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Department of Linguistics

LINGLINE

ISSUE 76 - 29 January 2010
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 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.

Welcome to all

The start of the academic year for 2010 is almost here. LINGLINE welcomes all new and continuing students and staff to the Linguistics Department at Macquarie University. If you are a student, staff member or alumni and have an issue you would like to write about and think others would find it useful, LINGLINE welcomes your contribution to this newsletter. Please feel free to email me your ideas throughout the year. I look forward to hearing from you and best of luck to those who are studying with us in 2010.

Tessa Green
Editor - LINGLINE
tessa.green@ling.mq.edu.au

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 our students and staff to 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, Tessa Green, at Tessa.Green@mq.edu.au

Juliet LumOur latest Linguist in the limelight is Dr Juliet Lum, pictured here, commenced her PhD in Linguistics at Macquarie University in 1997 and graduated in 2001 under the supervision of Associate Professor David Butt.  Below, Juliet shares with us some aspects of her interesting life as a linguist.

Dr. Juliet Lum

My MU Linguistics degree has opened the door to some very enjoyable working experiences.

My first ‘real job’ was as a Dialogue Designer with the Speech Technology company, Syrinx Speech Systems. I spent the first month totally bamboozled by the technical language the computer and audio engineers and programmers threw around in meetings, but enjoyed designing scripts for automated speech recognition systems with the other Dialogue Designer, Susan Hoadley (another MU Linguistics graduate), the Grammar Writers and the odd engineer who would accommodate our ignorance. It was an enjoyable challenge devising the most succinct and unambiguous way to word a question to elicit the most predictable set of responses. As many of you know, Syrinx went into voluntary administration in 2001, just when I was beginning to understand what others were talking about, and what I was doing!

Working in a speech recognition company gave me a soft spot for what most people find intensely irritating: talking on the phone with a machine. Just this morning, I spent a delightful 10 minutes dialoguing with the Family Assistance Office’s automated telephone receptionist, which not only successfully recognised every one of my utterances the first time, but also allowed me to “barge through” my answers before it finished its questions: I was impressed! It also offered me “speaker verification” so I’d never need to remember my PIN again: unfortunately I couldn’t remember my PIN today, so I couldn’t take up the offer!

My next job was also with another language technology company, Appen. Appen is “linguist central” – one of its executive directors is a linguist and there are linguists working in every department. Most of their work is in languages other than English. I did some work building phonetic lexicons of a few European languages, and then started managing data collection projects, which involved researching the “language specific peculiarities” of particular languages (and their dialects) and then organising the collection of the speech of ordinary speakers of those languages. This involved quite a few trips overseas, teaching fieldwork partners how to use custom built recording equipment in different settings and making sure that all speaker demographic specifications were adhered to.

Working at Appen was very enjoyable, challenging and fulfilling, and my time at Macquarie set me up well. Apart from being able to exercise my linguistic knowledge and research skills, the organisation and planning experience I gained as a PhD candidate stood me in good stead as a project manager.

Since having my two children, I have returned to Macquarie Uni, and am currently working as an Academic Writing Specialist in the Faculty of Business and Economics. Although somewhat embarrassed by what the title “Specialist” implies, I am enjoying the challenge of being part of this important field of Applied Linguistics, equipping PhD candidates with academic literacy skills. Working in FBE (especially reviewing drafts of papers and grant applications) has forced me to learn a bit about “money stuff,” topics which have always intimidated me! I’m also currently engaged in a couple of Learning and Teaching projects, one with Dr Wendy Noble (yet another MU Linguistics graduate!) which examines the language of journal articles in the disciplines of Accounting, Economics and Business.

Although my jobs haven’t allowed me to pursue my research interest in Religious Language (my PhD focused on the Language of Prayer), I was fortunate to be invited by one of my PhD examiners to co-author a paper last year on the prayers delivered at Obama’s presidential inauguration. I would love to do more research on contemporary prayer/religious language if the opportunity were to arise.

Now that I am working with PhD students, I realise that studying Linguistics at Macquarie Uni was a great privilege. The uni has even more opportunities (and funding, so it seems!) for HDR candidates now, and I sometimes wish I were studying in this decade, rather than last. Well, my husband is commencing his PhD this month, so I’m sure I’ll be doing so vicariously anyway!

australian boyLaunch of The Australian Voices website

The new Australian Voices website has just been launched. This new and exciting website celebrates the many varied Australian English voices. In addition to presenting an educational web site, the site allows students and researchers to easily access the information most relevant to them. For further information, go to http://clas.mq.edu.au/voices/

From the Linguistics Postgraduate Office

Attention New Higher Degree Research Candidates and candidates who have recently arrived!

