Canadian Linguistics Association National Achievement Award 2010

At the 2010 Annual General Meeting of the Canadian Linguistic Association, held at Concordia University in Montreal, Dr. J.K. Chambers was awarded the inaugural CLA National Achievement Award. These awards are presented to individuals who have made outstanding contributions to the field of linguistics and who have earned distinction for themselves and the Canadian linguistics community.

Jack Chambers earned his doctorate from the University of Alberta in 1970. In 1973, he published "Canadian Raising" in the Canadian Journal of Linguistics, likely the most cited article on Canadian English. In 1975, he edited Canadian English: Origins and Structures. These definitive contributions have been followed by 34 articles and chapters on Canadian English. In the past three years alone, Jack has published eight new articles. In his writing, he has contributed to virtually all areas of linguistics, including phonology, syntax, literary theory, literacy, and the study of native languages of Canada. He has held visiting professorships at universities in the United Kingdom, Hong Kong, the Netherlands, New Zealand, Hungary, and South Africa. He has also lectured in Scotland, Sweden, Belgium, France, Germany, Switzerland, and Japan.

Professor Chambers has a long-standing history of academic service. He was assistant editor of the Canadian Journal of Linguistics from 1971-78, interim editor in 1973-74, and editor from 1979-83. He was Chair of the Department of Linguistics at the University of Toronto from 1986-90. He was named Outstanding Teacher in the Faculty of Arts and Science at the University of Toronto in 1999 and has been an extremely active and effective mentor and supervisor.

In addition to his strictly academic activities, Jack Chambers has communicated his expertise to a much wider public through his extensive work as editorial advisor and consultant to dictionaries and usage guides on Canadian English. He served as a program consultant for the CBC-TV documentary Talking Canadian in 2004 and he has participated in many other radio, television, and film projects on language. He has also done extensive work as an expert witness and forensic consultant on linguistic matters. He has participated in at least 40 cases involving murder, obscenity, fraud, trademark law, tax law, amnesia, and native land claims.

In 2009, in recognition of his academic achievements, Jack Chambers was elected as a Fellow of the Royal Society of Canada, Canada's highest academic honour. With the 2010 National Achievement Award, he has now also received the highest honour awarded by the CLA to one of its members.

Prix national d'excellence 2010 de l'Association canadienne de linguistique

Lors de l'assemblée générale de 2010 de l'Association canadienne de linguistique, qui a eu lieu à l'Université Concordia, à Montréal, Monsieur J.K. Chambers est devenu le premier lauréat du Prix national d'excellence décerné par l'ACL. Ce prix est présenté aux personnes qui ont fait une contribution exceptionnelle à la linguistique et, ce faisant, ont acquis une renommée tout en rehaussant l'image de la communauté linguistique canadienne.

Jack Chambers a obtenu son doctorat de l'Université de l'Alberta en 1970. En 1973, il a publié «Canadian Raising» dans la Revue canadienne de linguistique, sans doute l'article le plus cité portant sur l'anglais du Canada. En 1975, il a dirigé l'ouvrage collectif Canadian English: Origins and Structures. Trente-quatre articles et chapitres sur l'anglais canadien ont fait suite à ces contributions qui font autorité. Rien que depuis les trois dernières années, il a publié huit nouveaux articles. Dans ses écrits Jack Chambers a contribué à pratiquement tous les domaines de la linguistique, dont la phonologie, la syntaxe, la théorie littéraire, l'alphabétisation and l'étude des langues autochtones du Canada. Il a été professeur invité à des universités au Royaume-Uni, à Hong Kong, aux Pays-Bas, en Nouvelle-Zélande, en Hongrie et en Afrique du Sud. Il a donné des conférences en Écosse, en Suède, en Belgique, en Allemagne, en Suisse et au Japon.

Le professeur Chambers compte de longs états de service à la communauté universitaire. Il était rédacteur adjoint de la Revue canadienne...