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Department of Linguistics

LINGLINE

ISSUE 88 - 28 November 2011
lingline

LINGLINE is a departmental newsletter specific to the interests and concerns of postgraduate students and staff within the Linguistics Department of Macquarie University. LINGLINE aims to help students and staff feel that they are in touch with the Department and its news, as well as with one another, whether one is currently in Sydney or elsewhere in Australia, New Zealand or any of 25 countries in Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America and South America. LINGLINE welcomes contributions from all students and staff in the Linguistics Department. Please submit notices by email to the editor
Margaret Wood margaret.wood@mq.edu.au Any ideas or comments re this newsletter will also be gratefully received and can be directed by email to this site.

Inside this Edition:

Linguist in the limelight

The Linguist in the limelight series introduces you to some of our research students, staff and alumni. In this way, we learn more about what attracts people to the study of linguistics, where they have come from, and some of their thoughts about linguistics. If you would like to tell your own linguistics story or know of others’ stories, please email the editor, Margaret Wood at margaret.wood@mq.edu.au

Our latest Linguist in the limelight is Nan Xu, Linguistics Department, Macquarie University.

Nan XuI received my PhD in Psychology (2009) at MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney, supervised by Prof. Denis Burnham. We found that Cantonese speaking mothers exaggerated acoustic information relating to tones when speak to their 3-, 6-, and 9-month-old infants, and a trend for greater exaggerations in mother’s speech to be related to better speech perception in infants.

I am interested in early language acquisition and currently working with Prof. Katherine Demuth on a range of issues relating to early language development including identifying typical developmental milestones for bilingual children (e.g., Mandarin-English) in both Mandarin and English.

In order to complete these studies many more Mandarin speaking and Mandarin-English bilingual children are needed. Please contact ling.cll@mq.edu.au for more information on how to get involved.

Working with Kids or Animals
Trying to get a child or animal to perform a task on cue is not an easy feat, which is why the old entertainment trope advises against it. So when your job depends on doing just that, it helps if you have some well tested tricks of the trade up your sleeve. Anyone who has interacted with a child learning to speak will know just how amazing the process is. From the early stages of baby sounds, to the first utterance of a word and right up until the moment they repeat with perfect cadence a phrase you used a week ago - early language development is an amazing process to watch.

Two academics that couldn’t agree more are Katherine Demuth and Nan Xu from the Child Language Lab. Having spent nearly 40 years between them working with children, Katherine and Nan have seen and done it all. Nan has worked with babies for years and studied how simple ‘ga ga’ and ‘goo goo’ can become the foundation for complex language acquisition. The team is now turning their attention to pre-schoolers with their current project, taking a one-of-a-kind snapshot of modern Australian English. The program, studying two – six year olds, is showing how Australian children are developing language. Working with this age group raises some interesting challenges and not just the test subjects “We have to deal with a range of things from parents who are anxious about their child’s development to a crying sibling. In fact the participant is usually the easy part, as long as they’re not sick or tired they are quite happy to play the games and show us how well they speak,” says Nan.

In order to complete these studies many more Mandarin speaking and Mandarin-English bilingual children are needed. Please contact ling.cll@mq.edu.au for more information on how to get involved.

New head of Linguistics at Macquarie

We wish to thank Professor Linda Cupples for her outstanding leadership of Linguistics over two terms (6yrs) and wish her a happy and productive OSP during 2012.

The Department is pleased to announce that Associate Professor Lynda Yates has accepted the position of Head of the Department of Linguistics. Associate Professor Jemina Napier will take up the role of Deputy Head of Department. Lynda and Jemina will take up their roles on 1 January, 2012 until 31st December 2014.

Engagement with Chinese universities (A/Prof David Hall, Associate Dean HDR)
Macquarie has a China strategy that involves seeking ties with targeted universities (and other top universities where this can be agreed). David Hall and Robyn Bishop were part of a university delegation to China in November aimed at furthering this strategy. The delegation attended three China Scholarship Council Fairs, in Beijing, Wuhan and Shanghai, and visited a number of universities:

  • Beijing (Beijing Language and Culture U (BLCU), Central U of Finance and Economics (CUFE), Beijing U of Posts and Telecommunications (BUPT)
  • Tsinghua U, Renmin U and Beihang U (Beijing U of Aeronautics and Astronautics))
  • Changchun (Jilin U)
  • Wuhan (Wuhan U and China U of Geosciences (CUG))
  • Nanjing (Nanjing U)
  • Hangzhou (Zhejiang U)
  • Shanghai (Tongji U, Fudan U and East China Normal U (ECNU))

Many of these universities are interested in collaborative research, co-tutelle possibilities and collaborative coursework programs with Linguistics, and we expect to see some positive outcomes in terms of future agreements as well as welcoming new HDR applications from these universities.

