Kirby Conrod
@kirbyconrod.bsky.social
assistant prof in linguistics at swarthmore; phd in linguistics from u washington; sociosyntax; they/them or ey/em.
Pinned
Kirby Conrod
@kirbyconrod.bsky.social
· Sep 26
btw i love being transgender and gay and teaching pronoun studies at a prestigious college
knitting and nails check
November 27, 2025 at 8:23 PM
knitting and nails check
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
Canadians! You can now vote for the Canadian Word of the Year!
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
2025 has been an eventful year for Canada's identity. To commemorate the year, The Society for Canadian English is choosing a 2025 word of the year (CWOTY), based on the Dictionary of Canadianisms on Historical Principles.
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
Have your say: docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...
November 27, 2025 at 12:23 AM
Canadians! You can now vote for the Canadian Word of the Year!
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
(If we had the option to choose a Canadian WOTY in French as well, I'd suggest the gender-neutral pronoun "iel" which has been in the news a lot in Quebec this year, but probably not applicable since this is an English dictionary)
i think if you put me in charge of high school curricula in the US, what i'd do is split the thing that's currently called "english" class* into "literatures" and "linguistics," the latter of which would focus on descriptive grammar, typology of world languages, and socioling
pretty frequently, one of my students (undergrads, frequently the fairly advanced ones who have done most or all of a degree in ling) will suddenly be like "why the fuck isn't linguistics taught in high school???" and i have to admit to them that as far as i am aware the reason is, it's expensive
November 26, 2025 at 9:21 PM
i think if you put me in charge of high school curricula in the US, what i'd do is split the thing that's currently called "english" class* into "literatures" and "linguistics," the latter of which would focus on descriptive grammar, typology of world languages, and socioling
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
Happy World Linguistics Day! I write about #language in the key of narrative non-fiction; you might find my books interesting! A thread --
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
November 26, 2025 at 9:40 AM
Happy World Linguistics Day! I write about #language in the key of narrative non-fiction; you might find my books interesting! A thread --
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
#lingsky #langsky #linguistics
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
“When teachers value the polished but anodyne text extruded from these systems over students’ authentic voices, we reinforce harmful linguistic ideologies”- @emilymbender.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
Opinion Forum | How AI Is Changing Higher Education
The technology is reshaping every aspect of university life. Fifteen scholars weigh in on what happens next.
www.chronicle.com
November 26, 2025 at 4:36 PM
“When teachers value the polished but anodyne text extruded from these systems over students’ authentic voices, we reinforce harmful linguistic ideologies”- @emilymbender.bsky.social
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
www.chronicle.com/article/how-...
social network effect where sometimes you meet someone who is not a linguist but is friends with like 20 linguists and it's always so funny
November 26, 2025 at 4:54 PM
social network effect where sometimes you meet someone who is not a linguist but is friends with like 20 linguists and it's always so funny
@toddthelinguist.bsky.social im eating your recipe tomorrow and im psyched
November 26, 2025 at 4:53 PM
@toddthelinguist.bsky.social im eating your recipe tomorrow and im psyched
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
Happy to share the first version of my textbook "Quantitative Data Analysis for Linguists in R".
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
Quantitative Data Analysis for Linguists in R
stefanocoretta.github.io
November 26, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Happy to share the first version of my textbook "Quantitative Data Analysis for Linguists in R".
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
pretty frequently, one of my students (undergrads, frequently the fairly advanced ones who have done most or all of a degree in ling) will suddenly be like "why the fuck isn't linguistics taught in high school???" and i have to admit to them that as far as i am aware the reason is, it's expensive
November 26, 2025 at 2:49 PM
pretty frequently, one of my students (undergrads, frequently the fairly advanced ones who have done most or all of a degree in ling) will suddenly be like "why the fuck isn't linguistics taught in high school???" and i have to admit to them that as far as i am aware the reason is, it's expensive
forgy says happy world linguistics day
November 26, 2025 at 2:41 PM
forgy says happy world linguistics day
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
if you, like me, do not care about advent, i can report that these also work great as motivation to do a daily task (my eels calendar is for physiotherapy exercises, and i got a previous year's frog facts calendar for doing the dishes :)
LISTEN UP!
December 1 is Monday.
This means I only have another 6 days to get an advent calendar to you.. Those days include Thanksgiving and a Sunday.
I will be doing a post office drop tomorrow! This is your last chance. I can't guarantee it'll get there by Monday, but it could!
SquidFacts.net
December 1 is Monday.
This means I only have another 6 days to get an advent calendar to you.. Those days include Thanksgiving and a Sunday.
I will be doing a post office drop tomorrow! This is your last chance. I can't guarantee it'll get there by Monday, but it could!
SquidFacts.net
November 26, 2025 at 1:00 AM
if you, like me, do not care about advent, i can report that these also work great as motivation to do a daily task (my eels calendar is for physiotherapy exercises, and i got a previous year's frog facts calendar for doing the dishes :)
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
"Dogs don't bark at parked cars" is an all-time great line
"My mentor always tells me, 'Kim, dogs don’t bark at parked cars." They’re coming after critical race theory, 1619, intersectionality because these ideas mobilized people. They gave them the language to actually articulate what they were seeing with their own eyes," says Kimberlé Crenshaw.
