Call for papers: Francophone studies in Norway/Nordic countries: current situation and prospects
Francophone studies in Norway/Nordic countries: current situation and prospects
In Norway, the French-speaking reality still occupies a modest place in the French as Foreign Language (FLE) teaching programmes for lower and upper secondary schools. However, these programmes specify that learners should be able to present and explore the society, traditions, and cultures of the “areas where the language is spoken"(FSP01‑03), taking account of their diversity. There are currently 321 million French speakers (OIF, 2022). Demographic projections predict over 700 million by 2050 (France Alumni, 2023). Despite these impressive numbers, the French-speaking world is generally only taught from the last year of secondary school, according to the unwritten rule that French is above all the French of France. How can Francophone diversity be considered when it only occupies a few chapters in the final year textbooks? This special issue of ELLA sets out to take stock of Francophone studies in Norway and the Nordic countries while examining the diversity of the Francophone reality (linguistic, historical, political, cultural, literary, ...) to consolidate, broaden and enrich the knowledge of professionals who, in their respective fields, have to pass on the French language and the cultures associated with it: teachers, but also authors of FLE resources, publishing managers and journalists.
Some avenues of research:
- What is the difference between Francophonie with a capital letter and Francophonie with a small letter? (Here, politico-historical, geopolitical and geo-economic considerations will be welcome).
- University research on the French-speaking world in Norway/the Nordic countries - an overview of university research
- The place of the French language in secondary and higher education in Norway/the Nordic countries: current situation and prospects. Traditions and publishing practices.
- Colonisation, decolonisation, post-colonisation: their importance for understanding French society and French-speaking societies today and how to integrate them into teaching French as a foreign language.
- The French language in the French-speaking world: particularities of French in each region where French is spoken. Trends, influence or otherwise of English, linguistic variation and linguistic discrimination (glottophobia).
- Traditions, cultural practices, daily life
- Francophone literature: historical overviews, monographs, thematic approaches, similarities and differences, didactic approaches in FLE, translational perspectives..
- Comparative perspectives: how is the francophonie taught elsewhere? What conclusions can be drawn?
We are open to any other line of research that could contribute to a better understanding of the French-speaking world in Norway/Nordic countries. We welcome proposals from all researchers interested in these issues, whether or not they are teachers of French as a foreign language. The contributors'link with the Nordic countries is not a requirement.
Some references
Blanchet, P. (2021). Glottophobie. Langage et société, 155-159. https://doi.org/10.3917/ls.hs01.0156
Bourkhis, R. (2020). Langue Française, écrivains Francophones. Editions L'Harmattan.
France Alumni. (2023). Le français, langue universelle en 2050 ?
Gambotti, C. (2015). La Francophonie, espace géopolitique et géoéconomique. Géoéconomie, 73, 189-199. https://doi.org/10.3917/geoec.073.0189
Holter, K., & Skattum, I. (2008). La Francophonie aujourd'hui : réflexions critiques. L’Harmattan.
Merlo, J.-O. (2023). Par Monts et Par Mots (Vol. 16). P.I.E. - Peter Lang SA Éditions Scientifiques Internationales.
Pastin, I. (2012). La diversité linguistique et les enjeux de la francophonie aujourd'hui. Euromentor journal, 3(2), 1.
Organisation nationale de la Francophonie. (2022), La langue française dans le monde (2019 – 2022). Gallimard. https://observatoire.francophonie.org/wp-content/uploads/2022/10/Rapport-La-langue-francaise-dans-le-monde_VF-2022.pdf
Sanaker, J. K., Holter, K., & Skattum, I. (2006). La francophonie : une introduction critique (p. 277, 1 fold. bl.). Unipub/Oslo Academic Press.
The Norwegian Directorate for Education and Training Curriculum for Foreign Languages (FSP01‑03)
Traisnel, C., & Payaud, M. A. (2020). La francophonie institutionnelle : 50 ans. Editions L'Harmattan.
Provisional timetable:
1 November 2023: Proposals in French sent by email (Hélène Celdran, helene.celdran@hiof.no) (max. 400 words, with a concise presentation of the author: name, title, affiliation, a few keywords about research and areas of interest).
Mid-December 2023: Editorial response to proposals
2024
June, first week: Submission of typescript for peer review
October, second half: Peer review feedback
2025
January, first half: Submission of the final version of the typescript
Spring term : Publication of the special issue
About ELLA: https://journals.hiof.no/index.php/ELLA/about
Editorial Committee
Hélène Celdran, helene.celdran@hiof.no
André Leblanc, all@du.se
