Center for Language Acquisition at the Pennsylvania State University

Conferences




The Conference on "Diaspora and Language" will be held at Penn State University on April 10th and 11th, 2009.

Keynote lectures will be delivered by the following distinguished scholars:

1. Arthur Spears, Professor of Linguistics and Anthropology, The Graduate Center, City University of New York

2. Valentine E. Daniel, Professor of Anthropology, Columbia University3. Jo Anne Kleifgen, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University.

In addition, faculty members from diverse departments of PSU (i.e., Comparative Literature, Labor Studies, African and African American Studies, Latino/a Studies, History, Women's Studies, and the Asian Studies Program will present in four different panels, focusing on areas such as Literture and Arts, Labor Relations, Culture and Identity, History, and Health. The conference will also present narratives from multicultural students at Penn State reflecting on their diapora connections and identities.



Diaspora and Language Conference Program

Sponsored by the Migration Studies Project and the Center for Language Acquisition, with support from the Department of Labor and Employment Relations at Penn State University.

Friday, April 10 in Heritage Hall, HUB-Robeson Center

12-1:15 p.m. Welcome and Keynote Address

Arthur Spears, Professor, Linguistics and Anthropology, City University of New York

1:15-1:45 p.m. Break (tea, coffee)

1:45-3:15 p.m. Panel: Language and Literature

Chair: Eric Hayot, Director, Asian Studies Program

· Gabeba Baderoon, African and African American Studies: “Home and foreignness in South African literature”

· Larry Garenflo, Department of Landscape Architecture: “Biological and linguistic diversity”

· Alexander Huang, Comparative Literature: “Chinese action films”

3:15-3:30 p.m. Break

3:30-5:00 p.m. Panel: Globalization and Ethnicity

Chair: Melissa Wright, Geography, Women’s Studies, and Latin American Studies

· Robert Schrauf, Department of Applied Linguistics: “Globalization of Alzheimer's Disease”

· Daryl Thomas and Lynda Mhando, African and African American Studies: “Globalization, migration and the new political order”

· Melissa Wright, Geography, Women’s Studies, and Latin American Studies: “Militarization and Living the Border Life”



Saturday, April 11 in 112 Kern Building

9-10:00 a.m. Keynote Address

Valentine Daniel, Professor, Anthropology, Columbia University

10:00-10:15 a.m. Break (tea, coffee)

10:15-11:45 a.m. Panel: Migration and Labor
(Co-sponsored by the Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations)

Chair: Paul Clark, Head, Department of Labor Studies and Employment Relations

· Samanthi Gunawardene, Labor Studies: “Gender Development and Migration in Sri Lanka”

· Sumita Raghuram, Labor Studies: “Shifting identities in call agents: When simulation becomes real”

· Paul Clark, Labor Studies: “Migration of Nurses from Developing to Developed Countries”

11:45-1:00 p.m. Lunch break

1:00-2:00 p.m. Keynote Address

Jo Anne Kleifgen, Associate Professor of Linguistics and Education, Teachers College, Columbia University

2:00-3:30 p.m. Panel: Education

Chair: Meredith Doran, Department of Applied Linguistics

· Tina Chen, English: “"Comfort women" and the ethical implications of naming and teaching about such subjects”

· Youb Kim, Education: “Strengths-based instruction: Examples from an elementary ESL classroom”

· Kevin Thomas: African and African American Studies: “Assimilation processes and the English Language proficiency of the children of African immigrants in the US: Evidence from Census data”

· Steve Thorne, Applied Linguistics: “Remix practices and semiotic flows”

3:30-3:45 Break (tea, coffee)

3:45-4:45 Diaspora Life Stories Presentations
Presentations of essay contest winners and discussion of identity issues.

4:45-5:45 Local International Community Issues Panel and Discussion

5:45-6:15 Closing Remarks
Sinfree Makoni, Associate Professor of Applied Linguistics, Penn State University

For more information, contact Suresh Canagarajah, director of the Migration Studies Project, at asc16@psu.edu.

 

 

 

Essay Competition for PSU Undergraduates

Subject: "Life in the Diaspora"

Deadline: March 10, 2009

 


Who: PSU undergraduates with international family backgrounds


What: Student essays will focus on the experience of “life in the diaspora.” Diaspora refers to people and communities that have moved away from their traditional homelands to settle in other lands, and that enjoy a connectedness which spans national boundaries. Student essays may address various aspects of diaspora life, such as personal identity, community solidarity, family bonds, cultural values, and language use. For example:

How does one present one’s ethnic and cultural identity?

How can one maintain family bonds across differing countries, languages and cultural value systems?

Which cultural values does one live by, those of the family culture, or those of the ‘new’ culture?

What does citizenship mean for those who live a transnational life?

 

Prizes: Three prizes will be awarded: a first prize of $100, a second prize of $60, and a third prize of $40. In addition, up to eight contest finalists will be invited to read their essays on April 11, 2009 as part of a conference on “Diaspora and Language” at PSU.

 

Guidelines: Essays will be a maximum of 500 words, and should be submitted with a cover page containing the essay title, and the author’s name, year of studies and major, e-mail address, and local mailing address. The essay itself should not contain the author’s name, to facilitate anonymous review.

 

 

Deadline: essays must be submitted by March 10th, 2009, at the Department of Applied Linguistics (305 Sparks Building). For queries and email submissions, please contact Professor Canagarajah at asc16@psu.edu.

 

 

 

This essay competition is sponsored by the Migration Studies Project and the Center for Language Acquisition, to accompany the “Diaspora and Language” conference on April 10-11, 2009 at Penn State University Park.










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