LINGUIST List 8.1571

Fri Oct 31 1997

FYI: New York LSA jam, Help the LSA Outreach Program

Editor for this issue: Brett Churchill <brettlinguistlist.org>

Directory

  • Daniel L. Everett, Jamming at New York LSA?
  • Linguistics, Help the LSA Outreach Program

    Message 1: Jamming at New York LSA?

     Date: Wed, 29 Oct 1997 20:32:18 -0500 (EST)
    From: Daniel L. Everett <deververb.linguist.pitt.edu>
    Subject: Jamming at New York LSA?


    Folks,

    Each of the last three LSAs (New Orleans, San Diego, and Chicago), a couple of us have lugged our guitars, drums, recorders, fiddles, and harmonicas to the LSA to do some playing and singing together.

    If you are interested in playing some blues, bluegrass, country, rock, folk, Tom Waits (he is his own category), or other kinda music, let me know. I will try to find space at the Hyatt for us to Jam. Saturday nights early seem to work best. Then music-makers can leave to go to see the bright lights.

    - Dan

    ****************************** ******************************

    Daniel L. Everett Department of Linguistics University of Pittsburgh 2816 CL Pittsburgh, PA 15260 Phone: 412-624-8101; Fax: 412-624-6130 http://verb.linguist.pitt.edu/~dever

    Message 2: Help the LSA Outreach Program

     Date: Thu, 30 Oct 1997 00:25:10 -0500 (EST)
    From: Linguistics <linguistemail.gc.cuny.edu>
    Subject: Help the LSA Outreach Program




    Subject: Help the LSA Outreach Program

    SEND US QUESTIONS ABOUT LANGUAGE THAT PEOPLE (Students, Colleagues, Friends, Family) HAVE ASKED YOU.

    Dear Linguists,

    I'm Nancy De Pas, a Linguistics Ph.D. student at CUNY. The Linguistic Society of America has a project as part of their outreach initiative to make known to the general public what linguistics is and how it can be useful to people in business and their daily lives (see below for more details).

    WE NEED TO FIND OUT: What people want to know about language.

    THEN: We will ask appropriate linguists to supply the answers (insofar as they are known) in a simple and concise form.

    PLEASE SEND: Any and all questions about language (not about linguistics) that you have been asked by your students, colleagues, friends, and family.

    DISTRIBUTION: In brochures, in doctors offices, schools, computer fairs, and community centers available from the LSA.

    Your help is greatly appreciated.

    Nancy De Pas linguistemail.gc.cuny.edu

    ADDENDUM The LSA's web page http://www.lsadc.org has a link to a document called "The Field of Linguistics" which explains how linguists study language and presents some of the results of recent research. This is geared more to students of linguistics than to the general public. We would like to publicize linguistics using a more direct approach and in the same time be responsive to the needs of non-linguists without necessarily explaining linguistics to them.

    We would like to answer some of those "frequently asked questions" by non-linguists in a straightforward, simplified but clear manner and make these responses readily available to them. The LSA envisions cards, 3 by 7 inches possibly, containing the question with a three paragraph answer with references and further services on the back. Packages of language cards would be distributed to schools, doctors offices and community centers, free of charge I hope.

    This is an attempt to demonstrate to the general public the usefulness and relevance of linguistics in many aspects of life. In the future, this project hopes to benefit linguists and future linguists by fostering positive attitudes and public awareness about what our field is about which will eventually lead to a better public image and better job opportunities.