News & Events

The Linguistics Program at SMU welcomes Dr. Marisa Brook (she/her), our newest faculty member, who is cross-appointed to Linguistics from the Department of English Language and Literature. Marisa earned her Ph.D. in Linguistics from the University of Toronto in 2016, with a focus on variationist sociolinguistics. Her research, most of which has been about dialects of English, focuses on mechanisms of language change, morphosyntax, dialectology, language play, and the relationship between language and identity. Recent articles of hers have appeared in Language, English World-Wide, and Language and Linguistics Compass. Before joining Saint Mary's University, she taught at Michigan State University (2016-17), the University of Toronto (2018-23), and the University of Essex (2023-24). In her spare time she might be found reading and writing, playing music, creating digital art, fidgeting with yarn and/or fabric, playing old video games, and/or drinking all sorts of tea.

News

Congratulations and thanks to Dr. Elissa Asp, who has been granted the status of Professor Emerita effective September 1, 2024.

Congratulations to Dr. Elissa Asp on being recognized with the Presidentʼs Award for Exemplary Service, for her outstanding contributions to the Linguistics Program, the English Department, and the University over the course of many years.

Congratulations to Lily Jackson, who has been awarded a CGS master's scholarship, and will be doing an M.A. in linguistics at the University of Toronto!

Congratulations to Angela Dong (B.A. 2019), on completing an M.A. in Applied Linguistics at Western University!
 
Congratulations to Nina Evans (B.A. 2021), on starting an M.A.Sc. in Speech-Language Pathology at McGill University!

 

Previous talks 


On November 4-5, the Linguistics Program hosted the 44th meeting of the Atlantic Provinces Linguistic Association (APLA), with a keynote presentation on Maritime Sign Language by Dr. Beverly Buchanan of Lamar University.
Photos of the conference


Using written corpora to examine understudied languages: The case of Brazilian Veneto

Dr. Natália Brambatti Guzzo
Tuesday, March 23rd, 2021 
5:30 p.m., Zoom (meeting id: 977 2700 8564 passcode: 814917)


Understanding Multimodal Discourses in English Language Teaching Textbooks: Implications for Students and Practitioners

Dr. Christopher A. Smith
Friday, March 5th, 2020
1:30 p.m., Zoom meeting


EEG as a tool for understanding language comprehension

Dr. Aaron Newman
Wednesday, February 26, 2020
4:00 p.m., McNally East Room 111


LIPS Talk: Agreeing with singular they

Dr. Daniel Hall
Thursday, February 8, 2018
4:00 p.m., 276 Loyola


Making the Dictionary of Cape Breton English: An Afterword and the Dictionary’s Distinctiveness

William Davey, Cape Breton University
Sunday, October 29
2:30 p.m. in the "Flex Room", McNally Main 201


LIPS Talk: What: “Bilingual life after school: Opportunity, choice and ideology among former Gaelic-medium students”

BIO: Stuart Dunmore
Friday, September 22, 2017
4:30 p.m., 218 Burke, Saint Mary's University


“Moving Past the Language Evolution Wars”

Christina Behme, Department of Philosophy, Brandon University
Thursday, May 4, 2017
10:30 am – noon, Loyola 271, Saint Mary’s University 


Important Dates for the Twenty-Fourth Annual SSSR Meeting
Conference Dates: July 12-15, 2017
Conference Location: Halifax, Nova Scotia
Conference Submissions


LIPS Talk: What: “The role of imageability in accessing lexical representations for spelling”

Richard Drake, Honour Student
Friday, March 24, 2017
2:00 p.m., Atrium 216, Saint Mary's University


40th Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Provinces Linguistic Association Mount Saint Vincent University
Halifax, Nova Scotia, Canada
October 28-29, 2016

For more information about APLA, please visit: http://www.unb.ca/apla-alpa. Conference website: http://www.msvu.ca/apla40.
Deadline for abstract submissions: September 15, 2016


Linguistics Advising

Tuesday, October 25th, 2016
4:00-5:00 p.m., Loyola Academic 282, Saint Mary's University

Need help with selecting future courses or maybe want to know more about the courses? This would be a great opportunity to find out.


LIPS Talk: WH-labels

Dr. Egor Tsedryk, Associate Professor of French & Linguistics
Thursday, October 20th, 2016
4:00 p.m., Loyola Academic 282, Saint Mary's University

Poster


The 43rd annual meeting of the Linguistic Association of Canada and the United States

  Saint Mary's University
  August 2-5, 2016
  http://lacus.weebly.com/2016-conference.html 


The International Clinical Phonetics and Linguistics Association meeting -- June 2016.


Got English?

   All Welcome!
   Thursday, February 25, 2016
   12:00 p.m., Scotia Bank Theatre
   Dr. Eric Henry

   First Linguistics Students Association Meeting of 2016
  
  All Welcome!
   Friday, February 12, 2016
   3:00-5:00 p.m., Loyola 177

    The Atlantic Conference on Reading and Language Aquisition
 

Dalhousie University, Saint Mary's University, and Mount Saint Vincent University
Wednesday, May 13, 2015
9 a.m. - 4 p.m., Research Conference at Dalhousie
5 p.m. Talk by Susan Neuman


TALK! Linguistics "in Progress" Series (LIPS)

Dr. Daniel Hall
Thursday, March 26, 2015
5:15-6:15 p.m., Loyola Academic Building (room 275)

[Abstract]


The 'Other Silence'?: Re-examining Language Shift in Ireland in the Nineteenth Century

Dr. Nicholas Wolf
Thursday, March 20, 2015
7:00 p.m., Sobey Building (room 265), 903 Robie Street

The Irish Studies program is hosting Dr. Nicholas Wolf. He will be re-examining the language shift that occurred in Ireland in the nineteenth century.


