Research & Facilities
Sociolinguistics
View a current list of our activities.
Faculty
Rakesh Mohan Bhatt Associate Professor of Linguistics. (rbhatt at illinois.edu)
Eyamba G. Bokamba Professor of Linguistics and coordinator of non-western languages. (bokamba at illinois.edu)
Rajeshwari Pandharipande Professor, Department of Religious Studies and Linguistics. (raj-pan at illinois.edu)
Randy Sadler Assistant Professor, Division of English as an International Language. (rsadler at illinois.edu)
Marina Terkourafi Assistant Professor of Linguistics. (mt217 at illinois.edu)
Braj B. Kachru Center for Advanced Study and LAS Jubilee Professor Emeritus of Linguistics, Education, English as an International Language, and Comparative Literature. (b-kachru at illinois.edu)
Irene Koshik Department of English as an International Language (koshik at illinois.edu)
Yamuna Kachru Professor Emeritus of Linguistics and English as an International Language. (ykachru at illinois.edu)
IPRH Reading Groups
2008-2009Language, Style and Globalization Reading Group 2008
Organizers: Young Sun Lee and Erica Britt
Meetings: Weekly meetings will be held on Thursdays from 1-3pm in FLB 1140
Description:If you are interested in participating in this reading group this semester, please send an email to lsdreadinggroup@gmail.com and we will add you to this mailing list for upcoming announcements.
Schedule of Topics:
September 11: Jennifer (Johnstone and Kiesling), Erica (Dissertation proposal presentation)
September 18: Matt (Huffaker and Calvert), Erica (Rahman)
September 25: Laura (Zhang)
October 2: Young Sun (Lee and Oxelson)
October 9: Erica (Hua)
October 16: Laura (Wortham)
October 23: Antje (Schenk)
October 30: Teruaki (Miller), Matt (Pennycook)
November 6: Dr. Terkourafi will lead the discussion on the Trudgill article and responses
November 13: Young Sun (Osterman), Erica (Marra and Holmes), Presentation by Dr. Bhatt
November 20: Nagham (Barkho)
View Readings.
Native Language Acquisition Interrupted
Faculty Organizers:Silvina Montrul, Elabbas Benmamoun, James Yoon, Rakesh Bhatt
Meetings:Every other Friday, time: 12:00-1:30 p.m., place: 4136 FLB
Description:By focusing on the linguistic abilities of heritage speakers (early bilingual speakers of ethnic-minority languages), this group will explore a number of current theoretical issues in linguistics and language acquisition. These include: the nature of grammatical knowledge developed in childhood, how amount of language exposure impinge on linguistic development, how literacy contributes to the maturation of language in the brain, whether mode of acquisition affects how language is stored in memory and retrieved during language processing.
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From Classical Eloquence to Medieval Courtliness to 21st century discursive politeness: Perspectives on Linguistic Appropriateness Over the Centuries
Faculty organizers: Marina Terkourafi and Rakesh BhattDescription:Philosophical treatises about rhetoric, medieval discourses about civility and the civilizing process, and most recently works on linguistic etiquette (or the lack thereof) have provided an outlet for normative injunctions about linguistic behavior since antiquity. Under the guise of political correctness and linguistic activism, such injunctions often seek to change society by changing how we speak about it. This interdisciplinary reading group focuses on the many facets of linguistic appropriateness as outlined above.
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Second Language Acquisition
Faculty organizers: Tania Ionin, Silvina MontrulDescription: Interdisciplinary group whose goal is to further the linguistic study of Second Language Acquisition (SLA). The group has two main objectives: (1) to read and discuss seminal texts on second language acquisition; and (2) to give group members, in particular graduate students, a chance to present their ongoing work, receiving feedback on their works-in-progress and presentations
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