Brock University’s Department of Applied Linguistics has been sharing the latest developments in their field of study with the Brock and Niagara communities for more than five years with its speaker series.

“Language connects all of us, it is what makes us human, ” says Veena Dwivedi, associate professor and series co-ordinator. “These lectures are a way of furthering our knowledge and interest in studies related to language. It’s all about the exchange of ideas, and generating new ideas.”

John Connolly

The next talk in the ongoing series will be by a renowned neurolinguist who researches how people process the sounds of speech and ultimately comprehend the spoken word.

John Connolly, the Senator Wm. McMaster Chair of Cognitive Neuroscience at McMaster University, will present his talk, “Applied Neurolinguistics: the nexus of speech processing, linguistics, and applied linguistics,” on Wednesday, Oct. 31 from 12 noon to 1 p.m. in Sankey Chamber.

“His research looks at the brain-language connection,” says Dwivedi. “We’re lucky to have him coming to Brock to share his experiences and expertise with us.”

Veena Dwivedi

Connolly’s research includes applications to brain injury with reference to issues of consciousness related to the vegetative state, the locked-in syndrome and coma.

“It is important to host these lectures to expose our students and the public to new ideas and new people,” she says. “As scholars, it is our goal to create knowledge in our discipline, and then to share that knowledge with the communities that we serve.”

This event is free and open to the public. Everyone is welcome to attend.

For more info, contact Veena Dwivedi at vdwivedi@brocku.ca or 905-688-5550 x5389