I welcome language-related questions or interviews, especially regarding Indigenous languages, language in rap music, taboo language, accents, language change, and personal names.

  • Malhotra, R. T. (2024, August 6). Like Kamala Harris, my name has been mispronounced my whole life. Here’s how I reclaimed it. MSNBC. URL
  • Macfarlane, B. (2024, May 7). Drake, Kendrick Lamar beef's unlikely Calgary connection. CTV News Calgary. URL
  • Couturier, C. (2024, January 25). What role should universities play in revitalizing Indigenous languages? University Affairs. URL
  • Ritchie, Josh. (2021, November 2). Oxford English Dictionary declares ‘VAX’ 2021 Word of the Year. CityNews at Six Calgary. URL
  • McGinn, D. (2021, August 29). How ‘pivot’ became the pandemic buzzword, for better or for worse. The Globe and Mail. URL
  • Trafford, D. (2021, April 11). Curious Kids: How are languages formed? The Weekend Morning Show with Dave Trafford, NewsTalk 1010. URL
  • Fisher, M. (2020, June 24). Class of 2020: Musicality of languages fascinates graduating linguistics student. UCalgary News. URL
  • Deyell, S, & Schultz, A. (2020, May 4). The importance of grammar. The Morning News, CHQR. URL
  • Lackey, A. (2020, April 8). How my childhood love for slang will make me a better writer. Calgary Journal. URL
  • Nikolić, D. (2020, April 4). The linguistics of rap music. Linguistically Aware (ep. 1), CJSW. URL [1 hour]
  • Brach, B. (2020, January 3). How to name your children. BC Today, CBC Radio. URL; recording [30 min]
  • Mallia, C. (2019, December 18). Freestyle Fridays bring the ruckus to the UCC. Western Gazette. URL
  • Eshraghi-Yazdi, R. (Director). (2019). NAME [Documentary film]. Nur Films. Early cut link​
  • Lasalle, G. (2019, September 23). Faire revivre les langues des signes autochtones. Radio Canada. URL
  • d'Almeida, P. (2019, September 5). Dur, dur, d’être rappeur. Stylist.fr. URL
  • Aldous, J. (2019, August 13). What your name says about you. Alberta At Noon, CBC Radio. URL [1 hr]
  • Wojnicki, A. (2019, July 18). Profanity: talking taboo with linguistics professor Darin Flynn.” Talk About Talk, ep. 23. URL [1 hr]
  • Whelan, A. (2019, April 25). Canadians love to say thank you: study. 660 News. URL
  • Oen, C. (2018, September 13). Fighting to save Indigenous sign languages. The Tyee. URL
  • Oen, C. (2018, August 27). Discovering the secrets behind Indigenous hand talkers. The Tyee. URL
  • Schmidt, S. (2018, June 1). Why the c-word is so taboo, and why some women want to reclaim it. Washington Post. URL
  • McMahon, A. (2018, May 22). Kendrick Lamar interrupts Hangout Festival show to stop white fan from rapping the N-word. ABC News [Australian Broadcasting Corporation]. URL
  • Waugh, N. (2018, February 7). Race against time: Scholars and teachers follow complex paths to revitalize Indigenous languages in Treaty 7 region. UCalgary News. URL
  • Muma, J. (2017, October 6). ‘Terrorist’ a shifting word in a shifting world. 660 News, Oct. 6, 2017. URL
  • Macarenko, G. (2017, September 18). S-word in school materials. BC Almanac, CBC Vancouver. URL
  • Desjardins, R. (2017, August 22). Mise en œuvre de l’éducation autochtone. Le Café Show, Radio Canada. URL [commencez à 19:50]
  • Morel, J. Jr. (2017, August 16). A linguist breaks down the emotion behind Young Thug’s vocal style. Genius News. URL [2.6 million views] YouTube; also Facebook, etc.
  • Fletcher, R. (2017, June 24). Indigenous Albertans say provincial employee’s racial slur ‘really horrible’ but not surprising. CBC News Calgary. URL
  • Trembath, T. (2017, June 23). S-word controversy. CBC Calgary News at 6. URL. Also: CBC Calgary News at Eleven. URL
  • Cochrane Eagle Staff. (2017, February 2). Lessons in Stoney language and history. Cochrane Today. URL 
  • Cochrane Eagle Staff. (2017, January 26). New university course teaches Stoney Nakoda language. Cochrane Eagle. URL
  • Montgomery, A. (2016, November 4). Gender-neutral language, pronouns. News Talk 770. URL
  • Franklin, M. (2016, October 12). Younger crowd has a harder time watching their language, survey says. CTV News Calgary. URL
  • Humphrey, F. (2016, October 27). Why Bob Dylan should accept his Nobel Prize. Palatinate. URL
  • Maclean's Staff. (2016, October 28). Profile: University of Calgary. Maclean’s Magazine. URL
  • Nelson, T. (2016, October 12). Curses! Foul language and the workplace. CTV News Calgary. URL
  • Hopper, T. (2016, July 1). How to spot a fake Canuck: 11 unique tics and traits most Canadians don’t even know they have. Vancouver Sun. URL;  also: Montreal Gazette. URL; etc.
