- Abstracts for the 2011 Annual Meeting are due by July 31 at 11:59 p.m. US Eastern Time. Technical support for abstract submission will be unavailable after 5:00 p.m. US Eastern Time on Friday, July 30. Read more ...
- Cast your vote by August 17 on the LSA's Resolution on the Teachers' English Fluency Initiative in Arizona.
- The LSA has updated its procedures for proposing and enacting resolutions. Read more ....
- Nominations for the 2011 Class of LSA Fellows must be received at the Secretariat by Friday 30 July. Read more ...
What We Do
The mission of the LSA is to advance the scientific study of language. The LSA aspires to a world in which the essential nature of language and its central role in human life is well understood.
To fulfill its mission, the LSA has established the following goals:
- To promote the scientific study of language via the publication, presentation, and discussion of linguistic scholarship.
- To foster interaction and communication among scholars interested in the scientific study of language.
- To support scholars interested in the scientific study of language in the pursuit of their professional goals.
- To educate and inform the public and the broader scientific community about the scientific study of language.
The LSA has adopted a Long-range Strategic Plan to guide the Society in achieving these goals. To learn more, please view the LSA's Long-range Strategic Plan. The Programs of the LSA are focused in the following areas:
Publications
Language
The LSA publishes a quarterly journal, Language, consisting of major articles and shorter reports of original research, as well as review articles and book reviews. Journal articles cover all areas of the field and from all theoretical frameworks. Language is viewed as a prestigious publication and receives far more submissions than it can possibly publish.
eLanguage
Another source of academic research provided by the LSA is eLanguage.net, which was recently launched to make current findings from a wide selection of linguistic subfields available to a global readership. eLanguage is both a digital "family" of independent, specialized journals that publish peer-reviewed research articles and a source of book notices and news relevant to linguists around the world. All content in eLanguage is "open access", meaning it is available to any linguistically interested person with an Internet connection, free of charge and without restrictions.
Meetings and Institutes
Annual Meetings
In early January, the LSA sponsors an Annual Meeting, at which nearly 300 papers and posters are typically presented. Special events include the Presidential address, invited lectures, topical workshops, and the LSA business meeting. There is also a book exhibit and a job placement service. Other groups have chosen to hold their meetings at the same time (and typically within the same hotel), including the American Dialect Society (ADS), the American Name Society (ANS), the North American Association for the History of Language Sciences (NAAHoLS), the Society for Pidgin and Creole Linguistics, and the Society for the Study of the Indigenous Languages of the Americas (SSILA). Recent meetings have been in Albuquerque (2006), Anaheim (2007), Chicago (2008), San Francisco (2009), and Baltimore (2010).
Linguistic Institutes
The LSA sponsors a biennial summer Linguistic Institute at which more than 400 participants (students and scholars) choose from a wide range of courses, seminars, and workshops presented by leading scholars in virtually every area of linguistics. With courses offered at all levels, institute attendees can explore new areas or catch up on recent developments in areas not offered at their home institutions. Recent LSA Linguistic Institutes have been held at the University of California, Berkeley (2009); Stanford University (2007); MIT/Harvard University (2005); Michigan State University (2003); and the University of California, Santa Barbara (2001). In 2011, the Linguistic Institute will be held at the University of Colorado at Boulder.
Summer Meetings
The LSA occasionally sponsors a Summer Meeting, which focuses on issues of particular concern to graduate students. The 2006 Summer Meeting, the first summer meeting since 1982, was hosted by Michigan State University. The 2008 Summer Meeting was hosted by Ohio State University. Universities or organizations interested in hosting a future meeting should contact David Robinson, Director of Membership and Meetings.
Professional Resources and Advocacy
The LSA serves as a resource for the linguistics profession, and advocates for its policy and research agenda. Professional development programming is offered at our meetings, on our website, and through the work of various LSA committees throughout the year. LSA Committees focused on professional issues and resources include:
- The Advisory to Programs Subcommittee provides assistance and/or information to any department or program whose future may be threatened or in jeopardy due to serious problems, financial or otherwise, at its institution.
- The Committee on Endangered Languages and their Preservation (CELP) explores ways that individuals and institutions can offer assistance and support to maintain and revitalize language varieties in language communities at risk of, or currently experiencing, significant language or dialect loss; it assists institutions in offering training and degree programs oriented to the preparation of grammars and dictionaries of threatened and poorly documented languages.
- The Committee on Ethnic Diversity in Linguistics (CEDL) explores ways to promote greater ethnic diversity in linguistics, including communication, networking, and mentoring between minority students and professional linguists.
- The Committee on Social and Political Policies advises the Society on policies concerning official responses of the Society to such issues as political pressures affecting the ability of linguists to pursue their research and legislation concerning language or linguistic rights.
- The Committee on the Status of Women in Linguistics (COSWL) monitors and advances the status of women in linguistics and encourages research on women and language.
- The Linguistics in Higher Education Committee focuses on issues of training and workforce development in academia, including data collection and resource development.
- The Ethics Committee serves as a resource for the linguistics community to promote the highest standards of ethical research and professional conduct.
- The Committee on Student Issues and Concerns addresses the needs of both undergraduate and graduate students, serving as an advocate for their interests within both the LSA and the broader linguistics community.
The LSA recognizes the professional contributions of linguists to enhancing public understanding and in advancing the discipline of linguists through a series of awards. These include the Leonard Bloomfield Book Award; the Linguistics, Language, and the Public Award, the Linguistic Service Award, the Kenneth L. Hale Award, and the Victoria A. Fromkin Lifetime Service Award.
The LSA's advocacy agenda is achieved through its partnerships with many organizations and stakeholders in the policy arena. LSA officers and staff participate in the efforts of groups such as the Consortium of Social Science Associations, the Coalition for National Science Funding, the National Humanities Alliance, and the American Council of Learned Societies, to ensure funding and representation at federal, state and local levels. The LSA also maintains reciprocal relationships with other professional societies, such as the American Council on the Teaching of Foreign Languages and the American Association for the Advancement of Science, that share our commitment to scholarly research and the need for adequate public support of such work. The LSA issues official statements and resolutions on issues of interest to the public and the profession while working to inform the news media, academics, and other scientists about the role of languages and linguistics in society. Finally, the LSA supports networking activities among linguists and other language professionals through its website, its committee activities, and through academic and professional development activities at its Annual Meeting.
The LSA website houses a broad array of resources and information on a variety of professional topics and items of interest. These include job listings, a news service, a book exchange, an academic depository of curriculum materials, publisher's discounts, information for students, and links to external resources.
Public Education
The LSA is committed to increasing public understanding about the role and value of language to our society. We accomplish this through the development and dissemination of materials on our own and other websites, in printed brochures, media interviews, and other forms of public outreach.
The LSA publishes a series of educational and authoritative pamphlets on language-related issues. These pamphlets, published as FAQs, are available in both online (pdf) and hardcopy format. Clearly written for the layperson, they have been used as instructional aids in Linguistics courses, information sessions for undergraduate majors, and in outreach to professionals outside of the field.
The LSA maintains two committees focused on public education activities:
- The Committee on Language in the School Curriculum explores and pursues ways in which the linguistics community can have an effect on K-12 instruction in language-related topics, including grammar, reading, language arts, and linguistics.
- The Public Relations Committee works to inform the news media about the relevance of linguistics research to societal well-being and its application to everyday living.
The LSA website includes information for the general public on a wide range of topics, including information for prospective students considering an undergraduate major in linguistics.