Higher Degree Research (HDR) Commencement Program
The HDR Commencement Program continues through your first year of candidature as a compulsory series aimed at providing the best possible start for new Higher Degree Research (HDR) candidates.  In order to satisfy commencement requirements, you will participate in a series of orientations. These include a central University orientation and an added session for international candidates, your Faculty Commencement Program (FCP) Orientation and a department briefing.  As your FCP continues, you will be required to report on your progress at various intervals throughout your first year.

The Faculty of Human Sciences Commencement Orientation, offered twice a year, introduces key Faculty, Department and some University staff and outlines the research activities and support available to you. The orientation is available online for access and review by distance or late arriving candidates. 

Faculty HDR Orientation
Tuesday, February 16, 2010
9:30am -11:00 am
Building X5B Theatre 1

Powerpoint Presentation (524 kb pdf)
HDR Candidate Handbook (100kb pdf)

Research Seminars and Training
Candidates will receive information regarding the various research seminars and workshops via the Linguistics Seminar Series and the Faculty of Human Sciences and its associated Departments, Institutes, Research Centres and School.  Where possible, these are recorded for access by distance candidates.  You will be advised of events via email distribution lists at Department and Faculty levels.

From the Centre for Language Sciences (CLaS)

Professor Michael Frank from Stanford University will be visiting Macquarie University on the 17th February 2010.  He has been invited to give a talk on “Early word learning through communicative inference”. MACCS and CLaS are co-sponsoring this talk. The talk will be held on Wed 17th Feb 2010 and the venue and time of the talk is MQ Building X5B Room 012 at 3 to 5:30 pm.

Abstract:
How do children learn their first words? While they are able to make use of distributional information about the co-occurrence of words and objects, even very young children also seem to take into account information about speakers' communicative intentions. Rather than being though of as purely statistical or purely social, I argue that children's early word learning is best modelled as a process of statistical inference about speakers' communicative intentions. Using a communicative inference framework allows our model to learn words accurately from natural corpus data, to explain a large range of developmental results, and to make novel developmental predictions. In addition, this framework offers insight into how the rich variety of non-linguistic information about speaker's intentions can be used in service of word learning.

Congratulations

Congratulations to several Linguistics staff members who were recently successful, along with collaborators from MACCS, in their bid for a MQSIS Research Infrastructure Block Grant. Congratulations to Stephen Crain, Felicity Cox, Elisabeth Harrison, and Robert Mannell on being part of a team awarded $75,000 for the project entitled: "A dual pulse magnetic stimulator for the study of brain excitation and inhibition in human movement studies." The chief investigator is Paul Sowman from MACCS.

Congratulations also to Dr Stephen Moore from the Department of Linguistics who is the Chief Investigator of a recently awarded IELTS Australia research grant of $34,000 for a project entitled "Perceptions of IELTS in Cambodia: A case study of test impact in a small developing country". This project is funded through the IELTS Joint-funded research program Round 15, 2009/2010, and the research will be undertaken this calendar year.

Linguistics research seminar series

The first Linguistics Research Seminar for 2010 will be given by Dr. Jemina Napier on Monday 8 March in the Linguistics Research Seminar Room W5C221 from 11 am to 12 pm. An abstract will be circulated shortly and all are welcome to attend.

Upcoming seminars include:

  • March 8 - Dr Jemina Napier
  • March 15 - A/Prof. Mehdi Riazi
  • March 22 - Prof. Trevor Johnston & Ms Della Goswell
  • March 29 Prof. Katherine Demuth
  • May 10 - Prof. Ingrid Piller & Dr Kimie Takahashi
  • May 17 - Dr. Felicity Cox
  • May 31 - Dr. Annabelle Lukin

For further information about the Linguistics Department's Research Seminar series including upcoming seminars please go to http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/research/researchseminars.htm

Australian Style online

The second online edition of Australian Style, the national bulletin on issues in Australian style and English in Australia, is now available via the Linguistics website at: http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/news/australian_style.htm

From the Macquarie library

Important announcement - Adult Migrant English Program (AMEP) Resource Centre

From 18th January to 28th February the Resource Centre will be CLOSED.  During this time Macquarie University Library will conduct a pilot program enabling online requesting of items from the AMEP Collection via the Library Catalogue. Online requesting of items will enable you to access and borrow items held in the AMEP Collection during Library opening hours. In term time the Library is open for 82 hours per week. Campus Card holders may place a Closed Collection Request through the Library Catalogue. Anyone without a Campus Card will need to enquire at the Library on Level 2 or phone the Library Information Desk free call 1 800 300 753.  Please note that guest access to this collection is restricted and items must be used in the Library.

