University faculty from across the Southwest and around the world presented at the Linguistic Association of the Southwest’s 35th annual meeting September 29 through October 1. Presenters and attendees gathered at the Western Hemispheric Trade Center for Friday’s sessions, and weekend sessions were hosted by La Posada Hotel in downtown Laredo.
LASSO Vice President and President-Elect Dr. Kati Pletsch de Garcia headed the event. Pletsch de Garcia is also an associate professor of English and Spanish and chairs the Department of Language and Literature; she will become president of LASSO in January 2007.
The conference was themed “Transcending Borders,” and because of Laredo’s location on the U.S.-Mexican border, much of the papers revolved around Spanish. While LASSO is located in the Southwest where Spanish is prominent, conference participants also focused on Portuguese, Native American languages, and indigenous languages in Mexico, Pletsch de Garcia explained.
“I think we drew responses that had to do with language on the border but in addition to both sides of the border, and we had somebody from Canada too. So it extended across that border as well. Even though the focus is on language in the Southwest,” said Pletsch de Garcia, “it’s really an international conference, but Spanish is always a big part.”
The program boasted 79 presenters, including 21 from TAMIU and 2 international participants.
Dr. Joke Mondada, assistant professor of Spanish at the University of New Orleans and one of the many out-of-state presenters on hand had much to say about the growing importance of Spanish-even in her community.
“After the hurricane (Katrina) suddenly we had workers from Mexico who were in small towns and villages around New Orleans, so the inhabitants of these villages had hardly dealt with anyone speaking Spanish,” Mondada stated. “Suddenly, they become aware that to talk with them they had to do something. For instance, trees were cut down by workers from Mexico, and (the inhabitants) had to say the words ‘be careful’ and deal with it. So this made an enormous impact, I think, in society,” she added. “People wanted to learn Spanish and realized they need to learn Spanish.”
Because of the sudden high demand for Spanish and Spanish teachers in New Orleans, Mondada says her department has actually become stronger.
Since the initiation of LASSO in 1973, Laredo had never hosted the event until this year. The two previous conferences were held in Lubbock and New Orleans; members will travel to Denver for next year’s meet.