Code switching and language alternation
A colleague writes to ask:
I read your article ‘Code Switching’ in Sociocultural Linguistics. What I wonder is [why] you didn’t write something about the author Grosjean (1982, Life with Two Languages). He also used the term Code Switching as one of the first. And I can’t get the differences between ‘ language alternation’ and ‘ code switching’? Can you describe the differences?
These are excellent questions.
Web Guru Intro: Alex Enkerli
Now that we’re getting deeper into 2010 and some dust has settled, it might be a good opportunity for me to introduce myself to you.
My name is Alex Enkerli and I define myself as an “informal ethnographer.” My background is indeed in linguistic anthropology, at least in part, but I’ve been involved in a variety of other ethnographic fields including ethnomusicology and folkloristics.
Language, Culture and History Conference

Language, Culture and History conference
Call for Papers, Abstracts due March 1
Official Website: http://uwadmnweb.uwyo.edu/anthropology/info.asp?p=19234
Department of Anthropology
Co-sponsored by the journal Ethnohistory
University of Wyoming
July 1-2, 2010
Potential Search for a Linguistic Anthropologist
The Department of Anthropology at Georgia State University seeks nominations for a linguistic anthropologist at the rank of assistant or associate professor to join a university-wide and interdisciplinary research initiative on “Language and Culture.” The candidate’s research foci must include language acquisition and enculturation, communicative development in cultural contexts, and cross-cultural approaches to linguistic capacity, [...]
Grad student SLA representative to AAA Student Rep Caucus [Update: Found]
[Update: a student representative has been found] The AAA is creating a Student Representative Caucus and wishes to include representatives from the various sections. Although SLA does not have a student representative on it board, we’ve been invited to appoint a student to the caucus who is interested in representing our wing and communicating to [...]
Opening: Editor for Journal of Linguistic Anthropology (Deadline extended to Jan. 25)
We are now seeking nominations and applications for a new editor (or editorial team) for JLA.
Joint Call for Papers for Society for Linguistic Anthropology and Council on Anthropology and Education
Charting Multilingual Confluences within Education Eric Johnson (ejj AT tricity.wsu.edu) Building on the “Circulation” theme for the 2010 AAA meetings, the committee on Multicultural and Multilingual Education within the Council on Anthropology & Education would like to invite presentation proposals to be considered for participation on an “Invited” session panel. The general aim of this [...]
Curriculum and syllabus workshop (proposals due March 1, 2010)
CWA would like to work with sections to co-present a collaborative workshop at the 2010 annual meetings on World Anthropologies Curriculum and Syllabus Development.
International scholarship competition (proposals due January 10, 2010)
The Commission on World Anthropologies (CWA) is seeking proposals from sections for invited sessions featuring the participation of international scholars at the 2010 AAA annual meetings.
Economist on the World’s Hardest Language
The Economist picks Tuyuca, an Eastern Amazon language as the world’s hardest language for its 50-140 noun classes http://www.economist.com/displaystory.cfm?story_id=15108609 (Thanks to Alexander King and Sierra for the link).