Jean Mulder | University of Melbourne (original) (raw)
Publications by Jean Mulder
Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 2019
This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising dis... more This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television program Q&A. It explores the frequency of sort of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of sort of and locates these within Zhang's (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of sort of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that sort of performs five of Zhang's six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.
This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising dis... more This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television program Q&A. It explores the frequency of sort of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of sort of and locates these within Zhang's (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of sort of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that sort of performs five of Zhang's six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.
Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 2019
Mulder, J., Penry Williams, C., & Moore, E.. (2019). Sort of in Australian English: The elasticit... more Mulder, J., Penry Williams, C., & Moore, E.. (2019). Sort of in Australian English: The elasticity of a pragmatic marker. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 29(1), 9–32.
Special issue: Vagueness and Elasticity of “Sort of” in TV Discussion Discourse in the Asian Pacific.https://benjamins.com/catalog/japc.29.1
This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s television program Q&A. It explores the frequency of sort of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of sort of and locates these within Zhang’s (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of sort of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that sort of performs five of Zhang’s six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.
Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2014). Documenting unacknowledged inheritances in contemporary ... more Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2014). Documenting unacknowledged inheritances in contemporary Australian English. In L. Gawne & J. Vaughan (Eds.). Selected papers from the 44th conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, 2013, (pp. 160–177). Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Available at http://bit.ly/ALS2013Proceedings. [OPEN ACCESS]
The development of Australian English (AusE) has been well-documented but some features dwelling on the margins of the ‘standard’ have also remained on the fringes of research. These inheritances are unacknowledged not only with respect to their origins but also, in many cases, their transported stigma. This paper outlines the approach of our ongoing project to thoroughly document these ‘non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ morphosyntactic, syntactic and discourse features. Through a discussion of youse, (embellished) clippings and final particle but we aim to demonstrate the value of wholly documenting features, studying their descriptive and interactional aspects and their social evaluation using diverse data. As it continues, this work will not only provide us with a much fuller understanding of these features and their place in contemporary AusE, but it will also serve as a model for inclusive linguistic research linking micro linguistic detail and whole cultures.
Chapter in Comparative studies in Australian and New Zealand English, 2009
Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2009). Final but in Australian English convers... more Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2009). Final but in Australian English conversation. In P. C. Collins, P. Peters & A. Smith (Eds.), Comparative studies in Australian and New Zealand English (pp. 339–359). Amsterdam; Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
https://benjamins.com/catalog/veaw.g39
In contemporary Australian English (AusE) but has progressed through a grammaticization continuum to become a “fully developed” final discourse particle (Mulder & Thompson 2008). Here we document the place of Final Particle but in AusE. Firstly, we make a case that it provides further evidence of the mixed origins of AusE (Bradley 2003; Lonergan 2003; Leitner 2004). Secondly, we show how prosody, turn organization, and speaker interaction indicate that Final Particle but marks contrastive content and is a turn-yielding discourse particle. Thirdly, we establish through survey data that its usage in AusE differs from that in American English and that but as a Final Particle can be seen as a distinctive feature of AusE. Lastly, we argue that Final Particle but has social meaning and can index “Australianness”.
Asian Englishes, 2018
Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2018). Understanding the place of Australian English: Exploring... more Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2018). Understanding the place of Australian English: Exploring folk linguistic accounts through contemporary Australian authors. Asian Englishes, 20(1), 54–64.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13488678.2018.1422323
This paper explores Australian English (AuE), utilising a folk linguistic approach and engaging with its use in novel-writing. It is argued that discussions by contemporary Australian authors about their approaches to writing and voicing characters, and the actual voices authors give to their characters can be used as data to gain new understandings of what language forms have social meanings within AuE. The value of this analytical approach is then illustrated with interview and text extracts from one Australian author, revealing that this type of analysis provides insights into both the folk linguistic understandings of an author and how language variation is employed within the fiction series to index local types. It is concluded that such an approach can be generalised to better understand variation in AuE as accessed by other language-focussed professions and their differing conceptualisations of language, as well as to further understand variation in other varieties of English, and in other languages.
