Languages in the City Symposium

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Cities are spaces where different cultures and languages meet. How do people use their languages in such urban environments? How are cityscapes marked by multilingualism? How do the institutional spaces in cities (for example, schools, governments and other organisations) engage with multilingual citizens?

This two-day symposium, hosted in Utrecht from 7 to 8 April 2025, explores the multitude of linguistic practices – both formal and informal – that serve to “open up” or “close down” participation in urban spaces for various groups of people. The contributions to the symposium focus on “the ways in which people of different and mixed backgrounds use, play with and negotiate identities through language” (Otsuji & Pennycook 2010, 240) in cities, both past and present. Contributions also engage with institutional aspects of linguistic diversity, in language policy and language practices in urban institutions. 

Programme

The programme includes paper presentations, posters by students, a poetry event, networking opportunities, and city excursions. The preliminary programme is available here.

Registration

Registrations for the symposium are now open. Please click here to register. Attendance of the symposium is free and open to anyone – but a maximum of 140 participants can be accommodated. Registration is on a first-come first-serve basis, and close on 10 March 2025 (or when the maximum number of attendees is reached). The symposium is free and coffee and tea will be provided. 

For further information, contact city.languages.utrecht@gmail.com.  

About the symposium organisers

The organising committee, composed of researchers affiliated with the Institute for Language Sciences (ILS)and the Institute for Cultural Inquiry (ICON), is led by Haidee Kotze, professor of Translation Studies at Utrecht University. The symposium is co-sponsored by:

The symposium is co-organized by:

  • Wafa Al-Alawi 
  • Anna Alborghetti
  • Svenja Brünger
  • Debbie Cole 
  • Christophe Declercq 
  • Christopher Jenks 
  • Haidee Kotze 
  • Manuela Pinto 
  • Natalia Rivera Vera
  • Madison Steele
  • Marie Steffens 
  • Angela Tarantini 
  • Margot van den Berg 
  • Rozanne Versendaal 
  • Bram Vertommen 
  • Mia You 
  • Rena Zendedel 
Start date and time
End date and time
Location
Utrecht city centre
More information
Click here to register.
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