4th International Conference on Documentary Linguistics – Asian Perspectives (DLAP4)

Minorities of Asia: Centring Linguistic, Musical and Performative Practices of Marginalised Peoples

Continuing the tradition of the Documentary Linguistics – Asian Perspectives (DLAP) gatherings, previously hosted at the University of Hong Kong (2016, 2017) and Mahidol University (2018), the 4th International Conference on Documentary Linguistics – Asian Perspectives (DLAP4) will be hosted at the University of Sydney from 3 to 5 June 2020, with the theme Minorities of Asia: Centring Linguistic, Musical and Performative Practices of Marginalised Peoples.

When we think of “Asia”, we often think of majority peoples, such as speakers of national/official languages like Mandarin, Hindi/ Urdu, Nepali, Malay, Indonesian, Tagalog, Thai, Khmer, and Vietnamese. But Asia is home to many hundreds of distinct languages and cultures. While these minority groups are typically relegated to the margins in discourse about Asia, in this conference we aim to situate the minorities of Asia at the centre of our efforts to understand human life in this diverse and dynamic part of the world.

Minorities of Asia aims to address the complex factors in relationships between the centre and the periphery, and to explore the issues and challenges involved in the centring of research on, with, and by the marginalised communities, as well as their practices themselves. We also explore the impact on and implications for individuals and institutions, in policies and practices, for the present and the future.

DLAP4 invites presentations on the documentation and/or description of minority, contact, and endangered languages and cultures of the East, South, and Southeast Asian region, theoretical and empirical advances in documentation and description, and issues in applied documentation, including language support, revitalisation, pedagogy, lexicography, app development, etc. Presentations addressing issues aligned with the conference theme of minority communities of Asia and their linguistic, musical, and/or performative practices are especially welcome. Graduate students and early career documentarists are particularly invited to share their work.

Fees and grants

Continuing the practice of DLAP, so as to make attendance more affordable for delegates, no conference fees will be charged.

A number of travel grants will be made available to researchers (especially early career) with financial challenges. Details will be announced soon.

Abstract submission

Abstracts, of a maximum of 300 words, should be submitted by 31 December 2019, via EasyChair.

DLAP4 Organising Committee

Umberto Ansaldo, School of Literature, Art, and Media, The University of Sydney

Lisa Lim, School of Literature, Art, and Media, The University of Sydney

with

Peter Austin, SOAS University of London

Toshihide Nakayama, Tokyo University of Foreign Studies

Sumittra Suraratdecha, Mahidol University