Conference Presentations by Jean Mulder
Penry Williams, C., & Mulder, J. (2014). Unacknowledged inheritances in ‘non-standard’ and ‘margi... more Penry Williams, C., & Mulder, J. (2014). Unacknowledged inheritances in ‘non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ grammatical features. Paper presented at Sociolinguistics Symposium 20, Jyväskylä, June 15–18.
https://congress.cc.jyu.fi/ss20/schedule/pdf/1234.pdf
Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2013). ‘Non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ grammatical features of Au... more Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2013). ‘Non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ grammatical features of Australian English: Unacknowledged inheritances Paper presented at Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, Melbourne, October 2–4.
Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2010). The final particle-hood of but in Austr... more Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2010). The final particle-hood of but in Australian English conversation. Paper presented at LISO, Santa Barbara, CA, October 1. [Invited]
Penry Williams, C., Mulder, J., & Moore, E. (2017). The pragmatic functions of sort of in Austral... more Penry Williams, C., Mulder, J., & Moore, E. (2017). The pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English. Paper presented at Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, Sydney, December 4–7.
Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2008). Final but in contemporary Australian En... more Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2008). Final but in contemporary Australian English. Paper presented at Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Sydney, July 2–4.
Papers by Jean Mulder
The Australian journal of language and literacy, Apr 16, 2024
International Journal of American Linguistics, 2012
Our ongoing study of backchannel (BC) behaviour by Japanese speakers of English-as-an-additional-... more Our ongoing study of backchannel (BC) behaviour by Japanese speakers of English-as-an-additional-language (JE) and Australian speakers of English-as-a-first-language (AuE) has identified differences in BC sequences (BC-Seqs)—BC instances involving more than one exchange of BCs (Ike, 2016, 2017a, 2017b; Ike & Mulder, 2016a, 2016b). Notably, extended BC-Seqs are frequent and predominately rapport-oriented in JE interactions, while they are relatively infrequent and more stance-oriented in AuE interactions (Ike & Mulder, 2016b). Focusing on how JE speakers negotiate their rapport-oriented BC behaviour and accommodate their expectations of extended BC-Seqs in interacting with AuE speakers, this paper provides further insight into the pragmatic accommodation accomplished by speakers in ELF settings.
English in Australia and New Zealand combines both theory and description, and introduces the maj... more English in Australia and New Zealand combines both theory and description, and introduces the major theoretical and methodical issues in modern linguistic study. It also provides an overview of the structure and history of the English language in its many varieties, especially those of Australia and New Zealand. The emphasis is on English as it is used everyday. Almost all the examples are drawn from culinary texts, spoken and written. These include cooking books throughout the centuries, food and wine magazines, and books about food, health, diet and even etiquette. The book integrates a synchronic and diachronic approach. A description of each aspect of present-day English - be it vocabulary, sounds, or grammar - is followed by a discussion of its historical development. The approach is purposefully eclectic and draws upon many different traditions and areas within linguistics. Each chapter concludes with a summary of points to remember, as well as practical exercises and question...
Page 1. University of California Publications LINGUISTICS Volume 124 Ergativity in Coast Tsimshia... more Page 1. University of California Publications LINGUISTICS Volume 124 Ergativity in Coast Tsimshian (Sm'algyax) Jean Gail Mulder University of California Press Page 2. Page 3. ERGATIVITY IN COAST TSIMSHIAN (SM'ALGYAX) This On© 6LCC-0E5-0CL5 Page 4. Page ...
Abstract of presentation for ALS2016
Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 2019
This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising dis... more This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television program Q&A. It explores the frequency of sort of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of sort of and locates these within Zhang's (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of sort of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that sort of performs five of Zhang's six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.
This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising dis... more This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation's television program Q&A. It explores the frequency of sort of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of sort of and locates these within Zhang's (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of sort of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that sort of performs five of Zhang's six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.
Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 2019
Mulder, J., Penry Williams, C., & Moore, E.. (2019). Sort of in Australian English: The elasticit... more Mulder, J., Penry Williams, C., & Moore, E.. (2019). Sort of in Australian English: The elasticity of a pragmatic marker. Journal of Asian Pacific Communication, 29(1), 9–32.
Special issue: Vagueness and Elasticity of “Sort of” in TV Discussion Discourse in the Asian Pacific.https://benjamins.com/catalog/japc.29.1
This study examines the pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English (AuE), utilising discourse from 12 months of the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s television program Q&A. It explores the frequency of sort of uses in context with a focus on multifunctionality. Uses are classified in a data-based schema which synthesises the previously described pragmatic functions of sort of and locates these within Zhang’s (2015) Elastic Language framework. The article thus provides an understanding of the pragmatic functions of sort of in public discussion contexts within AuE, arguing, most notably, that sort of performs five of Zhang’s six functions, rather than just the two previously reported, and that in accounting for the complex uses of this pragmatic marker, a wider range of subtypes needs to be distinguished within two of the functions.
Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2014). Documenting unacknowledged inheritances in contemporary ... more Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2014). Documenting unacknowledged inheritances in contemporary Australian English. In L. Gawne & J. Vaughan (Eds.). Selected papers from the 44th conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, 2013, (pp. 160–177). Melbourne: University of Melbourne. Available at http://bit.ly/ALS2013Proceedings. [OPEN ACCESS]
The development of Australian English (AusE) has been well-documented but some features dwelling on the margins of the ‘standard’ have also remained on the fringes of research. These inheritances are unacknowledged not only with respect to their origins but also, in many cases, their transported stigma. This paper outlines the approach of our ongoing project to thoroughly document these ‘non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ morphosyntactic, syntactic and discourse features. Through a discussion of youse, (embellished) clippings and final particle but we aim to demonstrate the value of wholly documenting features, studying their descriptive and interactional aspects and their social evaluation using diverse data. As it continues, this work will not only provide us with a much fuller understanding of these features and their place in contemporary AusE, but it will also serve as a model for inclusive linguistic research linking micro linguistic detail and whole cultures.
Chapter in Comparative studies in Australian and New Zealand English, 2009
Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2009). Final but in Australian English convers... more Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2009). Final but in Australian English conversation. In P. C. Collins, P. Peters & A. Smith (Eds.), Comparative studies in Australian and New Zealand English (pp. 339–359). Amsterdam; Philadelphia: John Benjamins.
https://benjamins.com/catalog/veaw.g39
In contemporary Australian English (AusE) but has progressed through a grammaticization continuum to become a “fully developed” final discourse particle (Mulder & Thompson 2008). Here we document the place of Final Particle but in AusE. Firstly, we make a case that it provides further evidence of the mixed origins of AusE (Bradley 2003; Lonergan 2003; Leitner 2004). Secondly, we show how prosody, turn organization, and speaker interaction indicate that Final Particle but marks contrastive content and is a turn-yielding discourse particle. Thirdly, we establish through survey data that its usage in AusE differs from that in American English and that but as a Final Particle can be seen as a distinctive feature of AusE. Lastly, we argue that Final Particle but has social meaning and can index “Australianness”.
Asian Englishes, 2018
Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2018). Understanding the place of Australian English: Exploring... more Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2018). Understanding the place of Australian English: Exploring folk linguistic accounts through contemporary Australian authors. Asian Englishes, 20(1), 54–64.
https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/13488678.2018.1422323
This paper explores Australian English (AuE), utilising a folk linguistic approach and engaging with its use in novel-writing. It is argued that discussions by contemporary Australian authors about their approaches to writing and voicing characters, and the actual voices authors give to their characters can be used as data to gain new understandings of what language forms have social meanings within AuE. The value of this analytical approach is then illustrated with interview and text extracts from one Australian author, revealing that this type of analysis provides insights into both the folk linguistic understandings of an author and how language variation is employed within the fiction series to index local types. It is concluded that such an approach can be generalised to better understand variation in AuE as accessed by other language-focussed professions and their differing conceptualisations of language, as well as to further understand variation in other varieties of English, and in other languages.
Penry Williams, C., & Mulder, J. (2014). Unacknowledged inheritances in ‘non-standard’ and ‘margi... more Penry Williams, C., & Mulder, J. (2014). Unacknowledged inheritances in ‘non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ grammatical features. Paper presented at Sociolinguistics Symposium 20, Jyväskylä, June 15–18.
https://congress.cc.jyu.fi/ss20/schedule/pdf/1234.pdf
Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2013). ‘Non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ grammatical features of Au... more Mulder, J., & Penry Williams, C. (2013). ‘Non-standard’ and ‘marginal’ grammatical features of Australian English: Unacknowledged inheritances Paper presented at Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, Melbourne, October 2–4.
Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2010). The final particle-hood of but in Austr... more Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2010). The final particle-hood of but in Australian English conversation. Paper presented at LISO, Santa Barbara, CA, October 1. [Invited]
Penry Williams, C., Mulder, J., & Moore, E. (2017). The pragmatic functions of sort of in Austral... more Penry Williams, C., Mulder, J., & Moore, E. (2017). The pragmatic functions of sort of in Australian English. Paper presented at Conference of the Australian Linguistic Society, Sydney, December 4–7.
Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2008). Final but in contemporary Australian En... more Mulder, J., Thompson, S. A., & Penry Williams, C. (2008). Final but in contemporary Australian English. Paper presented at Australian Linguistic Society Conference, Sydney, July 2–4.
The Australian journal of language and literacy, Apr 16, 2024
International Journal of American Linguistics, 2012
Our ongoing study of backchannel (BC) behaviour by Japanese speakers of English-as-an-additional-... more Our ongoing study of backchannel (BC) behaviour by Japanese speakers of English-as-an-additional-language (JE) and Australian speakers of English-as-a-first-language (AuE) has identified differences in BC sequences (BC-Seqs)—BC instances involving more than one exchange of BCs (Ike, 2016, 2017a, 2017b; Ike & Mulder, 2016a, 2016b). Notably, extended BC-Seqs are frequent and predominately rapport-oriented in JE interactions, while they are relatively infrequent and more stance-oriented in AuE interactions (Ike & Mulder, 2016b). Focusing on how JE speakers negotiate their rapport-oriented BC behaviour and accommodate their expectations of extended BC-Seqs in interacting with AuE speakers, this paper provides further insight into the pragmatic accommodation accomplished by speakers in ELF settings.
English in Australia and New Zealand combines both theory and description, and introduces the maj... more English in Australia and New Zealand combines both theory and description, and introduces the major theoretical and methodical issues in modern linguistic study. It also provides an overview of the structure and history of the English language in its many varieties, especially those of Australia and New Zealand. The emphasis is on English as it is used everyday. Almost all the examples are drawn from culinary texts, spoken and written. These include cooking books throughout the centuries, food and wine magazines, and books about food, health, diet and even etiquette. The book integrates a synchronic and diachronic approach. A description of each aspect of present-day English - be it vocabulary, sounds, or grammar - is followed by a discussion of its historical development. The approach is purposefully eclectic and draws upon many different traditions and areas within linguistics. Each chapter concludes with a summary of points to remember, as well as practical exercises and question...
Page 1. University of California Publications LINGUISTICS Volume 124 Ergativity in Coast Tsimshia... more Page 1. University of California Publications LINGUISTICS Volume 124 Ergativity in Coast Tsimshian (Sm'algyax) Jean Gail Mulder University of California Press Page 2. Page 3. ERGATIVITY IN COAST TSIMSHIAN (SM'ALGYAX) This On© 6LCC-0E5-0CL5 Page 4. Page ...
Abstract of presentation for ALS2016
Dynamics of Language Changes, 2020
This chapter further documents the place of yous(e) in Australian English (AuE) by analyzing occu... more This chapter further documents the place of yous(e) in Australian English (AuE) by analyzing occurrences in Australian literature taken from the Macquarie Dictionary's OzCorp. Firstly, we substantiate that in AuE yous(e) has developed a singular usage alongside the plural. Analysis of the reference in 308 tokens within our subcorpus of literature finds 40% clearly have a singular referent and that such forms occur in just over half of the texts. Secondly, we provide an analysis of its social evaluation as a stigmatized form by examining its utilization in the voices authors give to their characters. Focussing on texts with high use, we uncover yous(e) is linked both to particular 'types' and to certain fictional worlds/milieus. In both cases, the authors draw on understandings of it as Australian and working class, with recognition of its claimed Irish origins only (potentially) indirectly indexed. Keywords Australian English • Second person pronouns • Folklinguistics • Australian fiction • Indexicality 1 Henceforth youse stands for either spelling.
Abstract for presentation at ALAA2016/ALS2016 joint day.
Asian Englishes, 2018
This paper explores Australian English (AuE), utilising a folk linguistic approach and engaging w... more This paper explores Australian English (AuE), utilising a folk linguistic approach and engaging with its use in novel-writing. It is argued that discussions by contemporary Australian authors about their approaches to writing and voicing characters, and the actual voices authors give to their characters can be used as data to gain new understandings of what language forms have social meanings within AuE. The value of this analytical approach is then illustrated with interview and text extracts from one Australian author, revealing that this type of analysis provides insights into both the folk linguistic understandings of an author and how language variation is employed within the fiction series to index local types. It is concluded that such an approach can be generalised to better understand variation in AuE as accessed by other language-focussed professions and their differing conceptualisations of language, as well as to further understand variation in other varieties of English...
