Center for Bilingual/Bicultural Studies (CB/BS)

Bilingual/Bicultural Studies focus on the intersection between the politics of language and culture and the new global realities of the 21st century. The objective of the CB/BS is to examine the history as well as the current ramifications of translingual, transnational, and transcultural phenomena. It is particularly concerned with the impact of crossing linguistic boundaries on patterns of communication, creative practices, identity formation and the cultural politics of the diaspora.

The CB/BS provides an interdisciplinary center for research on bi- and multi-lingualism and bi-and multi-culturalism in the areas of linguistics, brain and cognitive science, literature, history, media studies, post-colonialism, the arts, political science, politic studies and education. One of its central activities is hosting visits (for one day, one week or one semester) by authors who write in a language (or languages) other than their mother-tongue. The CB/BS also sponsors conferences and lecture series, offers wide-ranging resources, and centralizes information and materials that concern what is, increasingly, the daily reality of individuals, work place and families in the United States and internationally.

CB/BS holds an annual undergraduate writing prize award for student writing on topics related to immigrant, diaspora, bicultural, bilingual, and/or mixed-race experiences.

The de Courtivron Writing Prize was established by MIT's Center for Bilingual/Bicultural Studies (CB/BS) ito honor distinguished Professor Emerita Isabelle de Courtivron, one of the original founders of the CB/BS, and to reward high quality undergraduate writing (creative or expository). The Prize was established on the occasion of Professor de Courtivron’s retirement in 2010. The Isabelle de Courtivron Prize is open to all MIT undergraduate students and is awarded on an annual basis. Entries are judged by a panel of faculty and/or professional writers. The winner will receive a prize of $400 and the winning submission will be featured on the CB/BS website.