World Languages Research Group Hosts Native American Language Expert April 23

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The Linguistics, Language Learning and Technology (L3T) Research Group in the Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures is hosting a special lecture with Colorado Mesa University professor Brad Montgomery-Anderson.

The presentation, titled "Fieldwork with Native American Languages: Experiences in Oklahoma and Mexico," is at 11 a.m. Tuesday, April 23 in the Arkansas Union in room 403. Lunch will be provided. Montgomery-Anderson is a linguist who specializes in Cherokee and Mayan languages and supports efforts in language revitalization. He has published in the Southwest Journal of Linguistics, the International Journal of Applied Linguistics, and the Journal of Language Contact.

He is a regular presenter at the Linguistic Association of the Southwest, the Society for the Study of Indigenous Languages of the Americas, the International Conference on Language Documentation and Conservation, and the Stabilizing Indigenous Languages Symposia.

A native of Boulder, Colorado, Montgomery-Anderson came about his research in a somewhat untraditional manner. After completing his B.A. and M.A. in French, he enlisted in the Army. After completing basic training, he became a specialist, a chaplain's assistant as a part of the Morale, Welfare, and Recreation program of the U.S. Army.

Once his tour of duty was complete, Montgomery-Anderson went back to school to reinvent himself. He moved to Lawrence, Kansas, and completed a master's degree in indigenous studies followed by a Ph.D. in linguistics, both at the University of Kansas.

Two lines of research caught his attention: Meso-American languages, an interest that culminated in a book about the Mayan language, and the Cherokee Language Revitalization movement, which led to a publication entitled Cherokee Reference Grammar.

In 2017, the Linguistics Society of America recognized Montgomery-Anderson's work with the Leonard Bloomfield Book Award, an honor given to those who make an outstanding contribution of enduring value towards understanding of language and linguistics.

Partners and sponsors for this event includes the Center for Multicultural and Diversity Education, the Department of Curriculum and Instruction, and the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences' Department of World Languages, Literatures and Cultures, Department of English, Latin American and Latino Studies Program, Indigenous Studies Program and Humanities Program.

About the Linguistics, Language Learning and Technology (L3T) Research Group: The mission of L3T is to promote interdisciplinary research in the areas of linguistics, language learning and technology across the University of Arkansas campus and community. One of the ways the group plans to do this is to bring guest speakers to campus who will contribute to this mission, providing faculty and students with varying perspectives on these research fields. The L3T research group's directing committee includes Freddie Bowles, Joe Covey, Rebecca Foote, Linda Jones, Brenda Magnetti and Ángel Ruiz Blanco.

About the J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences: The J. William Fulbright College of Arts and Sciences is the largest and most academically diverse unit on campus with three schools, 16 departments and 43 academic programs and research centers. The college provides the core curriculum for all University of Arkansas students and is named for J. William Fulbright, former university president and longtime U.S. senator.