Unstandardized English

In this second episode of the self-isolation period, host JPB Gerald speaks with Dr. Abby Bajuniemi about her work at the intersection of tech and linguistics, a different sort of language discussion from our usual fare. Then they speak of the ways in which diversity and inclusion efforts fail, and academia in general in the uncertain future.

In the first installment of an impromptu series recorded during the early stages of NYC's self-isolation from Covid-19, host JPB Gerald speaks to Dr. Jessica Sierk about her research on niceness and whiteness, then asks for her take on what changes we might hope to see in how niceness and whiteness are constructed in the future that has been suddenly upended by the current crisis.

In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Jade Cintron about her experiences incorporating her experience with and passion for dramatic arts into her language teaching work. She speaks of her work in Spain navigating and what she brought back with her to build a language teaching career, with her theater background, her culture and language, and her racialization shaping her craft, her pedagogy...

In this episode, host JPB Gerald welcomes back Dr. Vijay Ramjattan to discuss another of his specialties, the topic of what constitutes "employability" and "professionalism," and how these concepts are, like everything else, constructed along racial lines.

In this episode, host JPB Gerald analyzes his theorized connections between ELT, racism, white fragility, and meritocratic ideologies, positing that antiracism in ELT will always struggle as long as meritocracy reigns.

In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Alice Kim about her experience as a fellow racialized ELT professional who has taught abroad and also, unlike the host, spent time teaching students in her home context who are the same racialization as she is. The discussion touches on the argument made by some that clients prefer racially majoritized teachers and some possible ways forward for the fie...

In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Brendan DeCoster about the concept, and troubling nature, of the "language of greater communication," and how this affects language policy in several different contexts. You will not be surprised to learn that it leads to oppression. Also we start by discussing how the concept of 'academic integrity' is wielded harmfully against international students.

In this special, personal episode, host JPB Gerald expounds upon his "problem of practice" upon entering his doctoral program, his research goals, and his hopes for refining a pedagogy he calls "heretical whiteness." This episode covers a lot of ground, but hopefully will push white listeners to question their faith in whiteness in every aspect of their lives and work. The question at hand is: can...

In this episode, host JPB Gerald completes his conversation with Chasing Encounters podcast host Yecid Ortega. The first half of the conversation can be found on his podcast page ( link it here !). They discuss some of the issues with the weak way "social justice" and "diversity" are used, racial tokenism, and the fecklessness of "white privilege" discussions. It's great, and you should listen!

In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Maureen Kosse about the insidious ways white supremacy and the alt-right use language to lure people, what led to our current predicament, and where we might go from here. Ultimately, a necessary discussion about white racial identity.

In this episode, host JPB Gerald speaks with Kelly Wright about her article "Language and Discrimination: Generating Meaning, Perceiving Identities, and Discriminating Outcomes." Linguistic discrimination is everywhere, people!

Live presentation of the Altruistic Shield paper at NYS TESOL, 11/15/19. Yay!

In this episode, Scott Stillar joins JPB to discuss the concept of fluency and how it can be used as a judgement and a barrier.

An exploration of Ibram Kendi's conceptualization of 'cultural racism' via experiences of having linguistic dismissal of 'rap' used as a socially permissible means of denigrating blackness.

If you are in the field of language education, you know that native speakerism is a prevalent form of discrimination. But we've been talking about it forever and it continues to bedevil the field. In this episode, JPB and guest Dr. Parisa Mehran try to find a productive way forward on the issue.

In this slightly different episode, host JPB Gerald speaks to his experiences being classified as 'smart' from a young age and how that has often been placed in opposition to his status as Black.

In this episode, host JPB Gerald discusses accents with newly-minted PhD-holder Dr. Vijay Ramjattan, who has conducted considerable research on the topic. The dialogue focuses on how the word "accent" is used to marginalize and other, the best ways to describe one's accent or the accent of someone else, and the ways in which possessing certain accents mark racialized speakers as less valuable, wit...

In this episode, host JPB Gerald and guest Lydia Villaronga discuss several acronyms within the field of language education, including ESL, ELL, TESOL, and others. Many of these acronyms seem harmless but serve primarly to marginalize and racialize, and in this conversation, these negative results are unpacked and pulled apart.

Welcome to Unstandardized English. In this inaugural episode, host JPB Gerald and guest Rob Sheppard discuss the word 'expat,' its meanings and implications, inclusions and exclusions. Ultimately, who is allowed to be considered an expat, and who isn't? What racial groups can be expats? Listen and find out!