Colleen M. Fitzgerald writes:
I am writing you to ask for your help and support for CoLang 2014: the Institute on Collaborative Language Research, taking place at The University of Texas at Arlington in June and July 2014. CoLang (previously known as InField) allows students and faculty to acquire or refine cutting edge skills in language documentation, revitalization and field linguistics, to network with established international experts in these areas, and to gain hands-on experience in working with endangered and underdescribed language communities through field methods offerings. An exciting development this year is our partnership with the Linguistic Society of America. Part of this co-sponsorship includes LSA scholarships to CoLang 2014, creating expanded opportunities for academic training in language documentation and field linguistics for faculty and students, including undergraduates.
As we continue our planning and advertising for the upcoming summer, I'd like to ask your help in raising awareness of CoLang 2014 and in supporting the LSA and its commitment to endangered language documentation and revitalization. I will be holding office hours at the LSA on January 3rd and 4th, where we will have fliers and posters for you to take home to your university. I will be available to answer any questions that you or your faculty or students might have about attending CoLang. The two-week session, from June 16-27, 2014 consists of workshops in aspects of language documentation and revitalization and it costs $1450, which covers registration, room and board. Many attendees stay on for an additional four-weeks, which includes enrollment in a four-week field methods class, as well as the two weeks of workshops. Costs for the entire six-week session is $4300 (registration, room and board). The field methods classes give participants a firsthand experience in working with speakers of an endangered language to document and analyze the language. With three to four field methods classes scheduled, CoLang 2014 will be able to serve a large number of interested participants. This year, for the first time, we plan to offer a Spanish-medium field methods class featuring a language of Mexico.
The CoLang website is up at here and we expect registration to open soon. Online scholarship applications from the Linguistic Society of America and for CoLang 2014 internal scholarships will shortly be available; the due date for consideration for both is February 17, 2014. Full scholarship information and updates as they occur are here.
We hope that you will join our many sponsors, including the National Science Foundation, the Linguistic Society of America, the Endangered Language Fund, and The University of Texas at Arlington, in making CoLang 2014 a significant step in the documentation of our vanishing linguistic heritage, a valuable training ground for emerging linguists to acquire documentation, revitalization, and field linguistics skills, and a place where established linguists can expand their repertoire or retool for their next research projects.
