Celebrating 100 years of IJAL

The International Journal of American Linguistics is celebrating the hundredth anniversary of its founding with a special issue (Volume 83, Number 1 | January 2017), available online here.Join us at SSILA 2017, Friday, January 6th, 4:30–5:30, for a plenary session “One Hundred Years of IJAL: Balancing Tradition & Innovation in a Changing Field”. A panel of current and former editors and board members will share some remarks and then open up the discussion to the audience. The University of Chicago Press, in appreciation of the contribution of SSILA members to IJAL, is providing coffee and dessert.

Update: Change in SSILA fee structure

The SSILA fee structure has been updated to include retired and emerita/emeritus faculty. Starting January 1, 2017, these members will receive the reduced rate of $40. See the full announcment below for more details.(This post may also be viewed as a PDF by clicking here.)Esteemed SSILA members,The SSILA Executive Committee has agreed to change the structure of our membership fees as follows:Beginning Jan. 1, 2017 an annual SSILA membership will be:

  • $60 Regular
  • $40 Under-employed, independent, under-represented, or retired scholars, as well as members of indigenous language communities of the Americas
  • $30 Student

This decision was made in light of the fact that SSILA dues have not changed since 2009, when they were raised from $16 to the current $20 annually for regular members. However, all of our costs have risen in that time, and the society is currently operating at a deficit.Despite this increase in dues, we hope that you will maintain your membership with SSILA and continue contributing to the important task of better understanding the Indigenous languages of the Americas. It is only thanks to your continued support and membership that SSILA and its regular meetings are possible. Remember that your SSILA membership comes with many benefits as well:Benefits of a SSILA Membership

  • reduced-cost subscription to the International Journal of American Linguistics (IJAL)
  • the privilege of presentation at SSILA meetings
  • ability to publish your conference presentation materials on the SSILA website for wide distribution
  • access to SSILA conference presentation materials from prior years on the SSILA website
  • timely notice of issues pertinent to the Society through:
  • the ability to run for SSILA office and shape the direction of the Society and of Linguistics as a whole
  • tax-deductible dues and donations (for U.S. members)
  • access to the membership contact list, with information about areas of specialty
  • the opportunity to review conference presentation proposals and contribute to ensuring the quality of SSILA scholarly events
  • the opportunity to contribute towards the advancement of linguistics students by serving as a reviewer of student awards (non-student members only)
  • the opportunity, as a group, to assist linguists working with the Indigenous languages of our entire hemisphere through:
    • recognition awards (Hale, Haas, Golla, Best Student Presentation)
    • travel support (5 students to Austin in 2017)
  • the collegiality of a network of like-minded people

Charitable donations to SSILA (now a US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) can be designated for any purpose such as travel support, awards, etc. To join or renew, go to http://www.ssila.org/members/join-or-renew/Or write to the Executive SecretaryMy thanks to all of you for your valuable work,Alice TaffSSILA President

Reminder: Registration for Annual Meeting

Registration for the SSILA 2017 meeting is now open! Registration should be completed through the LSA website by going to the LSA meeting page and clicking the Register for Meeting button at the top of the page.For attendees who are not LSA members but would like to register at member rates, the following coupon codes can be used during checkout:[emember_protected]

  • 2017AMSSREG (regular members)
  • 2017AMSSSTUDENT (student members)

[/emember_protected]These codes will allow you to register as a nonmember, while receiving member rates.If you are already an LSA member, you should login to the LSA website and register as an LSA member - do not use the above coupon codes if you are already an LSA member.The LSA's annual meeting page also has links to hotel reservations, which are available through December 14.Part of the Annual Meeting schedule - the posters and 20-minute papers - is viewable by clicking the Schedule tab on the Annual Meeting page. The rest - the organized sessions, plenaries, one-off events, etc. - will be available by early October.

Change in SSILA fee structure

(This post may also be viewed as a PDF by clicking here.)Esteemed SSILA members,The SSILA Executive Committee has agreed to change the structure of our membership fees as follows:Beginning Jan. 1, 2017 an annual SSILA membership will be:

  • $60 Regular
  • $40 Under-employed, independent, under-represented, or retired scholars, as well as members of indigenous language communities of the Americas
  • $30 Student

This decision was made in light of the fact that SSILA dues have not changed since 2009, when they were raised from $16 to the current $20 annually for regular members. However, all of our costs have risen in that time, and the society is currently operating at a deficit.Despite this increase in dues, we hope that you will maintain your membership with SSILA and continue contributing to the important task of better understanding the Indigenous languages of the Americas. It is only thanks to your continued support and membership that SSILA and its regular meetings are possible. Remember that your SSILA membership comes with many benefits as well:Benefits of a SSILA Membership

