Linguistics Careercast

“I thought: I don’t know which way to go. Wow – what a wonderful place to be!” Shannon DeJong is a linguist, namer, brand agency founder, writer, performer, artist, business advisor and coach; she’s worked big firms like HP, Google, Adobe, and Logitech as well as with non-profits, mission-driven orgs, startups, entrepreneurs and artists. She double-majored in linguistics and mass communications at UC Berkeley. In addition to her branding work, she also co-produces a literary salon in Sonoma County, California, and occasionally hosts a podcast. Shannon deJong on LinkedIn Shannon deJong’s website Da Salon ArtistCEO podcast Topics include: – naming – branding – coaching – semantics – career journey – networking – sociolinguistics – marketing If you’d like to support this show, we’ve got a Patreon!The post Episode #83: Shannon DeJong first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“There’s so much you can learn from linguistics when you apply it to the business of naming” Deborah Ball has been working in naming, branding, content creation, marketing, and communications for more than 10 years in the UK and the US. Her special focus has been brand naming. She has a Master’s in Linguistics from the University of Oxford and an MBA from Durham University Business School. Over the years, she has immersed herself in the study of naming, including the grammar of brand names, to understand how meaning is more fully shaped when phonetic forms are placed in context. Deborah Ball on LinkedIn “Exploring the landscape of proper names and their grammatical characteristics to understand how brand names fit in” ANS Presentation on YouTube NAMES, the journal of the American Name Society Topics include: – naming – market research – Egyptology – neurolinguistics – marketing – project management – medtech – brand strategy If you’d like to support this show, we’ve got a Patreon!The post Episode #82: Deborah Ball first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“We take so much of communication for granted – until we can’t communicate” Emelia BensonMeyer is a speech-language pathologist specializing in evaluation and treatment of voice, airway, and swallowing disorders. She has an undergraduate degree in linguistics and a Master’s in Communicative Sciences and Disorders. Her background in linguistics has equipped her to critically consider and be mindful of the disparities in the profession of speech-language pathology as they apply to the culturally and linguistically diverse populations who are served. Emelia BensonMeyer on LinkedIn ASHA (American Speech-Language-Hearing Association) Topics include: – speech pathology – physiology – neurology – language development – laryngology – dysphagia – speech science – pragmatics If you’d like to support this show, we’ve got a Patreon!The post Episode #81: Emelia BensonMeyer first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“I created Minority Languaging as a place to communicate, to share, and to debate” Eukene Franco-Landa is sociolinguist with a Ph.D. from the University of Miami who works at the intersection of language, identity, and legitimacy, especially in minoritized and bilingual communities, especially Basque, of which she is a speaker. Her dissertation explores how linguistic features become tied to perceptions of authenticity and nativeness. She is the founder of Minority Languaging, an Instagram-based platform that connects linguistic minorities so they can reflect and learn about minority languages, cultures, and history. Eukene Franco-Landa on LinkedIn Minority Languaging on Instagram Minority Languaging website Topics include: – Basque – minority languages – language revitalization – sociolinguistics – language policy – morpho-syntaxThe post Episode #80: Eukene Franco-Landa first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

This episode is an audio version of a virtual panel held online via the Linguistic Society of America, on August 16, 2025. This is part two of our conversation on GenAI and linguistics, this time focusing on Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna, Ph.D.’s recent book “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want.” I am joined again by our amazing panel of linguists to talk about the problems of anthropomorphizing AI, how AI magnifies inequalities affecting minoritized people, and what linguists can do to push back against the constant AI hype. Panelists: Aubrie Amstutz, Responsible AI Research Scientist at Grid Dynamics Alicia Beckford Wassink, Director of the Sociolinguistics Laboratory and Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington Katie Swindler, specialist in discourse analysis and sociolinguistics, most recently a Program Manager at Mother Tongue AI and currently freelancing as a consulting linguist Part 1 of the discussion is here Topics include – generative AI – ethical AI – AI hype – anthropomorphization – language use – journalism – activism If you’d like to support this show, we’ve got a Patreon!The post Episode #79: The AI Con Discussion Panel (Live) first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

