Previous Events
Dr. Jim Wafer, Semantics of “soul” in the Hunter River-Lake Macquarie language
The Linguistics Seminar Series continues next week at the special time and place shown below. The speaker is Dr Jim Wafer, and this is a joint seminar with the GRIT research group. Refreshments will be provided:
When: Tuesday 21 June 3.30-5pm
Where: Cultural Collections Room, Auchmuty Library
Lancelot Threlkeld, to whom we owe most of our knowledge of the Hunter River-Lake Macquarie language (HRLM), recorded almost no indigenous texts, but devoted himself to scripture translation. From a linguist’s perspective this might perhaps be considered a deficiency, since it deprives us of the opportunity to understand HRLM verbal art as it was practiced by the speakers themselves. Nonetheless, it gives us the chance to investigate semantically HRLM’s approaches to the issues of human subjectivity with which the scriptures deal, and these are less likely to be encountered in indigenous stories and songs.
The Screening of 'Southern California's Indigenous Languages' by Joseph Henderer
5-6pm - Tuesday, 31 May 2011
Hit the road with an undergraduate linguistics student from the University of Southern California on a journey to find the last fluent speakers of Southern California's indigenous languages. Discover SoCal's linguistic history, and the factors that have led to the extinction of roughly fifty languages in the Golden State alone. Features two languages, Tübatulabal and Serrano, and current efforts at their revitalization and documentation.
This 15 minute not-for-profit pilot film was shown as part of USC's Undergraduate Research Symposium in April, 2009. A thirty minute spot highlighting about 20 languages in total is currently underway."
Where: Isabella's Upstairs (light refreshments will be served)
Callaghan Campus,
University of Newcastle
RSVP by 27 May 2011 to Kristy Atkins
Click here to download seminar flyer
ELDTA Launch!
10 November, 2010
Every fortnight, somewhere in the world a language dies. With globalisation, indigenous languages are succumbing to unprecedented pressure, and estimates predict that up to 90% of the world's 7,000 languages will disappear within a century. Language loss means loss of the world view and culture expressed by each language, and the cultural identity invested in it by its speakers. As each language dies, the pool of traditional knowledge we can draw from is diminished. Loss of linguistic diversity also impoverishes our capacity to understand language itself - that unique and defining characteristic of the human mind. We are in a race against time to gather data on linguistic diversity, investigated threatened languages, and assist communities in efforts to maintain their languages. Linguistics at Newcastle has responded by forming the Endangered Languages Documentation, Theory and Application research group (ELDTA), bringing together scholars working on languages ranging from Australian Aboriginal and Pacific Island languages to threatened varieties of Bantu and Arabic, and minority Turkic languages in western China, placing Newcastle at the forefront of research of this kind in Australia.
This event will formally inaugurate ELDTA. The ANU's Professor Nick Evans will join us to launch the group, along with FEDUA Acting PVC Professor John Germov.
Where: MC117, McMullin Building
Callaghan Campus,
University of Newcastle
When: 5pm, 10 November 2010
Rsvp: 8 November 2010 to Kristy Atkins Executive Officer, HRI
Language documentation training workshop
13-16 September 2010
Workshop leader: Professor Nick Thieberger (University of Melbourne, University of Hawai'i Manoa)
Click here to download workshop program
Over the last decade increasing awareness of the endangered status of many of the world's 7000 languages has lead to an increase in language documentation activities. These have required new methodologies, new software tools and new approaches to ethics, leading to a new best-practice in language documentation methods. Professor Thieberger is a leading international expert in language documentation techniques. In this four day workshop he will provide training in these techniques to staff and Research higher Degree students.
Directions in Oceanic Research (DOR)
Date: 9-11 December 2008
This conference explores the place of Oceanic language research in the wider agenda of linguistics by focusing on two themes. One is concerned with aspects of Oceanic, from broad issues in Oceanic grammar to specific phenomena in individual languages, that hold continuing significance in informing a wider understanding of language. The second theme relates to the interaction and integration of successive layers of linguistic research in investigating Oceanic, particularly the core layers of documentation, description, typology and formal theory.
