Hello linguistics enthusiasts. Sorry for the relatively high traffic recently on the BULA mailing list, but on the positive side, there's lots going on these days to announce. Coming up in a couple of weeks, we'll be having a talk at BU by one of the leading experts in second language acquisition from a theoretical perspective (she's in fact the author of the textbook I'm using in my course this semester). The talk should be accessible to you even if you've only taken LX250, and it's a great opportunity to come hear one of the "big names" in the field speak. So, come if you can! -Paul -- The Program in Applied Linguistics at Boston University is hosting a talk by Prof. Lydia White (McGill University) on the afternoon of Friday, February 5. She will be talking about some of her current research in second language acquisition, with a focus on the "definiteness effect" in sentences like "There is a talk on Friday." A basic background in linguistics will be assumed, but will be accessible to non-specialists. If you are (or think you might be) interested in what's going on in theoretically-informed second language acquisition research, this is a great opportunity to hear about it from one of the most prominent researchers in the field today. Lydia White James McGill Professor of Linguistics McGill University, Department of Linguistics Title: The definiteness effect in second language acquisition Location: Kenmore Classroom Building, room 106 http://www.bu.edu/maps/index.php?id=751 Date: Friday, February 5 Time: 3:00-5:00pm Lydia White is James McGill Professor of Linguistics. She has a BA/MA in Moral Sciences and Psychology from Cambridge University (1969), and a PhD in Linguistics from McGill (1980). Lydia White is Co-Editor of the book series Language Acquisition and Language Disorders(published by John Benjamins) and she is on the Editorial/Advisory Boards of Applied Psycholinguistics, Language Acquisition, Second Language Research, Studies in Second Language Acquisition, and the Japanese Second Language Association. http://tinyurl.com/LydiaWhite http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Lydia_White http://www.bu.edu/applied-linguistics/