  • Requestors will be notified by email once the item is available.
  • Online requests submitted by 10:00am Monday – Friday will be available by for collection by 1:00pm.
  • Requested items will be available for pick up from the Hold Shelf, Reserve area, Library, level 2.  Items will be held for a maximum of seven days after which time they will be returned to the AMEP Resource Centre.

Further details: Macquarie University Library. Phone: 1800 300 753. Email: infodesk@library.mq.edu.au

Database and Endnote Training

The Library will once again be holding training for Post Graduates and Academic Staff in both Databases and Endnote. If you are new to Macquarie or would just like a refresher please do not hesitate to come along. To book for any of the sessions please contact the Training Unit at: training@library.mq.edu.au. All sessions will be held in Training Room 2 on Level 1 of the Library.

The dates are as follows:

Research Database Training:
Monday 1st March 2-4pm
Thursday 4th March 10 am -12 noon
Wednesday 10th March 11 am-1pm

Sessions cover identifying and using online indexes and fulltext databases for Linguistics, including: 

  • Linguistics and Language Behavior Abstracts (LLBA)
  • MLA International Bibliography
  • Web of Science
  • EBSCOhost
  • PsycINFO
  • Science Direct

Coverage of the databases includes search techniques and special features of each database, and search saving and setting up alerts

Endnote Training:
Monday 15th March 11am-1pm
Thursday 18th March 2-4pm
Monday 22nd March 10 am- 12 noon

EndNote is a program that allows the user to manage and organise personal libraries of bibliographic references.  Its three distinct advantages are:

  • The ability to create, manage and search personal reference libraries
  • The use of linking to create in-text citations and bibliographies in word processed documents, using defined bibliographic styles
  • The ability to import references from databases and library catalogues into EndNote reference libraries

These sessions on EndNote for Linguistics emphasise using and editing APA style, and importing references, either directly or with the use of filters, from Linguistics databases.  It is preferable that students do the Databases training before undertaking EndNote training.If you have any questions or issues about training please do not hesitate to contact Karen Marks in the Library karen.marks@mq.edu.au or 9850 9009

We look forward to meeting you at training.

Liaison Librarians for Linguistics

Karen Marks and Jo Hardy provide consultative services in areas of specialised research needs, including introductions to the Library for new staff and research postgraduates, individual advice and assistance with electronic and print collections, and tailored training in databases and EndNote on a group or individual basis as required.

IT HELP

IT Help provides information about remote access and information technology to the students and staff of Macquarie University. IT Help can assist you with the following:

  • Problems with usernames, passwords, and Macquarie email accounts

  • Access to the University from your home computer

Contact Details:

Phone: 02 9850 HELP (9850 4357) or Freecall: 1800 063 191. Face to Face: IT Help Desk Building C5C, Room 244.
Email: Just Ask form http://www.library.mq.edu.au/justask/ 

Document Supply

The Document Supply service obtains items (books, journal articles, and other materials) that are related to the research and teaching functions of the University.  Any item not held by the Library may be requested.  Further information may be found at http://www.library.mq.edu.au/docsup/

Documents are requested via the Library/s Virtual Document Xchange (VDX) system.  Where electronic documents are supplied these are delivered directly to the desktop as TIFF files. Training in the use of the VDX system is offered regularly.  For training session times check ‘VDX Training’ on the Library’s Training Courses web page, or email training@library.mq.edu.au.

To book for Research Databases or EndNote for Linguistics : phone 9850 7399; or email: training@library.mq.edu.au specifying your preferred session/s.  Please supply your full name, course (e.g. DAppLing; MAppLing (TESOL); PGDiplAppLing, etc) and student number when booking.

Items for borrowing

The following items have recently been received by the Library and are now available for borrowing.

