiliation.

After evaluation, acceptance or refusal of the proposal will be notified as from the 9 April 2018.