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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 Tessa Green tessa.green@ling.mq.edu.au  Any ideas or comments re this newsletter will also be gratefully received and can be directed by email to this site.


Congratulations

We would like to congratulate all in linguistics who had their degrees awarded at the recent graduation ceremony. Similar congratulations go to those who were unable to attend. Well done to you and all who have supported you in your studies.

Congratulations also go to the following Higher Degree Research candidates who have successfully completed the requirements for their degrees:

Abbadi, Renad Mohammad Amin, PhD (Linguistics)
Primary supervisor:  A/Prof. Eddie Ronowicz
Associate supervisor: Prof. Christian Matthiesen
Thesis title:  An empirical study of problems faced by English-Arabic translation professionals: A corpus based analysis.

Harland, David, PhD (Linguistics)
Primary supervisor: Prof. Pam Peters
Associate supervisor: Dr. Robert Mannell
Thesis title: The affective value of the typographic letterform.

Upfold, Lawrence, PhD (Linguistics)
Primary supervisor: Prof. Philip Newall
Associate supervisor: Emeritus Prof. Duncan Waterson
Thesis title: A history of Australian audiology.


From the Linguistics Postgraduate Office

Farewell to Pat Lewis

Sadly, we farewell Pat Lewis from the Linguisitcs Postgraduate Office. Pat has been such a wonderful part of a successful team that provides so much support to students and staff in the Linguistics Department. Many of you will have had the benefit of Pat's wisdom and helpfulness as you negotiated your way through the administration of programs here in Linguistics at Macquarie. Colleagues and students, past and present all wish Pat the very best of happiness in her retirement, new marriage and relocation to the North Coast of New South Wales.

New program offered from 2009
Postgraduate Diploma/Master in Translation & Interpreting Pedagog
y

Are you an experienced translator or interpreter practitioner who is now teaching translation or interpreting at TAFE/ community college or university or in professional development workshops?

Do you ever wonder if you are using appropriate teaching methodologies?

Ever looked into studying adult education, but felt that it wasn’t specific enough to your needs as a T&I educator?

This could be exactly the kind of course that you’ve been looking for!

The new PG Diploma/ Master of Translation & Interpreting Pedagogy is a program of study not previously offered in Australia or internationally. The Translation and Interpreting (T & I) industry is a growth area as is T&I education; therefore there is an emerging need for a program specific to training T&I practitioners to become T&I educators. The MTIP will be an innovative course, drawing on expertise in related disciplinary areas within the Department of Linguistics, the Translation & Interpreting Program, and through cross-disciplinary collaboration with Macquarie’s Institute for Higher Education and Research Development (IHERD) to provide an up-to-date and rigorous approach to the teaching of T & I.

Click here for further information.


The Linguistics & Psychology Postgraduate Research Festival (December 8-9, 2008)

The Research Festival is held every year in December.  The main aim of the festival is to provide a forum for new researchers within the Division to share their work in a supportive environment and to obtain constructive feedback from peers and established experts in their field. In so doing it highlights the large and diverse body of research going on within Linguistics and Psychology at Macquarie.  All candidates are required to present, either in person (on campus students) or via ePresentation (external students). The core of the Festival is students giving 15-minute oral presentations on their research work followed by five minutes of questions from the floor. This format provides a great opportunity to develop presentation skills and receive invaluable on-the-spot feedback. The Festival has proven to be a unique social occasion with time for students and staff to network and chat in a friendly and relaxed setting. Besides the core component of student presentations and ePresentations, the Festival program comprises other events such as addresses by invited speakers, discussion panels and lots of good food and drink.

The 2007 Festival was a great success with around 200 higher degree students from as far afield as Mexico & Hong Kong showcasing their research.

The Festival organising committee is largely made up of students and supported by administrative and academic staff from the Division. We are seeking expressions of interest from current research candidates who would like to join the committee.  Ideally, we would like representatives from all Departments and Centres in the Division (Linguistics, Psychology, CISAB, NCELTR and MACCS)  on the committee so that each department’s suggestions and concerns can be raised (this is especially helpful when it comes to programming). Participation as a committee member gives valuable experience in event organisation, insight into the workings of the Division and the University, and the opportunity to network with people you might not otherwise come into contact with.  We are also seeking to fill the positions of Chair and Co-Chair - ideally candidates for these positions would be at least in their second year of candidature and have already experienced the research festival firsthand.

Planning meetings will be held throughout the year, monthly to begin with and more frequently as the Festival draws closer. All kinds of different skills are needed, so please consider volunteering in whatever way you can. Active committee members can choose not to present at the Festival as a special concession for helping to organise it. If you would like to help but are unable to join the committee, please consider being a volunteer during the Festival.  More information about volunteering will be available later in the year. You can also visit the Festival website for information throughout the year  http://www.lp.mq.edu.au/festival/index.htm

Please contact robyn.guilmette@ling.mq.edu.au to register your interest in joining this committee.


