The linguistics program at Missouri State University has announced its Linguistics Colloquium Series for fall 2023, which will focus on examining words in educational contexts.

The virtual event will take place at noon Oct. 24 via Zoom. The colloquium is open to all students, faculty, staff and anyone interested in these areas of study.

Guest speaker Dr. Vicente Iranzo, assistant professor of Spanish at the University of Texas at Arlington, will present “What’s in a Name? The Erasure of the Valencian Language in Spanish Education.”

“Educational institutions play a significant role in shaping and disseminating linguistic ideologies,” Iranzo said. “In this presentation, I’ll examine the relationship between language and politics within educational contexts.”

MSU’s linguistics program is offered as an interdisciplinary minor, incorporating courses from world languages, anthropology and communication sciences and disorders.

About the series

The Linguistics Colloquium Series launched in the fall of 2020. It is held at least twice a year.

The goal of the colloquium is to encourage both faculty and students involved in the field to share some of their recent work in an informal setting.

This idea was fueled by the desire to familiarize students with what is happening in the world of linguistics.

“Linguistics is a fascinating field, yet we quickly learn how much students don’t know about it,” Associate Professor of French Dr. Antoinette Barffour said.

The series also provides networking opportunities for current students pursuing a career or education in linguistics.

“Through the colloquium, we aim to familiarize students with linguistics and prepare them for language-related careers,” Barffour said.

Past presenters

The series has featured 10 past speakers. A few of the recent ones include:

• Spring 2023 —
  • Hypersensitivity or intolerance to sounds – Dr. Wafaa Kaf, audiologist and professor of communication sciences and disorders, MSU.
• 2022 —
  • The complexities of the term “caboclo” – Dr. Marnie K. Watson, associate professor of anthropology, MSU.
  • Misunderstanding language as a commodity from a Marxist perspective – Dr. John Petrovic, professor and program coordinator of the department of education leadership, policy and technology, University of Alabama.
  • Ancient roman graffiti: cognitive and social dimensions of religion – Dr. Bryan Brinkman, assistant professor of languages, cultures and religions and global studies, MSU.

Future plans

Since the colloquium started during COVID-19, it has only been held on Zoom.

“While we appreciate in-person discussions and anticipate transitioning to that format soon, we have currently opted to use Zoom to accommodate non-MSU speakers and expand our audience reach,” Barffour said.

In February 2024, the colloquium will welcome Dr. Eduardo D. Faingold, professor of Spanish and linguistics at the University of Tulsa. Faingold will present a chapter of his book, “Language rights and the law in Scandinavia: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Greenland.”

“We welcome everyone to join us during his talk as well,” Barffour added.

Join the fall 2023 Linguistics Colloquium Series via Zoom.

For more information about the colloquium series, contact Dr. Antoinette Barffour.

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