Colang 2018
About | Photos | Partners and Sponsors | Organizers | Advisory Circle | Events | Workshops | Practica
About
Archived Original Website: https://web.archive.org/web/20210120060233/https://colang.lin.ufl.edu/
Welcome to CoLang!
The Institute on Collaborative Language Research (CoLang) will be held on the campus of the University of Florida in 2018, June 18th – July 20th. During the first two weeks (June 18-29) we offer students the choice of about forty-eight workshops in all kinds of topics related to community-based language documentation and revitalization. During the following three weeks (July 2-20), we offer three intensive practica which allow students to put the principles learned in the first two weeks into practice with detailed study of particular languages.
The institute is designed to provide an opportunity for community language activists and linguists to receive training in community-based language documentation and revitalization. The Institute has previously been convened in California, Oregon, Kansas, Texas, and Alaska and attracts a diverse range of participants from across the globe. Instructors include some of the world’s leading experts in language documentation.
CoLang 2018 is sponsored by the National Science Foundation (BCS-1664464), the Linguistic Society of America, and the University of Florida.
Photos
Partners and Sponsors
Organizers
The organizing committee for CoLang 2018 @ UF consists of faculty from three departments, all with an interesting in describing and documenting lesser studied and endangered languages.
George Aaron Broadwell, Ph.D.
mail / homepage
George Aaron Broadwell (Ph.D. UCLA) is the Elling Eide Professor of Anthropology. He is a linguistic anthropologist with primary research interest in syntactic theory, language and cognition, and language documentation. His research focuses on American Indian languages, with research in Choctaw, Timucua, Copala Triqui, and Zapotec.
James Essegbey, Ph.D.
email / homepage
James Essegbey (Ph.D. Leiden University) is a linguist in the Department of Language, Literatures, and Cultures. He is interested in descriptive, documentary and theoretical linguistics, especially in the domain of syntax, semantics and pragmatics; contact linguistics; language and culture; Kwa languages of West Africa, especially Gbe (i.e. Ewe, Gen, Aja and Fon), Akan, and Ghana-Togo Mountain languages, and creole studies. Lately, he has been working on the influence of the Gbe languages on Suriname creoles, and, more recently, the description and documentation of Nyangbo, one of the Ghana-Togo Mountain languages.
Brent Henderson, Ph.D.
email / homepage
Brent Henderson (Ph.D. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign) is the graduate coordinator for the Department of Linguistics. His primary research interests include syntactic theory, case and agreement, and Bantu languages. His other interests include Semitic languages and the acquisition of syntax.
Fiona McLaughlin, Ph.D.
email / homepage
Fiona McLaughlin (Ph.D. University of Texas at Austin) is Professor in the Departments of Linguistics and Language, Literatures, and Cultures. Her teaching and research involve African languages, phonology, morphology, and sociolinguistics.
Eric Potsdam, Ph.D.
email / homepage
Eric Potsdam (Ph.D. University of California at Santa Cruz) is the chairperson of the Department of Linguistics. His research interests include syntactic theory and Austronesian languages, particularly Malagasy.
Advisory Circle
Workshops
Practica
Two weeks of course workshops will be followed by three weeks of practical field methods training. At CoLang, the label “Practicum” refers to an intensive study of a language with speakers and/or texts. It is equivalent to what is often called “Field Methods” in linguistics at many universities. Students must participate in the workshops in order to participate in the practica.
Each practicum consists of a three-week course based on the idea of a traditional doctoral course in field methods. It will differ from other workshop classes in being intensive, with multiple linguistic consultants per language, and will directly build off the technological skills taught in the workshops. We will offer three sections of Practica/Field Methods simultaneously, with each section working on a different language.
Prerequisites
Ideally, participants in the Field Methods course should have completed, at a minimum, one university-level course in phonetics/phonology and one university-level course in morphology/syntax, or the equivalent. It is expected that most participants will have had training beyond this level, but under some circumstances, participants without this background may be permitted to enroll. If you do not come from a linguistics background, we ask that you register for Introduction to Linguistics 1, Introduction to Linguistics 2 and Transcription during the two-week workshops.
Three field methods practica are planned for CoLang 2018:
Tutrugbu (Nyangbo). A language of the Volta region of Ghana with approximately 6,400 speakers. Tutrugbu is one of 15 languages characterized as Central Togo (CT) and Ghana Togo Mountain (GTM) languages, because of their geographic distribution.
Meeting in Pugh 302, July 2-20.Macuiltianguis Zapotec (MacZ). A variant of Sierra Juárez Zapotec (ISO 639-3:zaa), is an indigenous language of Mexico originating in the town of San Pablo Macuiltianguis in the state of Oaxaca, Mexico, and now spoken by significant communities in Oaxaca City, Mexico City, and greater Los Angeles, California. Meeting in Turlington 1208H, July 2-20.
