Paid Teaching/Tutoring Opportunity at the Learning Assistance Center (LAC)

From the LAC:

Are you interested in building your professional and academic skills while helping other SF State students?

The Learning Assistance Center (LAC) is currently hiring upper division and graduate students to tutor reading/writing/study skills and math/sciences/study skills for the Fall 2009 semester. Work-study and international students are welcome to apply.

At the LAC, you’ll get the opportunity to work with a diverse group of students in a great job environment with flexible hours and ongoing support from peers and experienced faculty coordinators.

Starting pay is $10.26 an hour. Tutors work at least 8 hours a week. In addition, new tutors also take AU 697: Tutoring Across Disciplines, a seminar that meets once a week for two hours and covers the theory and practice of tutoring.

For information about positions, the application process, or AU 697, please visit the LAC web site: http://www.sfsu.edu/~lac/lacjobs.html

To be considered for an interview before the end of the semester, please submit a complete application as soon as possible. Applications submitted after May 20th will be considered for interviews over the Summer Break. Positions are limited, so submit your application for consideration as early as possible.

Applications can be dropped off on campus or sent by mail.

ASL Festival in SF, May 30th

The American Sign Language (ASL) Festival (May 30, 2009, 10:00 am – 5:00 pm, Justin Herman Plaza, San Francisco) is an opportunity for the general public to become familiar with the culture that uses this language. Come learn about and be entertained by ASL storytellers, a talent show, performances and community booths. You will be exposed to and entertained by ASL storytellers and performers and see a variety of signing performances, presented by actors, students, and others.

This is a FREE event.
Learn more here: http://asl.meetup.com/294/calendar/10321835/
Event flyer here: http://www.aslfestival.com/flyer_2009.html

Abstract #1: "I so got my ass kicked": a lexical semantic analysis of SO

This abstract is part of the Abstract Showcase, a continuously updated feature of the LGSA blog.
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Name: Diep Le
Presentation Date: 5/13/09
Paper Title: "I so got my ass kicked": a lexical semantic analysis of SO
Department: English, with emphasis on Linguistics

ABSTRACT:
SO, the intensifier, as in "That is SO putrid", has expanded its syntactic privilege of occurrence.
Additionally, it can now signify certainty, and add emotional emphasis. With both new senses, SO has scope over the entire proposition.

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For more information about this abstract, please contact the blog authors at Fledgelings at gmail dot com

Abstract #2: Good: A Range Marker in American Discourse

This abstract is part of the Abstract Showcase, a continuously updated feature of the LGSA blog.
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Name: Linguistics graduate student, class of 2009
Presentation Date: April 7, 2009
Paper Title: Good: A Range Marker in American Discourse
Department: English, with emphasis on Linguistics

ABSTRACT:
This paper investigates a new use of good in contemporary American discourse in which good denotes a minimum estimation with an implied range. The speaker formulates this expression by combining good with an immediately following numerical amount and noun phrase, egs, “a good thirty minutes, a good hundred people, a good fifteen pounds.” Used in this pattern, good signals an estimation which includes a minimum and a predicted range over the amount stated. The amount is gauged within a range of the actual quantity. Occurrences describe a variety of count and non-count nouns. Good is contrasted with the expression “a lot of.” Predictions for use do not combine the range marker good with intensifiers or negation. Environments in which an exact amount is known or measured are not compatible with the use of the range good.

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For more information about this abstract, please contact the blog authors at Fledgelings at gmail dot com

Abstract #3: The Definition of a Dogwhistle and its Role in Establishing Narrative Coherence

This abstract is part of the Abstract Showcase, a continuously updated feature of the LGSA blog.
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Name: Kim Witten
Presentation Date: 5/15/09
Paper Title: The Definition of a Dogwhistle and its Role in Establishing Narrative Coherence
Department: English, with emphasis on Linguistics

ABSTRACT:
Politicians use many tactics to convey messages to the audience that they wish to represent. A dogwhistle is when a speaker sends a message that contains a second, hidden interpretation meant to be understood by select audience members only. It is a metaphor modeled after the function of a literal dog whistle, which emits a noise at a pitch that only dogs can hear.

A dogwhistle has not been defined in linguistic terms, and there is no dictionary definition as of yet. Dogwhistle politics — the act of sending these types of messages for political gains — has only been studied briefly in recent years (Fear, 2007). Here I define what a dogwhistle is using linguistic terminology, and outline the necessary requirements for a speech act to be understood as such. I also demonstrate the differences between dogwhistles and other similar tropes such as inside jokes, innuendos, and puns.

Using this framework, we can see how dogwhistles are not confined to political discourse. However, since political discourse is currently recognized as the predominant genre for this trope, I examined three dogwhistles from recent events in politics, to show how this form of veiled speech can set-up two, sometimes-contradictory narratives that can affect a politician’s credibility.

Analysis of the role a dogwhistle plays in identity construction and in establishing narrative coherence is crucial if we are to understand how we use tropes to communicate ideas to others and index solidarity, distance, and power.

Keywords: dogwhistle, politics, narrative, veiled speech, audience design, trope, innuendo.
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For more information about this abstract, please contact Kim Witten at kimwitten at gmail dot com

SquibFest is Today!

This semester, we have three Masters Students graduating in Linguistics, and 1 Undergraduate graduating in Language Studies. Today, in HUM Rm. 102, 2-5pm we will be celebrating their success with a graduation celebration and SquibFest presentations. Titles for two of today's presentations are below; the 3rd will be announced at SquibFest:

Good: A Range Marker in American Discourse

"I so got my ass kicked": a lexical semantic analysis of SO

Abstracts for all three presentations will be permanently featured here on the LGSA blog, to be posted soon.

We look forward to today's presentations and hope all interested linguists and SFSU students can make it!

SquibFest is Friday, May 15th!

Next Friday, May 15th, we will be hosting a research presentation and graduation party to honor the graduating students in the Masters Program in Linguistics. We hope you can attend SquibFest!

SquibFest Details: Friday, May 15th, 2-5 p.m., Humanities Room 102. Food and drinks will be provided, compliments of the LGSA. Presentation topics will be announced at the event...fascinating work from your peers that you won't want to miss, trust me!

Hope to see you all next Friday!

(Click on the image below to see the flyer)


For a brief backgrounder about 'Squibs', please click here: http://fledgelings.blogspot.com/2009/03/squibs-linguistic-kind.html

If you are not already a member of the LGSA listserve and would like to join, please click here: http://fledgelings.blogspot.com/2008/09/lgsa-listserv-101.html to stay up to date (traffic is approx. 1-2 email announcements per week).