Announcing MA-level courses in Russian/Cognitive Linguistics

Sat Mar 29 12:01:52 UTC 2008

Announcing a special opportunity for MA-level students of Russian and/or
linguistics:
Master Classes in RUSSIAN LINGUISTICS at the University of Tromsø
Fall 2008: The History and Dialectology of Russian (RUS 3010; deadline May
1, 2008)
Spring 2009: Concepts & Categories: Contemporary Russian Cognitive
Linguistics (RUS 3030; deadline October 1, 2008)

NOTE: The University of Tromsø does not charge tuition, so the only costs
involved are travel and living expenses. The Erasmus program may provide
funding for students from EU countries, and other funding opportunities may
be available for students from other countries.

The only requirements are that students have good knowledge of both English
and Russian and be prepared to study for one semester at the MA level.

Some advantages of studying in Tromsø:
--One of the largest, best funded linguistics programs in the world
--Mentorship by Laura A. Janda and Tore Nesset
--Scenic setting, with a legendary combination of city comforts and access
to unspoiled nature
--Rich cultural life, including everything from classical to modern music,
theater and films, internationally acclaimed festivals
--International milieu that welcomes people from all backgrounds

The key component of this program is an MA-level course in Russian
linguistics taught by Tore Nesset and Laura Janda. In the Fall semester, the
course (RUS 3010) focuses on the historical development of the Russian
language from Common Slavic to the present. The course will draw on
materials from Old Church Slavonic, Saints¹ lives, Birch Bark Letters, and
other texts, culminating with Lomonosov. There will be some emphasis on
medieval culture, liturgical and iconographic use of Russian, and there may
be an optional field trip to Solovki or Valaamo. Russian dialectology is
also a component of the course, and there is a connection to ongoing
fieldwork on dialects spoken on the Kola Peninsula. In the Spring semester,
the course (RUS 3030) focuses on the crucial affinities of Russian
functional linguistics and Cognitive Linguistics through a series of
articles representing the best of both traditions. Students hone their
analytical abilities through a series of problem sets targeting grammatical
phenomena of Russian. Other highlights include guest lectures and a
symposium showcasing students¹ research. All students in both semesters can
take advantage of individualized advising on a topic of their choice, and
participate in empirical research projects, such as ³Exploring Emptiness²,
led by Tore Nesset and Laura Janda.

In addition to the course in Russian Linguistics, students can choose from
among various tracks emphasizing special strengths of the University of
Tromsø:
Russian studies: Further advanced study of Russian language and culture,
with possible special emphasis on popular culture
Theoretical linguistics: State-of-the-art courses in phonology and syntax
through the Center for Advanced Study in Theoretical Linguistics
Scandinavian studies: Promotes expertise in the history and current
phenomena of Nordic languages
English studies: Polishing of English proficiency and theoretical background
Language acquisition: L1 and L2 acquisition studies drawing upon both
primary experimental research and scholarly articles
Indigenous studies: The languages and cultures of minority groups, with
special emphasis on the Sami of northern Europe.

Contact persons in Tromsø:
 Prof. Laura Janda (laura.janda at hum.uit.no <mailto:laura.janda at hum.uit.no>
) 
 Prof. Tore Nesset (tore.nesset at hum.uit.no <mailto:tore.nesset at hum.uit.no>
)

Laura Janda and Tore Nesset are both accomplished scholars in the fields of
Cognitive and Slavic Linguistics, and Laura Janda is President of the
International Cognitive Linguistics Association
(http://www.cognitivelinguistics.org/). Their joint research project,
³Exploring Emptiness², is described at: http://uit.no/humfak/8775/
<http://uit.no/humfak/8775/> .

Laura Janda has focused most of her research on the semantics of case and
aspect in Slavic. Her website can be found at: http://hum.uit.no/lajanda/
<http://hum.uit.no/lajanda/>

Tore Nesset¹s strongest interests are in Russian phonology and morphology.
His website can be found at: http://uit.no/humfak/3345/78
<http://uit.no/humfak/3345/78>

For more information about this program, visit this site:
http://uit.no/humfak/7542/ or contact either Laura Janda or Tore Nesset
directly. Detailed information for international students is below. Note
that there are some differences in deadlines according to whether students
are ³free movers² (self-financing) or financed through interuniversity
agreements. Please contact the international students department using the
addresses listed below to confirm the exact deadline that applies to you.

