Georgetown University November 17, 2009 PRESENTATION Networking for Linguists MLC Brown Bag Series

1 Networking Workshop Goals for today’s workshop:  Fill your back pocket with a couple variations of an elevator pitch to explain your studies and career interests to non- linguists  Use linguistic tools to rehearse your responses to predictable introductory questions  Build short-term goals to help you keep momentum with your networking  Share your networking tips with your classmates

2 Activity: Introductory Questions 1)Reply to the question In three different ways (A3 or A4) 2) Analyze your responses using a linguistic tool such as face, framing, audience analysis, stance, etc. Q1: What do you do? A1: I’m a grad student. Q2: What are you studying? Q2: Linguistics. Q3: How many languages do you speak? A3: Q4: So, what are you gonna do with that? A4:

3 Dictionary definition lin ⋅ guis ⋅ tics –noun (used with a singular verb ) the science of language, including phonetics, phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics, pragmatics, and historical linguistics. ORIGIN 1850–55; see LINGUISTIC, -ICSLINGUISTIC-ICS SOURCE:

4 Journal of Sociolinguistics Now publishing 5 issues per volume, Journal of Sociolinguistics has established itself as an international forum for multidisciplinary research on language and society. Journal of Sociolinguistics promotes sociolinguistics as a thoroughly linguistic and thoroughly social-scientific endeavour. The journal is concerned with language in all its dimensions, macro and micro, as formal features or abstract discourses, as situated talk or written text. Data in published articles represent a wide range of languages, regions and situations - from Alune to Xhosa, from Cameroun to Canada, from bulletin boards to dating ads. SOURCE:

5 Walt Wolfram The basic notion underlying sociolinguistics is quite simple: Language use symbolically represents fundamental dimensions of social behavior and human interaction. The notion is simple, but the ways in which language reflects behavior can often be complex and subtle. Furthermore, the relationship between language and society affects a wide range of encounters--from broadly based international relations to narrowly defined interpersonal relationships. Sociolinguists might investigate questions such as how mixed-gender conversations differ from single-gender conversations, how differential power relations manifest themselves in language forms, how caregivers let children know the ways in which language should be used, or how language change occurs and spreads to communities. SOURCE: LSA Website

6 Connie Eble Sociolinguistics is the study of how language serves and is shaped by the social nature of human beings. In its broadest conception, sociolinguistics analyzes the many and diverse ways in which language and society entwine. This vast field of inquiry requires and combines insights from a number of disciplines, including linguistics, sociology, psychology and anthropology. Sociolinguistics examines the interplay of language and society, with language as the starting point. Variation is the key concept, applied to language itself and to its use. The basic premise of sociolinguistics is that language is variable and changing. As a result, language is not homogeneous — not for the individual user and not within or among groups of speakers who use the same language. SOURCE: Do You Speak American? Website

7 The Linguists A linguist is a scientist who studies language, but not just to learn the language, but to figure out the possible ways that the human mind can make sense of the world around it. (1:11) SOURCE: The Linguists (Movie)

8 Elevator Pitch Scenarios Scenarios 1. You attend a graduate student happy hour where most of the participants are from the business school. 2. You are presenting at a conference hosted by the University of Maryland School of Languages, and the attendees are mainly comparative literature students and professors. After your talk, one of the students asks you about your career plans. 3. You attend your first meeting for a professional association, and they ask you to introduce yourself to the group. 4. You are flying home for Thanksgiving, and the woman in the seat next to you is intrigued by your Georgetown hoodie. 5. Your brother-in-law asks for an update on your career plans post-graduation. 6. Other ?

9 Activity: Elevator Pitches  Take 1 –Pick a Scenario that will be immediately useful for you to develop. –Draft your own elevator pitch (in complete sentences so it’s legible to your partner). –“Perform” this for your partner. (Take turns).  Take 2 –Swap papers with your partner. –Put on your editor’s hat and pull out your linguistic tool kit. –Suggest two edits to your partner’s elevator pitch. –Write up a revised elevator pitch. –“Perform” this for your partner. (Take turns).  Reflection –Make note of any feedback that was particularly helpful. –Jot down any insights, reactions, challenges from this activity.

10 Best practices for Elevator Pitches  1. Highlight headline news stories and how a linguist’s training can resolve every day communications challenges –Reset button (Hilary Clinton, Russia) –“War on terror” –“Health insurance reform” vs. “Universal healthcare” –Swine flu vs. H1 N1  2. Connect with popular “urban legends” –Eskimos have 1000 words for snow –Chevy Nova “no va”  3. Provide examples of the career paths of your classmates, famous linguists, etc. –One of my classmates works with PR campaigns for organizations like… –George Lakoff consults with politicians…. –Heidi Hamilton consults on doctor/patient interactions… …Others?

11 Action Items  Commit to taking action on three simple goals to keep momentum on your networking  Set a deadline for yourself  Find someone in the room who will keep you accountable and arrange to check in with him/her  Inspiration and ideas to get you started: –Update your Linked In profile and join the Meta Talk group –Ask your classmates which distros they follow (Linguist List, DISCOURSE, etc.) –Join or become active in DC-based Professional Associations –Attend at least one event off campus by end of 2009 –Other?

12 Top Ten Tips for Effectively Managing your Career

13 Resources Contact: Sonia Checchia –Meta Talk Linked In Group –Timothy Butler (2007) Getting Unstuck –Lynne Waymon (2007) Making Your Contacts Count –Diane Darling “How to Work a Room” (

14 Questions?