On February 17, 2026, WP6 “Language in its social context” welcomes Juan Carlos Godenzzi (University of Montreal) for a conference on linguistic dynamics in three South American capitals. An opportunity to examine how urban mobility transforms language practices.
The conference
Juan Carlos Godenzzi will explore the linguistic resources mobilized in the urban spaces of Lima, La Paz, and Santiago de Chile. These three cities, marked by intense migration and strong linguistic diversity (Spanish, Quechua, Aymara), offer a privileged observation ground for understanding how speakers negotiate their linguistic repertoire in daily life.
The central question: how do urban movements—geographic, social, professional—reconfigure language use and the power relations associated with it?
Seminar program
Date: February 17, 2026
Organizers: Marie Véniard and Carola Mick (CEPED)
The session will include two complementary presentations:
- Conference by Juan Carlos Godenzzi: “Urban mobility and linguistic resources. With reference to Lima, La Paz and Santiago de Chile”
- Presentation by Marie Véniard of the project “Voices of social actors in institutions” conducted within WP6—an approach that directly resonates with the issues raised by Godenzzi on the circulation of voices and languages in institutional spaces.
This seminar fits fully within EFL’s axis 6, which studies language as a vector of inclusion, power, and social justice. It illustrates how sociolinguistics can shed light on concrete urban issues: access to public services, linguistic stigmatization, minority language revitalization, language policies.
All practical information: https://www.ceped.org/evenement/seminaire-de-recherche-le-langage