Linguistics and the Logies!

Dr Felicity Cox from Linguistics at Macquarie was involved in a documentary last year "The Sounds of Aus" which has now been nominated for a Logie for Best Documentary. The following ABC website has further details about the show but we look forward to hearing how this progresses. http://www.abc.net.au/tv/guide/netw/200711/programs/ZY8656A001D8112007T203000.htm


Linguistics Research Seminars

The Linguistics Research Seminar Series for 2008 is held in the Seminar Room W5C221 from 11 am to 12 pm. Upcoming seminars include:

All research students who are on campus and able to attend should do so. For further information please go to http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/research/researchseminars.htm


Free free scientific computer software program for the analysis of speech in phonetics.

Praat is an application with which phoneticians can analyze, synthesize, and manipulate speech and create high-quality pictures for their doctoral theses and articles. Here are some key features of "Praat" which can be downloaded for Mac and PC users:

http://www.praatlanguagelab.com/


News from the NCELTR Resource Centre

The NCELTR Resource Centre is now open to the public between 2pm and 5pm on Tuesdays and Thursdays. The Special Reserve collection has been relocated to Macquarie University Library and can be accessed through the library's reserve section on level 2.


A word from our readers

Need a laugh?

Doctoral student, Janet Brady, writes to share the following piece with other research students who may occasionally need a laugh during the course of their studies:   http://www.phdcomics.com/comics/aboutcomics.html

The Facebook Professor

PhD student, Jennifer Eagleton, also writes to draw our attention to an article written by Stephanie Rosenbloom in the New York Times which discusses a modern phenomenon - professors of all ranks and disciplines are now revealing personal information on public, national platforms: blogs, Web pages, social networking sites, even campus television. For an interesting read go to: http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/20/fashion/20professor.html?_r=1&ref=education&oref=slogin


Great achievements for those with aphasia

Last year, Dr Beth Armstrong from Linguistics at Macquarie attended the Aphasia Center in Toronto which specialises in assisting people to adjust to language difficulties after stroke. Beth advises us that CBC News has recently broadcast a program on two people from the aphasia center and their experiences - in particular, their participation in a Toastmasters Club for people with aphasia. This program might be of interest to some of our readers. If so, take a look at the website. You will need to paste http://www.cbc.ca/sunday/2008/04/041308_5.html into your web browser and then click on the photo to watch the video).

World Science reports on language features unique to the brain

Researchers say that human cells have more complex interconnections in and around language-linked brain areas. If you are interested go to World Science http://www.world-science.net/othernews/080324_language

If other LINGLINE readers wish to share their ideas and stories, or have something to advertise, please email the editor tessa.green@ling.mq.edu.au


For Higher Degree Research students

Opportunity to present Translation and Interpreting projects

If your research project is related to translation and/or interpreting, you are strongly encouraged to consider the opportunity to present your project in T&I Day, which is part of the conference program of 35th International Systemic Functional Congress. We welcome all T&I related presentations regardless of the theoretical framework. This will be a great opportunity to get feedback on your project from a wide audience and publish your paper in an electronic refereed volume of congress proceedings to be published in time for the Congress. If you are in an too early stage to present a paper, you can simply come along and learn from other colleagues and senior researchers in the area.
 
For details you can visit the website http://minerva.ling.mq.edu.au/isfc/index.html or see the blurb attached. For any questions, you can contact Mira Kim at Mira.Kim@ling.mq.edu.au.
 
TIRF Call for Proposals for the 2008 Doctoral Dissertation Research Grants

TIRF (The International Research Foundation for English Language Education) announces the 2008 competition for doctoral dissertation grants.  Grants of up to US $5,000 will be awarded for the highest rated proposals. Doctoral students who have been advanced to candidacy may submit proposals for funding to support empirical investigations related to the following research priority topics:

1. Students' age and effective English language education in schools.
2. Teacher English proficiency and effective English language education
3. Optimal uses of technology in the delivery of English language instruction.
4. Effective grammar instruction for English language learners in primary and secondary education contexts

The deadline for submitting proposals is April 30, 2008. Please visit http://www.tirfonline.org/2008ddgcall.html for further information. This is an open competition. It is not limited to citizens of any particular country or members of any given organization.