In contemporary Australian fiction, ending a turn with but is becoming stereotyped as distinctive... more In contemporary Australian fiction, ending a turn with but is becoming stereotyped as distinctive of Australian English (Mulder 2002). Fascinated to know to what extent this might reflect spoken conversation, and whether it might not be restricted to Australia, we began making a collection of examples from various sources of spoken American and Australian English. From these data emerge two hypotheses. Firstly, in contemporary spoken English (and written Australian dialogue), the behaviour of but can be modelled as a continuum from a prosodic-unit-initial conjunction to a prosodic-unit-final discourse particle in a way that suggests a grammaticization process in progress. The usage of ‘final but ’ in Australian English, and its grammaticization pathway, seems precisely parallel to that of though (Barth-Weingarten/Couper-Kuhlen 2002). Secondly, as but ‘moves ’ along this continuum, its conversational function changes, in a way that is consistent with what has been described in the gr...
Potentially, effective social media use has a valuable role to play in addressing a number of con... more Potentially, effective social media use has a valuable role to play in addressing a number of concerns for newly arrived international students including feelings of isolation, access to information and participation in community. The aim of this paper is to report on a project to develop social media training resources for AusAID students from developing countries. The project was delivered as part of a six-week, 100-hour introductory academic preparation program. Using an action research approach, we conducted three stages of materials production, data gathering and self-reflection. In our overall analysis of the project, we identified resistance to participation, information overload and technological impediments as central barriers to full integration of social media training. We conclude with suggestions for improvement and research in the development and integration of social media training resources.
In the global mining industry, proximity warning systems are being increasingly deployed in mobil... more In the global mining industry, proximity warning systems are being increasingly deployed in mobile equipment such as haul trucks, partly due to the risk of collisions. This research first reviewed best practice interface design for new technologies in the automotive domain: for example, the European Statement of Principles on Human Machine Interfaces. Thereafter it reviewed the different types of proximity warning interfaces available in mining. Analysis then compared the identified best practice in automotive with current proximity warning interfaces in mining. Gaps found are discussed, and recommendations to improve the interface design of proximity systems in mining are proposed.
Sm’algyax (British Columbia and Alaska) is a highly ergative VAO/VS language with an uncommonly w... more Sm’algyax (British Columbia and Alaska) is a highly ergative VAO/VS language with an uncommonly wide range of clitics. This chapter has the two-fold function of demonstrating how Anderson’s (2005) constraint-based analysis of clitics gives insight into the complex behavior of Sm’algyax clitics, and how the clitics themselves afford empirical means of testing such a theory. The Sm’algyax data are drawn from both field research and pub lished texts, reflecting a community-based approach to language documentation that has evolved through a long-term, collaborative relationship with the Tsimshian (Sm’algyax) communities. Building on Stebbin’s (2003) definitions of intermediate word classes in Sm’algyax and Anderson’s Optimality Theoretical approach, we determine that in terms of their varying phonological dependence, Sm’algyax clitics include internal, phonological word, and affixal clitics. The existence of affixal clitics in Sm’algyax, however, calls into question the viability of the...
In addition to documentary work, Dr. Boudreault is interested in pedagogy and issues of language ... more In addition to documentary work, Dr. Boudreault is interested in pedagogy and issues of language revitalization and maintenance. ISRAEL MARTÍNEZ CORRIPIO is a graduate student at the Universidad Nacional Autónoma de México. His main interests include voice systems and argument structure in Mayan languages. DONNA FENTON studied linguistics at San Francisco State University and UC Berkeley. Her main research interests are language documentation and revitalization, and Mesoamerican linguistics. MARÍA LUZ GARCÍA is a doctoral candidate in linguistic anthropology at The University of Texas at Austin. Her focus of study is on the use of the Ixil language in creating public collectives. She has been working with Ixil organizations such as the Grupos de Mujeres y Hombres por la Paz, the Comunidades de Población en Resistencia, and community leaders involved in exhumation and reburial of victims of the genocide of Mayas of the 1980s. She has collaborated with Gómez de García and Axelrod on documentation of the Ixil language since 2002.