  • Early development of children with hearing loss / Susan Nittrouer. San Diego, CA : Plural Pub., c2010.Main Collection.HV2391 .N58 2010.
  • Western classical tradition in linguistics / Keith Allan. London ; Oakville, CT : Equinox Pub., 2007.
    Main Collection. P61 .A375 2007.
  • Optimality theory, phonological acquisition and disorders / edited by Daniel A. Dinnsen and Judith A. Gierut. London ; Oakville, CT : Equinox, 2008. Main Collection. P158.42 .O6838 2008.
  • Cognitive linguistics reader / edited by Vyvyan Evans, Benjamin K. Bergen and Jorg Zinken.London ; Oakville : Equinox, 2007.Main Collection. P165 .C6454 2007.
  • Power of language: how discourse influences society / Lynne Young and Brigid Fitzgerald. London, Oakville, CT : Equinox Pub., 2006. .Main Collection. P302.84 .Y68 2006.
  • Contemporary applied linguistics / edited by Li Wei and Vivian Cook. London ; New York, NY: Continuum, c2009. Main Collection. P51.C62 2009.
  • Cambridge guide to second language teacher education / edited by Anne Burns, Jack C. Richards.  New York: Cambridge University Press, 2009.Main Collection. P53.85 .C36 2009.
  • Community languages matter: challenges and opportunities facing the Community Languages Program in New South Wales / Beatriz Cardona, Greg Noble, Bruno Di Biase. Penrith South, N.S.W.: University of Western Sydney, 2008. Main Collection. P119.32.A8 C37 2008.
  • Learning to read in a new language : making sense of words and worlds / Eve Gregory. , 2nd ed.
    London : SAGE, 2008. Main Collection. P118.2 .G74 2008.
  • Continuum companion to systemic functional linguistics / edited by M.A.K. Halliday and Jonathan J. Webster. London : Continuum, 2009. Main Collection. P147 .C66 2009.
  • Model for translation accuracy evaluation and measurement [manuscript]: a quantitative approach / by Junxiong (Harry) Huang. Australia : Macquarie University, 2008. Thesis Collection [In Library use only] P306.2 .H83.
  • Language arts: integrating skills for classroom teaching / Mildred R. Donoghue.Thousand Oaks, CA : Sage Publications, c2009. Main Collection. PE1112 .D66 2009.
  • Practical handbook in language testing for the second language teacher / Elana Shohamy. , Experimental ed. Israel 1985. Main Collection. P53.4 .S56.
  • Gesture and the dynamic dimension of language: essays in honor of David McNeill / edited by Susan D. Duncan, Justine Cassell, Elena T. Levy. Amsterdam ; Philadelphia : J. Benjamins Pub. Co.,c2007. Main Collection. P117 .G4685 2007.
  • Language acquisition / edited by Susan Foster-Cohen. Basingstoke, England: Palgrave Macmillan, 2009. Main Collection. P118 .L252 2009.
  • Qualitative research in applied linguistics: a practical introduction / edited by Juanita Heigham and Robert A. Croker. Basingstoke, Hampshire ; New York, NY : Palgrave Macmillan, 2009.
    Main Collection. P129 .Q35 2009.
  • Task-based language teaching in Asia: innovation in research and practice / guest editors, Jonathan Newton, Rebecca Adams. Hong Kong : The Chinese University Press, c2009. Main Collection. PE1128.A2 .A799 vol 19 2009.
  • Origin and evolution of languages: approaches, models, paradigms / edited by Bernard Laks ... [et al.]. London ; Oakville, CT : Equinox, 2008. Main Collection P116 .O74 2008.
  • Invitation to systemic functional linguistics through the Cardiff grammar : an extension and simplification of Halliday's systemic functional grammar / Robin P. Fawcett. , 3rd ed. London ; Oakville : Equinox, 2008. Main Collection P149 .F35 2008.
  • Translation in practice: a symposium / edited by Gill Paul. , 1st ed. Champaign : Dalkey Archive Press, 2009. Main Collection P306 T738 2009.

Any questions about the Library or the AMEP Resource Centre please do not hesitate to contact us at the Library. Karen Marks karen.marks@mq.edu.au or Jo Hardy - jo.hardy@mq.edu.au

Information for staff

Webpage updates

Tim Power is now co-ordinating all webpage activities for the Faculty and individual Departments that require assistance with their WebPages. Contact: Tim.Power@psy.edu.au

Language on the move

Language http://www.languageonthemove.com/ on the Move, the sociolinguistics portal founded by Professor Ingrid Piller and Dr Kimie Takahashi, is a bit over three months old and getting established. To date, more than 4,000 visitors have visited the front page http://www.languageonthemove.com/ and more than 7,000 have come to the blog http://www.languageonthemove.com/blog.html.

Visitors have come from 72 countries and territories and Ingrid and Kimie are thrilled with this international readership! The top ten countries of origin are Australia (of course!), Japan, UAE, USA, UK, Germany, Iran, China, Slovenia and Peru.

In addition to a wide array of resources on social aspects of multilingualism, language learning and intercultural communication, Ingrid and Kimie have posted 28 blog posts to date. Since December their blog has been syndicated with researchblogging.org http://researchblogging.org/ and one http://www.languageonthemove.com/blog/2010/01/03/more-on-korean-linguistic- exports/ of Ingrid's posts even made it on the weekly editor's selection there.

Further news include that Language http://www.facebook.com/pages/Language-on-the-Move/228424683780 on the Move is now on Facebook and that the ALMA award http://www.languageonthemove.com/alma.html is still open for entries.

Scholarships, fellowships & funding opportunities

Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES)
The European Commission has published a new call for the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme (IRSES) targeting projects starting at the end of 2010. The International Research Staff Exchange Scheme aims at strengthening research partnerships through short staff exchanges between 2 or more European research organisations and organisations from countries like Australia, Canada, NZ, USA, etc and for a period of 24-48 months. Individual staff exchanges will not exceed 12 months. Research fields are chosen freely by the applicants, and since the start of the program in 2008, 29 selected projects involved Australian teams.

Funding for Australian staff: This Marie Curie action is not totally supported by the European Commission. Australian staff, will need to seek funding from their own institutions or/and any domestic sources. In previous years, to assist participating Australian research organisations, the Australian Government Department of Innovation, Industry, Science and Research (DIISR) provided some support to help cover these mobility costs. Funding through the International Science Linkages programme and worth $200,000 in 2009, assists such Australian research organisations for this purpose (for the call in 2008, 12 IRSES projects involved Australia, 17 in 2009). For the current round, no funding has yet been confirmed or committed by DIISR. This funding is intended to support travel and subsistence costs for a number of exchanges over the period that IRSES is in place, and this initial level of support may be reviewed if demand is particularly high. Such funding would be available on a competitive basis and, to be eligible for consideration, Australian research organisations would need to demonstrate that they are a member of a selected partnership under IRSES. When the funding does become available, selection procedures will be available from the Australian Academy of Science, which manages this contribution at: http://www.science.org.au/internat/irses.htm.

Application Process: Proposals to the Marie Curie International Research Staff Exchange Scheme are submitted electronically via the Commission's Electronic Proposal Submission Service (EPSS). Proposals are submitted, and are evaluated by external independent experts against a series of predetermined criteria. The lead participant or coordinator must be from Europe.

Due Date: Thursday 25th March 2010. Funding Organisation: European Commission.
Website: http://cordis.europa.eu/fp7/dc/?fuseaction=UserSite.PeopleDetailsCallPage&call_id=245

Scholarships available. (Ref.: RF-2009/2010-405) - University of Hong Kong. Department: The Society of Scholars in the Humanities/ Job Location: Pokfulam, Hong Kong. Web Address: http://www.hku.hk/

The Society of Scholars in the Humanities at the University of Hong Kong is a society of young scholars involved in cutting-edge research. It is designed to encourage critical and creative thought both within and between the disciplines in the Arts and Humanities. There are four research Scholarships for 2010, one in each of the following fields: Comparative Literature (including Film Studies), Linguistics, Music (including Composition and Ethnomusicology) and Philosophy. Each Scholarship is for two years and is non-renewable. Applicants are invited from all educational institutions across the world. The Scholarships are intended for researchers early in their careers to carry out innovative research. Candidates are expected to be either graduate students in the final stages of their Ph.D. studies, or researchers who have been awarded their Ph.D. degree for not more than two years from the date of application. Details about the Society are available at http://www.soh.hku.hk/ssh/2010/index.html.

Scholars will be provided with free accommodation, office space, airfares for overseas candidates, a research grant of up to HK$14,000 a year, and a stipend of HK$23,000 per month. (Scholars who have not yet been awarded a Ph.D. degree will receive a salary of HK$19,000 per month.) Successful candidates will be appointed as Research Scholar.

Although the Scholarship is primarily designed to encourage original research, Scholars will be expected to teach one course per year, interact with staff and students, present their research in colloquia and conferences, and organize a lecture series. All Scholars are expected to be resident in Hong Kong during the teaching semesters and may carry out research abroad for up to 100 days a year.

The application form along with CV, research proposal (max. 1500 words) and two referees' reports must be received by the School of Humanities by March 31, 2010. All Scholarships begin on September 1, 2010. Further particulars and application forms can be obtained at the application website below. Inquiries about the Scholarship can be directed to Ms. Vivian Chu, Secretary of the Society of Scholars at the email address below. There are no interviews. Successful applicants will be notified no later than June 30, 2010.

