20 Years of Babylonia
[Summary generated by ChatGPT] Overview: Babylonia 3/2011 celebrates the journal’s 20th anniversary with a richly reflective and forward-looking issue. It highlights Babylonia’s longstanding commitment to multilingualism, multiculturalism, and inclusive language education in Switzerland. Rather...
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| Format: | Article |
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| Language: | German |
| Published: |
Association Babylonia Switzerland
2011-12-01
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| Series: | Babylonia |
| Subjects: | |
| Online Access: | https://babylonia.online/index.php/babylonia/article/view/683 |
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| Summary: | [Summary generated by ChatGPT]
Overview:
Babylonia 3/2011 celebrates the journal’s 20th anniversary with a richly reflective and forward-looking issue. It highlights Babylonia’s longstanding commitment to multilingualism, multiculturalism, and inclusive language education in Switzerland. Rather than simply looking back, the issue critically examines the evolution of foreign language didactics and proposes visions for the future, anchored in the journal's core values.
Key Contributions:
The editorial explores the metaphorical and historical dimensions of Babylon—a symbol of linguistic fragmentation but also of spiritual aspiration. Babylonia, the journal, positions itself as a counter-myth: not a site of confusion, but a platform for restoring the dignity of languages and those who speak them.
The issue is structured into three thematic sections:
Multilingualism and Multiculturalism:
A public debate organized by the Institute of Multilingualism in Fribourg titled “Languages and Cultures in Switzerland: Where are we heading?” serves as the basis for this section. Standpoints and a synthesis of the discussion are presented, reflecting on language policy, cultural cohesion, and social dynamics in a multilingual society.
Foreign Language Didactics:
A retrospective of Babylonia’s contributions to language pedagogy is presented through an analysis of the journal’s didactic inserts, which have featured in every issue. This section provides insight into the evolution of language teaching methodologies, offering reflections on what has changed—and what has endured—over two decades.
Babylonia: Horizon 2031:
Looking ahead, contributors imagine the state of language education in 20 years. Topics include:
Culture and intercultural competence (Baschera, Pult)
Language policy (Simoneschi-Cortesi)
Minority languages (Arquint, Grünert, Martinoni)
Languages in the workplace (Grin)
Language didactics (Saudan)
Languages and higher education (Schaffner)
The future of pedagogical publications (Grunder)
Additionally, to mark the occasion, Babylonia introduces Babalibi, a classroom card game designed to engage learners in playful multilingual interaction.
Conclusion:
This anniversary issue is more than a celebration—it is a reaffirmation of Babylonia’s mission to promote open, critical, and inclusive language education. It bridges past and future, myth and pedagogy, inviting educators and policymakers to reflect on the evolving landscape of language learning in Switzerland and beyond. The legacy of Babylonia is not only in what it has published but in the conversations it continues to inspire.
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| ISSN: | 1420-0007 2673-6454 |