Linguistics Seminar Series

The Power of Babel: and Why We Can't Fight it in Our Own Language

Abstract: "Linguists have been teaching the general public for several decades now that traditional conceptions of "bad" versus "good" grammar are not based on scientific argumentation, but certain fashions laid down by assorted thinkers mostly in the eighteenth century. However, the public remains convinced that most speakers of English go about speaking it "wrong." In this talk, I try to present the linguist's perspective in a new way, showing that while all people must learn standard grammar for public purposes, nonstandard grammar is distinct, but not logically mistaken."

Date:
-
Location:
Room 363 Student Center

Workshop on Creole Complexity

9:00-9:30

Welcome

Tea & Coffee

9:30-10:30

Is the Creole Prototype Hypothesis a mistake?

John McWhorter, Columbia University

10:30-11:15

The left periphery and topic hierarchy in Santiaguense: complexity in a creole pronominal system.  

Marlyse Baptista and Rachel Bayer, University of Michigan

11:15-11:30

Coffee Break

11:30-12:15  

The complexity of definites in French based creoles

Viviane Déprez, Rutgers University

12:15-1:00

Language ecology and form selection in some Iberian creole languages

Clency Clements, Indiana University

1:00-2:00

Lunch

2:00-2:45

If you look closer : Inflectional morphology in Louisiana Creole

Fabiola Henri  (Univesity of Kentucky) & Thomas Klingler (Tulane University)

2:45-3:30

On Decreolization, Creole Simplicity Metrics, and the Tales of Brer Rabbit

Kevin Rottet & Jamie Root, Indiana University

3:30-3:45

Coffee Break

3:45-4:30

Implicative relations and morphological complexity: The case of Mauritian

Raphael Finkel, Fabiola Henri & Greg Stump, University of Kentucky

4:30-5:00

Open discussion

5:00-5:30

Business Meeting 

 

Conference Dinner 

 

Date:
-
Location:
Business & Economics 148
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