Language web

Intercultural mediation,

The practice of  language weaving by means of linguistic hospitality, translational advantages deriving from theories and concepts developed by P. Ricoeur, C.S. Pierce, B. Latour, G.C. Spivak) and applying on philosophical investigations in language games (L. Wittgenstein, J.F. Lyotard), embodies a set of performative acts (J.Austin, J. Derrida, J.M. Foucault) among humans and among humans and mediums (languages, scripts) by which the variety of individual expressions  is initiated and then connected  in complementarity within one linguistic landscape.

European linguistic landscape consisting of more than 200 languages [1]

has been recognized by the European Union as a shared cultural property of European peoples.

In 2001, the European Year of Languages the Council of Europe has proclaimed the annual celebration of the European Day of Languages (ETS)[2] taking part on September 26th under the motto "United in Diversity".

The general objectives of the European Day of Languages are to draw attention to Europe's rich linguistic and cultural diversity in order to encourage multilingualism and support intercultural understanding, thus contributing to the appreciation of all languages and cultures, making people aware of the benefits of knowing multilingualism, to promote individual multilingualism and to motivate people in Europe to learn languages throughout their lives.

[3]

Languages are an essential medium of human life. Spoken, written, thought, sung,  danced, imagined ...

Encounters with various languages and people are much easier in digital/virtual landscape than in the real world. Using translation tools, the texts are translated into various languages in a matter of seconds, voice translation enables interpersonal communication without any language skills.

What happens at the moment of translation, how does the “shift” succeed from one language  into the other? And, how it works through the bodily movement?  What sounds foreign and what sounds familiar, what causes fear and displeasure, and how such experiences can be converted into sympathy, when thinking on phenomena such as the xenoglossophobie (fear, anger, mistrust caused by hearing of foreign language)?

In his works "The Rule of Metaphor" and "Time and Narrative", vol. 1, Paul Ricoeur speaks about the productivity of linguistic imagination  "That generates / regenerates meaning through the power of metaphoricity by way of stating things in novel ways and, as a consequence."  Ricoeur (1984)

Bodily movement by dance is one of the most illustrative example for symbolic interaction. One practical example from my research during the studies at the Martha Graham School in NYC (2004-2012) with colleagues from 19 countries who attended my seminars and workshops has been summarised and presented in the form of  performance lectures titled:

#Pioggia ~ Kiša ^ ~ Regen ....

Exercises created as a combination of bodily movement, guided imagination, articulatory phonetics by use of one single term "rain" has been experienced as effective, to enable individual access to diverse linguistic landscapes, to stimulate individual reflexion on embodied knowledge (J.L. Nancy, D. Haraway, S. Weil, L. Irigaray), learn to re-imagine and to unfold the attachment consisting of the ´hidden figures´ in body and mind, thus to release and enable novel findings, connected with joyful experience, breath by breath, movement by movement, drop by drop ...  

In an interview Umberto Eco said that Europe is threatened by the multitude of languages and that it will be of no use to adopt a single language to understand each other better. Eco went on to say that “it only creates terrible misunderstandings and suggests a spiritual multilingualism, because“ Europe has the potential to be both linguistically and spiritually polyglot. Spiritual multilingualism consists in trying to understand how other cultures think. "[8th]

With the concept of 'intellectual multilingualism' according to Eco, the thought L. Wittgensteins "The limits of my language are the limits of my world" is linked, since Wittgenstein indicates on a close connection between language and thinking, thus an understanding of the world through one Subject ("my world").

Wittgenstein emphasizes that "speaking the language (is) a part (...) of an activity and a way of life".[9]

Unlike Wittgenstein, the sociologist Norbert Elias thinks language in a plural context and describes languages as “prototypical models of social facts:

They assume not only the existence of an actor, but a group of at least two or more acting people. "[10]

In doing so, humans can only live in the interdependence of many people. It is dependent on others and therefore only occurs in plurality. Humans are inevitably linked to nature, which affects their actions, thoughts and feelings. Conversely, it has an impact on nature and thus forms society.[11]

They presuppose not only the existence of an actor, but a group of at least two or more acting people.

How can the transition from the subjective language world succeed in a multilingual landscape?

What is the plural "I"?

In encounters with different languages, the boundaries of thinking, open up.  The existing patterns, which are imprinted in a language world, are linked with new forms of expression, various structures, shapes, colours and sounds interweave and form new language landscapes. The connections with spaces, objects and cultures are initiated by means of sensual perception of languages, so that the gaze ultimately moves on three levels, namely on those in order to "see something, to see something as something and to see something in something."[13]

Landscape ~ Landschaft

The term 'landscape'(16) is based on the concept of scapes, which can also be understood as "dimensions of global cultural flows". These landscapes are the building blocks of "imagined" or "presented" worlds: "... worlds that are constituted by the historically situated imaginations of persons and groups spread around the globe".

I think of the imagined landscape in terms of the language landscape. The imaginary opens up a dimension of reality through sensual appearances.

 In his work "Landscape: The Free and Its Horizons"[17]  Prof. Dr. Hans Dieter Bahr speaks of the modes of being of landscape spaces: “(…) However, there is one thing that landscape phenomena always transcend those of countries and human concerns: they open up to changing horizons, which are reflected in the conflicting agreement of the modes of being of space: from proximity to distance , from low to high, from narrow to wide, from flat to deep, from 'home' to 'foreign' ... - in conflict with one another. This "disputed mutual agreement (...) constitutes the freedom of the landscape in its appearances. (...) However, this is not achieved by geography, but rather by its pictorial, musical and poetic representation as well as philosophical thinking."

Sources, web links for further informations:
[1] See, further information: https://www.goethe.de/prj/ets/de/index.html

[2] Web link, info: https://www.coe.int/de/web/portal/26-september-european-day-of-languages

[3] https://www.coe.int/de/web/portal/26-september-european-day-of-languages

[4] Author's note Following on from Jacques Derrida's theory, which includes philosophy and semiotics, "each section will contain several concepts as many of them are closely interwoven and it is impossible to define one concept without considering the others" .

[6]The author Elias understands a figuration as a dynamic social network or a network of interdependent individuals. These relationships between people are, according to Elias, the essence of every social. See more: Norbert Elias: Was ist Soziologie ?, Weinheim: Juventa, 2004, pp. 139–145

[7] Source: Eco, Umberto: "Introduction to Semiotics" (8th unchanged edition) Munich: Fink 1994, p. 38.
(8) Source: https: //philomag.de/eco-sprache-revolution/

[9] In: Ludwig Wittgenstein:Philosophical Investigations, § 23

[10] Cf. in: Elias, N. (1989a, b, c): The Symbol Theory: An Introduction Theory, Culture and Society 6 (2, 3, 4), b: 339-383, c: 499-53

[11] Baumgardt, Ralf / Eichener, Volker: Norbert Elias for an introduction. P. 108.

[12] Cf. in: Baumgardt, Ralf / Eichener, Volker: Norbert Elias for an introduction. P. 108.

[13] Cf. Martin, Seel (2003): The aesthetics of appearance. Suhrkamp

[14]Further explanations by author.

[15] Weblink: https://www.bmbwf.gv.at/Themen/schule/schulpraxis/ba/sprabi/msmuib.html

[17] Book LWeblink: https://www.amazon.com/Landschaft/dp/3495485996 P.265

[18]http://www.hundwasser.at/deutsch/hundwasser/hwueberhw.ph p