The Power of Language
3rd International Conference
Shkodër, Albania
22-23 November 2019
The Conference
Two Days of Powerful Talks
22-23 November 2019
09:00 am
Call for papers
“Luigj Gurakuqi” University of Shkodra
Faculty of Foreign Languages
English Department
Call for Papers
The Power of Language
3-rd International Conference
22-23 November 2019
A word is dead when it is said
Some say –
I say
it just begins to live that day.
Emily Dickinson - F278 (1862) 1212
People live in the realm of words and words live in the realm of people. Language is commonly perceived as a gift and delineated as a “social practice” by which human relations are established and maintained. Whether it is through the spoken words, the written letters, or the simplest body gestures, power is exerted.
Language is used to formulate and propagate ideologies, to construct and dismantle institutions, to edify and ruin individuals, to create, change and/or end social relationships and practices. Because of the way it is employed, language touches hearts, stirs minds, plays with imagination, and leads to action. It generates a wide range of feelings and emotions and will easily mark the fine line between loving/enjoying life and cringing over it. Language will create conflicts and help resolve them, cause pain and serve as remedy for it as well, expose ignorance and supply one with wisdom, enable encounters with the unknown and still make it knowable, highlight the communication barriers between or among individual/communities and bridge the gaps by the power of translation, too. Language can inspire towards unprecedented heights, tear down to ruins, cut more painfully than a sword, comfort tenderly in times of despair, and enlighten in times of darkness. Words will become life-defining stories, which, in turn, will become permanent realities, and then, … history. Such is the power of language.
This conference intends to provide a platform for academics and scholars to present their research which identifies and elaborates on such threads in the areas of linguistics, language usage, literature, communication, arts, culture and history.
Abstracts of no more than 300 words, including keywords, the author’s name, affiliation, and email, should be sent to: easconferences@gmail.com.
Deadline for abstract submission: 15 October, 2019.
Conference fee: 50 Eur. It includes conference materials, the book of proceedings, refreshments, conference dinner and an excursion.
Shkodra has always been the capital of culture, arts and heritage for Albania. It offers a wide variety of things to do and places to visit. With its historical sites and monuments, beautiful historic architecture, artistic and cultural events, warm hospitality, and a fine combination of cuisine styles, Shkodra will make your visit a delight.
Travel: It takes less than two hours from Mother Teresa International Airport or from the Airport of Podgorica in Montenegro, and about three hours from the Airport of Pristina in Kosovo.
Accommodation: It offers a variety of accommodation styles, from short-term apartment rentals, B&Bs and hotels.
Should you have any questions about the conference or aspects related to it, don’t hesitate to contact us.
Prof. Dr. (Emeritus) Refik Kadija
University Professor of English and American Literature (since 1965)
Chair of British and American Studies (10 years, 1993-2003), Tirana University
Head of the English Department (3 years, 1995-1997), Tirana University
Dean of the Faculty of Foreign languages (2001-2007), Shkodër University.
Senior Fulbright Scholar, February 1992 - May 1993, Boston University Faculty Staff
Lecturer of English literature at
Tirana University (1965 – 2004) and Shkodër University (2001 – 2018) (Albania) and Tetovo University (North Macedonia) (1996 – 2016).
Supervisor/Mentor of M.A. and Ph.D. theses (21 M.A. candidates from 7 Albanian universities and 8 Ph.D. candidates from 5 universities.)
Nominated “International Man of the Year” for the year 2000-2001 by IBC (International Biographical Centre) Cambridge CB2 3QP England.
Member of ESRA (since December 2007).
Attended more than 40 international conferences and workshops in 21 countries (Albania, UK, USA, Germany, France, Spain, The Netherlands, Denmark, Norway, Switzerland, Austria, Hungary, Bulgaria, Rumania, Montenegro, Turkey, Greece, North Macedonia, Kosovo, Italy, Malaysia.)
Wrote more than 100 articles which were published in various journals and newspapers at home and abroad.
Published several university textbooks of English and American Literature (in Albanian and English) as well as books for general reading.
His latest book was “Scanderbeg and the Albanians in Anglosphere Culture” (in Albanian), published by the Albanian Academy of Sciences, 400 pages, 2018
Rajmonda Këçira is Professor in English linguistics at “Luigj Gurakuqi University, Shkodër, Albania. From 2008 to 2016, she held the Dean position in the Faculty of Foreign Languages at this university. She carried out research on linguistics at the University of Graz, Austria, where she received her PhD in 2005. In addition, she held visiting professorships at the University of Tetovo, Macedonia (2008-2009), and the University of Podgorica in Montenegro (2018-2019). Her main research interests and publications are in the fields of Linguistics, Language Contact, Translation and Didactics. A particular focus of her work is on Anglicisms and their implications in the Albanian language.
Simon Edwards was Principal Lecturer at University of Roehampton, London. Since his retirement, he is now a regular Visiting Lecturer at the University of Graz, the University of Bamberg, and the University of Shkodra in Albania.
He has taught in the USA, Japan and China as well as numerous universities throughout Europe.
His main interests lie in 19c English, American and European fiction, in particular the historical novel. He has published on Scott, Dickens, and Fenimore Cooper, as well as the 17c poet John Dryden. He continues to research in all these areas.
About EAS
Who we are
The Department of English and American Studies was founded in 1994. The English Branch was established to educate and train teachers of English and/or translators or interpreters and now it offers a Bachelor's Degree in English and American Studies and a Master's Degree in English Teaching.
Among the people who have helped in the establishment and development of the Department are: Gjovalin Kolombi and Mahir Hoti, former rectors of the University of Shkodra; Walter Hoeflechner, 1994, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities at Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Austria; Roberta Maierhofer, from 1999 onwards, vice rector for International Relations, Karl-Franzens University of Graz, Austria; Jim Miller 2001-2004 University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA; Simon Edwards, 2003 to the present, University of Roehampton, England; Rich Raymond, 2004, Fullbright Professor from University of Arkansas at Little Rock, USA. In 2001, Prof. Dr. Refik Kadija joined our department as he was appointed dean of the Faculty of Foreign Languages.
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