Language on the Move

A news item from http://www.languageonthemove.com/

Japanese-on-the-Move launched!
We are proud to announce the launch of Japanese on the Move: Life Stories of Transmigration! Funded by the Australia-Japan Foundation and the Faculty of Human Sciences, Macquarie University, Japanese-on-the-Move is a multimedia collection of life stories of transnationals with ties to Australia and Japan. Over the period of one year, we will introduce fifty people and their personal reflections on what it means to be on the move and at home and to belong to two (or more) countries.

Japanese on the Move was launched with the story of Mayu Kanamori, a Sydney-based artist. Born and raised bilingually in Tokyo, she moved to Australia in the 1980s. For the interview, she took us to Rookwood Cemetery, where the first recorded Japanese migrant to Australia is buried. The location fits with one of her projects, In Repose, which features Japanese cemeteries across Australia. Interviewed by Ingrid Piller, Mayu speaks about the ups and downs of leading a transnational life. Some of her doubts have emerged from her deepening engagement with Aboriginal elders she met in Broome, Western Australia.

Faculty of Human Sciences Higher Degree Research

HDR candidates and their supervisors were invited to the second annual Faculty of Human Sciences Higher Degree Research (HDR) Showcase. This event was held on Monday 7th and Tuesday 8th November 2011 at Macquarie University. The Showcase is designed to celebrate the achievements of our HDR candidates and provide valuable opportunities for feedback and networking. It also provides an opportunity for academic staff and candidates to learn more about the research of other Departments within the Faculty, and to lay the foundation for possible future research collaborations.

The first day of the Showcase included greetings from the Faculty’s Executive Dean and a plenary session, and culminated in a closing event including HDR Research Excellence awards and prizes. Candidates in their 2nd and 3rd years presented. For full details of the program and abstracts: http://www.humansciences.mq.edu.au/current_students/higher_degree_research_students/hdr_showcase/showcase_program

2011 HDR Candidate Annual Progress Report Review Process (by Robyn Bishop; HDR Manager, Human Sciences) Candidates and Supervisors are reminded that the Annual Progress Report process is underway. This is an important and formal tool for the University and its Faculties to monitor and evaluate each HDR candidate’s progress. Participation in the APR process and completion of the online report is a mandatory requirement of higher degree research candidature.
The process provides an opportunity for the candidate and supervisor(s) to critically reflect on the progress in the candidate’s research degree program during the current year and on intended research directions in the year ahead so as to ensure a quality and timely completion of the research program.

The recommendation of progress made by the Faculty is reviewed and noted by the Higher Degree Research Committee. A recommendation of satisfactory progress will enable the research degree enrolment and any scholarship funding to continue, subject to expiry date.

The 2011 Annual Progress Report will be available online for completion from 10 October 2011. For more information or to complete your APR: http://www.hdr.mq.edu.au/information_for/current_candidates/annual_progress_report

Postgraduate Research Fund scheme
Two Linguistics PhD students were successful in applying for funding under the Postgraduate Research Fund scheme. The projects for which the PGRF was granted:

  • Vijay Mohaan Raaja Marimuthu; Project: Cochlear Implant Pitch Perception and Channel Interaction
  • Gabrielle Hodge; Project: A corpus-based typology of Auslan constructions and how they combine in natural discourse. Macquarie University Postgraduate Research Fund (PGRF)

Macquarie University Higher Degree Research candidates are able to apply for funding from the Postgraduate Research Fund (PGRF) once during their candidature. Candidates under joint PhD programs, such as the cotutelle scheme, may apply to the Dean HDR for permission to make a second application.

Candidates may apply for up to $5000 for activities that add value to their research project. Examples of such activities include a trip to make a conference presentation or visit to a laboratory or archive. PGRF funds are NOT to be used to meet basic research or infrastructure costs associated with candidature.