Please post and circulate this message.
Dear Student,

Thank you for your interest in our University. We are always happy to host
international students in Tromso.

We have a special webpage for our prospective students where you can find
all the information referring to our application procedure, language courses
and English study programmes. Have a look at http://uit.no/english. You can
download your Application form and Learning Agreement under the link
"Prospective Students" on the left hand side. Both documents should be
signed by your coordinator at home and sent directly to our office together
with your Transcript of records. Please send the documents to: University of
Tromso, Department of Research and Academic Affairs, 9037 Tromso, Norway.
Deadline is 15th of October for the spring semester and 15th of May for the
autumn semester.

The complete course catalogue (in Norwegian and English) is available online
on http://uit.no/studier/emner/. While choosing your courses, please pay
attention to LANGUAGE OF INSTRUCTION mentioned in the description of the
course. Despite the fact that the entire course catalogue is translated into
English, it does not mean that all the courses are in English! Some courses
are in Norwegian only.
Each course unit has a course code (e.g. GEO - 3104). The letters of the
code is an abbreviation for the (Norwegian) name of the academic subject
(GEO = Geologi (Geology)). Courses fall into five general levels: 0000 -
1000 - 2000 - 3000 - 8000. The numbers of the code refer to the academic
level of the course. 0000 courses are at an introductory level, 1000 courses
at a basic level (Bachelor's degree), 2000 courses at an intermediate level
(Bachelor's degree), 3000 courses at an advanced level (Master's degree) and
8000 courses at PhD level.
You can find contact details to the contact person at your faculty on our
webpage (link: contact us at http://uit.no/english/7786/ ). The Faculty
coordinator can help you with your study programme in Tromso and your
Learning Agreement.

Useful information concerning accommodation (ONLINE booking
http://uit.no/english/7782/#accommodation ), facilities, cost of living, etc
are mentioned in General Info or in our FROM A - Z index - it is worth
having a look at it! Please note that in order to get a room, you must apply
online within the deadline (more information later).

How to book a room - guidelines
·      Fill in Become a user first, and then register your personal details.
Instead of Social Security Number, you should write your date of birth - 6
digits: DDMMYY ). "Your educational establishment" is listed in Norwegian
only. You should choose one of the faculties, using one of the following
Norwegian shortcuts: MatNat (= Faculty of Sciences), SVFak (= Faculty of
Social Sciences), HUMFak (= Faculty of Humanities), JURFak (= Faculty of
Law), MEDFak (= Faculty of Medicine), NFH (= Norwegian College of Fishery
Science). Also "Start of the course" is in Norwegian only. Høst means Autumn
and vår means Spring. We hope that the Accommodation Office will correct
this information soon.
·      The next step is to go to
http://www.boligtorget.no/sito/english/frameset.asp?genses=20060502085473399
7 
<http://www.boligtorget.no/sito/english/frameset.asp?genses=2006050208547339
97> . You should preferably choose "STUDIO" that gives you access to all
accommodation available and then ADD chosen address as the 1st priority to
the list.

The academic year in Tromsø starts early.
Autumn semester: 13th August 2008  19th December 2008
Spring semester: 7th January 2009 - 19th June 2009

The Introductory programme for new international students will be arranged
at the beginning of each semester.

If you feel like checking the weather in Tromso, you can have a look at
http://weather.cs.uit.no/
Information about the city itself is available on
http://www.destinasjontromso.no/
We look forward to hearing from you,
Best wishes from Tromso,

Kristine (kristine.bakkeby.moe at adm.uit.no) and Sigfrid
(sigfrid.kjeldaas at adm.uit.no)

------ End of Forwarded Message

-------------------------------------------------------------------------
 Use your web browser to search the archives, control your subscription
  options, and more.  Visit and bookmark the SEELANGS Web Interface at:
                    http://seelangs.home.comcast.net/
-------------------------------------------------------------------------