Why is it important to learn about and study language? In this short podcast, “The Revelatory Power of Language,” which I produced for the Maryland Humanities Council’s “Humanities Connection” series, I talk about how language differences occur naturally and are part of how we define ourselves, individually as well as socially. Whether we drink soda or pop, whether we pronounce aunt as “ant” or “ahnt,” or Baltimore as “Bawlmer” or “Baldamor,” whether we use isn’t or ain’t, language tells us something about who we are as speakers of the ever-changing English language. The podcast is also available on the website of the UMBC Dresher Center for the Humanities.
I’m so honored to be profiled as part of the “Coffee with Parents” series on Baltimore’s (cool) progeny blog! What could be better than talking about kids AND work? In the article, I talk about my own family history and my research on linguistic diversity, in education and in Baltimore.
Diverse factors, including language, impact schooling
July 12, 2017
This UMBC News article, “UMBC researchers address diverse factors impacting U.S. schooling,” describes recent press coverage of three UMBC faculty for our research on “factors that shape K–12 education in the United States”. As the article notes,
Christine Mallinson, professor of language, literacy, and culture, writes in The Conversation about how language differences among students can affect student outcomes. “Studies have found that at all levels of education, instructors often favor students who sound like themselves and can be biased against those who don’t,” writes Mallinson. Compounding the problem, “As the U.S. student population continues to rapidly diversify along cultural and linguistic lines, the demographics of the teacher population remain stable at roughly 82 percent white and predominantly female,” meaning non-white students experience negative bias more often.
“The Revelatory Power of Language”
April 17, 2017
“The Sound of Inclusion: Why Teachers’ Words Matter”
April 11, 2017
Teachers’ words matter, and students’ do too – from science to the humanities. Dr. Anne H. Charity Hudley and I are excited to have our work with educators featured in this article, “The Sound of Inclusion”, that we wrote for The Conversation. There are so many amazing teachers and students who are the inspiration for this article and for all our work — too many to tag, but we are so grateful to you all!
https://theconversation.com/the-sound-of-inclusion-why-teachers-words-matter-74019
Image credit from Twitter @RosaIsiah
Language is central to STEM education, and therefore to educational justice — that is the theme of our invited symposium, “Leveraging Linguistics to Broaden Participation in STEM,” presented along with Dr. Anne H. Charity Hudley, Dr. Michel De Graff (MIT), and Dr. Mary Bucholtz (UCSB) at the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS). So much inspiring work has been done, and is still left to do, building bridges from the humanities to STEM with language and culture at the core!
Baltimore Language in the News
February 10, 2017
I am honored to be a part of this Baltimore Sun multimedia feature story on Baltimore language change! The feature includes the news article, “Hold Up, ‘Hon’: Baltimore’s Black Vernacular Youthful, Dynamic, If Less Recognized than ‘Bawlmerese’”, as well as a short video in which I weigh in on language variation in the city, and an interactive lexicon. Leave me a comment and let me know your favorite Baltimore slang!
Read about Our Free App for Teachers, “Valuable Voices”
February 3, 2017
This UMBC News story describes how Anne’s and my free iPhone app for teachers, called “Valuable Voices,” is reaching teachers far outside our own networks. If you haven’t already, go to the App store, search “Valuable Voices,” and download, or just click here for the link. And if you are a teacher and are interested in participating in our follow up study later this year, send me an email!
(photo credit: Marlayna Demond, UMBC)
