In the world today, there are a great number of ethnic identities that are generally differentiated by: history, politics; economics; and also, or even above all, society. While the contemporary world continues to grow increasingly homogenous, especially, in the political, economical arena and in the fields of science and technology, it is society's culture, linguistics, and religion, together with all that forms a civilization, from its cuisine to sport, that displays its identity. The trend toward unification, of deepening effective associations, of the exchange of goods and spiritual values, is well-known as: Globalization. Inevitably, shaping this new kind of global culture causes some of the smaller ethnic, national, cultural, and regional identities to disappear, leaving a mass identity that continues onward toward its homogenous, one-dimensional nature.

Each group, whether national, cultural, linguistic, and so on, when faced with the accumulation of mass values and unifying processes, can simultaneously feel the need to emphasize and reinforce the uniqueness found in their own historically shaped, local identity, while becoming ever more open to the identities of others.

Each ethnic group depends upon its various identifying elements to recognize and separate itself from others. Paradoxically, as globalization removes differences, the need to creatively develop one's separate identity and to communicate with others, who have been reinforced in their uniqueness, too, increases along with the sense of one's own specialness.

The organizational objective of The International Conference: Languages and Cultures in Contact - Then and Now is to enter into an international reflection and discussion for understanding, especially, between European nations with the entire diversity of their cultural heritage, across the pre-existing, centuries-old divisions and past associations that are generally appreciated among cultures and languages today.

The conference will reflect upon the similarities and differences common to our continent and globe with all its diversified cultures and linguistics through: the broad range of associations that are often good, profitable, but also, tragic, a part of a shared, unsparing history; the cultural relationships between various nations; and the spiritual, material values of languages. Within these associations, through a thousand generations, while their multidimensional diversity developed, the European sense of community was formed throughout all Europe's civilizations: Latium next to Byzantium Europe; the regions: Western, Middle, Eastern, and Northern Europe; the peoples: Roman; Germanic; or Slavic; then the religions: Christianity beside Judaism or Islam; and so the diversity goes on.

At Polonia University at Częstochowa's Institute of Humanities, the Conference's organizer, there is a readily apparent profusion of civilizational motifs: Culture Studies; Literature Studies; Language Studies; Pedagogical and Diadactical Studies, with disciplines in: theater; film; glottodiadactics; and comparative literature. The perspectives of all studies are both historical and comtemporary.

At the Conference, certainly other topics from such phenomenas will be presented: the similarities and differences between the Culture, Liturature, and Art of particular nations and their influence on and reception in the Culture, Literature, and Art of other nations; the development of new methods and books in response to facing the challenges of a new civilization in the twenty-first century; the phenomenon of bilingualism and pluralisms, the coexistence of diverse ethnic groups, cultures, religions, and languages within one unit, either national, federal, or union; the influence of some languages on others, especially, at the level of vocabulary, for example, European and internationally recognized words: the borrowings among nations and regions, and the jargon of various social groups; the role of Culture, Literature, Art in forming and shaping both modern traditions and national heritage; and the role of individuals, artists, writers, scientists, sportsmen, and so on, in shaping an identity in its historical, spacial, and ideological dimensions.

Prof. Stanisław Widłak
The Chairman of Scientific Commitee

Topics:

• Similarities and differences between Culture, Literature, and the Art of particular nations, and also, their influence on and reception in the Culture, Literature, and Art of other nations.
• The development of new methods and books in response to facing the challenges of a new civilization in the twenty-first century.
• The phenomenon of biligualism and pluralisms, the coexistence of diverse ethnic groups, cultures, religions, and languages within one unit, either national, federal, or union.
• The influence of some languages on others, especially, at the level of vocabulary, for example, European and internationally recognized words: the borrowings among nations and regions, and the jargon of various social groups.
• The role of Culture, Literature, Art in forming and shaping both modern traditions and national heritage.
• The role of individuals, artists, writers, scientists, sportsmen, and so on, in shaping an identity in its historical, spacial, and ideological dimensions.

Important dates: