Fall 2024 Linguistics Colloquium Series

All members of the UW and the public are welcome to attend these events!

Speaker: Rachel Bristol (UW Information School)
Talk Title: "Negotiating Knowledge Through Conversation"

Talk Abstract:
Conversational interaction occurs against a layered backdrop of what speakers know in common and what they do not. Speakers must say enough so that their listeners understand them but must simultaneously avoid telling their listeners things that they already know. Language embedded within interaction affords a variety of tools that enable users to express and negotiate their relative access to and authority over knowledge in various domains. In this talk, I will share findings which describe patterns of epistemic expression in conversation as well as social norms that govern those patterns. These findings draw on qualitative and quantitative analysis of naturalistic conversation and data from speaker judgment studies.

Speaker Biography
Dr. Rachel Bristol is a lecturer in the iSchool who specializes in interdisciplinary education. She is dedicated to discovering and promoting pedagogical practices that create inclusive learning spaces. Her research centers on the ways that authority over knowledge is communicated and negotiated in human interaction. She is fascinated by language and the way it interlaces with brains, minds, and societies, and has studied language from the perspective of many different academic disciplines. Dr. Bristol holds a PhD in Cognitive Science from the University of California San Diego, an MA in Linguistics from the University of Delaware, and a BA in English from the University of Oregon.

NOTE: *** To accommodate our speaker's dietary restrictions, please refrain from bringing any snacks/food which contain NUTS into the room.***

The University of Washington is committed to providing access and accommodation in its services, programs, and activities. To make a request connected to a disability or health condition contact the Department of Linguistics at linguw@uw.edu or (206) 543-2046 at least two weeks in advance of the event.