November 25, 2025 at 4:18 PM
"Dogs don't bark at parked cars" is an all-time great line
they need to make academic audiobooks. i want david to just read it to me
November 25, 2025 at 4:25 PM
they need to make academic audiobooks. i want david to just read it to me
trying an experiment where i explicitly tell the (resident/fellow) that the (supervisor/attending) is sometimes bad at pronouns before they go bring them in the room, so they have time to mentally prep themselves before potentially needing to do a correction
November 25, 2025 at 3:54 PM
trying an experiment where i explicitly tell the (resident/fellow) that the (supervisor/attending) is sometimes bad at pronouns before they go bring them in the room, so they have time to mentally prep themselves before potentially needing to do a correction
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
Same for literary studies. Non-tenure-track lit studies scholars I know you're out there and publishing articles and books. And if you're tenure-track and know NTT authors, let me know about their work! I can reach out and confirm that they're cool with being listed.
Haven't received as many contributions as usual for this year's lists--could be many things, but one aspect is surely that our ability to get this in front of people is much diminished. If you know folks whose stuff should be on here, please suggest it! contingentmagazine.org/yearly-pub-l...
Publications by Non-Tenure-Track Historians
Since we began publishing in 2019, Contingent has published end-of-year lists of books and articles by non-tenure-track historians released in the past calendar year. To submit something for inclusion...
contingentmagazine.org
November 25, 2025 at 2:36 PM
Same for literary studies. Non-tenure-track lit studies scholars I know you're out there and publishing articles and books. And if you're tenure-track and know NTT authors, let me know about their work! I can reach out and confirm that they're cool with being listed.
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
Innovations in Linguistics Education is a new Diamond Open Access journal, is dedicated to the teaching of linguistics.
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
Innovations in Linguistics Education
journals.ed.ac.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Innovations in Linguistics Education is a new Diamond Open Access journal, is dedicated to the teaching of linguistics.
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
pronouns mentioned
November 24, 2025 at 9:00 PM
pronouns mentioned
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
Introducing my new project… Your Wrong (yourwrong.co.uk). It’s all about the language rules and judgements that appear in different forms of popular culture. Films, series, podcasts, music, books, even graffiti!
I’d love your help to find examples!
I’d love your help to find examples!
Your Wrong
yourwrong.co.uk
February 5, 2025 at 9:34 AM
Introducing my new project… Your Wrong (yourwrong.co.uk). It’s all about the language rules and judgements that appear in different forms of popular culture. Films, series, podcasts, music, books, even graffiti!
I’d love your help to find examples!
I’d love your help to find examples!
hey #linguistics peeps! have you ever taken (or taught) a syntax class? we want to hear your opinions (good or bad) about it! We're doing focus group interviews (on zoom, or in person at select conferences) - if you're at all interested, you can fill out our interest form: forms.gle/nhBtz78hQXNA...
SynTeach Focus Group Interest Form
SynTeach is a project researching peoples' experiences teaching and learning syntax in higher education. We have conducted surveys of the field including syntax instructors and students, and we are pl...
forms.gle
November 24, 2025 at 5:05 PM
hey #linguistics peeps! have you ever taken (or taught) a syntax class? we want to hear your opinions (good or bad) about it! We're doing focus group interviews (on zoom, or in person at select conferences) - if you're at all interested, you can fill out our interest form: forms.gle/nhBtz78hQXNA...
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
You know what, I'm just gonna re-up this post
November 24, 2025 at 3:04 PM
You know what, I'm just gonna re-up this post
i got a longer bottle brush, so now it is Wash Your Waterbottle Wednesday Monday (observed)
November 24, 2025 at 3:21 PM
i got a longer bottle brush, so now it is Wash Your Waterbottle Wednesday Monday (observed)
living in the future is so weird sometimes. like of course this makes sense, this is super practical and smart, but also. hhhhhhh
Players are roleplaying in Fortnite to teach each other their rights when encountering ICE officials
“I would slip [the warrant] under the door, but there’s no space under the door,” the agent says.
The civilian pauses. “Well. Sounds like a personal problem.”
www.404media.co/ice-defense-...
“I would slip [the warrant] under the door, but there’s no space under the door,” the agent says.
The civilian pauses. “Well. Sounds like a personal problem.”
www.404media.co/ice-defense-...
Inside an ICE Defense Training on Fortnite
A group of immigrant rights organizers are helping people use Fortnite to practice what to do if they encounter ICE agents in the wild.
www.404media.co
November 24, 2025 at 3:18 PM
living in the future is so weird sometimes. like of course this makes sense, this is super practical and smart, but also. hhhhhhh
favorite barista asked me what i'm doing today and i say seven zoom meetings. instant hit. baristas love to empathize with me when i have seven zoom meetings today
November 24, 2025 at 3:07 PM
favorite barista asked me what i'm doing today and i say seven zoom meetings. instant hit. baristas love to empathize with me when i have seven zoom meetings today
Reposted by Kirby Conrod
At last! Open Access version of the book on MIT's site. One for the syntax nerds. I argue we need to replace Merge, that there are no Phases, and that we need to rethink the basic theoretical typology of Islands. Feel free to download with abandon! 🐦🐦 #syntax direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...
Mereological Syntax: Phrase Structure, Cyclicity, and Islands
An argument for replacing Chomsky’s set-theoretic Merge view of syntax with a theory of syntax based on mereological objects.Mereology is the study of part
direct.mit.edu
November 23, 2025 at 1:51 PM
At last! Open Access version of the book on MIT's site. One for the syntax nerds. I argue we need to replace Merge, that there are no Phases, and that we need to rethink the basic theoretical typology of Islands. Feel free to download with abandon! 🐦🐦 #syntax direct.mit.edu/books/oa-mon...