The significance of the Gaelic language on an international level will be explored at the University of Aberdeen this week with the arrival of one of the world's leading figures in minority languages.
Professor Joshua Fishman, Emeritus Professor of Social Sciences at Yeshiva University , New York , will deliver a talk, entitled Gaelic in an International Context , on Wednesday, September 29, at 6.30pm, in the Regent Lecture Theatre, Regent Building . The lecture will be followed by a wine reception.
Professor Fishman is renowned for his work on language and ethnicity, language planning, bilingual education, and the Yiddish language. He has published prolifically on a wide range of sociolinguistic topics, with recent titles including The Handbook of Language and Ethnic Identity (OUP, 2000) and Can Threatened Languages be Saved? (Multilingual Matters, 2001). He founded the International Journal of the Sociology of Language, and since 1973 has been its general editor.
Professor Fishman's talk, held in association with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig (Gaelic Development Agency), and hosted by Professor Kenneth Mackinnon, celebrates the appointment of several new staff members in the Celtic Department at the University of Aberdeen , as well as the development of the School of Language & Literature's new Masters programme in Language Planning and Language Policy .
Barbara Fennell, Head of the School of Language and Literature, said: “I am delighted and honoured to welcome Joshua Fishman to the University of Aberdeen . He is one of the world's foremost authorities on minority language policies and his visit is of great significance for the University as it cements our relationship with the Bòrd na Gàidhlig and marks our commitment to the Celtic languages, as well as sparking a renewed interest in language planning policy.”
Further information on Professor Fishman's lecture can be found at www.abdn.ac.uk/langling/resources/fishman.htm .
Admission to the lecture is free. To reserve your seat, please contact the Office of External Affairs on (01224) 272013, or e-mail: events@abdn.ac.uk .