Dear colleagues,

Thank you for taking part in the ICML XIII , Flensburg – Sønderborg 22-25 June 2011. ICML XIII marked 31 years of ICML, an informal network of scholars of minority languages, organized on voluntary basis by dedicated institutions!

It was the first ICML ever to have a cross-border venue in Germany and in Denmark, and involving three institutional organizers –  Department of Border Region Studies , University of Southern Denmark ; European Centre for Minority Issues, Flensburg; Institute for Danish Language and its Didactics, University of Flensburg.

The conference gathered 65 international and 35 regional participants from Germany , Denmark and the German-Danish border region.  In 12 thematic sections and 2 plenary sessions over 50 papers were presented covering a range of topics – from why majority parents  send their children to minority language schools,  the institutional set-up for language revitalization to minority language use in internet and social media (see final programme). Unfortunately, the economic crisis in many European countries prevented larger participation.

The opening and the plenary sessions presented the view on the minorities from the spatial perspective (Prof. Dr Holger Jahnke, University of Flensburg, Germany) , an innovative  view of institutional arrangements for minority languages in South Africa  (Prof.  Dr Marlene Verhoef, North-West University, South Africa ) and a critical view of successes and failures of minority languages and their autonomous institutions (Prof. Dr Fernand de Varennes, School of Law, Murdoch University, Australia).

A special section was devoted to the “Perspectives of Language Diversity in Northern Germany and in the German-Danish Border Region” .

In parallel to the ICML XIII conference, a public exhibition on the minorities in the German-Danish border region with accompanying presentations was arranged, involving minorities themselves in two blocs “Meet Minorities” and “Minority and Regional Languages in the German-Danish Border Region” allowing ICML 13 participants as well as the broader interested public to make a “live” acquaintance with representatives of the German, Danish and Frisian minorities and speakers of the regional language Low German.  Also minority bands and performance groups, including a rap duo,  delivered entertainment at two conference dinners and social events, demonstrating the vitality of minority languages in various modern genres. (see New Calls/Photo Gallery). More photos are most welcome!

At the conference closure, the participants were reminded of the contributions’ submission  modalities  for the e-publication of conference proceedings (see New Calls/Publication).

The ICML XIII will remain open until the conference proceedings  are available on-line.

The next ICML 14 will take place in 2013, in Graz, Austria, organized by the Centre for Plurilingualism, University of Graz.  It will be duly announced with its own homepage.

Thank you again for your participation and visit ICML13 homepage