Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
@adamcschembri.bsky.social
https://sites.google.com/view/adamcschembri/home
Australian professor of linguistics at the University of Birmingham, UK
Hearing person interested in sign languages & signing communities
🏳️🌈🇦🇺🇲🇹🇪🇺
Australian professor of linguistics at the University of Birmingham, UK
Hearing person interested in sign languages & signing communities
🏳️🌈🇦🇺🇲🇹🇪🇺
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
I appreciate that some of
you are outraged about the White House absurdity of keeping ASL interpreters out of press briefings — but please don’t call us “hearing-impaired.” It’s a slur. Nothing wrong with using “deaf.” Saves you extra space too.
you are outraged about the White House absurdity of keeping ASL interpreters out of press briefings — but please don’t call us “hearing-impaired.” It’s a slur. Nothing wrong with using “deaf.” Saves you extra space too.
December 15, 2025 at 7:10 PM
I appreciate that some of
you are outraged about the White House absurdity of keeping ASL interpreters out of press briefings — but please don’t call us “hearing-impaired.” It’s a slur. Nothing wrong with using “deaf.” Saves you extra space too.
you are outraged about the White House absurdity of keeping ASL interpreters out of press briefings — but please don’t call us “hearing-impaired.” It’s a slur. Nothing wrong with using “deaf.” Saves you extra space too.
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
In their article "Signs of Deaf Ni-Vanuatu", Jacqueline Iseli and Rachel McKee describe the sociolinguistic context of deaf people in Vanuatu who have limited opportunities to socialise together, and document signs used by 19 deaf adults across the country nzlingsoc.org/journal_arti...
Signs of Deaf Ni-Vanuatu: A sociolinguistic study - Linguistic Society of New Zealand
nzlingsoc.org
December 11, 2025 at 3:40 AM
In their article "Signs of Deaf Ni-Vanuatu", Jacqueline Iseli and Rachel McKee describe the sociolinguistic context of deaf people in Vanuatu who have limited opportunities to socialise together, and document signs used by 19 deaf adults across the country nzlingsoc.org/journal_arti...
I've very much noticed this too so it's great to have some data-based infographics to back this up!
About 6 months ago, I got so tired of getting mostly AI(-adjacent) papers in my Google Scholar Alerts for "sign language", so I added a new filter excluding a few keywords to get more relevant #linguistics papers.
Now I checked the difference between the two alerts, and there's an obvious pattern.
Now I checked the difference between the two alerts, and there's an obvious pattern.
January 13, 2026 at 5:34 PM
I've very much noticed this too so it's great to have some data-based infographics to back this up!
First paper of 2026 with Rhys Sandow, @jwgrieve.bsky.social, and Rose Stamp!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
Lexical variation and change: Integrating lexis into variationist sociolinguistics | Language Variation and Change | Cambridge Core
Lexical variation and change: Integrating lexis into variationist sociolinguistics
www.cambridge.org
January 9, 2026 at 10:51 AM
First paper of 2026 with Rhys Sandow, @jwgrieve.bsky.social, and Rose Stamp!
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
www.cambridge.org/core/journal...
The University of Birmingham is hiring through its 125th Anniversary Fellowships and Chairs scheme!
www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/125th-a...
www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/125th-a...
125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs - University of Birmingham
125th Anniversary Fellows and Chairs
www.birmingham.ac.uk
December 2, 2025 at 9:49 AM
The University of Birmingham is hiring through its 125th Anniversary Fellowships and Chairs scheme!
www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/125th-a...
www.birmingham.ac.uk/jobs/125th-a...
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
The Linguistic Justice Foundation is looking for 60 people to make a $5 monthly donation to help support our work pursuing linguistic justice for everyone. Please donate if you can, shar eif you can't.
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
Donate to make a difference for people's right to use, maintain and transmit their languages
Your contribution is helping us drive systemic change for linguistic justice. It helps us to advance public awareness and mass education on language rights and linguistic justice, conduct research, an...
www.zeffy.com
November 23, 2025 at 10:01 PM
The Linguistic Justice Foundation is looking for 60 people to make a $5 monthly donation to help support our work pursuing linguistic justice for everyone. Please donate if you can, shar eif you can't.
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
www.zeffy.com/en-US/donati...
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
Happy to share the first version of my textbook "Quantitative Data Analysis for Linguists in R".
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
Quantitative Data Analysis for Linguists in R
stefanocoretta.github.io
November 26, 2025 at 10:56 AM
Happy to share the first version of my textbook "Quantitative Data Analysis for Linguists in R".
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
stefanocoretta.github.io/qdal/
Comments and suggestions welcome! (on the GitHub repo: github.com/stefanocoret...)
