News about the Strathy Language Unit and Canadian English studies
[Please note that this page is an archive of blog posts from 2015. Some of the links to articles are no longer active.]
Writing English in Montreal
Date: December 11, 2015 | Category: Guest Column
Author: Rachel Montour
Editors Note: This is part one of a four-part series exploring the work of multilingual authors in Montreal who choose to write in English. Why do these individuals choose English, and how have their own linguistic backgrounds and the bilingual context of Montreal shaped this choice and their work? Strathy literary intern and English graduate student Rachel Montour, herself a bilingual Montrealer, interviewed four young writers on this topic. The focus of our first piece is Patra Dounoukos Reiser.
Patra Dounoukos Reiser, a doctoral student in English at the Universit茅 de Montr茅al who is interested in the female gothic, likes to 鈥渆xplore people caught between [two] worlds and struggling to find their place鈥 in her fiction. In her creative works, one can find 鈥渁 sense of mystery and vaguely supernatural hints here and there鈥. In further describing her creative inclinations, Patra admits to her usual 鈥渞eferencing [of] a Greek god or goddess鈥 and the 鈥渋nfluence of the Greek myths [she] grew up hearing鈥.
Indeed, Patra grew up speaking Greek at home with her parents. She learned English in kindergarten and French once she moved to Montreal. When asked if language acts as a significant component of her identity, she writes:
I suppose so if I think deeply about it. Each language is different and rich and resonant in their own way, and when I speak Greek, I feel Greek if that makes any sense. English makes me feel accomplished and educated and a bit persecuted too here in Montreal. I love the feel of French on my tongue. Being able to communicate with many people makes me feel a citizen of the world aussi.
Click here to read the full piece.
Old Words, New Popularity
Date: December 10, 2015 | Category: In the Media
The rise and rebranding of "badass" and "squad" - thanks to social media - are up for analysis in two recent newspaper articles:
- (Globe and Mail, Dec. 10)
- (Montreal Gazette, Dec. 5)
Eskimos' Name Controversy
Date: December 4, 2015 | Category: In the Media
The Edmonton Eskimos won The Grey Cup, but discussion of the team name continues. Canada's national Inuit organization, the Inuit Tapiriit Kanatami, has asked the team to change the name, sparking debate outside of the community as well as some within. Read more in these articles:
- (Nunatsiaq Online, Dec. 2)
- (Edmonton Journal, Dec. 2)
- (Globe and Mail, Nov. 28)
- (Edmonton Journal, Nov. 27)
- (Ottawa Citizen, Nov. 26)
Overuse and Misuse
Date: December 3, 2015 | Category: In the Media
From car porn to criminal masterminds to political bloodbaths... The to the paper about the overuse and misuse of particular words and phrases.
Excuse Me Ma'am/Miss
Date: November 27, 2015 | Category: In the Media
When does a "miss" become a "ma'am", and what are the connotations of each title? In , writer Sofi Papamarko explores these questions and consults with linguist Aaron Dinkin on the origins of "ma'am".
Montreal Mix
Date: November 26, 2015 | Category: In the Media
In his , Marc Abley reflects on English borrowings in French and French borrowings in English in Montreal.
Graduate Research on Canadian English
Date: November 19, 2015 | Category: News
皇冠体育's linguists and students in the course Canadian English were treated to talks by four University of Toronto graduate students yesterday. The speakers shared results from their ongoing variationist studies on different Canadian English topics.
From left to right...
- Marisa Brook: Not so co-relative: The past and present of restrictive WHO and THAT in Toronto and Belleville, Ontario
- Ruth Maddeaux: Is like like like?: Evaluating the same variant across multiple variables
- Erin Hall: Canadian Raising in Toronto and Vancouver
- Matt Hunt Gardner: I (have) (got) a story for you: Stative possessives and the Loyalist origins of Cape Breton English
Canadian English Speaker in ISIS Recording?
Date: November 18, 2015 | Category: In the Media
The features of Canadian English have become a recent media topic for unexpected and unfortunate reasons. The speaker in an audio clip released by ISIS exhibits certain vowel pronunciations characteristic of someone raised in Central or Western Canada. The following articles include observations by Canadian English scholars Charles Boberg and Jack Chambers.
- (CBC News, Nov. 18)
- ISIS voice on audio linking group to Paris may be Canadian (Herald News, Nov. 16) [no longer available]
- (Global News, Nov. 16)
Word of the Year
Date: November 17, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Oxford Dictionaries' Word of the Year - the emoji "face crying tears of joy" - has left many people crying tears of another kind. Would you have preferred "Dark Web" or "on fleek"?
