14.3208, Jobs: Isekiri: Freelance Consultant, De Taalstudio

[LINGUIST List]

LINGUIST List:  Vol-14-3208. Sat Nov 22 2003. ISSN: 1068-4875.

Subject: 14.3208, Jobs: Isekiri: Freelance Consultant, De Taalstudio

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1)
Date:  Tue, 18 Nov 2003 08:05:25 -0500 (EST)
From:  taalstudio at xs4all.nl
Subject:  Isekiri & Lang Description: Freelance Consultant, De Taalstudio

-------------------------------- Message 1 -------------------------------

Date:  Tue, 18 Nov 2003 08:05:25 -0500 (EST)
From:  taalstudio at xs4all.nl
Subject:  Isekiri & Lang Description: Freelance Consultant, De Taalstudio



University or Organization: De Taalstudio
Rank of Job: Freelance Consultant
Specialty Areas: Language Description
Required Language(s): Isekiri (Code = ITS)


Description:

De Taalstudio is urgently looking for linguistic consultants on
Isekiri. The consultants are asked to provide commentaries on language
analyses produced by the Dutch Immigration Service (IND) about
language used by applicants for asylum who claim to be from
Nigeria. The work can be done from anywhere in the world. Some payment
is available for the consultant.

Linguists who have published about Isekiri or the sociolinguistic
situation in Nigeria and who are interested to bring their knowledge
to bear in such cases, are requested to contact Maaike Verrips of de
Taalstudio BY EMAIL. Please provide your name, title and affiliation
as well as the bibliographical details of (at least) one relevant
publication when responding to this call. A CV is wellcome as well.

De Taalstudio is a small Dutch organisation specialised in linguistic
projects and products.

With this work, we aim to advance professional standards in language
analysis and to contribute to fair trials. Linguists with expertise in
other languages, who are interested to act as consultant in
asylum-cases, are also invited to contact de Taalstudio.

Background information

Many governments, including the Dutch government, use 'language
analysis' as a tool to establish the country of origin of foreigners
without passport who apply for political asylum.

A language analysis is a written report about the language that the
applicant uses during a taperecorded interview. On the basis of the
language (variety) used in this interview, the analist tries to
determine where the asylum-seeker has come from.

Language analyses are commonly made by native speakers with little
training in linguistics. The linguistic reasoning is often poor. As a
result, it is hard or even impossible for the asylum-seeker to argue
against the conclusions in such reports. In some cases courts have
ruled that language analysis should be carried out by professional
linguists.

De Taalstudio connects people who need language analysis or
contra-expertise to linguists with the relevant background. In some
cases the linguist is asked to produce a language analysis from
scratch, including an interview with the applicant.  In most cases,
the linguist writes a report with a 'second opinion' or provides a
'contra-expertise'. By 'second opinion' we mean a commentary by the
linguist on the validity of the linguistic arguments provided in a
particular language analysis. A second opinion involves an analysis of
the report, not of the data that the report is based on (i.e. the
taperecorded interview).  In the case of a 'contra-expertise', the
linguist analyses the original tape-recorded interview with the asylum
seeker. On the basis of this analysis, the linguist produces a short
report, stating whether the language variety of the asylum seeker
provides evidence for or against this person's claim that he is from a
particular region.

	

Address for Applications:

	Attn: dr. Maaike Verrips
	Postbus 12
	Monnickendam, 1140 AA
	Netherlands

	Position is open until filled


Contact Information:
	dr. Maaike Verrips
	Email: taalstudio at xs4all.nl
	Tel: +31 6 27 38 56 72
	Website: http://www.taalstudio.nl

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