Canadians in ADS

[Dennis R. Preston]

>I am gald to see that my paraphrasing skills are not that far off.

dInIs



>Here is the official statement of ADS purpose, Article II of our constitution:
>
><<The American Dialect Society is organized in the interest of the academic
>community and not for profit. Its object is the study of the English language
>in North America, together with other languages or dialects of other
>languages influencing it or influenced by it.>>
>
>The editorial policy on the inside back cover of American Speech follows this
>declaration but is more cosmopolitan:
>
><<American Speech is concerned principally with the English language in the
>Western Hemisphere, although contributions dealing with English in other
>parts of the world, with other languages influencing English or influenced by
>it, and with general linguistic theory may also be submitted . . . . The
>journal welcomes articles dealing with current usage, dialectology, and the
>history and structure of English. American Speech is not committed to any
>particular theoretical framework, but preference is given to articles that
>are likely to be of interest to a wide readership.>>
>
>In practice, I think we focus appropriately on our core with due attention to
>our periphery, at all of our venues: our meetings, our journals, and our
>discussion list. But I do think we haven't heard as much from Canadians and
>about Canada as we had in the past, and I miss that.
>
>- Allan Metcalf, ADS executive secretary

--
Dennis R. Preston
Professor of Linguistics
Department of Linguistics & Germanic, Slavic,
      Asian & African Languages
Michigan State University
East Lansing, MI 48824-1027
e-mail: preston at msu.edu
phone: (517) 353-9290