Department of Linguistics & TESOL | The University of Texas at Arlington
News & Events
Lecture by Dr. Anne H. Charity Hudley
One Community in Multiple Voices: Engagement Scholarship in Linguistics and Education
Dr. Anne H. Charity Hudley, The College of William and Mary
Presented by the Department of Linguistics & TESOL and The African American Faculty and Staff Association. A Festival of Ideas Global Research Institute event
Time and Location
Lecture: Friday, October 30, 2-3:30pm, in Trimble Hall 200
Reception immediately following: 3:30-5pm in Physics Conference Room (3rd Floor), Physics and Chemistry Building
Abstract
Linguists have contributed greatly to understanding the role of language use as a basis for the stratification of students from marginalized backgrounds. Nevertheless, there remains a significant need for linguists to disseminate relevant linguistic information to educators, to develop realistic, practical, and easy-to-implement classroom strategies that are both linguistically and educationally informed, and to engage in outreach that addresses the specific needs of students and educators within their local schools and communities (Charity Hudley and Mallinson 2009).
Various approaches have been taken by linguists to effectively integrate linguistic research with K-12 educational outreach. To exemplify teaching and research models that fulfill these goals, I describe service-learning initiatives carried out in the mid-Atlantic and the Southeast including an introductory course on African-American English and a gradu- ate course that pairs teacher-researchers with classroom teachers. Such initiatives have pre- sented undergraduate and graduate students with unique opportunities to connect academic learning and research with community needs. I will also describe the formation of the Community Studies minor at the College of William and Mary that has a distinct theme of creating scholarship designed to promote language and literacy acquisition in underserved communities.
Such initiatives not only illustrate some ways in which professional linguistics and community engagement may be merged, but also reveal how linguistic insights may be critical in helping address social issues, such as those surrounding language differences, learning processes, and educational achievement for marginalized students in the U.S.