Apologies for any cross-posting. MULTILITERACIES: THE CONTACT ZONE 2003 International AILA Conference on Literacy Location: Ghent, Belgium Date: 22-27 September 2003 Call Deadline: 28 March, 2003 Contact Persons: Ronald Soetaert - Bart Bonamie Contact Email: literacy@memling.rug.ac.be Website: http://memling.rug.ac.be/aila Official language: English MEETING DESCRIPTION: The concept of Literacy invokes multiple and complex interpretations. The concept is also approached from a varying number of perspectives: both as a problem and a solution to a problem. The theoretical and empirical base can be approached from a large number of perspectives (see themes). More than anything else, literacy is seen as a kind of social practice. As a consequence the focus shifts towards multiliteracies with special attention to kinds of literacy (high and low culture, multi-cultural interpretations) and to the role of media in relation to literacy. Our conference as a 'contact zone' - a space which brings into contact people from many different cultures and disciplines (de/re-)constructing, talking & thinking about the future of literacy and the literacies of the future. THEME & SUBTHEMES: The overall theme of the conference is Multiliteracies. (Sub)themes on this conference will include, but not be limited to: - Literacies and Development (Globalisation, social development, third world development etc) - Literacies and Languages (Reading, Writing, Minority Languages, etc) - Literacies and Identity - Literacies and Education (Special needs, ) - Specific Literacies (Digital, Media, Environmental, Youth, Family, Gender, Scientific, Numeracy, Emergent, etc) - Institutional Literacies (Academia, Schools, Museum...) - Cultural Literacies (Literacies & Cultural Studies) - Literacies & Research Issues - Literacies and Education (Academic, Special needs, etc) OBJECTIVES: - bring together a group of established and emerging scholars from around the world, - focus on the changing literacy practices of contemporary times, - have an interdisciplinary focus, - focus on cutting-edge work in the distinct and emerging fields of language and literacy research that make up literacy studies, as well as numeracy studies. GUIDELINES: Individual paper presentation and poster proposals should be no more than 250 words. Panels will generally include three or four papers or presentations. For panel proposals, the session organizer should submit a 150-250 word statement describing the panel topic, including abstracts of up to 250 words for each paper or presentation in the panel. - Paper presentations (time allotted 30 min) - Posters (space allotted 180x90 cm) Submit abstracts by email in an attachment to literacy@memling.rug.ac.be. Remember to give the name(s) of the author(s), affiliation, e-mail address, phone number, fax number and 50 word biodate. All proposals will be reviewed by the Academic Advisory Committee on their quality and relevance to the themes of the conference. CONFIRMED KEYNOTES: - Shirley Brice Heath - James Gee - Brian Street - Catherine Beavis - Eddie Williams - Donna Alvermann - David Barton - Ilana Snyder IMPORTANT DATES: Deadline for submission of abstracts: 28 March, 2003. Notification of acceptance: 31 April, 2003. Program available: 15 August, 2003. Early bird registration: before 28 March, 2003 Details regarding the program, registration and hotel accommodation will be sent out in February 2003. If you submit an abstract, you will automatically receive this information. If you do not submit an abstract, send us an e-mail in order to receive our next newsletter. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Hit a man on the head with a fish, and he'll have a headache for a day Teach a man to hit himself over the head with a fish and he'll have headaches for the rest of his life. ------------------------------------------------------------------------ Bart.Bonamie@rug.ac.be - Dept. of Education - Univ. of Ghent (Belgium) http://memling.rug.ac.be - http://simsim.rug.ac.be/staff/bart