The textbook takes you from 0 to basic stat modelling with Bayesian regression.
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
Innovations in Linguistics Education is a new Diamond Open Access journal, is dedicated to the teaching of linguistics.
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
Innovations in Linguistics Education
journals.ed.ac.uk
November 25, 2025 at 12:41 AM
Innovations in Linguistics Education is a new Diamond Open Access journal, is dedicated to the teaching of linguistics.
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations
I'm really excited to see a new journal in this space!
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
"[L]inguistics is uniquely positioned to teach us both about what all humans share and what makes cultures and individuals distinct"
@adamcschembri.bsky.social expressed it so nicely, read more here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ho...
@adamcschembri.bsky.social expressed it so nicely, read more here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ho...
November 28, 2025 at 7:57 AM
"[L]inguistics is uniquely positioned to teach us both about what all humans share and what makes cultures and individuals distinct"
@adamcschembri.bsky.social expressed it so nicely, read more here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ho...
@adamcschembri.bsky.social expressed it so nicely, read more here: www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ho...
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
November 27, 2025 at 8:01 PM
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
I'm making plans to teach a sociolinguistics class next year at the LOT Summer School in Groningen -- pls let me know about any cool new stuff I should include! #linguistics
November 24, 2025 at 11:06 AM
I'm making plans to teach a sociolinguistics class next year at the LOT Summer School in Groningen -- pls let me know about any cool new stuff I should include! #linguistics
Happy World #Linguistics Day! www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ho...
How the study of language impacts us everyday - University of Birmingham
Dr Adam Schembri, Professor of Linguistics, explains the importance of studying the science of language to mark World Linguistics Day.
www.birmingham.ac.uk
November 26, 2025 at 1:13 PM
Happy World #Linguistics Day! www.birmingham.ac.uk/news/2025/ho...
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
Happy World Linguistics Day! ⭐🎉🎊
Happy World Linguistics Day! Celebratory days take off when groups of people decide to make them happen so... let's see how many different locations we can get world linguistics day wishes from this year!
November 26, 2025 at 8:17 AM
Happy World Linguistics Day! ⭐🎉🎊
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
🚨NEW PUBLICATION ALERT!🚨
The 'Design Features' of Language Revisited (w/ @mperlman.bsky.social @glupyan.bsky.social Koen de Reus & @limorraviv.bsky.social)
Feature Review out now in #OpenAccess in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social! #language #linguistics
Paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
The 'Design Features' of Language Revisited (w/ @mperlman.bsky.social @glupyan.bsky.social Koen de Reus & @limorraviv.bsky.social)
Feature Review out now in #OpenAccess in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social! #language #linguistics
Paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
November 25, 2025 at 7:49 PM
🚨NEW PUBLICATION ALERT!🚨
The 'Design Features' of Language Revisited (w/ @mperlman.bsky.social @glupyan.bsky.social Koen de Reus & @limorraviv.bsky.social)
Feature Review out now in #OpenAccess in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social! #language #linguistics
Paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
The 'Design Features' of Language Revisited (w/ @mperlman.bsky.social @glupyan.bsky.social Koen de Reus & @limorraviv.bsky.social)
Feature Review out now in #OpenAccess in @cp-trendscognsci.bsky.social! #language #linguistics
Paper: doi.org/10.1016/j.ti...
My L1 is Australian English. I have basic conversational French. I can sign comfortably in Auslan and British Sign Language (closely related varieties) on a range of topics. I have some conversational American Sign Language and I can give basic presentations on my research in International Sign.
How many languages do you actually speak?
I'll go first. Me: 4
#language #languages #languagelearning #linguistics #polyglot #writing #writingcommunity
I'll go first. Me: 4
#language #languages #languagelearning #linguistics #polyglot #writing #writingcommunity
November 25, 2025 at 8:52 AM
My L1 is Australian English. I have basic conversational French. I can sign comfortably in Auslan and British Sign Language (closely related varieties) on a range of topics. I have some conversational American Sign Language and I can give basic presentations on my research in International Sign.
$2400 a year to subscribe to Ethnologue. Scandalous.
November 20, 2025 at 3:05 PM
$2400 a year to subscribe to Ethnologue. Scandalous.
Accent perception is wild. In the same evening, I meet two new people, both native speakers of British English and from Birmingham (UK): one asks me if I was born and raised in the city, while the other asked which part of Australia I was from!
November 20, 2025 at 1:59 PM
Accent perception is wild. In the same evening, I meet two new people, both native speakers of British English and from Birmingham (UK): one asks me if I was born and raised in the city, while the other asked which part of Australia I was from!
