The University of Queensland is currently a haven for language lovers, hosting LINQ 2006, a series of five high-profile linguistic events from July 4-14, 2006.
LINQ 2006 is a collaboration between UQ, Griffith University and the University of New England. The events are:
• PacSLRF 2006 — the 5th Pacific Second Language Research Forum (July 4-6, 2006), a venue for data-based and theoretical papers on areas of basic research in Second Language Acquisition (SLA).
• AUSTRALEX 2006 — Australasian Association for Lexicography (July 6, 2006). The theme for Australex 2006 is "Dictionaries: Uses and Users". Topics will include: dictionaries as the voice of authority; dictionaries to support specialized subjects; the use of dictionaries within language pedagogy; designing dictionaries for different levels of reader; lexicography in the Pacific region; research on dictionary users.
• ALAA 2006— Annual Conference of the Applied Linguistics Association of Australia (July 6-8, 2006). This will feature papers in all areas of applied linguistics, including language teaching, language policy and planning, and computer-based language instruction.
• ALS 2006 — Annual Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society (July 7-9 2006), featuring papers in all areas of linguistics, including syntax, phonology, Australian languages and sociolinguistics.
• ALI 2006 — Australian Linguistics Institute (July 10-14, 2006). ALI 2006 is a selection of 12 short intensive courses presented by world experts in their fields. (Further details on ALI 2006, below).
Media: Further information contact Dr Michael Harrington telephone 07 3365 6719.
Several world-renowned professors are visiting The University of Queensland, Brisbane, July 10-14 2006, to offer short intensive courses at an Australian Linguistics Institute event.
International experts available for media comment during ALI 2006 are:
• Balthasar Bickel (Linguistics professor, University of Leipzig).
How, to what extent, and why, do languages differ? What are the limits of language diversity and what explains these limits? Are languages dying out? What do we lose when linguistic diversity decreases? Balthasar is interested in talking to the media about linguistic diversity and language endangerment, and the importance of linguistic fieldwork. Another topic of interest is how Linguistics is coming to share more and more methods with some of the natural sciences.
• Lera Boroditsky (Psychology professor, Stanford University).
What`s the relationship between language, cognition, and perception - do the languages we speak shape the way we think? (commonly known as the Whorfian question). Lera`s work in this area challenges the predominant belief in the fields of psychology, philosophy and linguistics that human cognition is largely universal and independent of language and culture. Lera is keen to talk to the media about the relationship between speech and thought.
• Brian Byrne (Psychology professor, University of New England).
How do kids learn to read? Why do some do better than others? What methods should our schools be using? Brian`s research is in the area of psycholinguistics, with an emphasis on reading acquisition, reading difficulties and language development. His current research focussing on the genetics of reading ability, has important potential outcomes, such as identifying children at risk for developmental dyslexia. Brian is happy to talk to the media about Literacy and Genetics.
• Ivan Kecskes (Linguistics professor, State University of New York).
He is available to talk about intercultural communication, about the advantages and disadvantages of bilingual and multilingual development, and about the role of English as a Lingua Franca in the globalized world.
Media contact: Telephone Dr Nicholas Reid on 0401 807035 to make arrangements to interview these speakers.
