SFU Linguistics

06/01/2026

05/20/2026

Salish languages researcher Lisa Matthewson is presenting the annual Becker Colloquium on May 28 at 12:30pm in RCB 6152 and via Zoom.

The talk is titled Semantic universals and semantic variation: Evidence from Salish language research. “What semantic universals exist? And how do languages vary in their semantics? In this talk, I aim to shed light on these big questions by drawing on the past 30 years of research into Salish semantics.”

Lisa Matthewson is a Linguistics professor at UBC. She contributes to the documentation and revitalization of Indigenous languages through the collection and publication of narratives, teaching in UBC Okanagan’s Bachelor of St’át’imc Language Fluency, developing language teaching curriculum, and mentoring language instructors and learners.

https://www.sfu.ca/linguistics/events/2026/Becker-2026.html

05/01/2026

Last week at the Sweet 60 Conference, LING students and faculty gathered to discuss the latest topics in linguistics research and enjoy poster presentations and talks.

To see the full list of speakers and the titles of their research presentations, check out the program at the end of the carousel.

Huge congrats to the Linguistics Graduate Student Colloquium Committee (LING-COCO) for organizing this excellent event and baking the delicious cakes!

04/29/2026

This summer, join Eva Tchizmarova for The Science of Speech: LING 190.

From speech language pathology to accessibility software, the study of how speech is produced, perceived and transmitted has innovative applications in communication, health, tech, the arts and beyond.

Aspects of applied phonetics include treating speech disorders as well as creating AI models with Natural Language Processing and other machine learning methods.

04/07/2026

“This research is personally meaningful because it reflects my own linguistic journey. Growing up speaking Mandarin and Sichuan dialect and later learning English, Cantonese and French, I have experienced firsthand how multilingualism shapes identity, belonging and communication. Understanding how learners navigate multiple phonological and lexical systems, especially when dialects interact with second or third languages, resonates deeply with my lived experience both as a learner and as a researcher.”

Congratulations to Danielle Xizi Deng, an alumna of the SFU Linguistics PhD program and MA program, for taking a position at Western Sydney University as a postdoctoral researcher.

The project is titled Understanding the Mastery of Multiple Languages and Dialects. It is an exciting initiative by Deng’s supervisor and Director of Research at the MARCS Institute, Professor Paola Escudero.

Read the interview via 🔗 in bio!

03/31/2026

How we produce, transmit and perceive speech is the focus of this exciting introductory course.

Practical applications covered include topics in speech-language pathology and language education.

Explore the ways in which speech is described and analyzed, as well as the relationship between speech and technology.

Open to all students. Breadth-Social Sci/Science.

03/30/2026

Explore the foundations of human language from a variety of perspectives. Young children acquire language effortlessly. How is this possible, and why is it so much more challenging to learn a new language later in life?

How does the human brain use complex grammatical systems to communicate? Students will learn new ways to think critically about language and communication.

Open to all students. No prerequisites! Breadth-Social Sciences.