Martin Paul’s vision on language politics and language use at UM has influenced public and political opinion in the Netherlands. It has raised questions like: Should we allow English to be used increasingly as the language of instruction Maastricht University? Should UM move towards multilingualism? And, within the European and global contexts: How does Brexit impact the discussion? Or Trump? Or Macron? Will the privileged position of English as the language of academic discourse be dented by political developments?

Being a German living in Limburg, Martin Paul has a personal story to tell: how do people in the region and within the university judge the Dutch of a native German? And what is Martin Paul’s take on the use of dialect inside or outside the university? Does he see the wide use of dialect in and around Maastricht as an inhibiting factor when it comes to embedding Maastricht University in the city and the region, and how should this be judged within the national, Dutch context?

In 2016 the biennial Dr Lou Spronck lecture was set up by the Chair in ‘Language Culture in Limburg’ (Taalcultuur in Limburg), part of the UM Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences. The lecture is given by a researcher who has done/does distinctive research on the language culture in Limburg.

The lectures are in honour of Dr Spronck’s outstanding work as a language researcher. They highlight the importance of scientific research on language and culture in Limburg and make it visible to the academic world and to a broader audience.

Drinks will be served after the lecture. Please register by email.