On May 26, 2026, the Centre for Teaching and Learning (CTL) successfully hosted the fifteenth lecture of its "Beyond Boundaries" T&L Lecture Series. The session featured Prof. Carlotta VITI, Visiting Professor of BNBU and Professor of Linguistics at the University of Lorraine. She shared insightful perspectives on language globalization, its historical precedents, and the implications for linguistic diversity.

Prof. VITI specializes in syntax, semantics and language contact. She has extensive research experience in historical and general linguistics and has published a wealth of academic works, including monographs and articles.

She began the lecture with clear definitions of global languages, lingua francas, and standard languages. She noted that the status of a global language depends on the political, economic, and social power of its speech community, rather than the number of native speakers. She also challenged the widely held view that English as a global language is unprecedented, demonstrating that linguistic globalization has deep historical roots.

Prof. VITI delivered the lecture

Using rich historical cases, Prof. VITI illustrated how Latin, Ancient Greek, Sumerian, Akkadian, and Aramaic once acted as global languages. She highlighted that languages typically undergo grammatical simplification, phonological merging, and morphological regularization in the process of globalization. This pattern is shared by both ancient and modern global languages.

Participants listened to the lecture attentively

She further compared two historical language policy models: the Roman model and the Ancient Middle Eastern model. Prof. VITI emphasized that reflecting on these models carries important implications for protecting linguistic diversity today.

Dr. Vivien Wai Wan CHAN presented a souvenir to Prof. Carlotta VITI

To conclude the event, CTL director, Dr. Vivien Wai Wan CHAN presented Prof. VITI with a selection of exquisite campus-themed gifts.

Group photo of attendees and Prof. VITI

This lecture not only enriched BNBU’s academic atmosphere but also offered valuable insights for both faculty and students engaged in transdisciplinary teaching and learning. Moving forward, CTL will continue to organize high-quality academic lectures to advance teaching innovation and educational excellence.