[click on title to view abstract of talk (if available)]
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September - December 2011

September 7
Jaklin Kornfilt and John Whitman
Genitive Subjects in TP Nominalizations
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

September 14
Bryan Gick
Rethinking Linguocentrism: It's Sphincters All the Way Down
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

September 28
Meagan Louie
Achieving 'Exceeds Expectations': Blackfoot's aspectual morpheme omaa
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

October 5
Sonja Thoma
Bavarian German Discourse Particles are not a natural class
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

October 12
Henry Davis
Maximality in Gitxsan
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

October 19
Anita Szakay
The Effect of Dialect on Bilingual Language Processing and Representation
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

October 26
Jonathan Strang and David Winters
UBC Copyright Policy
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

November 2
Lisa Matthewson and other NELS practice talks
How (not) to uncover cross-linguistic variation
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

November 9
Martina Wiltschko
The Anatomy of a Universal Category: Developing Discovery Procedures
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

November 16
Noriko Yamane
Place of Japanese Moraic Nasal
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

November 30
Joash Johannes
The pre-prefix in Nata: A multiple-interface account
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103
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January - April 2011

January 12
Molly Babel, Grant McGuire, Teresa Miller, Joseph King, and Alyssa Satterwhite
Vocal attractiveness and its relationship to gender prototypicality and speech clarity
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

January 19
Atsushi Fujimori
Morpho-phonology of Yamato-Japanese verb stems
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

January 26
Henry Davis
Some relatively puzzling phenomena in Gitxsan
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location TFS 103

February 2
Lisa Matthewson
Modals and the future in Gitxsan
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

February 9
Jennifer Abel, Adriano Vilela Barbosa, Alexis Black, Connor Mayer, and Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson
The labial viseme reconsidered: Evidence from production and perception
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

March 2
Rose-Marie Dechaine and Martina Wiltschko
Micro-variation in Agreement, Clause-typing and Finiteness: Comparative Evidence from Blackfoot and Plains Cree
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

March 9
Amelia Reis Silva
Modal strength and temporal orientation of modals: a view from Sikksikáipoahsin (Blackfoot)
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

March 16
Jennifer Glougie (UBC) and Jonathan Hanvelt (Banister & Company)
Linguistic Proficiency and Human Rights; the case for language as a protected ground
Location: TFS 103

March 23
Heather Bliss and Bettina Gruber
Decomposing Blackfoot Proclitics
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

April 6
Frederick J Newmeyer
Can One Language be more ‘Complex’ than Another? Attempting to Measure Linguistic Complexity
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

Thursday, April 14
2010-2011 Field Methods Class
End-of-term Presentations
Time: 10:00-12:00
Location: TFS 103

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September - December 2010

September 8

First Year Student Orientation
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103
Further details to come.

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September 15

Special Seminar: Grants-writing for grad students
Time: 12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

Note that the grants writing seminar will be preceded by a short orientation session on the new AV equipment.

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September 22

Lisa Matthewson
Title: On why 'You should have had a haircut' is an insult, but 'You must have had a haircut' is not: The non-existence of epistemic 'should.
Abstract: See below for attachment (MatthewsonEvidentialsAbstract)

Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

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September 29

Susan Atkey - Linguistics librarian
Title: Everything you've ever wanted to know about library resources for you, the linguist.

Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

Link Susan Atkey

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October 6

Dennis Storoshenko
Title: Eight is Enough: The Shona Reflexive as Default Object Agreement.
Abstract: See below for attachment (ShonaAbstractDRS) Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

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October 13

Martina Wiltschko and Heather Bliss (with Elizabeth Ritter, University of Calgary)
Title: A Comparison of direct/inverse marking in Blackfoot and Nishnaabemwin

Abstract: This paper has three goals. The empirical goal is to compare and contrast the morphology and syntax of the direct/inverse systems of two Algonquian languages, Blackfoot and Nishnaabemwin, with an aim to demonstrating that direct/inverse markers do not constitute a natural class. Not only do the two languages differ in their marking of direct/inverse, but language-internal variation is observed across orders, or clause types.