Grants, scholarships and fellowships

Linguistics and Psychology Division Research Fellowships

This year the Division will again offer two, 2-year Research Fellowships on a competitive basis. The application process will run in conjunction with and subsequent to the Macquarie University Research Fellowship Scheme (MQRFs). Applications for the Divisional Fellowships will be drawn from those Linguistics and Psychology MQRF applications which advance to the second phase of the MQRF assessment process. Details of the MQRF application process can be found at:  http://www.research.mq.edu.au/researchers/funding/internal/mqrf The Divisional Research Fellowships are two-year, full-time positions (commencing at level A, step 6). Successful applicants will receive $10,000 p/a towards research costs.  As Divisional Research Fellows they will also be required to seek longer-term salary and research support from external sources, such as the ARC and the NHMRC. Please contact Colm Halbert chalbert@vc.m.edu.au if you have any questions about either fellowship scheme.

Applications for 2009 Fulbright Symposium Now Open

The Australian-American Fulbright Commission annually offers a grant of $A30,000 to a university, group, or individual to host what is recognised as the Fulbright Symposium.  The Symposium focuses on a topic of current bi-national interest between Australia and the United States and engages leading speakers from both countries. The grant is awarded following a national competition with proposals assessed on criteria including a topic of bi-national significance, defined outcomes and benefits, and the wider professional and institutional interest and support.  The Symposium must be held between 1 March and 1 October, 2009. Applications forms for the 2009 Fulbright Symposium, further information and details of previous Symposiums are available at http://www.fulbright.com.au/  Closing date for applications is 31 July, 2008.  Selection will take place in late August.

TOEFL® COE 2009 Research Program
Preliminary applications described below should be submitted via e-mail to TOEFLRC@ETS.ORG by July 1, 2008. TOEFL Committee of Examiners (COE) research grants are intended to support research on topics related to TOEFL as identified by the Committee of Examiners and Educational Testing Service.  Some of these topics lend themselves to either research syntheses or empirical investigations. Research syntheses will be funded up to $50,000 USD.  Studies involving the collection of new empirical data will be funded up to $125,000 USD.  These amounts will be inclusive of institutional overhead.

Research Topics
1. Test Preparation
1.1 Investigate how test-takers who have taken the TOEFL iBT prepared for the test and what they found to be useful.
1.2 Document and analyze critically the range of methods and programs of test preparation for TOEFL iBT, their claims, components, evidence, and effectiveness.
2. Test use
2.1 Investigate current practices for using TOEFL iBT scores (total scores and/or subscores) in academic or other contexts for one or more of the following purposes: (a) policy (admissions, financial support, licensing, accountability), (b) program (placement and promotion), or (c) pedagogy.
2.2 Investigate test takers' interpretations and uses of TOEFL iBT score reports. 
3. Validation
3.1 * Compare performance on the speaking section of TOEFL iBT with performance on direct assessments (e.g., interviews, peer or group interactions, or performance in classroom situations).
3.2 * Investigate the extent to which discourse features of writing and/or speaking performance in TOEFL iBT vary with proficiency level, task type, and learner group.
3.3 Use content analysis to compare the constructs, domains, and span of proficiency level descriptors of TOEFL iBT with those in an established set of language standards such as the Common European Framework of Reference, TESOL Standards, Canadian Language Benchmarks, or another competency framework.
3.4 Identify individual, institutional, and societal factors that, in addition to English language and academic proficiency, contribute to persistence and success in higher education.
*Examples of TOEFL iBT items, speaking or writing responses, and scoring rubrics will be provided for use in data collection, as needed.
Eligibility and Conditions - Applications are invited from individuals at not-for-profit organizations and institutions (e.g., universities) with expertise in English Language Learning and Assessment research. Proposals from unaffiliated individuals or for-profit organizations are not eligible. Principal Investigators must be faculty or staff members with the authority to represent their institution in negotiated contracts.  These studies are not intended to serve as the basis for student theses or dissertations.

Each awardee will be required to submit interim and final reports and to appropriately acknowledge the support of the TOEFL program when disseminating the results of his or her work.

Application Process
Interested applicants are required to submit an application as described below. Applications should not be longer than 4 pages. Invitations to submit a full proposal will be issued to selected applicants based on the quality and cost effectiveness of the initial application. Application must include:

1.  Cover page:
a.  Title of proposed study
b.  Your name and contact information including address, e-mail, telephone
c.  Date of submission
2.  A 500-600 word précis describing the topic you plan to address, a brief rationale, a short statement about the research questions and design, a time line, and a one- line estimate of the cost.  The cost estimate should include institutional overhead. (A full budget is not required at the précis stage).
3.  A one page description of the Principal Investigator's qualifications (in short c.v. format) and the names of two references.

