The research group “CODILAC - Convergence on Dominant Language Constellations: World Englishes in their multilingual ecologies” (DFG FOR 5728) invites proposals for papers and posters to be presented at the workshop on “Inter- and intra-generational Dynamics of Multilingualism” at the University of Hamburg (Germany) on 25-27 June 2026.
The workshop aims to explore the social dynamics of multilingualism as constantly negotiated and transformed phenomena across generations. Recognizing language as a social and local practice susceptible to change (Pennycook 2010), the workshop focuses on how speakers across and within different generations navigate, influence, and reshape their language practices.
Speakers possess the historical agency to influence the trajectory of future generations’ multilingual practices (Purkarthofer 2020; Suslak 2009). While inter- and intra-generational dynamics are usually investigated within specific age groups and generational identities (e.g. older vs younger speakers), speakers’ perceptions of what defines their belonging to a particular generation are closely linked to their social and local relationships, rather than being determined solely by a biological line (Eckert 2017; Giles, Makony and Dailey 2005). Consequently, members of the same generation may hold diverse perspectives on how their multilingualism is shaped by their historical and socioeconomic backgrounds, societal norms, individual experiences they have with their languages, as well as global language dynamics. These factors, in turn, influence their expectations regarding language use, their current language practices, and the language transmission to future generations. Therefore, and in the spirit of third wave sociolinguistics, we understand generational behavior as a social process shaped and negotiated through interactions with factors such as location, status, orientation, beliefs, ideologies, situation, and power (Eckert 2019). We are especially interested in the resulting multilingual bricolage of linguistic features.
The workshop aims to be an international platform for research on multilingualism from different social and geographical contexts, which are able to highlight the emergent and dynamic nature of multilingual practices potentially shifting across and within generations and domains. Frameworks that emphasize these aspects, such as Dominant Language Constellations (DLC) (Aronin 2006), Complex Dynamic Systems Theory (CDST) (Larsen-Freeman and Cameron 2008), third wave sociolinguistics (Eckert 2019), as well as speaker-centered approaches (Busch 2017), are particularly welcome.
More specifically, the conference is envisioned as a critical space for fostering dialogue among early-career researchers, including doctoral students, postdoctoral researchers, and scholars at the beginning of their academic careers, working on, but not limited to, the following topics:
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generational transmission of multilingualism within institutional domains (e.g., educational sector).
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generational transmission of multilingualism within the private sphere (e.g., family language policies - FLP).
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multilingual language use in and between different generations.
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inter-generational challenges posed by official language policies.
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ideologies surrounding language use within speech communities.
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the status and use of World Englishes across different generations.
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attitudes towards World Englishes across and within generations
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individual biographies and narratives of language change over life courses.
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language maintenance in traditional minority context, migration and diaspora.
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the role of language to promote social cohesion across generations.
Invited Speakers
Larissa Aronin (VIZJA University, Warsaw - Poland)
Tobias Bernaisch (Justus Liebig University, Giessen - Germany)
Loy Lising (Macquarie University, Sydney - Australia)
Stefanie Pillai (University of Malaya, Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia)
Edgar Schneider (University of Regensburg - Germany)
Daniel Schreier (University of Zurich - Switzerland)