The analytical goal is to account for the variation observed in the direct/inverse paradigms by proposing that direct/inverse markers are distributed across different syntactic positions. This itself is not a new idea – see Brittain (1999) and Déchaine and Reinholtz (1997). Although similar in spirit, our analysis diverges from those of Brittain and Déchaine and Reinholtz by focusing on the division between the core pattern of direct/inverse (interactions between local and non-local participants) and the extensions to this pattern (exclusively local or non-local participants, or in the case of Nishnaabemwin, interactions involving inanimate actors). Specifically, we claim that the core pattern involves Point-of-View (POV), which we analyse as an aspectual head located above vP and that the extensions to the core pattern are agreement morphemes realized elsewhere.

The theoretical goal is to situate our analysis within the context of Ritter & Wiltschko’s (2009) Parametric Substantiation Hypothesis, which states that Universal Grammar supplies a fixed set of functional categories, organized along a universal clausal spine, but that languages differ in the content they assign to these categories. We argue that direct/inverse marking in Blackfoot and Nishnaabemwin occupies the functional categories of Inner and Outer Aspect, and show how it is functionally equivalent to Viewpoint and Situation Aspect in a Tense-based language like English. The methodological implication of this approach is that if a language appears to lack a certain category, we should seek a category with the same function but different substantive content.

Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

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October 20

James Crippen
Title: Tlingit: Analysis and Problems

Abstract: The Tlingit language is a Na-Dene (aka Athabaskan-Eyak-Tlingit) language of Southeast Alaska and neighboring parts of BC and the Yukon. Although well documented in terms of available texts and recordings, there has been relatively little research on its sounds and structure, with almost all extant work concentrated on historical phonology. In hopes of inspiring some interest in the language beyond my own, I will present some basic facts about Tlingit and outline a few of the many problematic issues in phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, and semantics.

Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

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November 3

Carmela Toews
Title: Future Expressions in Siamou AND Siamou Tone.
Abstract: In this talk, I give an overview of the tone system of Siamou, a Niger-Congo language of the Kru family, presenting some of the analytical possibilities and framing a number of questions that need to be answered before a complete analysis can be provided. I show, first of all, that syllables have one of eight tone melodies: three level tones ((H)igh, (M)id, (L)ow), two falling tones (HM and HL), one complex tone (MHM), and two tones (labeled M* and MH) which usually surface as level mid tones, but which have underlying complexity. The melodies M, M* and MH are homophonous in most contexts, but I give three contexts in which they are contrastive. Secondly, I discuss what the tone-bearing unit might be. Finally, I present possible underlying phonological representations for the tone melodies, and show how they explain some of the ways in which the tone melodies pattern.

and see below for attachment (Toews research seminar abstract 2010)
Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

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November 10

Beth Rogers
Title: A proposal for investigating the effect of visual feedback on production: Research design and pilot study results.

Abstract:Feedback plays an important role in the production of speech. Both auditory and somatosensory feedback have been investigated by many researchers (e.g. Houde and Jordan 1998, Tremblay et al 2003, Larson et al 2008) and it has been shown that this type of information is important in the control and maintenance of speech targets. We might ask, however, what other sources of feedback could be integrated during speech production? Visual information can dramatically influence the perception of speech, most famously demonstrated by the McGurk Effect (McGurk and MacDonald 1976). But the presence or absence of visual information can also affect the development of speech production targets, as shown by recent research comparing blind and sighted speakers (Ménard et al 2008). The question of whether online visual feedback influences speech production is a natural extension of this prior research and is the focus of my dissertation research. In this talk I will present the experimental design for the first set of experiments as well as preliminary results from a pilot study. My goal in presenting my work at this early stage is to collect feedback and suggestions before the main experiment is run, so spirited discussion will be encouraged!

Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

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November 17

Martina Wiltschko
Title: On the relation between sound, meaning and category. Or: Suspicious homophones anyone?
Abstract: Languages often have forms that appear to have different meanings depending on their linguistic context. This is true for lexical categories as well as functional categories. In my research I often use this kind of polysemy (one form several meanings/functions) as an argument for particular analyses.

I am currently trying to understand the significance of polysemy for the architecture of grammar. In so doing I attempt to make a model available which allows us to utilize the patterns of polysemy within and across languages (rather than dumping it into the waste basket of (more or less accidental) homophony).

The purpose of this presentation is twofold. First, to present this ongoing research, with some preliminary results and short case-studies. And second, to solicit cases of suspicious homophones that you may have encountered in whatever language you are working on and that may help to shed light on the patterns of polysemy we encounter across the languages of the world.

So if you have ever encountered a form that seems to mean different things in different linguistic contexts and if you have the suspicion that this pattern is in fact not accidental, I would love to hear from you.

