on the Hunter posting

[Rodney L. Patterson]

Concerning G. Gerhart's latest laconic lambasting (her target this time:
Bruce McClelland's thoughts about the Hunter posting), I'd like to protest.

1)  Granted, a year abroad is hardly likely to produce "native-like"
fluency.  But if such a stay comes after or at the end of four years of
preparation at a superior university, it may.  Nevertheless, mediocre linguists
 seldom if ever attain native-like fluency and therefore should set realistic
goals.

2) Gerhart's dictum that "advanced degrees, or any sort of certification, are
 not offered for language ability.  The latter is merely assumed and judgement
 in fact rests on a stellar publication record and great research promise in
literature or linguistics, neither of which require the same faculties
or facilities as language" sounds very much like the "sour grapes" of one
who hasn't been chosen.  In any case, it's wrong.  A student without excellent
language ability does not win an advanced degree at a fine college or
university.  Superior language ability may well be assumed, but excellent
promise in research is, and properly so, considered essential by any good
department with high standards.  A "stellar publication record" is not
de rigeur in the hiring of ranks below Associate Professor, as a rule,
though a strong interest in creating, discovering, analyzing, collecting
and publishing (which includes teaching) knowledge and ideas should be
clearly evident in candidates.  Great universities have always been
interested in research.

3)  The charge that professors fail to alert their students to the scarcity
of positions in the field is Gerhart's subjective assessment.  In my
experience it is not true.

4)  Gerhart's sarcasm about the existence of jobs outside of Academia and
her implication that anyone with half a brain would opt out of the
competition for academic positions sounds racy, but it's facile and
unconstructive.

Yours, etc.

Rodney L. Patterson
Associate Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures
State University of New York at Albany