Language Invention in Linguistics Pedagogy

Description

This book is the first to explore the varied ways in which invented languages can be used to teach languages and linguistics in university courses. Renowned scholars and junior researchers show how using invented languages can appeal to a wider range of students, and can help those students to develop the fundamental skills of linguistic analysis.

• The first volume to explore the use of language invention and constructed languages for pedagogical purposes
• Examines data on the effectiveness of using invented languages for teaching in a variety of educational contexts
• Provides examples of assignments and approaches that can be used in the classroom
• Includes contributions from linguists who have directly contributed to the rise of constructed languages in popular media

About the Author(s)

Edited by Jeffrey Punske, Assistant Professor, Dept of Linguistics, Southern Illinois University, Nathan Sanders, Assistant Professor, Dept of Linguistics, University of Toronto, and Amy V. Fountain, Associate Professor, Dept of Linguistics, University of Arizona

Jeffrey Punske is Assistant Professor in the Department of Linguistics at Southern Illinois University. His primary research focus is in morphosyntax with a secondary specialization in linguistics pedagogy and outreach. He has presented on issues of language at workshops hosted by the European Space Agency and METI and works to cross disciplinary boundaries and to advance the methodologies and discourses around linguistic pedagogy and outreach.

Nathan Sanders is Assistant Professor, Teaching Stream, at the Department of Linguistics, University of Toronto. He works on innovations in linguistics pedagogy and on addressing equity, diversity, and inclusion in the linguistics classroom. His linguistic research centers on biomechanics and perception, for both speech and sign languages. He also works on phonological theory, computational and statistical models of linguistic phenomena, language change, and linguistic typology.

Amy V. Fountain is Associate Professor, Career Track, in the Department of Linguistics at the University of Arizona. She has taught introductory linguistics and a range of other courses at the University of Arizona since 2004. Her research focuses on language reclamation, revitalization, and endangerment, particularly with reference to Native American languages; she is also interested in prosodic phonology and the relationship between morphology and phonology.

Table of Contents

1:Introduction, Jeffrey Punske, Nathan Sanders, and Amy V. Fountain
2:A primer on constructed languages, Nathan Sanders
3:Budding linguists and how to find them, Arika Okrent
4:The linguistics of Arrival: Heptapods, field linguistics, and Universal Grammar, Jessica Coon
5:Three conlang projects at three educational levels, David Adger and Coppe van Urk
6:The design(ing) of language, Grant Goodall
7:Using language invention to teach typology and cross-linguistic universals, Matt Pearson
8:Teaching invented languages to the undergraduate major: A capstone course, Angela C. Carpenter
9:Teaching invented languages as an introductory course: Unfamiliar territory, James A. Berry
10:Bringing language construction from the classroom to the community, Carrie Gillon, Edward Delmonico, Randi Martinez, and Spencer Morrell
11:The interdisciplinarity of conlangs: Moving beyond linguistics, Nathan Sanders and Christine Schreyer
12: Teaching Proto-Indo-European as a constructed language, Brenna Reinhart Byrd and Andrew Miles Byrd
13: Learning about language through language invention: "I was really proud of the language I created", Skye J. Anderson, Shannon T. Bischoff, Jeffrey Punske, and Amy V. Fountain
14:Extraterrestrial message construction: Guidelines for the use of xenolinguistics in the classroom, Sheri Wells-Jenson and Kimberly Spallinger
15:Artistry in language invention: Conlang pedagogy and the instructor as authority, David J. Peterson

Reviews

"Students can unfold their creativity while at the same time learning about phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and other areas of linguistics." - Geertje Graehn, Lingoblog.dk

"This book is ideal for students of applied linguistics, sociolinguistics, historical linguistics, and language acquisition, in addition to teachers, and researchers wishing to learn about invented languages. Overall, this book is a valuable source that provides frameworks for understanding the use of language invention in linguistics pedagogy. Researchers can consult this volume for directions of current constructed language research and readers do not need to have any familiarity with conlangs before reading the book." - Asmaa Shehata, University of Mississippi, LINGUIST List

"Linguists consider their object of study as part of the natural world. But language is also something we can create. The contributions in this book show how an emphasis on the artificial rather than the natural can help create enthusiasm about linguistics and insight into language, among school children and university students alike." - Marc van Oostendorp, Royal Netherlands Academy of Arts and Sciences and Radboud University Nijmegen

"This lively volume from well-respected conlangers, teachers, and linguists convincingly makes the case that invented languages can be used as a creative pedagogical tool to introduce students to linguistics. The chapters argue that conlanging in the classroom will allow us to reach a broader student population and better train budding linguists." - Eric Potsdam, University of Florida