Do we really know how to talk?

Do we really know how to speak? - The language contract as a social contract

In 2023, a dialogue between journalists, linguists, educationalists, philosophers and politicians seems necessary: to renew national dialogue, to reframe international communication, to think about training for tomorrow's global and digital communication between Paris, Tokyo and the rest of the world.At a time when anyone can set themselves up as a model of public discourse and influence the social behaviors of others, society is questioning their benevolence and optimality in the collective quest for happiness and freedom. "Norms are not the enemy of free communication," writes linguist Jean-Louis Chiss in his review of "Savons-nous vraiment parler? Du contrat linguistique comme contrat social" (Armand Colin 2023): what are the consequences for teachers and journalists? Are the speech models they offer their students and audiences in their practices up to the challenge? What about "influencers" and their "followers"? Do we always speak "well" or "wisely"? And if not, why don't we keep quiet? From the playground to the parliamentary benches and the television set, the question is: do we really know how to speak? In the age of the Internet and globalized speech, isn't it time to spell out a reasoned linguistic contract, without which our social contract risks crumbling? These are the questions that will be discussed at the meeting.

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