Application Deadline: 31-Mar-2010 and Email Address for Applications: scholars@hku.hk  Web Address for Applications: http://www.soh.hku.hk/ssh/2010/applications.html  Contact Information: Ms. Vivian Chu Email: scholars@hku.hk

Upcoming conferences, symposia and workshops

COMET 2010 - Eighth Interdisciplinary Conference: Communication, Medicine and Ethics
Boston University, School of Public Health and College of Health & Rehabilitation Sciences.  Boston, Massachusetts, USA.  June 28 – 30, 2010.
This conference aims to bring together scholars from different disciplinary backgrounds involving various healthcare specialties and the human and social sciences. A special emphasis will be on the dissemination of ongoing research in discourse/communication studies and practical ethics which engages directly with healthcare practitioners. For further details go to http://www.bu.edu/comet

Call for papers - HCSNet Workshop: Advances in Speech Production: Tools, Techniques and Recent Research http://www.hcsnet.edu.au/hcsnetevents/2010/asp_2010

Important Dates:

  • Submission Deadline: Monday 1st March 2010
  • Notification of Acceptance: Friday 26th March 2010
  • Notification of Award: Friday 26th March 2010
  • Registration: Closes Friday 9th April 2010
  • Event Date: Friday 23rd to Saturday 24th April 2010

Organisers:

Professor Chris Davis (MARCS Auditory Laboratories, UWS); Professor Cathi Best (MARCS Auditory Laboratories, UWS); Chris Cassidy (HCSNet Administrative Coordinator, Macquarie University).

This two-day workshop will be held on at MARCS Auditory Laboratories, University of Western Sydney, Sydney, will introduce some of the key tools used in speech production research, e.g., EMA, NDI WAVE system; Optical motion capture, Ultrasound, Electropalatograph (EPG), Electroglottograph (EGG) and describe how data produced by these techniques can be usefully analyzed and used to visualize speech articulation. This workshop will provide hands on demonstrations of how such technology is being used to explore the intricacies of both speech production and perception. The workshop will also provide opportunity for participants to engage in demonstrations and tutorials.

For more information, including details of submission formats, please see: http://www.hcsnet.edu.au/hcsnetevents/2010/asp_2010

ISFC 37
The website for ISFC 37 at UBC, Vancouver is now available for proposal submission and accommodation booking at: http://isfc2010.ubcconferences.com/index.php Proposals for papers, workshops and teacher-focussed workshops are being accepted by the ISFC Committee. For workshops, those exploring the use of SFL in classrooms K-through-adult to share their insights with other teachers are being welcomed.  These workshops will be additional to theory and research papers in the language education field.  Details of other congress strands are available in the proposal submission facility.  Proposals will be accepted up to midnight (Pacific Standard Time) January 29, 2010. You can register for courses in the pre-congress institute: http://eplt.educ.ubc.ca/programs/institutes/isfc2010.php Details of the courses are available at: http://eplt.educ.ubc.ca/programs/institutes/isfc2010.php

The LinC Summer School and Workshop in Systemic Functional Linguistics. 13 - 16 September 2010. Cardiff University.
LinC is the research network for Linguistics in Cardiff. We are pleased to announce the 1st LinC summer school in Systemic Functional Linguistics to be held at Cardiff University from September 14-16 inclusive, 2010, with welcome and registration taking place on September 13th.   The summer school will also include a Poster Session. Presenters are: Michael Halliday, Ruqaiya Hasan, Sydney Lamb, Geoff Thompson, Mick O’Donnell, Robin Fawcett, Gordon Tucker, Paul Tench, Lise Fontaine, Tom Bartlett, Gerard O’Grady. For details, including registration and accommodation, please see: http://www.cf.ac.uk/encap/linc

Timetable for upcoming systemic conferences
  
For more details on individual conferences, visit: http://www.isfla.org/Systemics/Conferences/index.html
 
 
January

  • 9-13 January: 6th International Congress on English Grammar Perundurai, Tamil Nadu, India.          

April

  • 6-9 April XII Congreso de la Sociedad Argentina de Lingüística (SAL), Mendoza, Argentina. Abstracts by: Dec. 15 2009.
  • 7-10 April: Ninth China Systemics Week. Huazhong Normal University at Huhan, Hubei Province. The aim is to train SFL beginners and young scholars. Contact: systemics2010@gmail.com

May

  • 8 May: JASFL 2010 Spring Meeting. Doshisha University (Imadegawa Campus), Kyoto, Japan. Contact: Makoto Sasaki makoto@dpc.agu.ac.jp

July

  • 5-7 July: Summer School of Systemic Functional Linguistics. University of Primorska, Faculty of Education Koper, Slovenia.
  • 5-7 July: Mapping language across cultures: Textual analysis in cross-cultural and intercultural communication (MLAC10). University of Salamanca, Spain. Abstracts by: 15 January 2010.
  • 6-7 July: Multimodality and Learning Conference: Environments, Rhetoric, Recognition, Play and Methods.
  • 9-12 July: 22nd European SFL Conference and Workshop. University of Koper, Slovenia Abstracts by: 1st February, 2010.
  • 12-16 July: ISFC Pre-conference Institute University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada.           
  • 18-23 July: 37th International Systemic-Functional Congress. University of British Columbia, Vancouver, Canada. Abstracts by: 29 January, 2010.