From the Linguistics Postgraduate Office

Applications for Postgraduate Programs in 2012
Students wishing to commence a Postgraduate course in Semester 1, 2012 should note that applications are being accepted from now up until the closing dates of 23rd December (for distance study) or 20th January (for on Campus study). Further information about Linguistics Postgraduate programs can be found at http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/postgraduate/coursework.htm

Release of Semester 2, 2011 examination results:
Exam results will be available on the web from Friday 16th December, 12.01am. If you are an undergraduate student expecting to complete the requirements for your degree this semester, you should complete an “I expect to complete” form available from here: http://www.reg.mq.edu.au/academic-index.html Postgraduate students do not need to complete this form however all students expecting to graduate should check their qualification and graduation details via estudent immediately following the release of exam results. If your transcript is not showing that you qualified for an award but believe you should have, please contact ling.postgrad@mq.edu.au

Learning and Teaching Forum (From Cathy Rytmeister, Lecturer, Learning and Teaching Centre)

Student Feedback, closing the loop. BTW, I went to a Learning and Teaching Forum a couple of weeks ago at which Jeannette Baird from TEQSA gave a very interesting presentation on the new auditing approach (among other things) for universities. She emphasised that TEQSA views student survey results as indicators, but only as indicators - she foreshadowed a much greater focus in future audits on, firstly, diverse data sources, including qualitative data and peer processes (observation, review) and secondly, on how universities are using the data to feed into quality enhancement processes.

So we're on the right track here!! And Mitch's project on leadership in peer processes also looks pretty much ahead of the game under this new scenario too, so we're looking good!

Can I just say a word about feedback - you'll all know, I'm sure, that feedback questions always seem to rate the lowest out of all items in student surveys (LEUs, LETs). I can reassure you that this is not only a well-known but also a world-wide phenomenon! (Workload questions don't usually score well either.)

I think one of the key factors here is that questions about feedback (whether in surveys or discussion/focus groups) are asking students to rate how they themselves are rated - so there is a sort of reflexive aspect to this that complicates student responses. In addition (and this applies particularly to student surveys), there is a mismatch between what we see as feedback and what students call to mind when asked questions about it. When we conducted focus groups as part of the review of TEDS instruments a couple of years ago, students indicated that when they see such questions, they are thinking mainly of the individual feedback they receive on assignments. I'm sure this is no news to any of you!

So in working on that aspect of our teaching and curriculum, it's important to keep in mind that mismatch and to use strategies to broaden the students' conceptions of feedback to include all the other things we do to provide feedback and scaffolding for learning, as well as things like feedback from peers in the classroom or online.

The LTC has some resources to assist with responding to student feedback (not meaning to cut across anything Mitch will be doing, of course - but you might find them useful for your workshops or just for individual reflection). They need updating to match the new LEU surveys, but the principles and strategies still apply. You can find them on our resources page: http://www.mq.edu.au/ltc/eval_teaching/resources.htm

Conference Report

Thammasat University: International Symposium on Language and Diversity (A/Prof David Hall, Associate Dean HDR)
Thammasat is the second oldest Thai university (after Chulalongkorn). It has two campuses, the original one at Prachan on the banks of the Chao Phraya River, and the other, used primarily for undergraduate study, at Rangsit, 42 km north of downtown Bangkok. The University has an existing Memorandum of Understanding with Macquarie.

The Faculty of Liberal Arts is currently celebrating its 50th anniversary, and this symposium was part of the year-long program of celebratory activities.

The Symposium in September was on the theme of language diversity. There were participants from ThaiIand, including current MQ PhD candidate Woravut Jaroongkhongdach and alumni Dr Pattama Patpong, now at Mahidol University, and Dr Rodney Jones, now at City University HK, and there were also significant numbers of international participants, including Suzie Wong Scollon and several speakers working in the Scollon tradition (Peter Vail, Rodney Jones, Jackie Lou). There were several participants from the missionary organisation Summer Institute of Linguistics, with their particular interest in minority languages. I was one of three plenary speakers at the Symposium.

It was a great pleasure to meet Dr Boonruang Chunsuvimol, who graduated from the Linguistics Department at MQ in 1976, after four years living at Dunmore Lang College. He has never been back to Australia and has been working at Thammasat continuously since returning to Thailand. He has very fond memories of Macquarie and his teachers, who included John Bernard, Colin Yallop and Arthur Delbridge.