Evaluation Criteria
Invitations to submit a full proposal will be issued to selected applicants based on the quality of the précis. Précis will be evaluated in terms of the relevance to the identified topics, the feasibility of the proposed research, the qualifications of the Principal Investigator, organizational capacity to conduct the research, and cost effectiveness. Evaluative comments on précis will be sent only to applicants who receive an invitation to submit a full proposal

Schedule
July 1, 2008 - Deadline for submission of application and précis.
August 1, 2008 - Response to précis.
October 20, 2008 - Deadline for submission of full proposal.
December 19, 2008 - Response to proposal.


From the Macquarie University Research Office

For the latest news, go to: http://www.research.mq.edu.au/researcher and click on the news icon.


From the Macquarie University Library

Library News for Health Sciences

The April issue of the Library News for Health Sciences is now available at the following link: http://www.library.mq.edu.au/news/newsletter/newsletterAPR08.pdf

myiLibrary

MyiLibrary is the latest addition to the Library’s collection of electronic books. It is an online platform that allows you to view individual books as well as search across the full text content of thousands of book titles. The Library’s access to MyiLibrary includes over 5000 titles published by Cambridge University Press and Elsevier Science and Technology. The subject coverage includes: Neurosciences, Psychology, Medicine, Human Anatomy, Physiology and much more. The titles can be found individually via the Library Catalogue or you can access MyiLibrary from the Library’s Research Databases page and search across all titles. If you prefer to browse the titles from MyiLibrary homepage, click on the Site Navigation tab, then My Content on the drop down menu. Note: A limited number of users are permitted to access this database at the same time. If you are unable to gain access, please try again later. If you have any questions about MyiLibrary please do not hesitate to contact either Karen or Mary.

Available titles include:

Language, Culture and Society: Studies in the Social and Cultural Foundations of Language
Linguistics in the Formal Sciences: The Origins on Generative Grammar
Motives of Language Change
Phonetically Based Phonology
Sociolinguistics of Sign Languages
How New Languages Emerge
Modes of Discourse. The Local Structure of Texts
Maori: A Linguistic Introduction
Linguistic Evolution through Language Acquisition: Formal and Computational Models

Google Scholar

Google Scholar has now been added to the list of databases the Library has access to. Using Google Scholar normally gives you search results that are directly linked to publisher’s websites, so you can’t download articles without paying for them. Now you can go to the Library’s Website and choose Research Databases (http://www.library.mq.edu.au/databases/ ) then Google Scholar. Your search results will contain links to the full text content of journal articles that the Library has access to. Just look for Article Linker@Macquarie in your Google search results and click on the link.

A couple of examples follow:                                                                                                                                                         

Recent Library Acquisitions

The Library has recently acquired the following titles – please note that the items in NCELTR are available Tuesday and Thursday 2-5pm

Any issues or questions please do not hesitate to contact your Liaison Librarians - Karen Marks Karen.marks@library.mq.edu.au or Mary Simons mary.simons@library.mq.edu.au


Writing website for postgraduate students

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


From the Macquarie University Postgraduate Representative Association (MUPRA)

As you may be aware the Macquarie University Postgraduate Representative Association (MUPRA) makes available a newsletter to all postgraduate students on campus. The content is 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, please email Kate.Boyce@po.mq.edu.au Kate.Boyce@po.mq.edu.au .

For the latest news, please go to: http://www.mq.edu.au/mupra


Link up and learn

Register today for Scientists in Schools - a new learning experience that allows scientists and schools to work together across Australia. Scientists in Schools is being run by CSIRO and the Australian Government Department of Education, Employment and Workplace Relations. Teachers and scientists who register will form partnerships and work together in a way that suits both partners, with the aim of providing inspiration, fun and learning for students, teachers and scientists alike. If you are already involved in a student or teacher programme, we’d love to hear about it. Please register online so that we can promote your ideas and provide you both with free support material and teaching resources. If not, you can register to be matched with a teacher so that you can work with a school in a way that suits you both - speaking about careers, helping students with science investigations or taking the class on a tour of your workplace.

Interested? Register today so we can match you up as soon as possible. Visit http://www.scientistsinschools.edu.au for lots of ideas and information and to register online. You can also email scientistsinschools@csiro.au or call 02 6276 6397 for more information. Please inform Rachel Rizk (x 6045, rachel.rizk@mq.edu.au), Science and Technology Liaison Officer at Macquarie University if you participate in this program.  