- (CBC, Nov. 17)
New Perspective, New Names
Date: November 13, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Prime Minister Justin Trudeau's priorities are reflected in his new names for cabinet positions. "Minister of Environment" is now "Minister of Environment and Climate Change". "Northern Development" is now "Northern Affairs". Read about some of the other changes in these articles:
- (CBC, Nov. 5)
- 'A lot more than symbolism': Here's why cabinet name changes are a sign of what's to come (National Post, Nov. 4) [no longer available]
Graduate Research Symposium
Date: November 10, 2015 | Category: News
On November 18th, the unit will host the Symposium of Graduate Research on Canadian English, featuring talks by four graduate students engaged in sociolinguistic research on various aspects of Canadian English. The event is organized by Matt Hunt Gardner, instructor for Canadian English. Click on the flyer below for details. All are welcome!
Which Color/Colour?
Date: November 4, 2015 | Category: In the Media
A school spelling test in Vernon, B.C. ignited the debate over Canadian spelling when kids were taught American variants. .
Time for Change?
Date: October 30, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Language change... We often resist it, but sometimes we seek it. Two recent articles highlight efforts in the latter category:
- (Winipeg Free Press, Oct. 28)
- (Toronto Star, Oct. 29)
English Accent Identification
Date: October 29, 2015 | Category: In the Media
British Airways surveyed American and British passengers on their knowledge of, and preferences for, different English accents. Read more about the survey in , including the finding that 97% of respondents from the U.K. identified the Canadian accent as American.
Cape Breton English
Date: October 27, 2015 | Category: In the Media
A Cape Breton native reflects on the Irish and Scottish influences on her English in this piece for the Cape Breton Post. [article no longer available]
Are Millennials Grammar Nerds?
Date: October 15, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Millennials often get a bad rap for destroying the English language, but they may be surprisingly stern prescriptivists in the Toronto Star.
A Bird by Any Other Name
Date: October 14, 2015 | Category: In the Media
In his , Mark Abley explores the origins of bird names in English and French Canada.
Language and Politics
Date: October 14, 2015 | Category: In the Media
The origins of "canvass" and legislative debates over proper grammar have made their way into the news recently...
- (Toronto Star, Sept. 27)
- (Times Colonist, Oct. 11)
NWAV is Coming!
Date: October 13, 2015 | Category: News
New Waves of Analyzing Variation (NWAV) 44, co-hosted by the University of Toronto and York University, will take place October 22-25 at the University of Toronto. There will be some great Canadian English content, including plenary talks by Jack Chambers and Shana Poplack, a session on the Canadian Shift and a number of other talks and posters of interest. Here鈥檚 a link to the preliminary program. [no longer available]
New from Newfoundland
Date: October 9, 2015 | Category: News
The latest issue of Regional Languages Studies... Newfoundland is now online! .
Who's Accent?
Date: October 8, 2015 | Category: In the Media
In the latest clash between politics and linguistics, Minister of National Defense and Minister for Multiculturalism, Jason Kenney, is criticized for praising an immigrant's "unaccented English".
- (Toronto Star, October 6)
- (Global News, October 5)
Renaming in Quebec
Date: October 1, 2015 [Updated December 3, 2015] | Category: In the Media
Following a petition effort, the Quebec Topography Commission has decided to change eleven place names in the province that contain the N-word (six in English, five in French). . New names are still to be determined.
[Update: This article in the National Post includes further detail on the name-changing debate.] [no longer available]
Gasp茅 English
Date: September 30, 2015 | Category: In the Media
In his latest , Mark Abley explores a few unique features of the English of anglophones in Gasp茅, Quebec.
'Newfie' Troubles
Date: September 25, 2015 | Category: In the Media
While discussion continues around Harper's 'old stock Canadians' comment, NDP leader Tom Mulcair is dealing with his own linguistic controversy surrounding his use of the term 'Newfie' twenty years ago. Here's a taste of the commentary...
- (CBC News, Sept. 23)
- I am careful, now, about using the term 'Newfie' without quotation marks (National Post, Sept. 22) [no longer available]
- Mulcair apologies for saying 'Newfie' in 1996 (The Telegram, Sept. 20) [no longer available]
- Mulcair catches fish, flack: NDP leader asked to apologize (again) for saying 'Newfie' 19 years ago (National Post, Sept. 20) [no longer available]
- (CBC News, Sept. 20)
'Old Stock' Canadians
Date: September 24, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Stephen Harper's 'old stock Canadians' comment arose as one of the big stories from last week's federal leaders' debate. Since then, dozens of articles have explored the meaning and history of the phrase as well as Harper's intentions. Here are just a few...
