Category Archives: Announcements

Welcome new postdoc Carol-Rose Little!

Carol-Rose Little is joining the McGill Department of Linguistics as a postdoctoral researcher, supervised by Jessica Coon and Lisa Travis. She recently graduated from Cornell University with a Ph.D. in linguistics and two minors in American Indian and Indigenous Studies and Cognitive Science.

Carol-Rose’s research program brings together syntax, semantics and morphology, rooted in a strong commitment to fieldwork and language documentation. She investigates possible structural variations crosslinguistically and how these structures interface with semantic computation. Her theoretical analyses draw on data collected from fieldwork with understudied languages, namely Ch’ol (Mayan: Chiapas, Mexico) and Mi’gmaq (Algonquian: Quebec, Canada). Topics she has recently worked on include subextraction, (in)definiteness, verb-initial word order, and the inclusive/exclusive distinction. When she is not working, she enjoys running and dancing.

Welcome aboard Carol-Rose!

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51st Algonquian Conference at McGill – Call for Papers

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by | July 4, 2019 · 6:21 pm

Bridging communities and universities through language engagement

Last May McGill hosted a Symposium on the Role of the University in Supporting Indigenous Languages. The symposium was organized in response to the Final Report of the Provost’s Task Force on Indigenous Studies and Indigenous Education, which called on McGill to strengthen support of Indigenous languages.

The resulting Vision Paper has now been published online, and is available on the symposium webpage here.

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Workshop on Amazigh Languages, 3/21 – Save the date!

McGill linguistics will host a Workshop on Amazigh languages on March 21st. The workshop will have invited talks by Karim Achab (University of Ottawa), Hamid Ouali (University of Wisconsin, Madison), and Khokha Fahloune (UQAM), as well as short presentations on Kabyle by the students in this semester’s Field Methods course. A full schedule will be released soon. Attendance is free and all are welcome! For more information, contact organizer Nico Baier.

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Assistant Professor position in Indigenous Language Linguistics and Education

The Department of Linguistics and the Department of Integrated Studies in Education at McGill have a new joint tenure-track position in Indigenous languages! Applications are due January 4th, and more information, along with a link to the application, can be found here: https://www.mcgill.ca/linguistics/opportunities-visitors/employment/assistant-professor-indigenous-language-linguistics-and-education

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McGill Symposium on the University’s Role in Supporting Indigenous Languages

I’m happy to announce an upcoming event co-orgnanized this year with a team from OFNIE in Education. Please save the date!

McGill Symposium on the University’s Role in Supporting Indigenous Languages (May 10 – 11, 2018)

In response to Call to Action #34 of the Final Report of McGill’s Task Force on Indigenous Education and Indigenous Studies, onMay 10th and 11th, the Department of Linguistics and the Office of First Nations and Inuit Education are jointly hosting a symposium examining the role of the university in Indigenous language maintenance and revitalization. Organized with the support of the Kanien’keháka Onkwawén:na Raotitióhkwa Language and Cultural Centre, McGill Faculties of Arts and Education, the McGill Indigenous Studies Program, and McGill’s Institute for the Study of International Development, the purpose of this Symposium is to (a) signal McGill’s commitment to Indigenous languages in this province and (b) examine more closely what role the University should play in supporting the health of Indigenous languages, locally and regionally. The Symposium will involve both closed-door and public sessions with the goals of establishing a broad consultative body on this question and developing a concrete plan of action for McGill to pursue. Special invitees include Indigenous language teachers, scholars, and university program directors from across Canada:

  • Mary Bear (Cree School Board)
  • Ewa Czaykowska-Higgins (University of Victoria)
  • Ryan DeCaire (Onkwawén:na Kentyohkwa, University of Toronto)
  • Gabrielle Doreen (Tyendinaga Mohawk Territory, McGill University)
  • Ellen Gabriel (Kanehsatà:ke Education Center)
  • Megan Lukaniec (Huron-Wendat Nation, UC Santa Barbara)
  • Brian Maracle (Onkwawenna Kentyohkwa)
  • Akwiratékha’ Martin (Kahnawà:ke Education Center)
  • Onowa McIvor (nehiyaw Nation, University of Victoria)
  • Mary Ann Metallic (Listuguj Education Directorate)
  • Rita Novalinga (Kativik Ilisarniliriniq)
  • Keren Rice (University of Toronto)
  • Kahtehrón:ni Stacey (Kahnawà:ke Education Center, McGill University)
  • Mark Turin (University of British Columbia)

