The "Beyond Boundaries" T&L Lecture Series, organized by the Centre for Teaching and Learning, is guided by its core philosophy: "Longitudinal historical perspective, Interdisciplinary integration, Dedicated educational craftsmanship, and Future-oriented vision." Through intellectual collisions across disciplines, the series aims to broaden perspectives and inspire profound thinking.

Event Details:

Date & Time: 13:00 - 14:00, 26 May 2026 (Tue)
Speaker: Prof. Carlotta VITI (Visiting Professor of BNBU, Professor of Linguistics at the University of Lorraine)

Venue: T4-604
Language: English

Abstract:

It is often argued that the spread of English as a global language has no historical precedent. In order to assess the validity of this claim, we need to discuss the linguistic and social factors which determine the emergence of a global language. We will see that other examples of global languages can be identified in the past due to the extension of the political or economic sphere of influence of their linguistic communities. We will also see how the expansion of languages may be accompanied, on the one hand, by discussions on standard languages over other linguistic varieties, and, on the other hand, by the establishment of grammatical and literary traditions which seek to preserve the language from changes and to maintain authoritative texts. Accordingly, language globalization and standardization also imply considerations about power, officialdom, and models to follow, which go beyond linguistics and involve social studies in an interdisciplinary manner.

About the Speaker:

Carlotta Viti is professor of Linguistics at the University of Lorraine (France). She holds a Ph.D in Linguistics from the University of Pisa (Italy), and two Habilitations in Linguistics from the University of Zurich (Switzerland) and from the École Pratique des Hautes Études de Paris. Her research addresses topics of syntax, semantics, and language contact. In addition to numerous articles on historical and general linguistics, she is the author of three monographs (Strategies of subordination in Vedic, 2007; Variation und Wandel in den alten indogermanischen Sprachen, 2015; Les denominations des couleurs dans les langues indo-européennes anciennes, 2025) and collective volumes.

Please note that light lunch will be provided only for registered participants.

Registration: Click Here (DDL: 25 May)