Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Modern Language Association (MLA) is a prominent professional organization in the United States dedicated to the advocacy of language and literature education. Founded in 1883 by a group of language professors, the MLA emerged in response to a need for modern language instruction, contrasting with the era's emphasis on ancient languages like Latin and Greek. The association is well-known for its widely utilized style guide, the MLA Handbook, which provides essential formatting and citation guidelines for academic writing. Over the years, the MLA has evolved, with multiple editions of the Handbook reflecting changes in writing practices and the growing diversity of sources available to writers. Beyond its publication of the Handbook, the MLA serves as a valuable resource for educators and scholars, facilitating collaboration through platforms like MLA Commons and offering support through initiatives such as the MLA Academic Program Services. Furthermore, the MLA encompasses specialized groups like the Association of Departments of English and the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages, which advocate for and support language and literature departments across educational institutions. With over 20,000 members globally, the MLA continues to play a crucial role in promoting the study and teaching of languages and the humanities.
Modern Language Association (MLA)
The Modern Language Association (MLA) of America is a professional organization that advocates the teaching of and learning about languages and literature. The association is also an important resource that publishes a widely used style reference that helps writers format and style their writing, and collects numerous other resources for writers and students. The MLA is best known for its handbook that helps writers—specifically academic writers—organize their work and citations in the proper style. The association also has other programs and groups that support language and humanities professionals.
Background
The MLA was founded in 1883 when a group of language professors from the eastern United States met together during the winter holidays. The professors wanted to talk about the study and teaching of modern languages in the United States. Some of the professors noted that the collegiate education of the time focused mainly on dead languages, particularly Latin, Ancient Greek, and Hebrew. These professors argued that students should be taught modern languages to better help them succeed in the modern world.
Before the meeting, the professors agreed to discuss specific topics, including the teaching of English, German, and French in American colleges, along with the value of studying modern languages compared to the value of studying ancient languages. The men also talked about the best way to improve the teaching of modern languages. After the meeting, forty of the professors joined together to create the Modern Language Association of America. The group named Franklin Carter of Williams College as president and A. Marshall Elliott of Johns Hopkins University as secretary.
Overview
The group that met in 1883 had decisions to make about the best possible way to improve the teaching and the public’s understanding of modern languages. The group decided that one of the best tools in to maximize their efforts would be a modern language journal. In 1885, the MLA published its first journals, Transactions and Proceedings. In the first years of the MLA’s existence, the topics in the journals varied greatly.
Starting in the early twentieth century, world affairs interfered with the group’s plans and meetings. Because of the turmoil of World War I (1914–1918), the MLA decided to postpone its 1917 convention, making it the first year since 1883 that the group failed to meet. It again postponed its meeting in 1920 because of supply shortages from the war. Despite the setbacks, the MLA grew throughout the 1920s.
By 1927, MLA membership was approaching 4,000 and annual convention attendance had grown from forty attendees to nearly 1,000. Yet, the association was managed entirely by volunteer work and had no headquarters. The organization was also impacted by the United States' 1941 entry into World War II (1939–1945).
In 1951, the MLA published a thirty-four-page style sheet meant to help scholarly writers organize their writing and prepare their manuscripts for printing. The style sheet gave broad guidance for writers so they could make many of the organization and style decisions for themselves. The MLA published few definitive rules regarding style due to the near-impossibility of making rules concerning all elements of style, and because they knew writers could not exclusively rely on the MLA style. The book did suggest that writers use footnotes to indicate their research sources.
In 1970, the MLA published a longer edition of the style sheet, at forty-eight pages. In 1977, the MLA published the first edition of the MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers, Theses, and Dissertations. This book, which at 163 pages was much longer than the earlier style sheets, incorporated and expanded upon information in the earlier style sheets. The MLA Handbook, unlike the MLA style sheets, was written more for students, especially graduate students working on theses and dissertations, and less for scholars who wanted to publish their work.
In 1984, the MLA published a second edition of the MLA Handbook called MLA Handbook for Writers of Research Papers. This edition, at 220 pages, was even longer than the first book. This edition also recommended that authors use works cited pages, rather than footnotes, to make notes about the research material used in the crafting of a paper. The third, fourth, fifth, sixth, and seventh editions of the book were published between 1988 and 2009, with each subsequent edition becoming more detailed. However, in 2016, the MLA published the eighth edition, which provided fewer definitive rules and more generalized guidance. The 2016 version was less prescriptive and more adaptable, in part because the types of sources had increased significantly. The MLA editors said that focusing on including the most important information in citations, rather than focusing on the very specific rules and regulations, would remind writers about the reasons why they should include the information. The ninth edition of the MLA Handbook was published in 2021 and included new chapters on guidance for inclusive language.
Although the MLA Handbook has become an important publication and an important function of the overall organization, the modern MLA also plays numerous other roles. In all its functions, the MLA aims to promote the study and teaching of languages. The MLA is still a professional organization, with members from academia, education, and other fields. In the 2020s, the organization had over 20,000 members in 100 countries. In 2013, the association created the MLA Commons, which is a communications platform for members. It encourages members to collaborate on projects, engage in discussion, and share information. Furthermore, the MLA created the MLA Academic Program Services (MAPS), which is a program that helps support people who work in humanities programs in academia.
Two other important parts of the MLA include the Association of Departments of English (ADE) and the Association of Departments of Foreign Languages (ADFL). Founded by department chairs in the 1960s, the ADE and ADFL advocate for departments of English and departments of languages other than English, respectively. Together, they represent nearly 1,500 departments, writing programs, and humanities divisions in two- and four-year colleges and universities across the United States and Canada. The associations allow department heads and other professionals to network, and give professionals access to useful tools and resources. The professionals also meet together for seminars to discuss current issues and problems.
Bibliography
“13.4 Using Modern Language Association (MLA) Style” University of Minnesota, open.lib.umn.edu/writingforsuccess/chapter/13-4-using-modern-language-association-mla-style/. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“About the ADE.” Modern Language Association, 2024, www.maps.mla.org/About-MAPS/ADE. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“About Membership.” Modern Language Association of America, 2024, www.mla.org/Membership/About-Membership. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“Foreign Languages and Higher Education: New Structures for a Changed World.” Education Resources Information Center, 2007, eric.ed.gov/?id=ED500460. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“MLA History.” Modern Language Association, 2024, www.mla.org/About-Us/About-the-MLA/MLA-Archives/Time-Lines/MLA-History. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“The MLA’s Mission.” Modern Language Association, 2024, www.mla.org/About-Us/About-the-MLA/The-MLA-s-Mission. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.
“MLA Style.” Modern Language Association of America, 2024, www.mla.org/About-Us/About-the-MLA/MLA-Archives/Time-Lines/MLA-Style. Accessed 5 Dec. 2024.