News from the Centre for Language Sciences (CLaS) (from Rosemary Eliott, Administrator, (CLaS))
Harvard-Australia Workshop Our flagship event for the year, the Harvard-Australia Workshop on Language, Learning and Logic, sponsored by CLaS, the CCD and Harvard University, was held at the MGSM from 22-26 August 2011. There were scientific presentations by 21 invited national and international speakers across the disciplines of linguistics, psychology, philosophy and computer science, and 14 poster presentations by postdoctoral fellows and HDR students. The invited speakers also participated in a tour of the KIT-Macquarie University Brain Research Laboratory, hosted by Distinguished Professor Crain and Dr Graciela Tesan from the CCD.

The event was attended by over 60 researchers from institutions including Macquarie University; Harvard University; University of New England; Australian National University; University of California, San Diego; Victoria University, Wellington; Stanford University; University of Milan-Bicocca; Princeton University; University of Maryland; University of California, Los Angeles; University of Nottingham; University of Sydney; University of New South Wales; University of Western Sydney; University of Adelaide; Griffith University; CSIRO and Independent Schools NSW.

CLaS-CCD Research Colloquium Series
CLaS and the CCD continue to co-host a vibrant Research Colloquium Series, convened by Professor Katherine Demuth and Associate Professor Rosalind Thornton, which provides an opportunity for national and international researchers to present talks and meet with staff, HDR and senior undergraduate students and promotes collaborative research links across Faculties within the University and with industry.

Upcoming talks for the period November 2011 - January 2012 include:

  • Dr Kristine Yu, University of Maryland, Speech rhythm and input in language acquisition, 29 November
  • Dr Kristine Yu, University of Maryland, The learnability of tones from the speech signal, 30 November
  • Professor Barbara Höhle, University of Potsdam, 5 December
  • Dr Ghislaine Dehaene-Lambertz, INSERM-CEA Cognitive Neuroimaging Unit, 13 December
  • Professor Marina Nespor, University of Milano-Bicocca, 16 January 2012

International Linkages
Professor Qu Weiguo from Fudan University, China, will be visiting Macquarie University from 28-30 November to discuss international linkages and will also meet with staff in CLaS regarding cultural pragmatic research. Professor Barbara Höhle, has been involved in the IDEALAB (International Doctorate for Experimental Approaches to Language and Brain) consortium of which both the University of Potsdam and Macquarie University are partners. She will visit CLaS and the CCD for a week in December to further scholarly interactions and research collaborations in the field of infant speech perception, eye-tracking methods, child language acquisition, and neuroimaging in children with normal and impaired language acquisition.

Plans for 2012
The CLaS Executive and members of the CCD Language Program met on 16 November 2011 to discuss CLaS' program and activities for 2012, and plans for transitioning to Mature Research Centre status. CLaS is planning a two-day workshop entitled "Theoretical and Empirical Aspects of the Study of Language" to be held at Macquarie University in late February 2012. We will also continue to host the CLaS-CCD Research Colloquium Series and speakers in the first-half of 2012 include Marina Nespor (University of Milano-Bicocca), Karen Croot (University of Sydney), Cathi Best (UWS), Evan Kidd (ANU) and Jane Simpson (ANU).

Social media for TESOL and/or Applied Linguistics

The following social media sites have recently been set up:

  1. Applied Linguistics Facebook Page
  2. http://twitter.com/#!/TESOLatMQ
  3. Daily English Language Teaching Resources "newspaper"
  4. http://eltmq.wordpress.com/

Linguistics staff and students may be interested to join up to some of these and contribute, or just take a peek!

Linguistics research seminar series
The Linguistics Research Seminar Series for 2012 will held in the Linguistics seminar room (W5C221) and seminars are held on various Mondays throughout the year from 11 am to 12 pm. All are welcome to attend. If you would like to present at the Linguistics Research Seminar in 2012 please email Margaret Wood at margaret.wood@mq.edu.au Information about the Linguistics Department's Research Seminar series for 2012 will be placed on http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/research/researchseminars2012.htm when it becomes available.