  • Hopper, T. (2016, June 30). How to spot a fake Canuck: 11 unique tics and traits most Canadians don’t even know they have. National Post. URL
  • Hopper, T. (2016, April 18). ‘Humble’: How the most misused word in Canadian politics is permanently changing the language. National Post. URL
  • Faculty of Arts, University of Calgary. (2016, March). Revitalizing Blackfoot language through rap. University of Calgary Faculty of Arts Annual Report 2014-2015, p. 25. URL 
  • Green, R. (2016, January). Vancouver earthquake: “unsettled.” News Talk 770, The Roy Green Show. URL
  • Edgar, P. (2015, August 3). What do you call the residents of your Alberta hometown? Albertarite? Turns out a demonym is more than just a handy suffix. CBC News Calgary. URL
  • Gray, D. (2015, August 3). Demonyms. Calgary Eyeopener. URL
  • CBC News. (2015, August 6). Rapping in Blackfoot. CBC News Calgary. URL
  • CBC News. (2015, August 7). Learning the Blackfoot language through rap. Calgary Eyeopener, Aug. 7, 2015. URL
  • Gray, D. (2015, August 7). Blackfoot youth learn language through rap. CBC News. URL
  • Desjardins, R. (2015, August 20). Nouvel outil d’enseignement des langues autochtones. Radio Canada. URL
  • CBC News. (2015, August 28). Tsuut'ina Nation returns to original name to preserve culture and language. CBC News Calgary. URL
  • 660 News. (2015, August 28). Changes affecting vowels across Canada. 660 News. audio file not found
  • Locke, C. (2015, October 15). Young Thug isn't rapping gibberish, he's evolving language. Wired Magazine. URL
  • Counter, R. (2015, November 22). Want to study Beyoncé or Harry Potter? Go to university. Maclean’s Magazine. URL
  • Maclean's Staff. (2015, November 27). Profile: University of Calgary. Maclean’s Magazine. URL
  • Brohman, E., & Hinchey, G. (2015, March 16). UVic program aims to revitalize South Slavey language in N.W.T. CBC News. URL
  • McElligott, D. (2015, March 10). Taber bans public swearing. Alberta at Noon, CBC Radio. URL [link: interview starts at 8 min mark]
  • Giovannetti, J. (2015, February 20). How you say ‘Calgary’ says a lot. The Globe and Mail. URL
  • Singroy, A. (2015, February 1). Rap camp revives and reclaims [language and] culture. CTV News Calgary. URL
  • Midgley, D. (2015, February 2). Rap linguistics. RTRFM 92.1, Perth. URL [link: starts at 34 min mark; also 54 min]
  • Counter, R. (2014, December 31). "Eminem and rap, poetry, race: essays" author Scott Parker dives in to this deeply critical look at Slim Shady. HipHopDX. URL
  • Hoyles, S. (2014, December 7, 12–1pm & December 10, 6–7pm). Rap linguistics. ArtBeat, CKUA. [clip]
  • Tahirali, J. (2014, October 10). ISIS militant who executed soldiers speaks like a Canadian: linguist. CTV National News. URL
  • Free, Lyndee. (2014, October 10). Rap class. Shaw TV Calgary. URL
  • Kehoe, D., & Younis, H. (2014, October 8). Profanity. Regent Radio, Dum Dums Radio, S 01 E 01. URL [1 hr]
  • Brown, J. (2014, September 30). “... speech patterns of CBC Calgary Eyeopener hosts have changed over the past 50 years”. CBC Calgary Eyeopener. URL
  • CTV New. (2014, September 26). U of C offers rap history course. CTV News Calgary [2:28 mins]. URL
  • Zammon, R. (2014, September 3). Coolest classes In Canada will make you wish you were still a student. Huffington Post Canada. URL
  • Adams, C., & Willett, S. (2014, August 19, 4–4:30pm). Rap linguistics. The Ivory Tower, CJSW 90.9.
  • Lewis, S. (2014, August 10, 3–4pm). Rap linguistics. Knotted Roots, CJSW 90.9.
  • Metro News Staff. (2014, August 7). Rap lyrics the topic of new linguistics course at the University of Calgary. Metro News. URL
  • Adam, C. (2014, July 16). Linguistics professor uses hip hop to study the evolution of language. The Gauntlet. URL
  • Desjardins, R. (2014, August 8, 4:45–5pm). La linguistique et le rap. Le café show, Radio-Canada.
  • Hopper, T. (2014, April 11). Are swears becoming so common they aren’t even profanity anymore? F— that! National Post. URL
  • Myslik, J. (2014, March 25). Mi'kmaq is making a comeback in a Nova Scotia community. CBC News. URL
  • Jessiman, M. (2013, September 5). What the &*$%?: What qualifies as a "bad" word nowadays? Edmonton Journal. URL
  • Jessiman, M. (2013, September 3). That’s a bad word. Calgary Herald. URL
  • CTV Staff. (2013, February). Commentary on new graphic novels in Blackfoot and language preservation. Alberta Primetime (CTV Two), CTV. Partial (and poor-audio) recording here.
  • Chrapko, D. (2012, November). Graphic novels rejuvenate connection to Aboriginal languages. Alberta Multi-Media Society: Alberta Sweetgrass 19(12), November 2012. URL
  • Komarnicki, J. (2012, October 25). Movement aims to keep Aboriginal languages alive. Calgary Herald. URL
  • Canadian Press. (2012, October 24). Once-vibrant Aboriginal languages struggle for survival: some language rescue efforts paying off in First Nations communities. CBC News. URL
  • Canadian Press. (2012, October 24). Aboriginal languages in deep trouble, latest census finds. National Post. URL
  • CBC News Staff. (2012, April 30). Finding the words: the struggle to preserve Aboriginal languages in Southern Alberta. CBC - Special Feature. URL
  • etc.