Member Spotlights

Racist stereotyping of Asians as good at math masks inequities and harms students

One billion tweet dataset investigates impact of COVID-19 on human communication

'Review of reviews' of patient and healthcare provider communication aims to help vulnerable groups

A 'review of reviews' looks to identify gaps in academic literature regarding how communication between a healthcare provider affects the health of a patient, focusing on vulnerable populations. Evidence shows that face-to-face communication between healthcare provider and patient can affect…

App helps translate stories in multiple Indigenous languages

I'm not from a dot on a map: language revitalization as a site for reconciliation

Image: Mique Michelle and the Mamawi Summer Camp Participants of 2018. Photo credit: Terrence Sutherland Language revitalization could serve as a site for reconciliation between Indigenous and non-Indigenous people in the town of Kapuskasing. That's according to Language Sciences affiliate…

Creating a safe space for heritage learners of Chinese, and helping non-heritage learners produce tricky tones

UBC's Chinese Language Program can offer a safe space for heritage learners to share similar stories and challenges, as well as an opportunity to connect with this heritage. That's according to 2019/2020 Killam Teaching Prize winner and director of the program, Dr. Qian Wang. A Language Sciences…

Pupa versus puppies: how language can be used to manipulate and other lessons from the Living Language course

Why are invertebrates referred to as 'pests' in journal articles, but rats aren't? Why should sign language courses be offered at the university? How can non-English and non-French speakers easily access mental health services in Canada? Final projects for the Living Language: Science and…

Ensuring Full Literacy in a Multicultural and Digital World receives SSHRC Partnership Grant

Letters to Santa

Students want to take American Sign Language (ASL) classes at the University of British Columbia but many have misconceptions about sign language. That's according to a final project in the Living Language: Science and Society course, which conducted research about UBC and other universities'…

Emoji-based apps to aid mental health access for immigrants

How can you easily direct new immigrants to mental health services in Canada when they don't speak English or French? Enter the notOK app. A final project for the Living Language: Science and Society course, notOK aims to communicate via emojis with non-English and non-French speakers seeking…