Full Title: 3rd Language Diversity in Educational Settings Colloquium 2024
Short Title: LDESC 2024

Date: 09-Jul-2024 - 12-Jul-2024
Location: Breakwater Lodge, Cape Town, South Africa
Contact Person: Chrismi Loth
Meeting Email: [email protected]

Linguistic Field(s): Applied Linguistics; General Linguistics; Language Acquisition; Sociolinguistics
Subject Language(s): South African Sign Language (sfs)

Call Deadline: 25-Mar-2024

Meeting Description:

The Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies at the University of the Free State (RSA) is pleased to announce the third Language Diversity in Educational Settings Colloquium (previously Workshop), at the SAALT 2024 conference.
South African Sign Language (SASL) has been an official language of education since 1996. The officialisation of this language in 2023 marks an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and possibilities presented by the changed context. With this focussed session, we wish to explore the various issues around language teaching and learning with regards to SASL.

Date: Half-day session with 5-7 papers, to be confirmed by the SAALT organising committee

Language: South African Sign Language and English (professional interpreting services available). Please indicate your language of presentation when submitting your abstract. Note that we would require your presentations (drafts) two weeks before the event in order for the interpreters to prepare sufficiently.

Registration fees: With the SAALT registration fees.

Publication: Depending on the number and quality of papers an accredited conference proceedings publication will be considered.

ORGANISING COMMITTEE:
• Host: Department of South African Sign Language and Deaf Studies
• Coordinator: Dr Chrismi Loth
• Prof Theodorus du Plessis
• Susan Lombaard
• Annemarie le Roux

SCIENTIFIC COMMITTEE
(Evaluate the abstracts submitted to the colloquium, as well as the papers submitted for the
proceedings.)
• Prof Annalene van Staden (University of the Free State, RSA)
• Prof Myriam Vermeerbergen (Katholieke Universiteit Leuven, Belgium)
• Prof Theodorus du Plessis (University of the Free State, RSA)
• Further experts to be added.

Call for Papers:

South African Sign Language (SASL) has been an official language of education since 1996. The officialisation of this language in 2023 marks an opportunity to reflect on the challenges and possibilities presented by the changed context. With this focussed session, we wish to explore the various issues around language teaching and learning with regards to SASL. We invite abstracts on the following topics:
• The SASL curriculum
• SASL as Home Language
• SASL as Additional Language
• SASL as Medium of Instruction
• Any other related aspects regarding the use of SASL in education

Please submit abstracts (250 words) by 25 March 2024 to [email protected]