Upcoming conferences, symposia and workshops

Invitation to the T&I Day

We are very happy to invite you to participate in the Translation & Interpreting (T&I) Day, which is part of the congress programme of the 35th International Systemic Functional Congress (ISFC), Macquarie University, Sydney (website: http://minerva.ling.mq.edu.au/isfc/). As you know, the theme of this year’s congress is Voices around the World. In keeping with this theme, we recognize that T&I plays a pivotal role in the development of communication between speakers of different languages around world. Therefore, we have specifically designated one day (23 July 2008) as a forum to bring together leading researchers, educators, practitioners and students to discuss current issues and research projects in the field of T&I. The theme of the congress means that there will be a considerable number of contributions to T & I studies and that participants in the Congress will come from all major regions around the world, bringing a rich range of languages to the discussion, including Chinese, French, Japanese, Korean, Spanish and English, to name a few. The program for the full day is as follows:

Morning
Plenary
Keynote sessions & workshops
15 minute keynote sessions followed by 45 minute workshops from leading academics and practitioners to discuss research projects and current issues.
Afternoon
New Voices
20 minute sessions for research students to report on their projects and receive feedback from senior academics, practitioners and colleagues.
Parallel papers
30-40 minute parallel papers on current issues and research projects in the field. Abstracts are invited.

If you would like to present a paper, please submit your abstract to isfc2008@ling.mq.edu.au by 1 May 2008 with a subject line that includes “ISFC 2008: T&I Day (New Voices or Parallel Section)”. (Visit http://minerva.ling.mq.edu.au/isfc/congress.html#Submission for detailed instructions for abstract submission.) Research students may wish to report on their current or future projects to get feedback from senior academics and colleagues. After abstracts have been refereed, contributors whose submissions have been accepted will have an opportunity to submit a six-page paper for inclusion in an electronic refereed volume of congress proceedings to be published in time for the Congress. We are very much looking forward to meeting you on the special day.

The Programme Committee, International Systemic Functional Congress 2008

ISFC 2008, 21-26 July, 2008, to be held at Macquarie University, Australia.

For more information go to http://www.isfla.org/conferences/35th_ISFC_Call_for_Papers.pdf It also contains information about the pre-ISFC Institute, 14-19 July, 2008, which will be held at the University of New South Wales. The congress website is http://minerva.ling.mq.edu.au/isfc/index.html

The committee for the 35th International Systemic Functional Congress would also like to advise that refereed conference proceedings will be published for ISFC35. Go to http://minerva.ling.mq.edu.au/isfc/index.html for a style guide, template and important dates.

School of Languages & Cultures, School of Letters, Art, and Media, NSW Adult Migrant English Service are sponsoring LingFest  ‘08, Linguistics in Sydney. Second Language Acquisition and pedagogy: bio-social approaches. A colloquium of the Australian Linguistics Society Conference

To be held on Friday July 4 2008, 10:00 – 1:30 in the Woolley Lecture Theatre N395, University of Sydney.

  • Rod Ellis - Corrective feedback
  • Gillian Wigglesworth - Pair interactions and mode of communication: Comparing face-to-face and Computer mediated communication
  • Jennifer Philp – Focus on form in French classroom SLA
  • Geoff Brindley– SLA and assessment

For further information contact: Bronwen Dyson bronwen.dyson@usyd.edu.au

Call for Papers - 2nd International Conference on Political Linguistics (PL2009), organized by the Department of Linguistic Pragmatics, University of Łódź & Institute of Applied Linguistics, Warsaw University, Łódź, Poland, 17-19 September 2009. PL2009 is the second edition of the PL conference series launched in September 2007 in Warsaw. It is organized jointly by two leading Polish academic institutions: the University of Warsaw and the University of Łódź. The events are held every two years, alternately in the cities of Warsaw and Łódź. PL’s aim is to convene scholars from a wide range of disciplines, interested, broadly speaking, in the rich and heterogeneous but thus yet to become better demarcated area of intersection of language/discourse and the political sphere (i.e. politics, both in its institutionalized and everyday dimensions). The general purpose is to explore and deepen ways of analyzing language as a political instrument, a political theme, and a political domain. For further information go to http://pl.ils.uw.edu.pl/


Call for Entries: A Glossary for Discourse Studies ( deadline: 30 June 2008)

A Glossary for Discourse Studies
The fields at the intersection of language, society and communication seem to have enlarged beyond the ambit of a single theoretical methodology, necessitating therefore at least a triangulation of approaches even in the simplest analyses of verbal data. In view of this daunting development in the numerous disciplines that are generally concerned with interactions between language, society and communication, the Department of English, Lagos State University, Nigeria is compiling a study guide (entitled A Glossary for Discourse Studies) for the benefit of students and researchers across the globe. We implore scholars, researchers and professionals all over the world to submit items that may be included in this kind of work. Such entries should be submitted in a definitional format characteristic of most dictionaries - although short notes are also welcome. Also, entries need not be submitters' original ideas, although we would prefer a little acknowledgement of source, e.g. Halliday, 1976.  All items should be submitted in Microsoft word format or pdf to englishdeptlasu@yahoo.co.uk or to the editor (adelekefakoya@yahoo.com).  Fields include: Discourse Analysis, Conversation Analysis, Interactional Sociolinguistics, Ethnography of Communication, Pragmatics, Critical Discourse Analysis, Forensic Discourse Analysis, Speech Act Theory, Discourse Semantics, Discourse Stylistics, Variation Analysis, Text Linguistics, and other disciplines that examine the language-society-communication continuum. All entries will be fully acknowledged.


