The Department of English Language and Linguistics held its annual Postgrad Week from 20 to 24 October. Twenty-four Honours, Master’s and PhD students presented their research on topics ranging from South African Sign Language phonology to the language of Zimbabwean tourist brochures.
The week was also a chance for students living in Grahamstown and distance students to share ideas with people working on similar topics in research team meetings, and for students to consult their supervisors to plan the way forward for their projects, or to take stock of their progress over the year.
Postgrad Week is an energizing and exhilarating time for students and staff alike, as everyone has an opportunity to build knowledge together and learn from the different presentations that take place. Postgraduates have a chance to experience research from other sub-fields of linguistics, while staff have an opportunity to draw the connections between different students’ research.
The ‘cherry on the cake’ of the week was the department’s Ling 3 party on Thursday 23 October. The top students in English Language and Linguistics 3 were congratulated. Linguistics students usually find creative ways to thank their lecturers at this function, and this year was no different: the Ling 3 class brought a beautiful Linguistics-themed cake (see the Rhodes Ling Alumni Facebook group for pictures), and the postgraduates in attendance presented each lecturer with a wine glass with a personalized inscription on it.