First day in Essen for the AILA 2008 conference and couldn’t hide the excitement of taking part in such a big event. After feeling a complete idiot with my total lack of knowledge of the German language, despite my great-great-grandparents’ Deutsch blood running in my veins and clearly displayed on my face, I managed to find my hotel, grab something to eat and head to the conference’s opening. No language barriers are difficult enough for a willing linguist!
The opening keynote was led by Neville Alexander who talked about the current linguistic situation of Africa and the African Academy of Languages‘ realization in 2004 that colonial language should not replace the local languages. According to him, language policy is no longer seen as some irrelevant neutral feature of state administration but as an integral aspect of social policy in general. He also claimed that applied linguists should research and gather evidence of the impact of language policy on the economy and vice-versa.
The day couldn’t have ended in a better way: plenty of canapés, wine, good conversation and a comfortable bed after today’s ordeal of travelling from Stansted Airport to Düsseldorf Weeze.