Journal calls

Sociolinguistic Studies

Call Deadline: 01-Sep-2008 Equinox Publishing, London, U.K., 3 issues per year. http://www.equinoxjournals.com/ojs/index.php/SS

Sociolinguistic Studies is the new title of Estudios de Sociolinguistica, a journal founded in 2000 at the University of Vigo (Galicia, Spain). Sociolinguistic Studies takes an ecumenical approach to the different schools, methodological principles or research orientation within Sociolinguistics. Issues 1,1 (2007) and 1,2 (2007) have already been published. The Journal will accept and review submissions in English, Spanish and French from any author, in any global locality. A body of international peers will review all submissions. Sociolinguistic Studies welcomes substantial research articles, short communications, reviews and review articles and thematic issues. All papers should be submitted by the online system at:http://www.equinoxjournals.com/ojs/index.php/SS/about/submissions For additional information, please download the presentation of the journal ('Editorial') at: http://www.equinoxjournals.com/ojs/index.php/SS/article/view/3498/2726

Writing & Pedagogy - New journal from Equinox Publishing

Writing & Pedagogy is an international, peer-reviewed journal devoted to the theory and practice of writing within education. W&P aims to encourage dialog and to develop synergy across disciplines and levels of education around the issues and practices of writing. With these aims in mind, W&P solicits articles focused on K-12 (primary through secondary) and college/university writing in English, language arts, and other disciplines. W&P seeks both full-length and short articles on the theory and practice of teaching writing, pedagogical issues and practices of writing in the disciplines, teaching writing to speakers whose primary language is other than English, writing technologies and online contexts, administration of writing programs, assessment of writing, and book reviews.

The journal will be published in both online and hardcopy versions and will appear twice yearly, in Spring and Autumn. W&P is seeking articles for Volume 1, 2009 in all of the categories listed below. Please submit your contribution for Volume 1 using the online submission system provided on this site (For Authors, at the top of this page, or contact the editor ) by 15 May 2008 deadline.

Research Matters
Full-length articles (7500-9000 words) describing original research, critically reviewing research studies, or otherwise discussing issues of theory and research related to writing and pedagogy. Articles reporting any type of research (linguistic, comparative, ethnographic, survey, historical) are welcome. Evidence of adherence to research guidelines such as review by institutional review board (IRB) may be requested where relevant.

Reflections on Practice
Mid-length articles (2000-4000 words) addressing practical concerns related to writing and pedagogy or describing and critically reflecting on original teaching practices and setting these in a larger context of educational issues or writing theory. We are particularly interested in reflections on teaching ideas that have been refined over a period of time in response to circumstances, or that compare different approaches in relation to actual effects on the students or other outcomes.

From the E-Sphere
Short articles (1000-1200 words) describing online developments and applications (computer-assisted language learning, web-based applications, wikis, blogosphere, multiliteracies).

Themed Issues
W&P will also publish themed issues, and proposals for these are welcomed. We are currently seeking contributions for the following Themed Issues:
Teaching Writing at (Post)-Graduate Level 15 May 2008 deadline.
Plagiarism in the Academy 15 November 2008 deadline.

In the case of themed issues, please contact the editor in advance of submitting: mcpennington@georgiasouthern.edu.

Editor
Martha Pennington marthap17022@yahoo.com Georgia Southern University

E-Sphere Editor
Vance Stevens vance_stevens@yahoo.com Petroleum Institute, Abu Dhabi

The Linguistics Journal

The Linguistics Journal http://www.linguistics-journal.com/index.php invites submissions of articles to be considered for publication in a forthcoming special issue of the Journal entitled Language, Culture and Identity in Asia, scheduled for publication in August 2009. This edition focuses on sociolinguistic approaches to the investigation of Language, Culture and Identity in Asia. Articles can be on, but are not restricted to, topics like: Bilingualism, Code-switching, Endangered languages, Language and identity, Language attitudes,Language policy, Language revitalization, Language shift and language maintenance, Languages in contact, Minority languages.

The geographical area includes all Asian countries including the Middle East. We welcome research on sociolinguistic issues in languages other than English as well as research on English as a Second or Foreign Language in the contexts concerned. We would also welcome theoretical or review papers.

