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Dr Stephen Pax Leonard, B.A., M.Phil, D.Phil

Research Associate

Anthropological linguist with interests in the role of language in the establishment of identities in small speech communities, language ideologies, the ethnography of speaking, endangered languages, poetry and cultures (in the Arctic and elsewhere), linguistic diversity and language revitalisation.

Biography

Educated at the universities of Durham, Paris-Sorbonne and Oxford, Stephen Pax Leonard studied modern and ancient languages before developing interests in linguistic and existential anthropology. His doctoral research examined how linguistic norms and social identities were established in early Iceland and how this identity was reflected in the literature.

He has carried out both linguistic and ethnographic fieldwork in Iceland and the Faroe Islands and has become particularly interested in aspects of dialect formation, the role of identity in small language communities as well as language revitalisation and more generally endangered languages and cultures in the Arctic and elsewhere. He has recently completed a new project, documenting and researching endangered oral traditions and issues of 'belonging' amongst the Inugguit people in north-west Greenland.

Languages: French, German, Spanish, Norwegian and Icelandic; some knowledge of Arabic, Russian, Faroese and Inuktun.

Career

2009 - present, Research Fellow, Trinity Hall, Cambridge
2009 - present, Research Associate, Scott Polar Research Institute, Cambridge
[1996-2004: Associate Director, Equity Capital Markets, HSBC Global Banking and Markets]

Qualifications

2006-9: D.Phil, Linguistics, Exeter College, University of Oxford
2004-6: M.Phil, Linguistics, Exeter College, University of Oxford
1994-5: DEUG en allemand, Université Paris-Sorbonne (Paris IV)
1992-6: B.A. Joint Honours, Modern Languages (French & German), St Chad's College, University of Durham

Recent awards and grants

2010-11: British Academy Small Research Grant. The Oral Literature and Communicative Practices of the Inughuit People
2010-11: World Oral Literature Project Supplemental Grant. The Oral Literature and Communicative Practices of the Inughuit People

Research

Current areas of research and interest include:

Endangered languages and cultures in the Arctic and the preservation of indigenous oral literatures and traditions
Dynamic of identity in language revitalisation programmes
Role of oral, ethnographic literature in language maintenance
Phenomenology of speech
The linguistic anthropology of spatial conception

Publications

Books

2014: Polar Eskimo: an ethnolinguistic introduction. [ ] (forthcoming)
2013: The Polar North: language, place and belonging. [ ] (forthcoming)
2012: Language, Society and Identity in early Iceland. Publications of the Philological Society. Wiley-Blackwell

Selected peer-reviewed journal articles and contributions to edited volumes

2013: 'Phenomenology of speech in a cold place: The Polar Eskimo language as "lived experience". International Journal of Language Studies, Volume 7, Number 1, January 2013: 151-74.
2011: 'Ethnolinguistic Identities and Language Revitalisation in a Small Society: the case of the Faroe Islands'. Journal of Northern Studies. Issue 1: 57-74.
2011: 'Relative Linguistic Homogeneity in a New Society: the Case of Iceland'. Language in Society 40: 1-18
2011: 'Language Ideology and Standardisation in Iceland'. In Kristiansen & Auer (eds.) Standard Languages and Language Standards in a Changing Europe. Oslo: Novus Forlag: 91-7
2010: 'Die färoeischen skjaldur: Eine gefährdete mündliche Überlieferung aus dem Nordatlantik'. Tjaldur, Heft 45: 50-66
2010: 'Social Structures and Identity in Early Iceland'. Viking and Medieval Scandinavia 6: 147-59
2010: 'Faroese skjaldur: An Endangered Oral Tradition of the North Atlantic'. World Oral Literature Project: Voices of Vanishing Worlds, Occasional Paper 1. University of Cambridge.
2008: 'Aspects of a West Norse legal Identity: the Icelandic Perspective'. Proceedings of the 13^th European Forum of Young Legal Historians
2008: 'Spatial References in Icelandic: the Issue of Identity'. Proceedings from LingO 2, The Oxford Postgraduate Linguistics Conference

