Call for Papers: Transformation and Multilingualism:

German Speakers and Writers in Contact Zones

The Ohio State University
February 14th – 15th, 2025

Keynote Speaker: Dr. Julia Ruck, Department of German Studies, Emory University

The Germanic Graduate Student Association (GGSA) at The Ohio State University invites
submissions for its upcoming 17th annual graduate student conference exploring the process of
transformation, identity formation, and linguistic practices within and across German-speaking
contexts. This year’s theme centers on how language use in social and cultural contact zones
shapes, transforms, and redefines the concept of “German” identity, belonging, and
communication. We welcome submissions from both linguistic and cultural/literary studies
perspectives and encourage diverse methodologies to approach these themes. In this context,
we place “German” as a conceptual anchor at the intersection of cultures and languages,
emphasizing it as a space where identities and meanings are constructed and contested.

The conference encourages contributions that explore how language is used to shape,
challenge, and resist cultural boundaries and power dynamics within contact zones. Borrowing
from Mary Louise Pratt (1991), who describes the contact zone as a social space of linguistic
and cultural conflict and power negotiation, and Jeroen Dewulf’s (2014) concept of ‘contact
literature’—as literature written in one specific language which is still deeply influenced by the
other languages and cultural elements within the contact zone—we build on the work of Will
Baker and Tomokazu Ishikawa (2021) to define transcultural dynamics and language use at
contact zones as communication where cultural and linguistic transformations take center
stage. These ‘contact zones’ take various forms, from physical spaces such as border regions
and migration sites to virtual platforms and sociocultural third spaces, such as language
classrooms and academic discourse. Proposals might examine how cross-cultural encounters
inspire linguistic innovation and variation, creating new forms of expression that both mirror and
reshape ideas of identity and belonging. Cultural studies projects might analyze representations
of hybrid identities, the mediation of cultural memory and heritage, or how literature, film, and
other media portray cross-cultural interactions. We encourage submissions that address
linguistic practices, cultural phenomena, and/or literary texts that traverse and impact cultural
boundaries.
This conference aims to foster an interdisciplinary dialogue on how languages and cultures
interact, merge, and transform, impacting both the speakers and the communities involved. We
welcome graduate students from diverse academic backgrounds to submit proposals
addressing topics of transcultural communication, language use, and the transformation of
“German” in contact zones. Contributions from disciplines such as linguistics, literature,
applied linguistics, philology, digital humanities, cultural studies, and media and film studies are
especially welcome. Submissions may address, but are not limited to, the following topics:

• Language contact and fusion: How do languages interact and influence each other at
  cultural crossroads? How do these interactions shape aspects of interlanguaging and
  language varieties? (O’Grady et al., 2001; Tarone, 2018)
• Translation and interpretation: How do the acts of translation and/or interpretation
  shape intercultural communication? (Kelly & Bruen, 2014; Borge Janetti, 2019)
• Multilingualism and identity: How do individuals navigate multiple languages and
  cultural identities at cultural crossroads? (Baker, 2001; The Douglas Fir Group, 2016)
• Language policy and power dynamics: How are language policies used to transfer
  power and control in cultural contact zones? What are the consequences of language
  policy in a variety of contexts? (Bruhlmann, 2012)
• Language and migration: How does migration impact literary and linguistic
  expression? How does it influence language use as a means of adapting, resisting, or
  redefining belonging in contact zones? (Anya, 2017; Kreitinger, 2017)
• Language and diaspora: How do diasporic communities maintain and adapt their
  language in new cultural contexts? (Craith, 2015)
• Language and media in a globalized world: How do digital media and online platforms
  create new cultural contact zones? How does language function within these
  spaces? (Ivkovic & Lotherington, 2009)
• Language and social movements: How is language used to establish or challenge
  power and claim agency in social movements in cultural contact zones? (Davis, 2012)
• Language use in the classroom: How can language classrooms be spaces for exploring
  and understanding intercultural communication? What pedagogical practices can foster
  cultural awareness and critical reflection on language use? Why can specific language
  choices either facilitate or hinder effective communication in intercultural
  encounters? (Back & Wagner, 2019)

Submission Guidelines
Abstracts should be submitted by December 31st, 2024, to contact.ggsa.osu@gmail.com. We
welcome both presentations with single and multiple authorships. Abstracts can be submitted
in either English or German. Abstracts should not be longer than 300 words, nor should they
include the name(s) of the author(s). Your name, pronouns, email address, paper title, university
and department affiliations, and a short biography should be submitted as a separate
attachment along with your abstract.