In order to assist planning, authors are requested to send expressions of interest or requests for further information to the corresponding editor, cfcavallaro@ntu.edu.sg. The closing date for receipt of first drafts of papers for this special issue is December 31st 2008. All papers will be subject to the normal peer review process of the Journal. The expected deadline for submission of final versions is May 31st 2009. We welcome submission by email. For submission guidelines, please follow this link: http://www.linguistics-journal.com/submission_guide.php Please submit papers for this special issue to: Dr Francesco Cavallaro, Division of Linguistics and Multilingual Studies, School of Humanities and Social Sciences, Nanyang Technological University, cfcavallaro@ntu.edu.sg 

English Language Teaching

"English Language Teaching" is a new journal in English language teaching and education published by Canadian Center of Science and Education. We welcome research papers in English language teaching and education, theory, methodology and educational psychology in English language teaching.

Writing your manuscript in English and in MS-Word format, please send to: elt@ccsenet.org

For more information, please visit: http://www.ccsenet.org/journal.html


New Publications

From TESOL http://www.tesol.org

Language Teacher Research in Australia and New Zealand by Anne Burns and Jill Burton.

This volume, edited by Anne Burns and Jill Burton, looks at inquiry-based teaching as a component of professional development and practitioner research in Australia and New Zealand. The authors share reflections and insights that can promote effective teaching practices, cross-cultural understanding, and improved learning outcomes in English language classrooms in other parts of the world as well. Go to: http://www.tesol.org/s_tesol/seccss.asp?CID=326&DID=1928

From Oxford University Press -  http://www.oup.com/us

Discourse and Practice: New tools for Critical Discourse Analysis by Theo van Leeuwen. Oxford Studies in Sociolinguistics. 2008.

Adding a new introduction and two previously unpublished papers, "Discourse and Practice: New Tools for Critical Discourse Analysis" brings together Van Leeuwen's methodological work on discourse analysis of the last 15 years. Discourse, van Leeuwen argues, is a resource for representation, a knowledge about some aspect of reality which can be drawn upon when that aspect of reality has been represented, a framework for making sense of things. And they are plural. There can be different discourses, different ways of making sense of the same aspect of reality that serve different interests and will therefore be used in different social contexts. However abstract some discourses are, discourses ultimately always represent doings, Van Leeuwen argues. Doing is the foundation of knowing, and social practices are the foundation of discourses. Studying children's books, newspaper reports, brochures, and other texts as well as photographs and children's toys, Van Leeuwen investigates what can happen when practices are transformed into discourses and provides analytical tools for reconstructing discourses from texts.

Throughout the book, Van Leeuwen makes connections between sociological and linguistic or semiotic concepts and methods to ensure the social and critical relevance of his analytical categories. Van Leeuwen's work has already been widely used by critical discourse analysts across the world. This volume will be a welcome guide for anyone looking for a form of discourse analysis that is both explicit and methodical, and critically incisive.

From Tufnell Press - http://www.tpress.free-online.co.uk/

Performing English with a postcolonial accent: Ethnographic narratives from Mexico. Angeles Clemente and Michael J. Higgins. Paperback ISBN   1872767877.  ISBN-13 978-1-872767-87-1. pp 236.

‘The postcolonial condition represents the political, social and cultural realities of what constitutes the everyday lives of the actors entangled in the “whirlwind of globalisation”. How students learn, appropriate, modify, and redefine their use of English as a series of multilingual social and cultural performances’ is what is meant by a postcolonial accent. With the dominant role that English plays in the globalized political economy of the contemporary postcolonial world, students and educators from all over the world are confronting the questions: who controls how they perform languages; when can they play with these languages; and how they can locate themselves in the social and cultural dynamics and issues that compound their everyday lives? Taking a critical perspective, and using postcolonial paradigms, the authors draw on the experiences of students in Oaxaca, Mexico to examine the issues raised by postcolonial English. This book is intended for scholars and students in applied linguistics, cultural anthropology, SLA, and cultural studies; for those working in English as an additional language and Latin American community studies; and for non-native teachers of English and language teachers interested in performativity and postcolonial discourses.

Angeles Clemente is a Professor at Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, México
Michael J. Higgins is a former visiting Fulbright scholar at Universidad Autónoma Benito Juárez de Oaxaca, Mexico.

