Srinagar
A two-day seminar on ‘Applied Linguistics in 21st Century: Issues and Perspectives’ started at the University of Kashmir on Thursday, said a varsity spokesman.
The spokesman said that Dean Academic Affairs Prof Musadiq Amin Sahaf presided over the national-level seminar, organised by the department of Linguistics.
“We all talk about preservation and promotion of indigenous and local languages but we must not undermine the challenges posed by globalization and rapid advancement of information technology to survival and preservation of these languages,” said Prof Sahaf.
He said that interactions at the institutional level can play a pivotal role in survival and promotion of local languages.
Registrar Prof Khurshid A Butt, who was the guest of honour, said that one of the most difficult challenges that linguists face today is to ensure the originality of the language text.
He suggested to the organisers to move a proposal for the establishment of a multidisciplinary state-of-the-art language lab in the university.
Prof Vaishna Narang, from the School of Languages, Literature and Cultural Studies, Jawahar Lal Nehru University delivered the keynote address wherein she traced the birth of linguistics as a discipline in the early 20th century and the paradigm shift it has undergone over the last 60 to 70 years.
Prof Umarani Pappu Swamy, Professor-Cum-Deputy Director at Central Institute of Indian Languages (CIIL) Mysore talked about the role of CIIL Mysore in promoting, preserving and documenting various languages spoken across the country.
Earlier, Head Department of Linguistics Prof Aijaz Ahmad Sheikh underscored the aims and objectives of the seminar and provided an insight into the overall working and achievements of the department.
On the occasion, two former professors and heads of the Department of Linguistics Prof Nazir Ahmed Malik and Prof Nazir Ahmad Dhar were felicitated, while the 10th volume of the annual departmental journal and souvenir of the seminar were also released.