Book Publications
Diane Nagatomo who completed her PhD in Linguistics this year has already published a book which draws on her thesis work, entitled: Exploring Japanese University English Teachers¹ Professional Identity Diane Nagatomo (Ochanomizu University)Published by Multilingual Matters (UK)

Exploring Japanese University EnglishChris Candlin's new edited volume (with Vijay Bhatia (City University of Hong Kong) and Maurizio Gotti (University of Bergamo, Italy) entitled Discourse & Practice in International Commercial Arbitration has now been published by the legal publishers Ashgate. The book brings together original research contributions from the international team involved in the Discourse of International Commercial Arbitration research project. Further publications will follow. The cover of the book is attached. Details of the project can be obtained from Chris Candlin at ccandlin@optusnet.com.au (Christopher N Candlin, Senior Research Professor Emeritus)

Corpora and Language Education Lynne Flowerdew's new book entitled Corpora and Language Education in the Palgrave Research and Practice in Applied Linguistics Series edited by Chris Candlin and David Hall, has just been published. Further volumes in the series will follow. (Christopher N Candlin, Senior Research Professor Emeritus)

From the Academic Literacy Group (ALG) (repeated)

New Facebook site for Postgraduate Academic Literacy Program (PALP) A new Facebook site has been set up for the Postgraduate Academic Literacy Program (PALP) http://www.facebook.com/pages/Postgraduate-Academic-Literacy-Program-PALP-at-Macquarie-University/171081359627600?sk=wall.

PALP comprises postgraduate academic literacy workshops which are available for all on campus postgraduate coursework students enrolled at Macquarie through the Postgraduate Academic Literacy Program. These workshops are free of charge and designed to assist students with their writing, reading and researching skills. For more information on this program and other various academic literacy resources available http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/support/academic_literacy.htm

Writing website for Linguistics postgraduate students (LINGPWS)
Linguistics postgraduate students can access LINGPWS The Linguistics Postgraduate Writing-Skills website.
This is a resource designed to assist Linguistics students with academic writing. The Unit Content section for the website has six parts:

  • Part 1. Approaching the Assignment Question
  • Part 2. Planning Your Assignment
  • Part 3. Structuring Your Assignment
  • Part 4. Referencing and Avoiding Plagiarism
  • Part 5. Critical Review Writing
  • Part 6. Common Questions about Linguistics Assignments

All Linguistics students enrolled in a postgraduate unit (on-campus, external) can access the site by using their MQ ID and password which every student is given at enrolment. To logon to the website please go to: http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/support/writing_skills/online.htm For further enquiries about the Writing Skills Website, contact Tessa Green tessa.green@ling.mq.edu.au

Academic Literacy for Research Students (ALRS)
LINGALRS is a web-based resource designed to help HDR students in the Human Sciences improve their academic writing. However, while the focus is on the human sciences, the content may be of use to HDR students across the campus. Each module includes a discussion of a specific aspect of academic writing, together with examples to illustrate the points being made. After you have read the discussion, you are invited to apply what you have learned both by analysing texts written by authorities in the field and then by analysing you own writing.ALRS modules:

  • Module 1: Writing a thesis proposal
  • Module 2: Writing a Literature Review
  • Module 3: Writing a Research Article
  • Module 4: Expressing Your Voice
  • Module 5: Stance: Interacting with your readers
  • Module 6: Organising an argument: The role of topic sentences
  • Module 7: Constructing cohesive and coherent paragraphs
  • Module 8: Inductive and deductive organisation of arguments

To access these modules you need:

  • your student number (the 8 digit number located on your campus card)
  • your password

If you do not have a password, log on to the student portal and complete the procedure outlined under the First Time Log In Process, located on the left of the screen. If you have forgotten your password, complete the procedure outlined under Login Assistance, also located on the left of the screen. Further enquiries can be directed to Jean.Brick@mq.edu.au

From the Macquarie University Library
All Postgraduate Coursework and PhD Research students can now apply for a swipe card to enter the areas in the Library now. To apply they need to go to: http://www.library.mq.edu.au/postgraduates/study-facilities.html.

If you need assistance from staff in the Library regarding training or resources, please contact Karen or Jo from the Library Liaison team (karen.marks@mq.edu.au 98509009 jo.hardy@mq.edu.au 98507535).

