Frequently Asked Questions

How many languages do you speak?

I only speak one language: English. I have, however, studied 6 different languages: French (4.5 years), German (4 years), Mandarin Chinese (1 year), Ancient (Attic) Greek (1 year), Old English (0.5 years), and Old Norse (0.5 years). How well I speak them obviously varies, but I am not fluent in any.

Where are you from?

This actually a really tricky question for me. I was born in Alabama and lived there for 10 years before my family moved to Kansas, then I attended college in Arkansas for 4 years before coming to call North Carolina home. Most people are surprised when they hear that I was actually born (and partially raised) in Alabama, because I don’t really have a southern accent any more. Both of my parents grew up in Kansas, so I was exposed to a different dialect at home. I just find it amusing, because most people hear my accent, learn that my family currently resides in Kansas, and assume that I know nothing of southern culture, which isn’t  true at all.

Currently I would proudly call myself a North Carolinian, where I live and study in Chapel Hill with my Beagle named Gus.

What other activities do you enjoy?

I enjoy watching a variety of television shows, some of my favorites being Brooklyn Nine-Nine, Parks and Recreation, Psych (hence my Beagle’s name), Arrested Development, Firefly, Star Trek (pretty much any version), Black Books, Merlin, Futurama, etc. I especially enjoy watching television shows that have a lot of word play (for rather obvious reasons). I also enjoy knitting and crocheting, listening to movie soundtracks, reading comics (especially Bizarro by Dan Piraro), and attending my local church, among other things.

What do you study?

I study language, of course. In particular, my dissertation is focusing on a developing variety of English within a local refugee community.