All those interested in learning more about this topic and advancing McGill’s response to this issue are asked to save the following date, May 10th from 1:30pm to 5:00pm in the Jack Cram Auditorium (EDUC-129), for a Public Forum. The schedule of activities include an opening Keynote from Kanien’kehá:ka Language teacher and McGill PhD Student Kahtehró:nni Iris Stacey, three panel presentations from our invited experts, and public discussion.

Those interested in attending are asked to please register here: https://goo.gl/forms/djIv5RBV9bsr481E3

Please follow the facebook event page here for ongoing updates: https://www.facebook.com/events/1886367051693868/

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Congratulations Janine Metallic

Congratulations to Janine Metallic, who successfully defended her dissertation in the Department of Integrated Studies in Education yesterday. The title of her dissertation is: Nta’tugwaqannminen (our stories): Language stories and experiences of young adult Mi’gmaq.

Janine’s defense

Janine worked as the Mi’gmaq language consultant for the 2011 Field Methods class, and played an integral role in Mi’gmaq language research and documentation at McGill and beyond. Congratulations Janine!

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Bantu Workshop – May 3rd in Education 216

Please join us for an afternoon Bantu Workshop, to celebrate the end of this semester’s Bobangi Field Methods class. There will be presentations by undergraduate and graduate students, our Bobangi consultant Mpoke Mimpongo (UQAM), and invited speaker Jenneke van der Wal (Harvard). All talks will take place in McGill Education Building, room 216. The schedule is below–all are welcome!

12:30–12:45 – Jiaer Tao, A Study on object asymmetry in Bobangi

12:45–1:00 – Benjamine Oldham, Object marking in Bobangi: A pronominal incorporation analysis

1:00–1:15 – Renata Masucci, Tone in Bobangi

1:15–1:30 – Paulina Elias, Object asymmetry in Bobangi

1:30–1:45 – BREAK

1:45–2:00 – Sara Carrier-Bordeleau, Verbal reduplication in Bobangi

2:00–2:15 – Jasmine Zhang, Vowel sandhi in Bobangi

2:15–2:30 – Emily Kellison-Linn, Intonation of polar questions and declarative statements in Bobangi

2:30–2:45 – Yeong Park, High boundary tone in Bobangi

2:45–3:00 – Rosie Barnes, Agent nominalizations in Bobangi

3:00–3:15 – BREAK

3:15–3:45 – Mpoke Mimpongo (UQAM), TBA

3:45–4:45 – Invited Speaker – Jenneke van der Wal (Harvard University)

Title: Investigating focus marking in Luganda and Lingala

Abstract: While it is admittedly difficult to investigate information structure in an unfamiliar language, in this talk I hope to show that there are some manageable diagnostics for focus that can be applied in elicitation. Based on data from Luganda and Lingala I show why the discoveries about focus marking in Bantu languages are crucial for understanding both the synchronic analysis and the diachronic development of focus. (full abstract)

 

 

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Ergativity/Fieldwork Lab Meeting 12/5

The Ergativity/Fieldwork Lab will be having our last meeting of the Fall 2016 semester on Monday, 12/5, from 12-1pm in room 002.

Sarah will be presenting about anti-agreement in Kabyle. Recommended reading is Ouhalla (1993) “Subject-Extraction, Negation, and the Anti-Agreement Effect”. The most important sections to focus on are sections 1-3.

Stay tuned for the announcement of our Winter 2017 meeting time and location!

 

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Ergativity/Fieldwork Lab Meeting, 11/28

The Ergativity/Fieldwork Lab will be meeting on Monday, 11/28, from 12-1pm in room 002.

Henrison Hsieh will be presenting about semantic fieldwork and Tagalog.

Recommended reading is Matthewson (2004). The most important parts to focus on are Sections 3 and 4.

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