Linguistics at Memorial

Linguistics is the scientific study of human language. Linguists explore language structure, language variation, language change, the development of language, as well as the psychology and biology of language.

Memorial has the only linguistics department in Atlantic Canada. Our students actively participate in faculty research and have access to facilities such as the Speech Sciences and Language Acquisition Lab and the Indigenous Languages Laboratory and Archive.

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Events

Brown Bag Luncheon with the President

Science Building, SN 2025

Jan 22, 2024

News

Assistant Professor - Syntactic Theory (Department of Linguistics)

Innu-aimun, an Indigenous language of Labrador and Quebec, is in the early stages of attrition. To assess and address the issue, Memorial’s Department of Linguistics is collaborating with Mamu Tshishkutamashutau Innu Education (MTIE) on two projects working towards the preservation of thsi INdiegenosu language. Dr. Nicholas Welch, Memorial’s Canada Research Chair in change, adaptation and revitalization of Indigenous languages, and Kanani Davis, chief executive officer of MTIE, are co-leading the projects. Read more in the Gazette.

Decolonizing Education: Toward Cognitive and Social Justice

Location: Online: Zoom

Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 9:30 AM - Thursday, September 14, 2023 at 11:00 AM

Dr Marie Battiste is Special Advisor to the Vice President Academic and to Unama’ki College (Cape Breton University) presents a talk on Decolonizing the Academy.

In this talk, Dr Battiste delves into the persisting challenges surrounding educational equity for Indigenous peoples in Canadian universities and beyond. Despite decades of efforts to bridge gaps in curriculum, research, and access, the achievements, knowledge, histories, and perspectives of Indigenous communities often remain overlooked, rejected, marginalized, or underutilized within academic institutions. Furthermore, universities tend to express their commitment to Indigenous inclusion in ways that inadvertently perpetuate Eurocentric and colonial perspectives under the banners of excellence, integration, and modernity.

Dr Battiste offers a transformative approach to postsecondary education, one that has the potential to pave the way for more profound decolonization efforts in research, policy development, and the overall experience of Indigenous students and teachers. By shedding light on these challenges and advocating for a more inclusive and respectful approach, this presentation provides a crucial step toward creating a more equitable educational landscape for Indigenous communities in Canada and beyond.

All are welcome to attend this talk which is happening online via zoom, and you can register by going to the following link: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/kd75s2b

Url: https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/ev/reg/kd75s2b

Ft url: /linguistics/decolonizing-education-toward-cognitive-and-social-justice.php

Brown Bag Luncheon with the President

Location: Science Building, SN 2025

Monday, January 22, 2024 at 12:00 PM - Monday, January 22, 2024 at 1:00 PM

Faculty, staff, and students are invited to a brown bag luncheon with Dr. Neil Bose, President and Vice-Chancellor, pro tempore, on Monday, January 22, 2024 at 12:00 p.m. in SN2025.

Url:

Ft url: /linguistics/brown-bag-luncheon-with-the-president.php