Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis
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2012 Conference

7th Intercultural Rhetoric and Discourse Conference

August 9-11, 2012
Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI)
Sponsored by the Indiana Center for Intercultural Communication (ICIC)

Indy campus shot Indy canal shot 
The 7th Intercultural Rhetoric Conference will be held at Indiana University-
Purdue University Indianapolis on August 9-11, 2012. Register now.


Purpose

The expanding umbrella of intercultural rhetoric comprises studies of cross-cultural text analysis and studies of interactions, in which writers and speakers with a variety of linguistic, cultural and social backgrounds negotiate speaking and writing in a multitude of settings, e.g., classroom, business, industry and health care. Challenges for researchers and teachers are many.  This conference seeks to discuss the comprehensiveness of research to study these complex situations, keeping in mind the importance of translating research into practice in ESL, EFL, ESP and ELF settings.

Opening Plenary

Diane Belcher, Georgia State University: "What We Need and Don’t Need Intercultural Rhetoric for: A Retrospective and Prospective Look at an Evolving Research Area"


Featured speakers

Marta Antón, IUPUI                                                              
Dwight Atkinson, Purdue University                                 
André Buchenot, IUPUI  
Ulla Connor, IUPUI 
Viviana Cortes, Georgia State University                           
Bill Eggington, Brigham Young University 
Estela Ene, IUPUI              
Miguel Ruiz-Garrido, Universitat Jaume I, Spain                
Leena Louhiala-Salminen, Aalto University, Finland
Paul Kei Matsuda, Arizona State University
Thomas Orr, Aizu University, Japan
Anita Pandey, Morgan State University
William Rozycki, Aizu University, Japan
Sauli Takala, Finland
Thomas Upton, IUPUI
Xiaojun Zhang, Beihang University, PR China
Zhiqing Hu, Huazhong University of Science and Technology, PR China  

Tentative Conference schedule

Papers to be presented during concurrent sessions are on topics including (but not limited to):

▪ theoretical and empirical investigations 
▪ languageand culture specific studies
▪ changing methodologies for research
▪ practical applications
▪ teaching and classroom practices
▪ writing in school and college
▪ writing in business & professional settings
▪ orality and literacy connections
▪ critical approaches

  

Conference Registration

Online registration will be available through August 8, 2012. On-site registration will be open from 12-7 p.m. on August 9 and at 8 a.m. on August 10. Conference ends at 5 p.m. on August 11.

Conference registration fee:       $150 early registration; $165 on-site registration
                                               $50 student registration; $65 on-site registration

Conference registration fee also includes a pre-conference workshop on Corpus Linguistics Research Methods and IR led by Dr. Viviana Cortes, Georgia State Unversity (1-5 p.m. on August 9).

Conference Location

The 7th Intercultural Rhetoric and Discourse Conference will take place in the Campus Center of the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI) campus. The Campus Center is in the heart of IUPUI’s urban campus and is about a 15-20 minute walk from the center of downtown Indianapolis. This building opened in 2008 and hosts a food court, two coffee shops, and a Barnes & Noble Bookstore, as well as conference space and several university offices.

Hotel Information

Presenters and attendees are responsible for securing their own accommodations for the conference. Conference attendees may stay at the University Place Conference Center Hotel at a considerably discounted price (from $99/night + tax). In order to get this discounted rate, conference attendees must register through this link: https://www.myfidelio.net/webui/AvailabilitySearch.aspx?chain=IQ&property=USUPI&allotmentcode=INTERCULTURAL&arrival=9-AUG-2012&nights=3&autosubmit=1. This hotel is conveniently located across the street from the conference site (Campus Center). Please note that several other conferences and events are occurring in Indianapolis that weekend, so hotel rooms in the downtown area will not be available for long. It is advised that you make a reservation as soon as possible.  University Place Hotel will book up quickly.  

Transportation and Parking
 
From the Indianapolis International Airport (airport code: IND), there are several options for transportation to downtown Indianapolis. At the airport’s Ground Transportation Center (GTC), located on Level 1 of the Parking Garage, you can find taxis, rental car agencies, and access to the public bus system, IndyGo.

The conference will be held at IUPUI’s Campus Center, which is located at 420 University Boulevard in Indianapolis, Indiana, 46202. Visitor parking rates may be found here and a map of visitor parking spots is here. Parking in the Vermont Street garage is recommended, as it is connected to the Campus Center. 

This conference is supported by the Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis Academic Affairs Conference Fund Award.