Selected conference papers and invited lectures

2013: Die Rolle der Ideologie in der Sprachentwicklung Islands. University of Kiel
2013: Polar Eskimo: some initial comments and phenomenological observations. General Linguistics Seminar, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London London
2012: Sprache, Ideologie und Standardisierung auf Island. University of Luxembourg
2012: Language, Literature and Medicine in Extremes of Latitude and Altitude. A joint lecture with Andrew Murray & Philip Sydney. Trinity Hall Forum, University of Cambridge
2012: Polar Eskimo: some initial comments and phenomenological observations. General Linguistics Seminar, University of Oxford
2012: Language and story-telling in a cold place. Science & Society Seminar. Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge
2012: Living with the Inugguit, and how things look from the top of the world. Public lecture at Exeter College, University of Oxford
2012: Place, Belonging and Language in north-west Greenland: Some Initial Thoughts. Taking Place Seminar, CRASSH, University of Cambridge
2012: Oral Traditions of the Inugguit of north-west Greenland. Occasional Lecture in World Oral Literature Project Series. University of Cambridge
2012: Living with the Inugguit. Lecture at Hills Road Sixth Form College, Cambridge
2011: Why Languages die? Festival of Ideas, University of Cambridge
2011:Language, people and how things look from the top of the world. McMenemy Seminar, Trinity Hall, University of Cambridge
2010: Aspects of Identity Construction in Iceland. Language, Culture & History Conference. University of Wyoming
2010: Interaction between the Culture of Oral Traditions and Linguistic Identity in the Faroe Islands. Preserving the Future: Sustainability of Language, Culture & Nature. University of Iceland
2010: The Social and Linguistic Construction of Identity in the North Atlantic: the Case of Iceland. Social Anthropology Research Associates Seminar. University of Cambridge
2010: Ethnolinguistic Identities and Language Revitalisation in a Small Society: the Case of the Faroe Islands. Cambridge University Linguistics Society
2009: Norm-etablering og identitet på det tidlige Island. Guest Lecture at the University of Bergen, 10^th June, 2009
2009: Identity and Language in early Iceland. Old Norse Research Seminar Group. University of Oxford
2009: Language Attitudes and Identity: two Different Perspectives. French Linguistics Seminar. University of Cambridge
2009: Norm-establishment and Language Attitudes in Icelandic. Exploratory Workshop on 'Language and Standardisation in late Modernity', University of Copenhagen
2008: Tungumál og sjálfsmynd á Íslandi á þjóðveldistímaum, Háskóli Íslands. Reykjavík ('Language and Identity in Iceland in the Commonwealth Period')

Public Engagement

Television and Film

2011 (Dec): Documentary on the Inugguit of north-west Greenland. 60 Minutes, Channel 9, CBS. Australia
2011 (Nov): BBC Look East. Interview on research project
2011 (Nov): ITV Anglia Tonight. Interview on research project
2011 (Nov): Release of film, Living with the Inugguit, featured on website of Daily Telegraph
2010 (Aug): Live interview on CNN International
2010 (Aug): ITV Anglia Tonight. Interview about research trip

Radio

2012 (June): '20 Wörter für Wind'. Interview on Deutschlandfunk
2011 (Dec): 'Tote Eisbären, schmelzendes Eis'. Interview on Deutschlandfunk
2011 (Sep): Interview on BBC Radio 4 Today programme
2010 (Dec): 'The Inugguit of northern Greenland'. Interview on BBC World Service
2010 (Dec): Christmas Message on BBC Radio 4 Today Programme, with Colin Firth
2010 (Nov): Interviews on KNR Radio
2010 (Aug): Interview on Radio 4 Word of Mouth programme
2010 (Aug): Interviews about research on BBC Radio 4 Today programme, BBC World Service, BBC Radio 5 Live, BBC Radio Cambridge, Swedish National Radio, Japan National Radio, CBC Radio in Canada, National Public Radio in US

Teaching

Teaching, examining and interviewing

2013 (Hilary Term): Sessional Lecturer in Language Support and Revitalisation, a core course of the MA in Language Documentation and Description, School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London
2012 (Michaelmas Term): Sessional Lecturer in Sociolinguistics for Paper XII FHS, University of Oxford. Introductory course in Sociolinguistics for final year students
2012: Supervisor on Li4 Varieties of English Paper, Part I Tripos in Linguistics, University of Cambridge
2012: Trinity Hall, Cambridge Admissions Interviewer for HSPS, Linguistics, ASNC and AMES
2012: Internal Examiner for the M.Phil in Linguistics, University of Cambridge
2011: Trinity Hall, Cambridge Admissions Interviewer for Anthropology, Linguistics, Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic
2010: Internal Examiner for the M.Phil in Linguistics, University of Cambridge
2010: Examiner for Fr1 (Introduction to the Structure and Varieties of Modern French), University of Cambridge
2010: Trinity Hall, Cambridge Admissions Interviewer for Linguistics and Anglo Saxon, Norse and Celtic
2009: College Tutor in Linguistics, St Hugh's College, University of Oxford
2009 (Hilary Term): Sessional Lecturer in General Linguistics, University of Oxford. Foundation Course in Linguistics 'Language Change and Variation'
2009: College Tutor in Linguistics, Exeter College, University of Oxford (Hilary Term)
2007 (Hilary Term): Sessional Lecturer in General Linguistics, University of Oxford. Foundation Course in Linguistics for modern linguists: 'Introduction to Morphology'
2007: College Tutor in Linguistics, St Peter's College, University of Oxford

External activities

Member of Arctic Club
Fellow of Royal Anthropological Institute
Trinity Hall, Cambridge Mens' 1st VIII Rowing Coach
Member of Editorial Board of Elm Academic Press

Scott Polar Research Institute

University of Cambridge