Contents
Foreword by Professor Suresh Canagarajah, Penn State University Prologue
The premise: Performing English with a postcolonial accent
The social and economic context for performing English with a postcolonial accent in Oaxaca
Ethnographic portraits of how students perform at the Centro de Idiomas
The use of safe houses in the construction of learning cultures
Moving between language learning and language use
Towards a politics of language affinity
Appendix
References


Positions Vacant

Research Fellow position, University of Warwick

Research Fellow, full time, one year, to work on the ESRC project: 'Legitimising the Discourses of Radicalisation: Political Violence in the New Media Ecology', based in the Department of Sociology at Warwick. For full details: http://www.jobs.ac.uk/jobs/DF216/Research_Fellow/

TESOL graduate overseas position

A professional opportunity exists which might be of particular interest for TESOL graduates who would like to teach overseas in a university or even kick-starting an academic career.  Basically, this opportunity involves a year position teaching English within the language department here – accommodation is included, and a reasonable pay and workload readily negotiated. Johor Baru is right next door with easy access to Singapore (as well as short ferry ride away from the resort Island of Binan in  Indonesia),  and it is a good time to come and work in Malaysian universities as well as get to experience the attractions of Malaysia itself.   If you are interested there is an online flier http://web.utm.my/akademik/teachingENG.pdf  which provides more detailed information  about the advertised positions or interested parties might directly contact the head of department, Dr. Masputeriah Hamzah masputeriah@hotmail.com.  If additional information or perspectives are wanted, contact Cameron Richards, Visiting Professor, University of Technology Malaysia in Johor Baru, Malaysia. (cameronkrichards@gmail.com).

Professor - Applied Linguistics and /or TESOL - Korea University

The Department of English Language & Literature at Korea University announces one full-time professor opening for Applied Linguistics and/or TESOL starting from September, 2008. The term of employment is for three years (renewed on an annual basis) and the applicant must be of foreign (non-Korean) nationality. Primary duties include teaching a minimum of 2 courses per semester. Salary commensurates with qualifications and experience. The starting annual salary is approximately 55,000 USD (doctoral degree, no work experience after doctoral degree conferment) One round-trip economy class ticket from departure point to Seoul, Korea is provided. Korea University is a comprehensive university located in Seoul and is one of the top ranked universities in Korea. The university was founded in 1905 and is comprised of 19 colleges. Please refer to the Korea University website for more information: http://www.korea.edu Applicants must hold a doctoral degree in the relevant or related fields.. Applicants must be eligible for appointment according to private university and Korea University faculty appointment regulations. For further information, please contact the Department Chair Hikyoung Lee at hleeku@korea.ac.kr

Course Tutors in English for Academic Purposes (Fixed-term) - The University of Nottingham Ningbo China - Centre for English Language Education

Reference : CJ26135A.  Closing Date : Wednesday 07 May 2008. Salary will be £22,140 per annum (pro rata for fractional contracts). Full-time fractional contracts for 40 weeks per annum will be offered from September 2008 for a period of three years.

Internationalisation is a key element of the University of Nottingham strategy.  The University of Nottingham was the first foreign world-ranked university to gain approval from the Chinese Ministry of Education under the new Sino-Foreign Education Co-operative Law to establish and run a campus independently within China mainland. The University of Nottingham Ningbo China is now home to a thriving community of international staff and students as well as those drawn from China.  Currently, there are some 3,000 students on campus, including approaching 300 postgraduates, and these numbers will rise to around 4,000 by September 2008.  In line with most Chinese degrees, the undergraduate courses are four years in duration with the first year focusing on intensive English language improvement, preparatory academic content and orientation to European thought and culture.  Through its Centre for English Language Education (CELE), the University seeks to add to a team of experienced English language teaching professionals with a detailed knowledge of EAP teaching, and a good understanding of the needs of Chinese learners preparing to study at degree level in English. All posts require Cambridge ESOL DELTA or an MA in ELT/Applied Linguistics (or equivalent) and English as a first language, or similar English language competence.  Additional requirements include:

- Experience of full-time EFL and EAP-related teaching (e.g. UK University ‘Presessional’ work) and experience overseas (outside of Western Europe) are essential.
- Candidates must also be confident in analysing language, and in providing constructive and explicit feedback on students’ spoken and written work.

In each year, tutors will be required to work for 35 weeks and 2 days within a specified 43 week period, and will be paid for 40 weeks including a pro-rata annual leave entitlement of 23 days. All posts will be based in Ningbo and contracts will be with the University of Nottingham Ningbo China. Informal enquiries may be addressed to Dr J King,  Julie.King@Nottingham.ac.uk or Mr P Knight, Paul.Knight@Nottingham.edu.cn. Interview dates: 27-29 May 2008 (UK) and 3 & 4 June 2008 (China). Details are available via http://jobs.nottingham.ac.uk/vacancies.aspx?cat=486 or http://www.academics-in-china.com/index1.html#arts-link

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 Tessa Green:
tessa.green@ling.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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