Colin H Williams
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Colin H. Williams, (born 1950) in Barry, Wales, U.K. is Research Professor in Sociolinguistics in the School of Welsh,Cardiff University, UK.
Colin H Williams attended Ysgol Gymraeg y Barri and Ysgol Uwchradd Rhydfelen before pursuing university studies at the University of Wales, Swansea. He graduated summa cum laude B.Sc Econ in Geography and Politics in 1972. He began his PhD research on 'Language Decline and Nationalist Resurgence' comparing the Welsh and Québécois situation. In 1973 he gained an English Speaking Union Scholarship tenable at the Department of Geography, the University of Western Ontario' and undertook field work on the challenges facing the French language in Quebec and Acadia. Returning to Wales he was appointed an Open University Tutor and a Demonstrator at the Department of Geography, University College of Swansea, 1974-76 before taking up an appointment teaching in the Departments of Geography and Politics and International Relations at North Staffordshire Polytechnic, where he was successively, Lecturer,Principal Lecturer and Professor of Geography.
His main scholarly interests are Sociolinguistics and Language Policy in Multicultural Societies, Ethnic and Minority Relations and Political Geography. He is a former Fulbright Scholar in Residence and Visiting Professor, The Department of Geography, The Pennsylvania State University, 1982-83, a SSRC/SHFR Exchange Scholar (1982) and Swedish Institute Scholar (1988) at the Centre for the Study of International Conflicts, Department of History, University of Lund, and an Adjunct Professor of Geography, The University of Western Ontario, 1994- to date. In April 2000 the National Assembly for Wales appointed him to be a member of the Welsh Language Board. He is an Honorary Professor of Celtic Studies at the University of Aberdeen, and at Sobhal Mor Ostaig,The University of the Highlands and Islands.
He is the author/editor of fifteen books and included in his publications are 'Called Unto Liberty:On Language and Nationalism' Multilingual Matters, Clevedon, Avon, 1994; and (Ed) 'The Political Geography of the New World Order', J.Wiley, London, 1993; a Welsh Language Board sponsored project on Community Language Planning and Policy, whose first major report was published as Williams, C.H. and Evas, J.C. ‘Y Cynllun Ymchwil Cymunedol’ (The Community Research Project),The Welsh Language Board, Cardiff, August 1997, 3rd Edition 2000. He has also published (Ed.), Language Revitalization in Wales: Policy and Planning, University of Wales Press, Cardiff. 2000. He has recently completed work on two ESRC sponsored investigations a) the “Bilingual Character and Structure of the National Assembly;’ and b) on ‘Devolution and Decentralisation in Wales and Brittany; (with Profs. Cole, Jones and Loughlin). He has also published 'Language and Governance', University of Wales Press, 2007 and 'Lingusitic Minorities in Democratic Context', Palgrave, 2008.
He is curently engaged in research projects on comparing the office of Language Commissioner in Canada and Europe and on the role of Language Boards in Europe. He is a member of the Scientific Committee of Lingua Mon, Barcelona and of the Basque Academy's Social History of the Basque Language. In January 2008 he was appointed by the Governemnt of Ireland as one of six specialists charged with preparing a 20 year strategy for the Irish language.
References Language Revitalization in Wales: Policy and Planning, University of Wales Press, Cardiff. 2000. Language and Governance, University of Wales Press, 2007. Lingusitic Minorities in Democratic Context', Palgrave, 2008. Marquis Who's Who in the World, 2008.