This episode is an audio version of a virtual panel held at the Linguistics Career Launch in the summer of 2024, titled “User Experience Research for Linguists”. The moderator is Darrell Penta, and the two panelists are Josh Martin and Midam Kim. In this session, the panelists explore their journeys into UX research and what prepared them for the kind of work they do now. They share insights into the variety of UX careers, relevant experience in academia, and how to approach your job search. Darrell Penta on LinkedIn Josh Martin on LinkedIn Midam Kim on LinkedIn YouTube video of this panel   Topics discussed include: – user experience – user research – UX – human interaction – ChatGPT – speech science – AI – job interviewsThe post Episode #78: User Experience Research for Linguists (LCL Audio) first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“Don’t be afraid to reach for the job you want” Erin Kuester has a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Ohio University, and is a copywriter and content creator for service businesses, as well as a writing mentor and editor. She is also an experienced instructional designer. She is very active on Instagram and Tiktok, and at her own website. Erin Kuester on LinkedIn Erin Kuester’s website Erin Kuester on TikTok Topics include: – instructional design – technical writing – content creation – career coaching – TikTok – gen AI – BookTok – copywritingThe post Episode #77: Erin Kuester first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

This episode is an audio version of a virtual panel held at the Linguistics Career Launch in the summer of 2024, titled “Societal Impacts and the Ethical Use of AI”. The moderator is Aubrie Amstutz, and the two panelists are Patricia McDonough and Alfonso Sánchez-Moya. In this session the panelists reflect on the ethical impacts of AI and how qualitative researchers and linguists alike can address these issues in tech industries. We explore and recognize how linguistics is an integral component of the human evaluation of AI. Aubrie Amstutz on LinkedIn Patricia McDonough on LinkedIn Alfonso Sánchez-Moya on LinkedIn YouTube video of this panel Resources doc mentioned in this panel (readings, orgs, people) Topics discussed include: – generative AI – ethics – qualitative research – technology – multiculturalism – fairness frameworks – LLMs – chatbots – identityThe post Episode #76: Societal Impacts and the Ethical Use of AI (LCL Audio) first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

Live Linguistics Careercast coming your way on August 16! Join us for part two of our conversation on GenAI and linguistics, this time focusing on Emily M. Bender and Alex Hanna, Ph.D.’s recent book “The AI Con: How to Fight Big Tech’s Hype and Create the Future We Want.” And we’ll follow the taping with a networking event in Gather! Host Laurel Sutton will be joined again by Alicia Beckford Wassink, Katie Swindler, and Aubrie Amstutz to continue the conversation from our live episode at LingFest25, which we released as a podcast on April 22, 2025. The 90 minute panel will take place in Zoom and will include a Q&A portion. After the panel, we’ll move to Gather for an hour of networking. We invite attendees to mix and mingle, and to have space to process the great conversation. PANEL DISCUSSION/LIVE PODCAST: 10:00 – 11:30 AM Pacific Time (US and Canada) GATHER NETWORKING EVENT: 11:30AM – 12:30PM Pacific Time (US and Canada) Tickets are $5 for LSA members, and $7 for the general public. Registration can be found on Linguistic Society of America (LSA)’s website: https://www.lsadc.org/ev_calendar_day.asp?date=8/16/2025&eventid=106&mc_cid=d47d2d569b Big thanks to LSA for sponsoring this event! Haven’t read the book yet? Pick up a copy or stop by your local bookstore!The post Live Linguistics Careeercast August 16 2025 – The AI Con Discussion first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“Software makes me money, but linguistics makes me happy” Logan Kearsley is an experienced software engineer with a history in the education, solar power, and entertainment industries. He earned a BS in Computer Science and an MA in Linguistics, both from Brigham Young University, and is currently employed as a software engineer at Idaho National Laboratory. He blogs about conlangs and xenolinguistics, and he has a YouTube channel where he reads Beowulf. Logan Kearsley on LinkedIn Logan Kearsley’s blog Logan Kearsley on YouTube (Daily Beowulf) A Hybrid Approach to Cross-Linguistic Tokenization: Morphology with Statistics Topics include: – computational morphology – animal communication – networking – lexicography – conlanging – xenolinguistics – typologyThe post Episode #75: Logan Kearsley first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

