Ce colloque vise à approfondir les connaissances des médias et outils langagiers dont nous disposons pour la gestion de l'environnement, de l'écologie et de l'énergie à la lumière du contexte culturel et des disciplines spécialisées. Il aura lieu à l'université de Grenoble les 27 et 28 novembre 2014.

Argument

The theoretical study of the environment as a scientific discipline is a relatively recent phenomenon and, as such, still subject to frequent fluctuations. Nevertheless, it is today commonly accepted as referring to the range of biological, chemical and social determinants which affect human beings. Initially used in the 19th century to designate those sciences related essentially to habitat, during the 1960s, the concept developed into a political movement centred on nature conservation issues. With the millennium, attention shifted to climate change as a source of major concern and resulting media coverage has resulted in energy becoming the focus of debate dynamics in environmental and ecology studies.

Main themes

This conference seeks to address these phenomena from the intersecting perspectives of specialized disciplines, terminology, discourse, culture and related cross-cultural communication issues within the framework of three main thematic axes:

1- Specialized disciplines and interdisciplinarity

Addressing environmental issues such as climate change and energy dependence entails close collaboration between specialists from the diverse disciplinary fields involved. This conference invites specialists and professionals from energy-related subject-domains to present their respective approaches and views and identify the evolutionary dynamics of an inherently interdisciplinary field.

2- Specialized language, discourse and communication

In view of the disciplinary “colonisation”, discourse hybridisation, lexical mutations and neologisms which characterize the specialized language, discourse and culture of environmental sciences, is it at all possible to identify a particular form of linguistic specificity? To what extent do the gradually crystallizing characteristics of previously embryonic discourse genres help cope with novel communication contexts? In this light, what is the role of the popularization of scientific discourse and outreach? What are the problems posed in the domain of translation? What is the contribution of discourse analysis? And finally, from the teaching/learning perspective, what are the new challenges faced by teachers in the field of languages for specialized purposes with regard to an interdisciplinary subject-domain in constant evolution?

3- Specialized cultures, representations and behaviours

Since pollution heeds no borders, it is at a global level that environmental, ecological and energy problems need to be (re)defined. Nevertheless, given that environmental discourse stems from concerns which are as fundamental as they are variable -- the value of life – such discourse is inevitably subject to strong (cross-)cultural influences which open a rich line of enquiry into representations of environmental issues as generated by the media and other forms of discourse (press, promotional discourse, fiction, documentaries, blogs, etc.), relative to different geographic and culture spheres and their mutual influences.

Submission guidelines

Deadline for proposals: 22nd April, 2014.

Proposals, in French or English, comprising a 400 word abstract (max) + five keywords must be submitted simultaneously to all three organisers.

Authors will be notified early July, 2014

• Camille BIROS (camille.biros@ujf-grenoble.fr)
• Elodie VARGAS (elodie.vargas@u-grenoble3.fr
• Séverine WOZNIAK (severine.wozniak@upmf-grenoble.fr)

Univ. Grenoble Alpes [ILCEA] F-38040 Grenoble