On the road again!

Capricon Pop Culture Convention, Rockhampton North Queensland, August 27

I had a great time with the audience at Capricon Pop Culture Convention in Rockhampton, North Queensland, during my linguistic presentation about languages created for the tv and film industry!

Included in this leg of the tour was a constructed language keynote to pop culture fans and language enthusiasts about languages explicitly created for the TV and film industry, for example; the Klingon language; where it is spoken and to which language family it belongs, number of speakers and percentage of children speaking it; basic knowledge in a language such as greetings; unique characteristics; and information about where it might be possible to continue to learn the language in Australia or online.

The constructed language presentation was a hit with the audience with plenty of interaction during the post-presentation Q&A!

My second presentation at CapriCon Rockhampton investigated the 'Politics of Tintin,' specifically the linguistic context, stereotypes, representations, and controversies in the early Tintin albums and period children's storybook adventures.  

Special thanks to the audiences attending both presentations!

During the convention the first stage of marketing and promoting my exciting bilingual storybook adventure, The Adventures of Paris and Freddie, was undertaken. The adventure is written in the French and English languages, and set in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia! 

I look forward to engaging with audiences during the next legs of the tour in Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne!

Guest MC at the Adelaide opening night event of Thor, Love and Thunder!

I had ball as MC hosting the opening night event of Thor, Love and Thunder at the Palace Eastend Cinema tonight!

During the pre-screening presentation, I included a history of the character since its inception 60 years ago and insight into the Asgardian language spoken by Thor.

Appreciative thanks to the Palace Eastend Cinema for the booking, and to Greenlight Comics for their groovy prize packs given to two lucky winners during the presentation!

I look forward to the next stage of my speaking tour!

Time to Inspire!

Appreciative thanks to Professor Ghil'ad Zuckermann of the University of Adelaide for including me as a lecturer on the topic, Revivalistics, semester one 2022.

The course explores Revivalistics, a new trans-disciplinary field of enquiry surrounding language reclamation, revitalization and reinvigoration. It studies comparatively and systematically the universal constraints and global mechanisms on the one hand, and local peculiarities and idiosyncrasies on the other hand, apparent in revival attempts across various sociological backgrounds, all over the world.

Today's lecture presented the findings of a field trip aimed at immersing a group of children learning Barngarla (an Indigenous language) as part of a trilingual linguistic program I coordinate at an Educational centre in Adelaide's Northern Suburbs. 

In an Australian first, the children travelled to Port Lincoln in the Eyre Peninsula region of South Australia to undertake a cross-cultural exchange with the Barngarla People.

Indigenous Linguistic Field Trip - June 18 to 20, 2021

Bawoo!

On June 18 to 20, 2021, A long-term project came to fruition with a successful weekend-long linguistic field trip to Port Lincoln.

Port Lincoln and the region of the Eyre Peninsula is the traditional land of the Barngarla People, and is approximately a one hour flight from our home base in Adelaide.

Click on the above image to view a report written by ABC Australia who covered the linguistic field trip!

I planned and coordinated the educational experience with a fellow teacher, and the guidance of Professor Ghil'ad Zuckermann, Professor of Linguistics and Chair of Endangered Languages at the University of Adelaide Australia.

The travelling group consisted of teachers, parents, and their children to undertake a cross-cultural exchange with the native speakers of the indigenous language they are learning, Barngarla.

Barngarla Elders shared their stories and feelings about reconciliation, representation and the revival of the Barngarla Language (once a victim of linguicide, a language genocide, when all or almost all native speakers of that language die because of natural disasters, wars).

The field trip was a magical, educational, cross-cultural experience for everyone that attended. We extended an arm of friendship to the Barngarla People to join us in Adelaide for further language and culture workshops to develop the teacher's and children's target language skill development and learn more about indigenous culture.

A commissioned painting by local Barngarla artist Jenna Richards was presented to us commemorating the meeting and cultural exchange.