- (Globe and Mail, Sept. 23)
- 'Old stock' Canadians have left a sad history (Regina Leader Post, Sept. 22) [no longer available]
- Election missing the point on immigration (Niagara Falls Review, Sept. 21) [no longer available]
- ' (Montreal Gazette, Sept. 20)
- (CBC News, Sept. 19)
- Taking stock of 'old stock' Canadians: Stephen Harper called a 'racist' after remark during debate (National Post, Sept. 19) [no longer available]
- (Globe and Mail, Sept. 18)
- Harper's 'old stock' comment old news (Niagara Falls Review, Sept. 18) [no longer available]
- (Toronto Star, Sept. 18)
- Harper on defensive after Trudeau says 'old stock' comment shows Tory leader uses 'politics of division' (National Post, Sept. 18) [no longer available]
- (CBC News, Sept. 18)
- (Winnipeg Free Press, Sept. 18)
- (CBC News, Sept. 17)
Wolfe Island Fieldwork
Date: September 22, 2015 | Category: News
A few images of Wolfe Island, Ontario taken during a summer fieldwork trip to record speakers for our Oral Stories of Wolfe Island project...
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Pictures of people: Hank Connell, President of Wolfe Island Historical Society in his barn (bottom left); Brian MacDonald, Treasurer of Wolfe Island Historical Society and partner in the Strathy Unit's Oral Stories of Wolfe Island project at his home (center); Tabitha Daly, Fieldwork Project Manager in the Old House Museum (bottom right)
Summer Stories of Canadian English
Date: September 10, 2015 | Category: In the Media
We're back with part 2 of our collection of summer media stories! It is an impressive list, with topics ranging from our shifting vowels to the "Flora syndrome", from old words changing in meaning to new ones entering the language.
- (Montreal Gazette, August 28)
- (CBC News, August 27)
- (BBC News, August 20)
- (Pique Magazine, August 20)
- (Toronto Star, August 17)
- (Toronto Star, August 11)
- (Inside Ottawa Valley, August 5)
- (Ottawa Citizen, August 5)
- (Maclean's, August 1)
- (Montreal Gazette, July 31)
- (Winnipeg Free Press, July 30)
- (Maclean's, July 29)
- (Ottawa Citizen, July 20)
- (Montreal Gazette, July 17)
- (Montreal Gazette, July 3)
- (Wall Street Journal, July 3)
- Can new immigrants benefit from accent reduction courses? (Can-India News, July 3) [no longer available]
- (Toronto Star, July 3)
- (Now Toronto, July 1)
- (Montreal Gazette, June 19)
Vocal Fry in the Media
Date: September 3, 2015 | Category: In the Media
It was a busy summer for Canadian English in the media. 'Vocal fry' was the big story, sparked by about this speech pattern as used by young women. Below are links to articles exploring different perspectives on fry from the Canadian press. (Next week we'll post links to the summer stories about everything else!)
- (The Globe and Mail, August 7)
- (Toronto Star, August 4)
- (Toronto Star, July 31)
- (The Globe and Mail, July 31)
- (CBC, July 29)
- Naomi Wolf and 'vocal fry': The accepted voice of authority shouldn't sound only like a white male (Metro News, July 28) [no longer available]
- (CBC Radio's The Current, July 28)
Summer Hiatus
Date: June 25, 2015 | Category: News
The blog will be taking its annual July-August hiatus. Please keep in touch with us during this time , and check back in September for more news and media stories.
Meanwhile at the unit...
Research assistants hard at work in the Strathy offices
OED Welcomes 'Inukshuk'
Date: June 25, 2015 | Category: In the Media
'Inukshuk', 'stagette' and other Canadianisms were among 500 new words added to the Oxford English Dictionary today. .
Dominion Day?
Date: June 25, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Dominion Day gave way to Canada Day in 1982, but as the holiday approaches, some are nostalgic for the older term. Check out and Brewery brings back Dominion Day with off-beat Canadiana party. [article no longer available]
New Country, New English
Date: June 24, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Moving to a new country means many life changes for immigrants. For English speakers moving to Canada, adjusting to a new language is one change most don't consider. , new citizens reflect on their early experiences in Canada, including adapting to Canadian English.
Euphemisms and Race
Date: June 23, 2015 | Category: In the Media
Obama's recent use of