From the Macquarie University Postgraduate Representative Association (MUPRA)
The Macquarie University Postgraduate Representative Association (MUPRA) makes available a newsletter to all postgraduate students on campus. The content is a mixture of campus events and information, however anything off campus is also considered (such as lectures or policy changes etc.). We would like to extend an invitation for input. If you would like to contribute, find further information and the latest news at http://www.mq.edu.au/mupra

Upcoming conferences, symposia and workshops

CALL FOR PAPERS - “Topical Problems of Communication and Culture – 13” - submission deadline December 20, 2011

Dear Colleagues,
Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University (Russia) together with the Fulbright Program are pleased to announce the publication of the next issue of the Collection of research articles of international scholars “Topical Problems of Communication and Culture – 13” in December 2011. The collection of research articles is included into the list of the university library resources of the USA and Western Europe. We invite scholars to submit their research papers to be further published. Papers should describe original work, complete or in progress, that demonstrates insight, creativity and promise. All submissions must be sent to greidina@pglu.ru

Important dates:

  • Deadline for submission: December 20, 2011
  • Notification of authors: December 22, 2011
  • Collection of research articles Deadline: December 30, 2011
  • Nadejda Greidina Director of Scientific Research Center of Ethnolinguistics and Communication Studies Pyatigorsk State Linguistic University, Russia PhD (Linguistics), Professor, Fulbrighter

The Department of Special Education and Counselling of The Hong Kong Institute of Education welcomes you to join the highlighted event of 2012:

Global Conference on Disorders in Auditory Processing, Literacy, Language and Related Sciences (APLL 2012) Date: 4-7 January 2012
APLL 2012 was originated from the discussion among our organizing committee members that it is important to have more cross-disciplinary discussion on issues related to auditory processing disorders, reading and writing disorders, language disorders, and other related disorders. The conference will offer outstanding presentations from keynote and invited speakers who are the lead researchers in the field.

There will be daily highlight round table discussions on selected controversial topics, which would be inspiring for all. We have a call for posters from you to share your research outcomes with other colleagues in the field. Ten keynote speeches & preliminary programme schedule are now available in our website http://www.ied.edu.hk/apll2012/

On behalf of the organizing committee, we look forward to seeing you in APLL2012. Also, you are welcome to forward this email to potentially interested colleagues. Please feel free to email us for any enquiries to (apll2012@ied.edu.hk).

The Department of Special Education and Counselling of The Hong Kong Institute of Education welcomes you to join the highlighted event of 2012: Global Conference on Disorders in Auditory Processing, Literacy, Language and Related Sciences (APLL 2012)

Date: 4-7 January 2012
APLL 2012 was originated from the discussion among our organizing committee members that it is important to have more cross-disciplinary discussion on issues related to auditory processing disorders, reading and writing disorders, language disorders, and other related disorders. The conference will offer outstanding presentations from keynote and invited speakers who are the lead researchers in the field. There will be daily highlight round table discussions on selected controversial topics, which would be inspiring for all. We have a call for posters from you to share your research outcomes with other colleagues in the field.

Ten keynote speeches & preliminary programme schedule are now available in our website www.ied.edu.hk/apll2012
On behalf of the organizing committee, we look forward to seeing you in APLL2012. Also, you are welcome to forward this email to potentially interested colleagues. Please feel free to email us for any enquiries to (apll2012@ied.edu.hk).

14th Australasian International Conference on Speech Science and Technology (SST) 2012 to be held on December 3-6, 2012, Macquarie University, Sydney, Australia.

We are pleased to announce that Macquarie University will host SST 2012. In the spirit of interdisciplinary tradition, we invite you to take part in this exciting event to foster collaboration among speech scientists, engineers, psycholinguists, audiologists, linguists, speech/language pathologists and industrial partners. The conference will also host workshops on speech perception and production.

CLESOL 2012 Conference, Thursday 4 to Sunday 7 October 2012, International Pacific College, Palmerston North, New Zealand

CLESOL 2012 invites submissions of abstracts for individual papers, workshops, colloquia, five-minute brilliant ideas and posters. Presentations, workshops, and colloquia that relate to the conference theme are especially welcome, but all topics relevant to language teaching and learning will be considered.

