The Linguistics Roadshow

Abstract

This paper presents an overview of the Linguistics Roadshow, an interactive showcase about the science of language and a hub for fun and interactive resources about linguistics. The Roadshow began as a travelling high school outreach programme introducing Australian students to linguistics and has grown to include online resources, providing an accessible introduction to linguistics with information about how students can pursue their interests in language. This paper is intended to provide a general guide to conducting linguistics-themed school incursions, to highlight opportunities afforded and challenges faced in undertaking this kind of outreach. We discuss the motivations for developing the Roadshow, outline the process of designing the workshop programme and materials, and offer a detailed description of the content and format. We reflect on our achievements and impact as well as lessons learned, and discuss future directions for a sustainable Roadshow and for linguistics outreach in the Australian context. Show more