Promoting Image of Slavic Lgs and Lits

[keith langston]

I'd just like to add my own call to action in response to Cynthia's
posting about the Slavic Linguistics Task Force and the whole
"Klanderud's List" discussion. I think Jason Pontius is right that we as
a small and beleaguered group need to focus mainly on our image within
the academy. The general public's anti-intellectualism and mistrust of
academics is directed at higher education as a whole, not just Slavists,
and is a much bigger problem than we can hope to address on our own.
This is not to imply that we should neglect any opportunities to reach
out to the "masses", and the SLTF subcommittees on media relations and
external promotion are working on ways to do just that.

At least to me, it seems that Slavic linguists tend to be particularly
isolated in the university community. I'm always a little surprised when
a non-linguist colleague asks me "just what is it that linguists do,
anyway?" I think part of our problem is that we don't always come up
with a good answer to that kind of question. We need to focus on more
accessible issues, such as the broad area of "language in society". If
we talk about linguistics in terms of issues like language and diversity
(e.g. standard vs. non-standard language varieties, as in the whole
Ebonics flap), language and gender, language and politics, language and
nationalism (the latter two are particularly ripe topics for Slavists
now!), our colleagues in other fields (and administrators, too) are more
likely to take interest and see the potential significance of
linguistics. If we can't even convince our colleagues in the academy
that what we do is of value, trying to convince the general public would
seem to be a hopeless cause. It doesn't help, either that there is often
little interaction between Slavic linguists and the people in the
general linguistics department; this is a problem that we all need to
work on.

The other problem that faces all Slavists, regardless of their literary
or linguistic persuasion, is declining enrollments, and this is even
more pressing. Genevra Gerhardt and David Galloway are both right on the
mark when they say it all comes down to the numbers, primarily at the
undergraduate level. If we can't find some way to convince students that
Slavic studies in general is relevant, interesting, and worth their
while, we're sunk. Departments will not remain open in the current
climate if we don't serve a significant number of "customers".

Both these areas are on the agenda for the SLTF subcommittee on
intra-university promotion that I chair. Looking for solutions to these
problems is a big job, and if you're interested in helping, please come
on board!

Best regards,

Keith Langston
Subcommittee for Intra-university Promotion

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Keith Langston
Germanic and Slavic Languages
210 Meigs Hall
The University of Georgia
Athens, GA 30602