Presentations may include:

  • Practice-based ideas, approaches, and strategies for teaching and learning language
  • Research-based inquiry into topics relevant to the conference theme and language teaching and learning
  • Theory-based inquiry into topics relevant to the conference theme

The committee encourages first-time presenters, especially those from the primary and secondary sectors, and hopes to establish support from more experienced ones.
For full details and to begin the submission process, visit the conference website. The deadline for submissions is 2 April 2012

Second Call for Papers
The fourth international conference Critical Approaches to Discourse Analysis across Disciplines (CADAAD) will take place at the University of Minho in Braga, Portugal, 4-6 July 2012. The following distinguished scholars have confirmed their participation as plenary speakers:

  • Professor Paul Chilton (Lancaster University)
  • Dr Michal Krzyzanowski (Adam Mickiewicz University)
  • Professor Michelle Lazar (National University of Singapore)
  • Professor Juana Marín Arrese (Universidad Complutense Madrid)
  • Professor Teun van Dijk (Universitat Pompeu Fabra)

CADAAD conferences are intended to promote current directions and new developments in cross-disciplinary critical discourse research. We welcome papers dealing with any contemporary social, scientific, political, economic, or professional discourse/genre. Papers will be allocated 20 minutes with 10 minutes for questions. The language of the conference is English. Abstracts of no more than 300 words including references should be sent as MS Word attachment to christopher.hart@northumbria.ac.uk before 18 December 2011.

Please include in the body of the email but not in the abstract your name, affiliation and email address. Notifications of acceptance will be communicated by 1 February 2012. Further information is available at http://www.cadaad.net/cadaad_2012 For any other inquiries please contact Chris Hart (Christopher.hart@northumbria.ac.uk) or the local organiser, Maria Zara Simões Pinto Coelho (zara@ics.uminho.pt).

The 11th International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness (ALA2012) will be held from July 8-11, 2012 at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For further details go to the conference website: http://doe.concordia.ca/ala2012/

Faculty of Human Sciences Undergraduate Student Services Centre update

The Faculty Manager for Student Administration is Ms Linda Alexander Maher. Linda commenced on 17th October 2011. Linda has previously worked in senior roles in student administration at UNSW and a private provider. She is located in the Faculty Student Centre in C3A321, ph: 98508644, Email: linda.maher@mq.edu.au

Undergraduate Student Services for Linguistics, Psychology, Education and Early Childhood are now available on the Ground floor C3A. Opening hours are 9am - 5pm. Contact details: 9850 9898 or email humansciences@mq.edu.au

The Centre will be the first point of contact for undergraduate students providing for:

  • Course enquiries for potential and current students
  • Course advising during consultation hours
  • Submission of assignments and request forms
  • Availability of academic advising hours.

Students with additional enquiries will be assisted with direction to the relevant staff member/area

iLab: your computer laboratory on the Internet
iLab, Macquarie University's new approach to computer laboratories, enabling students to use Windows and Macintosh applications for their university work from anywhere on most kinds of personal computers, tablets and smartphones.

The first release of iLab emulates and augments the University's existing general-purpose computer laboratories, with Windows 7 and Mac OS X 10.6 flavours available today, improving on the Windows XP-only systems in building C5C. One of the best things about it is that if you have a Windows computer, you can still use mac.iLab and if you have a Mac you can still use win.iLab - unique in the Australian higher education landscape.

iLab 1.0 is just the beginning, offering the same set of applications with a few additions. For example SPSS, a statistical program many students need to use, is now available on both Windows and Macintosh. Adobe Creative Suite for Macintosh is available for the first time. Naturally, Microsoft Office is also available on both platforms. Future iLab releases will deliver a much larger range of applications that students need for their studies.

To find out more about iLab, including how to use it, vist http://products.mq.edu.au/ilab.

The 11th International Conference of the Association for Language Awareness (ALA2012) will be held from July 8-11, 2012 at Concordia University in Montreal, Quebec, Canada. For further details go to the conference website: http://doe.concordia.ca/ala2012/

Lingline can be accessed via the "News" link on the Linguistics Department website at:

http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/
 
  All items for inclusion to be submitted by email to the editor Margaret Wood:
margaret.wood@mq.edu.au 

Enquiries by phone: (02) 9850-6875

This is not an official publication of Macquarie University. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure the accuracy of the information included in this newsletter, no responsibility is assumed for same.

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