  • reduced-cost subscription to the International Journal of American Linguistics (IJAL)
  • the privilege of presentation at SSILA meetings
  • ability to publish your conference presentation materials on the SSILA website for wide distribution
  • access to SSILA conference presentation materials from prior years on the SSILA website
  • timely notice of issues pertinent to the Society through:
  • the ability to run for SSILA office and shape the direction of the Society and of Linguistics as a whole
  • tax-deductible dues and donations (for U.S. members)
  • access to the membership contact list, with information about areas of specialty
  • the opportunity to review conference presentation proposals and contribute to ensuring the quality of SSILA scholarly events
  • the opportunity to contribute towards the advancement of linguistics students by serving as a reviewer of student awards (non-student members only)
  • the opportunity, as a group, to assist linguists working with the Indigenous languages of our entire hemisphere through:
    • recognition awards (Hale, Haas, Golla, Best Student Presentation)
    • travel support (5 students to Austin in 2017)
  • the collegiality of a network of like-minded people

Charitable donations to SSILA (now a US 501(c)(3) non-profit organization) can be designated for any purpose such as travel support, awards, etc. To join or renew, go to http://www.ssila.org/members/join-or-renew/My thanks to all of you for your valuable work,Alice TaffSSILA President

Global Survey on Language Revitalization

Dear SSILA colleague,The Recovering Voices Initiative at the Smithsonian Institution’s Museum of Natural History is carrying out a survey of language revitalization programs worldwide. As part of our efforts, we are asking revitalization practitioners to please share their experience with us. This research is the first of its kind, and we expect that it will yield insights that are of value to practitioners involved in language revitalization around the world.We would be most grateful if you would be willing to take a moment to tell us about the language you are working to revitalize, and about your efforts to do so. You can access the survey in various language versions:

Chinese, Arabic, and Russian versions are coming soon and will be accessible through the Recovering Voices website at http://recoveringvoices.si.edu/research/associatedresearch.html.Please also share this call and relevant links with other language revitalization practitioners.  Should you have any questions please do not hesitate to contact Gabriela Pérez Báez at perezbaezg@si.edu.

Is your SSILA membership expired? Here's how to check and renew!

Is your SSILA membership expired? Are you not sure? Here's how to check, and renew your membership if needed!

  1. Go to http://www.ssila.org/members/member-login/.
  2. Login if you haven't already.
  3. Click on Manage Membership.
  4. Under the section titled Your Member Status, it states the date your membership expires.
  5. Has your membership expired? Click the link that says Renew Your Membership or IJAL Subscription here. (Or go to the Members option in the menu, and click Join or Renew.)
  6. Choose which items you'd like to purchase, and click the button that says Add to Cart.
  7. In your cart (on the right side of the page), click the yellow Checkout with Paypal button to complete your purchase.

If you have any questions, feel free to email the webmaster at webmaster@ssila.org.

Webinar: Documenting Endangered Languages Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants

DEL DDRIG Webinar

December 5, 2016 2:00 PM toDecember 5, 2016 3:30 PM

The DEL DDRIG solicitation, 16-617, was recently published. The solicitation can be found at https://www.nsf.gov/pubs/2016/nsf16617/nsf16617.htm. This webinar will provide information for the preparation of proposals to be submitted to the Documenting Endangered Language Program (DEL) for Doctoral Dissertation Research Improvement Grants (DDRIG).The webinar is scheduled for 2 pm EST, Monday December 5. It will last an hour and a half and there will be time for questions.Registration required. Register at: https://nsf.webex.com/nsf/j.php?RGID=r729dd54b7e50587827e8c7c7358905e2.Meeting number (access code): 742 845 353Meeting password: DELDDRIGs@2016Contact: Dr. Colleen Fitzgerald, Program Director for Documenting Endangered Languages cfitzger@nsf.gov

LSA 2017 Fellowship for students and faculty of Tribal Colleges and Universities

The Linguistic Society of America (LSA) and the Endangered Language Fund is partnering with the American Indian Higher Education Consortium (AIHEC), to learn from Tribal Colleges & Universities (TCUs) how linguists can support their language research and revitalization goals, and to foster ongoing collaborations with TCU students/faculty and linguists through identifying potential sources of support for such collaborations.Twenty fellowships, which cover travel, lodging, meals, and conference registration to the LSA Annual Meeting and the Workshop (January 5-8, 2017 in Austin, Texas), will be awarded through an application process to TCU students/faculty.  Each participant will be paired with a linguistics faculty or graduate student mentor throughout the conference.More information about the project and a link to the application can be found at the following link:http://www.linguisticsociety.org/content/building-capacity-linguistics-and-endangered-languages-tribal-colleges-and-universitiesApplication deadline: November 9, 2016, 5 PM, EST

Native American Studies position at Southern Oregon University (SOU)

The Southern Oregon University (SOU) Native American Studies program invites applications for a tenure track faculty position in Native American Studies at the Assistant (possibly Associate) Professor level.The person in this position will demonstrate a strong commitment to undergraduate teaching and mentoring, and will contribute to the development of the Native American Studies program (see http://www.sou.edu/natam/index.html). This person should be able to teach the core three-quarter sequence in Native American Studies (NAS 201, 301, and 410) along with other courses to be determined according to the person’s areas of interest and program needs. This person’s specialization is open, but the program is especially interested in furthering course offerings on topics in language, ecology, and ethnobotany in a way that supports the tribal communities around SOU. This person will be a scholar-practitioner who can advance the program’s objectives of furthering Native American Studies across the wider community and of integrating Native American needs and perspectives into teaching, scholarship, and service.Read the full job posting at the link below:https://jobs.sou.edu/postings/5659