The annual meeting of EFNIL (European Federation of National Institutions for Language) and its accompanying conference took place in Ljubljana from October 11 to 13. The main focus of the EFNIL 2023 annual conference centered on language portals and online dictionaries, exploring the general language user’s approach. The theme was “By the People, for the People: Online Dictionaries, Language Portals, and the Role of Language Users”.
Concerns in the Language Landscape
A crucial discussion during the annual meeting revolved around preparing a resolution expressing concerns about the state of language affairs in Europe, such as the absence of translation options for English content on streaming services like Netflix and Disney+ in many countries. It was also discussed that correction tools, for example in Google documents, are imperfect and not in accordance with the official writing rules for the national language(s) of the respective country.
Changes in the EFNIL Office
A significant decision was made during the meeting about the relocation of the EFNIL Secretariat. For years, the EFNIL office has been in the hands of the Hungarian Research Center for Linguistics, (Nyelvtudományi Kutatóközpont) in Budapest. At the annual meeting, it was decided to move the office to the Leibniz-Institut für Deutsche Sprache in Mannheim. A three-year cooperative phase between the institutions will precede the complete transition.
Award Competition for Excellent Master’s Theses
The Master Thesis Award competition, one of EFNIL’s many projects, recognizes outstanding theses on language use, policy, coexistence, and teaching. In Ljubljana, three prizes were awarded to Fani Morali, Denise Weghofer, and Julia Elena Pardo Alonso, who subsequently presented their winning essays.
20th Anniversary Reflections
As EFNIL marked its 20th anniversary, reflections on its history took center stage. Founded in 2003 by several EU countries, it has now expanded to include 31 member/associated member countries. Gerhard Stickel and Johan van Hoorde, former presidents, revisited the organization’s purpose, with Sabine Kirchmeier, the current president and former director of Dansk Sprognævn, leading the association into the future.