Timucua. A language once native to the North Florida region. Numerous texts from the Spanish colonial period exist and will be the basis for the practicum. This practicum will be an exercise in working with archival material and ‘sleeping’ languages. Meeting in Turlington 1208A, July 2-20.
Events
In addition to the core workshops and practica, CoLang 2018 will also host a number of social events, plenary speakers, and film screenings.
Social Events
Monday, June 18th- Opening Night Reception at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens: Join us for the opening night reception from 7pm-9pm at Kanapaha Botanical Gardens (4700 SW 58th Dr, Gainesville, FL 32608) for heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks to kick off the start of CoLang. There will be complimentary shuttle buses that will take participants to and from the dorms with pick-up being at the Cypress area loop (1310 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32612). to Kanapaha and there is also parking at the venue for those who wish to drive. The shuttle buses will start transportation to the venue at 6:30pm and run until 10pm. The reception is included in the workshop registration fee and the dress code for the reception is casual. If you have not already registered for the opening night reception and wish to attend, please contact Katie MacWilkinson kmacwilkinson@dce.ufl.edu directly.
Wednesday, June 20th- Sharing Circle: Join us at Emerson Alumni Hall (1938 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603) to share language revitalization and documentation strategies from 7pm-9pm. Complimentary shuttle bus transportation will be provided starting at 6pm from the Cypress area loop (1310 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32612) to take participants to Emerson and will also be available after the sharing circle concludes to take participants back to the dorm rooms. There will also be light refreshments and drinks for participants during the sharing circle.
Saturday, June 23rd- Day Trip to St. Augustine: There will be a day trip to St. Augustine on the first Saturday of CoLang. We have rented 2 large charter buses that will take students and instructors from the Cypress area loop (1310 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32612) to historical downtown St. Augustine. Please note that in order to attend this trip, you must have already registered for the trip in advanced, as seats are limited and a list of names will be checked off by staff when boarding and re-boarding the buses. The buses will depart the Reitz Union bus loop at 9am, with loading time from 8:30am-9am and arrive to downtown St. Augustine at around 11am (1 Cordova St, St Augustine, FL 32084). Upon arrival, students and instructors are welcome to explore the city from 11am-4pm as there are several restaurants, museums, and historical monuments in the downtown area to visit. There is no formal scheduled planned for this trip. Please note that the buses will start to load to go back to Gainesville from 4pm-4:30pm and depart at 4:30pm. The buses will pick up at the same place the drop off is in the morning at the downtown parking garage bus loop (1 Cordova St, St Augustine, FL 32084). This trip is included in the workshop registration fee and we recommend you bring sunscreen, an umbrella, and a hat as it can be hot in June and rain. The dress code for the trip is casual and it is recommended to wear comfortable shoes/walking shoes.
Thursday, June 28th- Closing Night Reception at the University Auditorium: Join us for the closing night reception from 6pm-9pm at the University Auditoirum (333 Newell Drive Gainesville, FL 32611-2755) for heavy hors d’oeuvres and drinks to the celebrate the end of the 2 week workshops of CoLang. The reception will start at 6pm and go until 7:30pm, followed by a performance from Agbedidi from 7:30pm-9pm. No shuttle buses will be provided since the venue is a short 5 minute walk from Mallory and Cypress Hall. Most parking lots will be lifted after 5pm for those who wish to park on campus to come to the closing night reception. The reception is included in the workshop registration fee and the dress code for the reception is casual. If you have not already registered for the closing night reception and wish to attend, please contact Katie MacWilkinson kmacwilkinson@dce.ufl.edu directly.
Thursday, July 19th- Dinner Downtown at Paramount Grill: As a final celebration for those students and instructors who participated in both the workshops and practicums, there will be a dinner hosted downtown at Paramount Grill (12 SW 1st Ave, Gainesville, FL 32601) from 7pm-9pm. The dinner is only for those students and instructors who attended all 5 weeks of CoLang. Join us for a 4 course dinner and beer and wine to celebrate the end of CoLang. There will be a shuttle bus provided to take students and instructors to the restaurant downtown starting at 6:30pm from the Cypress area loop (1310 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32612) and there is also parking downtown for those who wish to drive. There will also be a shuttle bus after the dinner to take students and instructors back to campus. The dinner is included in the workshop registration fee and the dress code for the dinner is business casual. If you have not already registered for the dinner and wish to attend, please contact Katie MacWilkinson kmacwilkinson@dce.ufl.edu directly.
Public Plenaries
** Most plenary talks will be held from 1:00 to 2:00pm and all are open to the public. Please follow this link to view a campus map with these plenary locations.
Monday, June 18 from 10:15am-11:45am at Emerson Alumni Hall (1938 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603)
Title: Opening Plenary & CoLang Preview
Presenter: David Richardson, Dean of CLAS, LSA, NSF, CoLang Organizing Committee
**Please note that a shuttle bus will be available starting at 8am to take participants from Cypress to Emerson and will run until 10am.