Department of Psychology Colloquium Series

Dr. Randy Newman
Friday, November 21, 2014 2:30-3:30
Sobey Building room 260


Graduate Program Development: Call for participation and feedback

April 25th, 2014 1:00-3:00 p.m
McNally North 219


Speaking the Inuit Way: An Exhibition

November 14-30, 2013
Patrick Power Library


APLA 36 ALPA - 36th Annual Meeting of the Atlantic Provinces Linguistic Association

Friday - Saturday, November 2-3, 2012


How Language got in the Brain; What Linguists should know about Language Evolution

Friday, March 23, 2012
4:00-5:00 p.m., Loyola 282

Dr. Christina Behme is with the Department of Philosophy at Saint Mary's University.

Poster


The 27th Annual Saint Mary's University Psychology Student Conference

Friday, March 30, 2012
2:45 - 4:00 p.m., Scotiabank Theatre, Sobey Building

Keynote Address: Dr. Fergus I.M. Craik, Senior Scientist, Rotman Research Institue at Baycrest, Toronto.
Bilingualism: Consequences for Mind and Brain.

Poster


Gaelic in Scotland and Nova Scotia: Ideologies, Affect and Socialization in Language Shift and Revitalization

Friday, March 16, 2012
11:30 a.m. - 12:45 p.m., Loyola 181

Dr. Emily McEwan-Fujita is a candidate for an Assistant Professorship in Anthropology with a specialization in linguistics anthropology.

Abstract


The Foreign Adventures of Xiaoming: Narrative, Agency and the English Modern in Northeastern China

Wednesday, March 14, 2012
10:00-11:15 a.m., Loyola 181

Dr. Eric Hery of Carleton University is a candidate for an Assistant Professorship in Anthropology with a specialization in linguistics anthropology.

Abstract


Teaching English After Graduation

Wednesday, February 29, 2012
2:30, McNally MM 227

Julian L’Enfant, Director of Teacher Training & Cambridge CELTA tutor at English Canada will be at the SMU Campus on Wednesday, February 29th (2:30 – 4:30pm, McNally MM 227) to give a presentation on the Cambridge CELTA, the world’s most recognized training program for Teaching English as a Foreign Language. Learn about the program and how it can lead to a rewarding experience teaching abroad or here in Canada.

Poster


Honours Thesis Presentation

Monday, November 28, 2011
5:30, MM 209

Annie Fortin - Subject doubling or dislocation: The case of the Saguenay dialect
Tracey Lothian - Positive emotional reaction of speakers to English words


Invited Talk

Wednesday, November 16, 2011
5:30, MM 201

Nelleke Strik (Dalhousie University)
Wh-in-situ in Dutch: Transfer from French in bilingual French-Dutch children


Open House

Friday, October 28, 2011
9:00-13:00, MM 223

Are you curious about languages? Do you like puzzles? Are you thinking about a career in speech pathology, audiology, journalism, language teaching, language documentation and revitalization? Linguistics might be an option for you. Please drop by.


Meet and Greet

Friday, September 16, 2011
11:30-13:30, SB 260

This is a good opportunity to meet faculty members and other students in Linguistics. We would also like to take a few minutes to present some useful information regarding courses, possible degree combinations, scholarship opportunities, conferences and workshops. And it will be a great pleasure for us to answer your questions.


Bringing the Language Home: Language Revitalization in the Family

Tuesday, May 10, 2011
7:00 P.M.
Atrium 101

Poster


The interplay between speaker differences and chunk frequency effects on scene description: MEG and EEG studies

Antoine Tremblay, Aaron J. Newman, Timothy Bardouille
(IWK Health Centre, Dalhousie University, NRC IBD Atlantic)
Friday April 29th, 4:00-5:00 pm
Sobey Building 160

Poster


Examine no /t/:Using databases to investigate phonological universals

Daniel Hall
Linguistics Program,
Saint Mary's University
Friday, March 25th, 4:00-5:00 pm
Sobey Building 265


How children's linguistic knowledge supports their reading

Helene Deacon
Friday, February 11th,
4:00-5:00 pm
Loyola 177
Saint Mary's University

Poster


Language VS Communication: Investigating the neural networks involved in biological motion, symbolic gesture, and sign language

Aaron Newman
Friday January 28th, 4:00-5:00 pm
Loyola 177, SMU


From speech synthesis by analogy to computational simulations of human reading

Yannick Marchand
Friday, November 26th, 4:00-5:00 pm
Sobey Building 260, SMU

Poster


The building blocks of language

Antoine Tremblay
Friday, October 29th, 4:00-5:00pm
Loyola 296, SMU
All welcome.

Poster

Contact us

Faculty of Arts
Linguistics