Purdue University’s School of Language and Cultures is Seeking Papers

Purdue University’s School of Language and Cultures is seeking graduate research papers for their 14th Annual Graduate Student Symposium.

Throughout history, previously isolated groups have come into contact with outsiders, in terms of customs, religion, and language. These interactions can yield varying results based on the specific circumstances of the cultural meeting. How well do two groups unknown to each other successfully communicate across cultural boundaries? What are the literary, linguistic, socio-political and cultural outcomes of such communication? How do cross-cultural interactions alter the way original members of the same group communicate? Research into specific interactions of this type can reveal patterns in the nature of human language and communication, as well as provide an insight into certain aspects of cultural and literary production across merging borders.

The Purdue University School of Languages and Cultures invites graduate students to submit original research whose results contribute to an understanding of communication across cultural, geographic and linguistic boundaries. This symposium aims to foment discussion surrounding an issue of ever more importance in the United States and across the globe as technology and globalization shift the way humans interact toward an ever more connected society. The struggle between conformity and maintenance of individual and cultural diversity merits special focus in a time of such unprecedented social change.

Abstracts are to be written in English and limited to one page (an extra page may be allowed for references, figures and tables). Individual and panel submissions are welcome from a variety of fields, including but not limited to:

Language Acquisition

Transatlantic Literature
Second Language Studies Colonial Studies
Applied Linguistics Gender and Sexuality Studies
Sociolinguistics Communication
Historical Linguistics Sociology
Phonetics/Phonology Education
Syntax/Semantics American Studies
Pragmatics Cultural Studies
Bilingualism Film Studies
Cognitive Studies Comparative Literature
Anthropology Literature

  Send abstracts to Lauren Miller at mille957@purdue.edu by Dec. 10th. 2013.