ASIA OVER LUNCH LECTURE – Noon in 4130 Posvar. Please feel free to join us for this lecture – all are welcome to bring their lunch or a snack along if you wish and enjoy!
Sociolinguistics has long made use of matched-guise experimental methodology to separate out the effects of language on social attitudes (and vice-versa). Starting with Lambert et al’s 1967 study of Canadian bilinguals’ shift in attitudes toward a speaker depending on his choice of French or English, sociolinguists have discovered some truth to the refrain: “You’re not hearing what I’m saying!” “That’s okay; you’re not saying what I’m hearing.” However, most matched-guise studies have examined native speakers’ attitudes toward other native users of their linguistic code. This project takes a formal approach to anecdotal evidence that native Chinese speakers have higher expectations for Chinese language competence from people of Chinese heritage than they do for non-Chinese people. The confirmation of this suspicion has implications not just for heritage-language speakers of Chinese of varying competencies, but also for Chinese-as-a-foreign-language students of varying backgrounds.

Please note that during the fall term, this series will be held on Wednesdays. In spring term, it will return to its usual Thursday schedule. Everyone is welcome to attend.