PENANG, 28 September 2016 – The 4th International Conference on Linguistics, Literature and Culture (ICLLIC 2016) continues to discuss relevant topics and challenges facing education communities in developing countries in the South-East Asian region, as well as in other countries around the world. 

This was mentioned by the Universiti Sains Malaysia (USM) Deputy Vice-Chancellor (Academic and International), Professor Dato' Dr. Ahmad Shukri Mustapa Kamal who represented the USM Vice-Chancellor during his opening address in officiating ICLLIC 2016 organised by the English Language Studies Section, USM School of Humanities here today.  

According to Ahmad Shukri, the domains of linguistics, literature and culture have undergone transformational changes and challenges since the beginning of the 21st century and in discussing educational objectives in today’s diverse societies, there would also be constant reminders or news in the media on civil unrest, earthquakes and other natural disasters and also on other social issues around the world. 

"In highlighting this important dimension, I am therefore pleased to see that ICLLIC 2106 aims to look at “interactions between the global and the local” in the three domains of linguistics, literature, and culture and is cohesively discussing the links to the aforementioned domains, more so now with English being an international language spoken by many non-native speakers.

"I am confident such issues would be aptly discussed at this conference, as well as in providing important contributions in the fields of translation and interpretation and in the outcomes of new writings in English in Asia, to examine the effects and impacts of global English on local languages and cultures. This conference thus would lend itself credibly by situating and exploring cross-disciplinary work in the fields of linguistics, literature, education and translation studies," he said.

Furthermore he said that, quality education could pave the way for individuals to prove their academic worth in their chosen area of study and in the noble act of educating, training and undertaking research; this could also contribute to the sustainable development and improvement of society as a whole. 

"The abilities to think creatively, to communicate effectively and to work collaboratively are increasingly being sought after in today’s competitive workplaces and the study in the field of Humanities must be continued and cherished if we wish to preserve, sustain and augment each nation’s cultural capital in striving to maintain the workers’ competitiveness in today’s global knowledge economy," he explained further.

Meanwhile, according to the ICCLIC 2016 Convenor, Professor Dr. Shakila Abdul Manan, ICLLIC 2016 provides the appropriate platform for academics and researchers to study how such global or hybrid forms of the many languages are currently used in a variety of cross-cultural contexts and genres, how they function as sites of resistance, how they refashion or reconfigure identities and cultures, and how they help to authenticate local creative writings in post-colonial settings in order to enhance their literary credibility and aesthetic or rhetorical appeal.

"Indeed this is an emerging event in many spheres of knowledge, linguistics, literature and culture notwithstanding, as globalisation, internationalisation, technological advancements and new media have encouraged border crossings and the interactions between global issues and the local variations bearing many implications for language use, language choice, language policy and planning, literacy and pedagogy, identity and culture," she said.

Approximately 70 participants from different parts of the world have gathered for this 2-day conference.

Also present were the Dean, USM School of Humanities Professor Dr. Narimah Samat; Co-Convenor Associate Professor Dr. Alias Abd. Ghani; keynote speakers from Monash University Australia, Professor Dr. Farzad Sharifian; from the University of the Phillippines, Professor Dr. Lily Rose Tope and from the University of Brunei Darussalam, Professor Dr. Wan Zawawi Ibrahim.

Text: Hafiz Meah Ghouse Meah / Photo: Zamani Abd Rahim