Whamit!

The Weekly Newsletter of MIT Linguistics

Linguistics and Social Justice Seminar 10/25 - Kadian Walters (UWI Mona), Celia Blake (UWI Mona), & Hubert Devonish (UWI Mona)

You are invited to participate in our discussion this week, Tuesday, October 26, 2-5pm ET, on “Linguistics and Social Justice: Language, Education & Human Rights”  (MIT Linguistics, Graduate Seminar, 24.S96).  Please contact Michel <degraff@mit.edu> for information about Zoom link and readings.  NB: We are committed to creating an inclusive and accessible environment in our seminar. If you need assistance for accommodations or accessibility in order to fully participate, please email degraff@MIT.EDU so that we can work out adequate arrangements.
 
The theme this Tuesday, October 26, is “Language Rights and Justice for all in the Caribbean” and all three of our guests are from the University of the West Indies, Mona Campus, Jamaica.

Our discussion will start with a presentation by Kadian Walters on linguistic discrimination in Jamaica on the part of customer service representatives in government offices and agencies.  Prof. Walters will also discuss her efforts for the respect of language rights by Jamaican Police, the National Housing Trust and other public agencies. 
 
Celia Blake will then address language rights within the Commonwealth Caribbean legal systems, and specifically her work on linguistic equity with judges across the region. 

Hubert Devonish will discuss:  (i)  bilingual education in the context of the 2018 National Standards Curriculum; (ii) the preparation and on-the-job training of community language translators for Covid-19 public service announcements in Guyana.

Kadian Walters’, Celia Blake’s and Hubert Devonish’s efforts are all framed by the Charter on Language Rights in the Creole speaking Caribbean.