[RNLD] Linguistics in the Pub Tuesday 17th July: Zombie Linguistics

[Ruth Singer]

Announcement: Linguistics in the Pub July 2012

Zombie Linguistics:
Metaphors academic linguists use to talk about language endangerment
involve death, preservation and extinction. However language activists
and more community-oriented linguists involved with language
revitalisation tend to talk about sleeping languages, rewakening
languages and emergent vitalities. In this session we will discuss a
recent article (Perley 2012) which argues that the metaphors used by
linguists are detrimental to community aspirations for language
revitalisation. To what extent are the two approaches really
incompatible? As linguists, do we really need to choose between
working for communities where we do our research and working within
academia?

Perley, Bernard C. (2012). Zombie Linguistics: Experts, Endangered
Languages and the Curse of Undead Voices. Anthropological Forum 22:
133-149.

See the LIP page of the RNLD website for background readings.

Date:      Tuesday 17th July
Time:      6:00 - 8:00 pm
Venue:    Upstairs room, Prince Alfred Hotel,
191 Grattan St, Carlton
(corner of Bouverie St)
ph ‪(03) 9347-3033‬‎

Food and drinks available at the venue
Contact  Ruth Singer if you have any questions rsinger at unimelb.edu.au

LIP is an occasional gathering of language activists and linguists in
Melbourne. All are welcome. Those in other parts of Australia and the
world who can't make it to the Melbourne LIPs are encouraged to
organise a local gathering to discuss this topic and support language
activities in your area.

--
Ruth Singer
ARC Research Fellow
Linguistics Program
School of Languages and Linguistics
Faculty of Arts
University of Melbourne 3010
Tel. +61 3 90353774
http://www.linguistics.unimelb.edu.au/about/staff/profiles/singer/