[Virtual] WorLDS - 4

Language is an essential and ubiquitous component of our lives. It is the principal means by which societies are constructed, and cultures are developed. Language is a pervasive and essential part both of our own life and of who we are as humankind. All the knowledge that humans have accumulated, not just written knowledge in the books but also indigenous knowledge held by the speakers of thousands of languages across the globe, from the land of verdant Jharkhand to the spectacular North-east are stored in and by the medium of language. Language is embedded into our physiology, our cognition, and our thought processes.

WORkshop on Language Description and Sciences WORLDS is an annual workshop originally conceived by the Department of Linguistics, K.M. Institute of Hindi and Linguistics, Dr. B.R. Ambedkar University, Agra and organised in collaboration with the Central Institute of Indian Languages, Mysore. The major aim of the workshop is to popularise and spread awareness about Linguistics among the non-linguists, especially undergraduate students of the country and acquaint them with its methodology, issues and concerns so as to encourage and motivate them to take up higher education and research in Linguistics. While everybody is aware of the fact that Linguistics has something to do with language, it is not such a commonplace knowledge that it is not about one particular language (like Hindi or English); rather it is all about human language, in general, with discussions in the field ranging from brain- language relationship to language politics and from language technology to language evolution.

Traditionally, these workshops are conducted as an intensive mini fieldwork where the participants are exposed to the basics of data collection, analysis and description, which is conducted by some of the leading and most promising field linguists and experts of language description in India. Since this forms the core of any kind of linguistic study, it is expected to expose the participants to the methods and ways of a linguist It would provide the participants with a scope to explore the joys of a field linguist and would provide them a ground where they can apply the linguistic theories and check their practicality

Every year, a linguistic/grammatical phenomenon of human languages –is taken up as a central theme of the workshop. A basic introduction to the phenomenon is given by the chief resource person which sets the stage for the whole workshop. After the introduction, the participants are divided into groups of 4 – 6 members each (a mix of both beginners in Linguistics as well as non-linguists to promote dialogue and peer training) and then they proceed to collect data, analyse it and make a final presentation on their findings towards the end of the workshop. One of the major highlights of the workshop is the hands-on training on the latest softwares and tools used in doing Linguistics. The workshop has proved to be quite successful in generating interest among quite a few non-linguists and we firmly believe that over a period of time, it will prove very crucial in spreading awareness about the field of Linguistics as well as generating interest about human languages in general.

However, owing to the current situation arising out of COVID-19, some changes have been made to make it possible to organise it virtually, This year Department of Tribal Studies, Central University of Jharkhand, Ranchi is going to organise the WORLDS - 4. In the present workshop, over a period of five days we will learn and become more aware about this most intriguing entity called ‘human language’. We will start from the basics so the workshop will be useful for those inquisitive about Linguistics and those who have just entered the field. The plenary lectures at the start will set the tone for the day. The workshops will give the participants hand-on training with real examples and problems.

This year the theme of the workshop is 'General Linguistics'.