Thank you all for being here!
Now that I have your attention, I thought I’d formally introduce myself.
I told you in an earlier post that I love everything about language, but I’m not sure if I made it clear that I am an unabashed language nerd. And proud of it.
Language has surrounded and permeated my life. I studied language in many forms–a BA in English Education from Northern Illinois University, an MA in Applied Linguistics from Penn State, and a Ph.D in Linguistics from the University of Washington. I have also studied several languages.
I taught the English language and about language for over 40 years, mostly at the university level. As a teacher, I was privileged to be paid to examine aspects of language to my nerdy heart’s content. Some of these aspects were language meaning, the social use of language, the psychology of language, the development of first and second languages, language usage, language pronunciation, language varieties, and language structure.
I researched some languages of Africa, following a stint as a Fulbright professor/scholar in the tiny country of Burundi.
In addition to these interests, I also love travel, reading, cinema, cooking (well, honestly, more eating), and pretty much everything about animals.
Now I can’t wait to get to know some of you.
My next post will be about a single word that has many meanings, many functions, a fascinating history, and is a favorite of Scrabble players. Hint: what do sex, lunch, and mob murders have in common?
DOING LANGUAGE 