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Joel Boyd, Jr.

Dr. Joel Boyd, Jr.

Department Profile

Mailing Address
Department of Career English Language Center for International Students (CELCIS)
Western Michigan University
1903 W. Michigan Ave
Kalamazoo MI 49008-5223

Office: (269) 387-4886

Location

0525 Ellsworth Hall

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Research Interests

Key words or phrases (for searches):

1. second language acquisition
2. American dialects
3. African-American Vernacular English
4. teaching English to speakers of other languages
5. teaching English grammar to speakers of other languages
6. teaching English pronunciation to speakers of other languages

Description(s):

My interests are centered on my job as a teacher of English to non-native speakers of English. I am particularly interested in how to help students understand English grammar and in general the concept of grammar. I also have background in articulatory phonetics and have investigated how one can use the International Phonetic Alphabet to help students improve their English pronunciation. Of course, these two investigations have led me to look at how learners learn a second language. I have focused on the relationship between the learner and the target culture.

The opportunity to teach American dialects for the English department has provided the opportunity to find out more about this fascinating topic. I had begun learning more about this topic to be able to answer questions for my ESL students. After having taught the class several times, I have become especially interested in African-American Vernacular English. I am planning to do an investigation into the variations found among my relatives. We are fortunate to have a large interconnected group of relatives with a strong core. It might be able to see development of these variations over time.

Courses Taught

ENGL 4720	Credit hours: 4
Course title: American Dialects
How frequently taught: Several times of a five-year period at the request of the English Department
When taught, number of sections offered: Usually one, sometimes two
Course Instructor(s): Joel Boyd
Brief description of course content/focus: This course is a general introduction into American dialects. The course begins with a short introduction to linguistics and the history of English. As many of the students who take this course plan to become teachers, focus is put on how understanding more about American dialects can help educators navigate the many issues surrounding this topic in the classroom. Students are presented with some introductory information about African- American Vernacular English which is used as an example of how a dialect can be approached. A look at the differences in conversational styles by gender ends the class. This dialect-based exploration helps students understand dialect study can provide a new perspective to something they experience every day.

ENGL 3710	Credit hours: 4
Course title: Structures of Modern English
How frequently taught : Once every year
When taught, number of sections offered: One
Course Instructor(s): Joel Boyd
Brief description of course content/focus: This course introduces some the basic grammatical structures of modern English. Initially, students are given a brief introduction into linguistics. Students are presented with different theoretical approaches for looking at grammar. Focus is given to how to approach various structures and how to decide on a particular theoretical framework. Students are led through a maze of ideas hoping that they will develop their own ideas for how to teach grammar in primary and secondary schools.