I remember being at an HIV workshop years ago where there was discussion about replacing the term 'promiscuous' with 'popular and affectionate'.
Why didn't this make it into 'Word of the Year'?🤣
Why didn't this make it into 'Word of the Year'?🤣
November 20, 2025 at 12:23 PM
I remember being at an HIV workshop years ago where there was discussion about replacing the term 'promiscuous' with 'popular and affectionate'.
Why didn't this make it into 'Word of the Year'?🤣
Why didn't this make it into 'Word of the Year'?🤣
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
Happy International Day of LGBTQIA+ People In STEM!
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
November 18, 2025 at 8:30 AM
Happy International Day of LGBTQIA+ People In STEM!
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
How are you celebrating it?
#LGBTQSTEMDay #PrideInSTEM
It’s National #Linguistics Day next week: what are you doing to celebrate it?
November 18, 2025 at 8:53 AM
It’s National #Linguistics Day next week: what are you doing to celebrate it?
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
I’m excited to see Ofqual officially set out the rules for the brand new GCSE in British Sign Language.
It’s inspiring to see a qualification that recognises the linguistic, cultural, & social importance of BSL finally taking shape.
🔗 tinyurl.com/5y33p6re
🧵👇
#langsky #linguistics #GCSE #BSL
It’s inspiring to see a qualification that recognises the linguistic, cultural, & social importance of BSL finally taking shape.
🔗 tinyurl.com/5y33p6re
🧵👇
#langsky #linguistics #GCSE #BSL
Ofqual announces rules for unique British Sign Language GCSE
New regulations following consultation mark a further step towards a qualification that could connect communities.
tinyurl.com
November 17, 2025 at 3:37 PM
I’m excited to see Ofqual officially set out the rules for the brand new GCSE in British Sign Language.
It’s inspiring to see a qualification that recognises the linguistic, cultural, & social importance of BSL finally taking shape.
🔗 tinyurl.com/5y33p6re
🧵👇
#langsky #linguistics #GCSE #BSL
It’s inspiring to see a qualification that recognises the linguistic, cultural, & social importance of BSL finally taking shape.
🔗 tinyurl.com/5y33p6re
🧵👇
#langsky #linguistics #GCSE #BSL
Reposted by Adam Schembri (ˈʃɛmbɹi/ˈʃkɛmbri)
We're excited to re-launch the journal "Innovations in Linguistics Education", a forum for evidence-based research in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in linguistics! We open for submissions in January 2026.
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations/
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations/
Innovations in Linguistics Education
journals.ed.ac.uk
November 17, 2025 at 1:53 PM
We're excited to re-launch the journal "Innovations in Linguistics Education", a forum for evidence-based research in the scholarship of teaching and learning (SoTL) in linguistics! We open for submissions in January 2026.
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations/
journals.ed.ac.uk/innovations/
So looking forward to teaching an introductory course on sign language linguistics to MA and PhD students in linguistics at the LOT Summer School at the University of Groningen 15-19 June 2026!
Now to decide what to include, and what to exclude, in just 10 hours of classes. . .🤔
Now to decide what to include, and what to exclude, in just 10 hours of classes. . .🤔
November 13, 2025 at 3:21 PM
So looking forward to teaching an introductory course on sign language linguistics to MA and PhD students in linguistics at the LOT Summer School at the University of Groningen 15-19 June 2026!
Now to decide what to include, and what to exclude, in just 10 hours of classes. . .🤔
Now to decide what to include, and what to exclude, in just 10 hours of classes. . .🤔
AI sign language projects are definitely unintentional language planning projects.
🔔new paper alert🔔
I argue that language technologies are usefully understood as a type of language management (i.e., ways of changing how people use and think about language) -- especially in the workplace -- connecting critical work on AI with language policy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
I argue that language technologies are usefully understood as a type of language management (i.e., ways of changing how people use and think about language) -- especially in the workplace -- connecting critical work on AI with language policy
www.sciencedirect.com/science/arti...
Defining language and managing its use: Language technology as language management
Language technologies such as voice user interfaces, large language models and machine translation tools are embedded in an ever-growing range of digi…
www.sciencedirect.com
November 13, 2025 at 1:57 PM
AI sign language projects are definitely unintentional language planning projects.
I guess ADHD means completely forgetting that you got invited to teach on a summer school in 2026 and then getting a delightful surprise when you get an email reminding you of it. 😂
November 13, 2025 at 1:12 PM
I guess ADHD means completely forgetting that you got invited to teach on a summer school in 2026 and then getting a delightful surprise when you get an email reminding you of it. 😂