PROCEEDING THE 2nd INTERNATIONAL SEMINAR ON LINGUISTICS (ISOL-2): Language and Civilization

ISOL is a bineal international seminar held by the Linguistics Graduate Program of Faculty of Humanity, Andalas University in colloboration with the Linguistic Society of Indonesia (MLI), Unand Chapter. ISOL aims to provide a discussion platform for linguists and  language observers accross Indonesia. Its main objective is to enhance the exchange of research and new approaches in language studies. The seminar is open to interested people from outside of Indonesia.  The theme of the 2nd ISOL is Language and Civilization.  Civilization is the process by which a society or place reaches an advanced stage of social development and organization.  It is also defined as the society, culture, and way of  life of a particular area.  Over time, the word civilization has come to imply something beyond organization. It  refers to a particular shared way of thinking about the world as well as a reflection on that world in art, literature, drama and a host of other cultural happenings. Language is itself a social construct – a component of social reality. Thus, like all social constructs and conventions, it can be changed.   A civilization is any complex state society which is characterized by urban development, social stratification, symbolic communication forms  and a perceived separation from and domination over the natural environment. To advance civilization is to construct a new social reality which emerges through language. In other words, social reality is the operational expression of words and the meanings of them that society has agreed upon. Language is itself a social construct – a component of social reality. Thus, like all social constructs and conventions, it can be changed.&nbsp