September

  • 13-16 September: LinC Summer School in Systemic Functional Linguistics, Cardiff University, UK.
  • 27-28 Sept. ASFLA Preconference Institute Adelaide, Australia.
  • 29 Sept.-Oct. 1: Australian SFL Association (ASFLA) Annual Conference, Adelaide, Australia.

October

  • 5-6 October Pre-conference Institute, ALSFAL Annual Conference. Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
  • 7-9 October: ALSFAL Annual Conference (Association of SFL in Latin American). Fortaleza, Ceará, Brazil.
  • 9-10 October: JASFL 2010 Autumn Conference, Niigata University, Niigata. Contact: Makoto Sasaki makoto@dpc.agu.ac.jp

November

  • 5-7 November: 12th Discourse Analysis Conference, Tongji University at Shanghai, China. Theme: Appliable Discourse Analysis: Theory and Practice. Contact:da1012@126.com

December

  • 1-3 December: 5th International Conference on Multimodality (5ICOM). UTS. Sydney, Australia.

Call for papers: Found in Translation Conference. Deadline for abstracts: 07 March 2010

This is an international conference on translation and multiculturalism jointly organized by the University of Malaya's Department of English, Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, the Faculty of Languages and Linguistics and the Malaysian Association for Commonwealth Literature and Language Studies (MACLALS). The conference will take place at the Faculty of Arts and Social Sciences, University of Malaya, 23-25 July 2010.

We invite you to submit abstracts for presentations in the following areas:

  • The role played by translation in multilingual societies – historical as well as contemporary.
  • Ideological stances in translation in relation to gender, politics, ethnicity, etc
  • Analyses and critiques of translated texts.
  • Translations of literary works and their influence across cultures.
  • Translation theories and strategies.
  • The place of translation in linguistic and cultural diaspora.

Please visit the conference website for more details: http://umpda.um.edu.my/groupmail/services/go.php?url=http%3A%2F%2Fenglish.um.edu.my%2Fanuvaada%2Fmain.html

First call for papers: 31st Annual General Linguistics Conference, 3-4 June 2010. University of Groningen, The Netherlands. Abstract submission deadline: 22 March 2010

The Center for Language and Cognition Groningen is pleased to announce the 31st TABU Dag, which will take place at the University of Groningen on 3 and 4 June 2010. Senior researchers, postdoctoral researchers,(post)graduate students, and others who are interested are warmly invited to participate. TABU Dag is an annual international linguistics conference, which offers excellent opportunities to meet other linguists and discuss current research in several areas of linguistics. (Post)graduate students and postdoctoral researchers in particular are encouraged to present their work. In addition to the presentations, four plenary lectures will be held. We are happy to have Michael Cysouw (Max Planck Institute for Evolutionary Anthropology, Leipzig), Julia Hirschberg (Columbia University), John C.Trueswell (University of Pennsylvania), and Sten Vikner (University of Aarhus) as keynote speakers at the conference.

TABU Dag provides an opportunity for the participants to present work addressing any of the following research areas:

  • Computational linguistics
  • Discourse and communication
  • Language and literacy development across the life span
  • Language variation and language change
  • Neurolinguistics
  • Syntax and semantics

In addition, we encourage abstract submissions from other linguistic areas, which may have remained unmentioned in the overview above. For further information, please visit our website: http://www.tabudag.nl

Writing website for Linguistics 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

Writing and communication skills support for on-campus linguistics postgraduate students

The Linguistics Postgraduate Writing Skills Program is designed to help students of linguistics improve their writing and communication skills whilst they are enrolled in postgraduate linguistics subjects.

Writing Program
Session 1 - Approaching Assignment Questions in Linguistics
Session 2 - Structuring and Planning Your Assignment
Session 3 - Developing & Maintaining Your Argument
Session 4 - Understanding Plagiarism & Referencing
Session 5 - Critical Reviews & other Written Assignments

Speaking and Listening Seminars
 Speaking & Listening Skills Seminar 1
Speaking & Listening Skills Seminar 2

Presentation Skills Workshops
 Presentation Skills Workshop 1
Presentation Skills Workshop 2

Further information on the 2010 timetable and for instructions about how to enrol go to http://www.ling.mq.edu.au/support/writing_skills/on_campus.htm

For researchers

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 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

IDP Database of Research on International Education

The IDP Database of Research on International Education has been updated with 67 new records. The latest entries can be browsed from the New Additions page at: http://www.idp.com/research/database_of_research/new_additions.aspx. See also http://twitter.com/idpdrie for international education publications as they are noted.

