Conference: Language Variety in the South

University Of Georgia Research Foundation Inc, Athens GA

Investigators

Abstract

The fifth meeting of Language Variety in the South (LAVIS V), held once per decade, builds on and extends the academic foundation of the previous four LAVIS meetings, which have brought together prominent linguists and researchers in the United States for a thematic symposium to examine issues of language variation and change in the US South. Past LAVIS conferences have focused on the role of African American English, and on language variation and central questions about sociolinguistic methodologies, analysis, description, and application of sociolinguistic data in the regional context of the American South. More recently, and especially in LAVIS V, a greater variety of ethnic groups is considered. This meeting continues and expands upon this tradition by exploring language in the "Changing South," a region that has undergone dramatic demographic, social, and cultural change in the past half-century. This conference and the resultant publication raise awareness (both inside and outside academia) of linguistic and cultural diversity in the South, helping to dispel misconceptions and stereotypes. The Language Variety in the South (LAVIS V) conference features four plenary events including three plenary talks and a panel on African American English that features speakers from three different generations. The balance of the conference offers papers contributed by linguists and other interested scholars about topics relevant to the languages and language variation of the South. LAVIS V is held in conjunction with the annual meeting of the Southeastern Conference on Linguistics, thereby expanding its audience and reach. This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.