Monday, June 18 from 1:00pm-2:00pm at Emerson Alumni Hall (1938 W University Ave, Gainesville, FL 32603)
Title: Endangered Languages Documentation Programme Funding
Presenter: Mandana Seyfeddinipur, SOAS University of London
Tuesday, June 19, from 1:00 to 2:00pm at FLI0050
Title: The Breath Of Life Archival Institute: archivists (and linguists too) working with California Indigenous language communities.
Presenter: Susan Gehr, College of the Redwoods
Wednesday, June 20, from 1:00 to 2:00pm at FLI0050
Title: Language and Global Health: Lessons from 10 years of unlocking better health outcomes through language in Guatemala
Presenter: Brent Henderson, University of Florida & Peter Rohloff, Wuqu’ Kawoq | Maya Health Alliance
Thursday, June 21, from 1:00 to 2:00pm at CSE A101
Title: After archiving: After Archiving: How to get meaningful records back to their source
Presenter: Nick Thieberger, PARADISEC
Friday, June 22, from 1:00 to 2:00pm at FLI0050
Title: Access and Collaborative Opportunities at Three Archives of Native American Languages
Presenters: Siri Tuttle, Alaska Native Language Archive, University of Alaska Fairbanks
Brian Carpenter, Library of the American Philosophical Society
Raina Heaton, Native American Languages Collection of the Sam Noble Museum, University of Oklahoma
Monday, June 25 at Reitz Union 7:00pm-8:00pm (686 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32611)
Title: Endangered Language Funding through NSF-NEH’s Documenting Endangered Languages Program and other NSF Programs
Presenter: Colleen Fitzgerald, National Science Foundation
***NOTE: This plenary will take place at 7:00pm at the Reitz Union in Rion East (ballroom on the 3rd floor).
Wednesday, June 27, from 1:00 to 2:00pm at CSE A101
Title: Linguist Guided Community Self Documentation
Presenter: Ben Levine
Thursday, June 28, from 1:00 to 2:00pm at CSE A101
Title: Beyond the Boasian trilogy: grammars of use and cultural encyclopedias
Presenter: Felix Ameka, Leiden University Center for Linguistics
Film Screenings
CoLang2018 will screen three films that feature stories of linguistic revitalization, activism, and cultural revival in Native American communities. We will proudly screen the following films at the Emerson Alumni Center at the University of Florida from 7pm-9pm, following the day’s workshops and dinner break. The film screenings will be open to the public and there will be light snacks and drinks during the film screenings for participants to enjoy. Complimentary shuttle bus transportation will be provided starting at 6pm from the Cypress area loop (1310 Museum Rd, Gainesville, FL 32612) to take participants to Emerson and will also be available after the sharing circle concludes to take participants back to the dorm rooms.
Tuesday, June 19
Title: We Still Live Here (Âs Nutayuneân)
Director: Ann Makepeace
Synopsis: The story begins in 1994 when Jessie Little Doe, an intrepid, thirty-something Wampanoag social worker, began having recurring dreams: familiar-looking people from another time addressing her in an incomprehensible language. Jessie was perplexed and a little annoyed– why couldn’t they speak English? Later, she realized they were speaking Wampanoag, a language no one had used for more than a century. These events sent her and members of the Aquinnah and Mashpee Wampanaog communities on an odyssey that would uncover hundreds of documents written in their language, lead Jessie to a Masters in Linguistics at MIT, and result in something that had never been done before – bringing a language alive again in an American Indian community after many generations with no Native speakers.
Tuesday, June 26
Title: Language of America
Director: Ben Levine
Synopsis: Language of America explores Indian language, philosophy, and community as never before. It shows how Indian words reveal an inherent connectedness between people, nature and spirit. The film bears witness to America’s history of Indian human rights abuse, yet it inspires hope by promoting an understanding of diversity that accepts Native peoples’ inextricably shared history and destiny with their neighbors.
Please stay after the film screen for a discussion with Director/Producer Ben Levine!
Wednesday, June 27
Title: Keep Talking
Director: Karen Weinberg
Synopsis: From Kartemquin Films (Hoop Dreams, Life Itself), Keep Talking follows four Alaska Native women who are learning to teach their critically endangered language. Only 41 fluent Elders still speak Kodiak Alutiiq due to brutal assimilation policies at U.S. government run Indian boarding schools. The grit and resilience of these women helps them overcome historical trauma, politics and personal demons as they evolve into #languagewarriors. Their young student Sadie (13) is enthralled by the language, and dives into Alutiiq dancing as well. Struggling with bullying and racial discrimination, Sadie’s teachers inspire her and the language grounds her as she navigates troubled waters on the road to adulthood. Guided by Elders in classrooms and living rooms, the women who start off teaching on a remote island work their way to a statewide platform, speaking out to gain support for the cause. When all their hard work begins to pay off, they choose to look past the storm and instead focus on a bright future that may be just over the horizon.
Please stay after the film screen for a discussion with Director/Producer Karen Weinberg!