English is one of the most broadly spoken languages in the world. It is the language of global business and travel. For that reason, having the ability to communicate in English efficiently has become a norm for companies and universities around the globe. However, when you are thinking of learning English, one of the most […] … learn more→

  One cold April night in 1919, at around 2 a.m., a mob of 60 rowdy white students at the University of Maine surrounded the dorm room of Samuel and Roger Courtney in Hannibal Hamlin Hall. The mob planned to attack the two Black brothers from Boston in retaliation for what a newspaper article described at the […] … learn more→

Australia is a multicultural society. There are different traditions, cultures, accents and languages all over the country. The latest Census data show almost 30% of Australians speak a language other than English, or English and another language, at home. In our latest survey, we have had responses from 281 multilingual families across Australia, who speak a variety […] … learn more→

Fear of being flamed, trolled, or other forms of negative engagement is one of the main reasons many researchers I work with are wary of social media. There is good reason in some contexts for these fears (see Jonathan O’Donnell on how crowdfunding may not suit all research areas because some may attract “the attention […] … learn more→

This is a brief post. It’s a brief post about a brief strategy which helps you to get started on writing that feels a bit – well – a bit boring. It’s the five minutes a day strategy. Boring? Yes … sometimes we all have to write things that don’t excite us. We often try […] … learn more→

  The confinement instituted in France in the spring of 2020 to fight against the first wave of the Covid-19 epidemic has brutally changed living and working conditions. Its effects for adults are starting to be established , in particular the increase in social inequalities . Under house arrest for at least two months, the children were cut off from their social […] … learn more→

There used to be a time – back in the 1960s – when it made sense for doctoral programs to prepare students to become professors. For that brief postwar moment, there were more jobs for professors than there were doctorate holders to fill them. But that time is long gone. Professorships are scarce now, and most people with doctorates […] … learn more→

Hanging on the wall in my office is the framed cover of the inaugural issue of The Brownies’ Book, a monthly periodical for Black youths created by W.E.B. Du Bois and other members of the NAACP in 1920. The magazine – the first of its kind – includes poems and stories that speak of Black achievement and […] … learn more→

  Most discussions about the drawbacks of online education focus on the negative effects it has on learning. Less obvious – but also quite important – is how remote instruction can affect the teacher’s use of humor. Scholars have formulated various explanations for why people use humor. As someone who has helped prepare and provide professional development for prospective and veteran […] … learn more→

Early exposure to diverse story characters, including in ethnicity, gender and ability, helps young people develop a strong sense of identity and belonging. It is also crucial in cultivating compassion towards others. Children from minority backgrounds rarely see themselves reflected in the books they’re exposed to. Research over the past two decades shows the world presented in children’s […] … learn more→