Positions vacant

Tenure-track position in Linguistics at an entry-level rank of Assistant Professor - Saint Mary's University, Canada.

The Linguistics Program at Saint Mary's University invites applications for a tenure-track position in Linguistics at an entry-level rank of Assistant Professor starting 1 July 2010. Applicants should have a Ph.D. in hand and demonstrate the ability to teach undergraduate courses in the linguistics program and carry out research in their area of specialization. The ideal candidate will have a specialization in Phonology and ability to teach Introduction to Linguistics and morphology in our core linguistics program. Candidates who also have a demonstrated research interest in an area of empirical investigation and/or application which can be integrated into their teaching will be particularly welcome. The successful candidate will receive a primary appointment to the Linguistics Program, and hold a secondary cross-appointment in a cognate Department in the Faculty of Arts.

The mission of Saint Mary’s University is to offer undergraduate, graduate, and continuing education programs to both full time and part time students; to carry out research and disseminate its results; and to serve the community at the local, regional, national, and international levels. In carrying out its mission, Saint Mary’s is guided by a commitment to accessibility, diversity, and the provision of a positive and supportive learning environment. It attaches high priority to promoting the personal as well as the intellectual development of students, to encouraging engagement with global issues, and to fostering the spirit of critical enquiry through the effective integration of teaching and research. Applicants should submit a letter of application, a curriculum vitae, a teaching dossier, including evidence of teaching effectiveness, a sample of recent scholarly writing, graduate school transcripts, and names and contact information of three referees to: Dr. Elissa Asp, Coordinator, Linguistics Program, Saint Mary's University, Halifax, Nova Scotia B3H 3C3. Electronic applications or queries may be sent to Elissa Asp at elissa.asp@smu.ca. Closing date: The selection committee will begin reviewing applications on March 1, 2010 and will continue until the position is filled. Although candidates of all nationalities are encouraged to apply, priority will be given to Canadian citizens and permanent residents. Saint Mary’s University is committed to principles of employment equity.

Professor (tenure track) in the field of English Linguistics: Functional Approaches.  Ghent University, Belgium.

Deadline: 5 Feb 2010 at 23:55
Department: LW11 - English Department
Contract type: Statutory
Occupancy rate: 100%
Vacancy type: Autonomous Academic Staff ("ZAP")

The faculty of Arts and Philosophy of Ghent University (Belgium) has a vacancy for a professorship, starting from October 1, 2010. It concerns a full-time position of Professor in the rank of Lecturer("docent", tenure track) in the English Department. Job description: academic teaching, scientific research and other scientific/academic duties in the field of English Linguistics: Functional Approaches.

Profile:

  • Candidates hold a PhD or a degree recognized as equivalent, with a doctoral thesis in the field of English linguistics;
  • Candidates are required to have at least two years of postdoctoral experience on October 1, 2010;
  • Candidates are required to have research experience in the field of study concerned, as testified by recent publications in national and international peer reviewed journals and/or books;

Assets:

  • active participation in national and international conferences;
  • demonstrated experience of international mobility, amongst others through participation in research programs at research institutions not linked to the university where the highest degree was obtained;
  • Candidates are required to possess the necessary didactic, organizational and communicative skills for teaching at an academic level.
  • The language of administration at Ghent University is Dutch. However, candidates who do not speak Dutch as a native language are encouraged to apply.

Candidates are requested to submit:

  • the necessary attestations of competence (copies of degrees);
  • an outline (of max. 1500 words) of their views on academic teaching, research and service in relation to the position.

Selection procedure:

1. Candidates will be short-listed on the basis of their curriculum vitae, bibliography and the outline;
2. Short-listed applicants will be invited for an interview, on the basis of which the final selection will be made.

For more detailed information, contact Prof. Stef Slembrouck, head of the English Department (phone: +32 (9) 264 37 94; Stef.Slembrouck@UGent.be

This full-time position is a tenure-track appointment for a period of five years, at the end of which, following an evaluation, a tenure decision will be taken (appointment as full-time Professor in the rank of Senior Lecturer, "hoofddocent"). Applications must be sent in duplicate by registered mail to the Rector of Ghent University, Rectorate Building, Sint-Pietersnieuwstraat 25, 9000 Ghent, using the application form for Autonomous Academic Staff ("ZAP"). The application form for Autonomous Academic Staff ("ZAP") can be downloaded at http://www.ugent.be/nl/werken/aanwerving/formulieren/zap

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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