Time:12:15-1:45
Location: TFS 103

January - April 2010

[click on title to view abstract (if available)]

Wednesday, January 6
Concurrency, coordination and synchrony in communicative behavior
Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, January 13
Language and gesture in Plains Cree
Rose-Marie Déchaine, Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson, and others
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, January 20
When and why can 1st and 2nd person pronouns be bound variables?
Rose-Marie Déchaine and Martina Wiltschko
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, January 27
Practice talks for WSCLA 15 (Part 1)
Solveiga Armoskaite, Heather Bliss & Gunnar Ólafur Hansson, Meagan Louie
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, February 3
Practice talks for WSCLA 15 (Part 2)
Analía Gutierrez
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 3
1≠2=3: on person in sign language
Kees de Schepper (joint work with Emar Maier, Peia Prawiro-Atmodjo and Martine Zwets)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 10
Audio and visual information in identifying /f/ and /θ/ for multiple talkers
Molly Babel
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 17
Discourse new, focus and F-marking
Michael Rochemont
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 24
NO SEMINAR (extracurricular department meeting)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 31
Error-driven learning in phonological and morphological development
Joe Stemberger
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, April 7
NO SEMINAR (CANCELLED)

Wednesday, April 14
Presentations from Field Methods class (various students)

TFS 103, 12:15 pm

September - December 2009

Wednesday, September 16
On non-modal evidentials
Lisa Matthewson
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, September 23
SPECIAL COLLOQUIUM
Why does human language encode information linearly? An insight from Nicaraguan Sign Language and children's gestures
Sotaro Kita (University of Birmingham)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, October 28
Quantification in St'át’imcets: A scope opera in three acts
Henry Davis
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, November 4
Epistemic must, evidential signals, and dimensions of meaning
Will Salmon (Dept. of English, UBC)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, November 25 There tried to be a solution to this problem: Control verbs with expletive arguments
Susannah Kirby
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, December 9
Field Methods Poster Presentations
Assorted members of the Term 1 Field Methods class
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

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January - April 2009

Wednesday, January 14
Contrastive coronal click types in !Xung
Amanda Miller
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, January 28
Practice talks for Mass/Count Workshop (Univ. of Toronto, Feb 7-8)
Solveiga Armoskaite, Ileana Paul, Martina Wiltschko
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, February 25
Transitivity and event structure in Skwxwu7mesh
Peter Jacobs
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 4
What can we learn from conversational corpora about the nature of grammar?
Frederick J. Newmeyer
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 11
Feature economy in phonological inventories
Scott Mackie
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 18
SPECIAL COLLOQUIUM:
Extreme degree modification
Marcin Morzycki (Michigan State University)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, March 25
SPECIAL COLLOQUIUM:
Exploring patterns in generic sentences
Greg Carlson (University of Rochester)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, April 1
Practice talks for WSCLA 14 (Purdue University, Apr 3-5)
Heather Bliss, Martina Wiltschko
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, April 8
Current research in pragmatics
Crosslinguistic Pragmatics Research Group
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

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September - December 2008

Wednesday, September 17
Presentations of ongoing faculty research
UBC Linguistics faculty members
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, September 24
Atemporal Anchoring of Individuals, Events and Sub-Events in Blackfoot
Meagan Louie
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, October 1
Presentations of ongoing dissertation research
UBC Linguistics PhD candidates
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, October 8
The North American Computational Linguistics Olympiad (and how you can get involved)
Patrick Littell
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, October 15
Current research on Blackfoot at UBC Linguistics
Blackfoot Research Group
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, October 22
Moods vs. Modals in St’át’imcets and Beyond
Lisa Matthewson
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, October 29
Panel Discussion: Gradient Phenomena in Linguistics
Moderator: Jason Brown
Discussants: Joe Stemberger, Gunnar Hansson, Martina Wiltschko, Eric Vatikiotis-Bateson
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, November 5
Current research on cross-linguistic pragmatics
Lisa Matthewson & Hotze Rullmann
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, November 12
SPECIAL COLLOQUIUM:
When Agreement is for Number and Gender but not Person
Mark C. Baker (Rutgers University)
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

Wednesday, November 19
Non-Exhaustive Parsing: Phonetic and Phonological Evidence from St'át'imcets
Marion Caldecott
TFS 103, 12:15 pm

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