Missouri State University’s linguistics program has announced Dr. Eduardo D. Faingold, professor of Spanish and linguistics at the University of Tulsa, will headline MSU’s spring 2024 Linguistics Colloquium Series.

Faingold will discuss a chapter from his book, “Language rights and the law in Scandinavia: Sweden, Denmark, Norway, Iceland, the Faroe Islands and Greenland.”

“This semester we are privileged to have Dr. Faingold share with us some of his recent work on language rights and the law in Iceland in the context of immigrants’ education,” said Dr. Antoinette Barffour, associate professor of French and applied linguistics.

The virtual event will take place 12-1 p.m. Feb. 21, 2024 via Zoom. It is open to all students, faculty, staff and anyone interested in these areas of study.

About the colloquium

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

As an extension of the linguistics program, the Colloquium Series was launched in 2020. The colloquium encourages faculty and students involved in linguistics to share some of their recent work in an informal setting.

The colloquium is held at least twice a year.

Colloquium highlights linguistics as ideal academic degree supplement

The study of linguistics encompasses a broad spectrum of topics, according to Barffour.

In addition to studying how languages are perceived, processed and produced, “Linguists are equally interested in regional variations in languages and dialects, institutional laws, societal expectations and perceptions and how they all impact sign, spoken or written languages,” she said.

Barffour stressed that the study of linguistics can supplement any academic degree, and the colloquium is one means by which students can learn more about the discipline.

“Our goal for the colloquium is to provide opportunity for students to gain more insight into the interdisciplinary and intriguing nature of linguistics, and to encourage them to complement their knowledge in history, politics, cognitive psychology, computer science, philosophy, international business, hospitality, sociology, criminology and health sciences with courses in language and linguistics,” she explained.

“We strongly believe that linguistics is a scientific field that fits into the broader scope of their educational training and will ultimately enhance their readiness for the job market.”

Mark your calendar for the Linguistics Colloquium Series on Zoom

Past presenters

The series has presented a variety of speakers and topics. A few of the recent ones include:

• Fall 2023 —
  • What’s in a Name? The Erasure of the Valencian Language in Spanish Education – Dr. Vincente Iranzo, assistant professor of modern languages, University of Texas-Arlington.
• 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.

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

Explore more opportunities in linguistics