2023 Teaching award nomination!

I am chuffed to receive a nomination for this year's Narragunnawali Awards for Reconciliation in Education!

Held biennially since 2017, the Narragunnawali Awards are the only national awards program that recognises and celebrates Australian schools and early learning services implementing outstanding reconciliation initiatives. Finalists are acknowledged for strengthening relationships, building respect, and providing meaningful opportunities in the classroom, around the school or service, and with the community.

The children I teach are undertaking a daily linguistic program of the French and Barngarla languages and culture.

A fantastic exhibition opening!

The greater Adelaide community of pop culture enthusiasts turned out in their droves to visit my World Comic Book Linguistics exhibition at The Adelaide Comic and Toy Fair on October 3!

The exhibition presented visitors with an investigation of the linguistic context, stereotypes, representations, and controversies in early comic book literature and children's stories.

During the event, I discussed with language teaching professionals the use of the comic book as a communication medium in the second language classroom. Specifically, a new language teaching class I created and launched at the School of Languages Languages Alive Holiday Program in July!

I look forward to the next stages of my national speaking tour later this month!

On the road again!

Capricon Pop Culture Convention, Rockhampton North Queensland, August 27

I had a great time with the audience at Capricon Pop Culture Convention in Rockhampton, North Queensland, during my linguistic presentation about languages created for the tv and film industry!

Included in this leg of the tour was a constructed language keynote to pop culture fans and language enthusiasts about languages explicitly created for the TV and film industry, for example; the Klingon language; where it is spoken and to which language family it belongs, number of speakers and percentage of children speaking it; basic knowledge in a language such as greetings; unique characteristics; and information about where it might be possible to continue to learn the language in Australia or online.

The constructed language presentation was a hit with the audience with plenty of interaction during the post-presentation Q&A!

My second presentation at CapriCon Rockhampton investigated the 'Politics of Tintin,' specifically the linguistic context, stereotypes, representations, and controversies in the early Tintin albums and period children's storybook adventures.  

Special thanks to the audiences attending both presentations!

During the convention the first stage of marketing and promoting my exciting bilingual storybook adventure, The Adventures of Paris and Freddie, was undertaken. The adventure is written in the French and English languages, and set in the Fleurieu Peninsula, South Australia! 

I look forward to engaging with audiences during the next legs of the tour in Sydney, Adelaide, and Melbourne!

A Fantastic exhibition opening!

I had an absolute hoot presenting excerpts of my thesis investigations to the greater Adelaide community during my exhibition of comic book linguistics at the Adelaide Comic and Toy Fair.

The exhibition presented visitors with an investigation of the linguistic context, stereotypes, representations, and controversies in early comic book literature and children's stories.

The comic book is a powerful medium for relaying a political or a social message to a readership of any age. By presenting a variety of media, and popular sources including period-specific comic book literature created in France and Belgium, as well as comic strips and children's books from the United Kingdom and the Americas, this exhibition permits the viewer to examine the linguistic, contextual, representational and stereotypical elements in early comic book literature while reflecting on the controversies surrounding their publications.

Special thanks to Noelia Carvajal Balbin from the School of Languages for attending the Cross-promotion for the School of Languages Languages Alive Holiday Program during the exhibition's run.

A successful day of marketing and promotion!

Fantastic weather at Brighton greeted visitors at the Rendezvous Market, a market promoting European businesses in Adelaide.

I received a steady flow of visitors to my expo stand during the event promoting my exhibition of comic book linguistics this coming April 24 at the Adelaide Comic and Toy Fair, as well as speaking about the School of Languages Languages Alive School Holiday Program.