This episode is an audio version of a virtual panel held at the Linguistics Career Launch in the summer of 2024, titled “Content Creation – A Path to Alternative Careers”. The presenter is Erin Kuester, who has a Master’s degree in Applied Linguistics from Ohio University, and is a copywriter and content creator for women and queer-owned businesses. This workshop presents content creation and social media usage as skills, and how these skills can be leveraged as an alternative career or to boost an alternative career. This is especially useful for anyone who is interested in starting their own business, freelancing (whether full-time or part-time), or becoming a content creator in general. In it, you’ll learn about finding and understanding an audience, types of content, carving out a niche, platform-specific strategies, using content to market a business, monetization, and alternative careers. Erin Kuester on LinkedIn Erin Kuester’s website Erin Kuester on TikTok Erin’s “Vent” on TikTok Koreader’s TikTok Under a Tin Roof’s TikTok Deck used in this presentation TikToks in the video: Topics discussed include – alternative careers – content creation – branding – freelance – social media This episode of the podcast is generously sponsored by Amazon Science.  The post Episode #74: Content Creation – A Path to Alternative Careers (LCL Audio) first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“I’m happy for the winding path that took me to this work” Kathryn Hymes is a technologist and computational linguist, currently serving as a director of product and innovation at Doctors Without Borders. Previously, she worked in leadership positions at multiple technology firms, most recently as the head of international product expansion at Slack and an advisor at Airtable. She holds an MS in computational and mathematical engineering and an MA in linguistics, both from Stanford. Her writing on language and technology has appeared in the Atlantic, Wired, and the New York Times. Kathryn is also a co-founder of Thorny Games, a design studio that explores the stories behind the language we speak. Kathryn Hymes on LinkedIn MSF Science Portal Thorny Games Topics include: – computational linguistics – project management – localization – field research – non-profitsThe post Episode #73: Kathryn Hymes first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“If you understand why you’re making a career move, then don’t worry about explaining it” Tim Durgin (杜腾飞) is an ATA-certified Chinese-to-English linguist, translator, and analyst based in the Washington DC area. His primary focus is on written translation in several key domains, including video games, politics, national security, and contracts. Beyond his freelance endeavors, Tim has contributed to teams at NetEase, Amazon, Google, and R2Games. He holds a Master’s in East Asian Studies, and he is passionate about video games.   Tim Durgin on LinkedIn Topics include: – LSPs – translation – localization – recruiters – networking – generative AI – LLM – LinkedInThe post Episode #72: Tim Durgin first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“The buzz in LLMs now is all about training data” Andy Edmonds has an MS in Human Factors, Applied Psychology from Clemson University. He started his working career as a webmaster in 1995 and has since developed a huge breadth of expertise in UX, e-commerce, web analytics, online experimentation, data science, information retrieval, and software development methods at tech companies including Microsoft, eBay, RedBubble, Adobe, Facebook, and LinkedIn. He is now a product manager at Quora. He also holds nine patents. Andy Edmonds on LinkedIn Tabtopia on Github Anthropic blog Topics include: – experimental design – cognitive science – applied psychology – data science – HCI (human computer interaction) – LLMs (large language models) – QuoraThe post Episode #71: Andy Edmonds first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“I love the process of directing voice actors – and I never would have found out about it without the internet” Colette Feehan is an audiobook director with a PhD in linguistics who specializes in multi-language books, books with technical jargon, and multi-book series that require maintaining a strong pronunciation database. Colette’s doctoral research focused on the intersection of articulatory and acoustic phonetics and vocal performance specific to character voiceover – using ultrasound to look at how actors move the parts of their vocal tract around to make different voices. Colette Feehan on LinkedIn Colette Feehan’s website Colette Feehan on YouTube Colette Feehan on TikTok Natalie Naudus’s book Gay the Pray Away Rosina Lippi-Green’s book English with an Accent Topics include: – acoustic phonetics – voice over – audiobooks – voice acting – pertubation theory – pronunciation guides – accents – contract workThe post Episode #70: Colette Feehan first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

Linguists at Work! This is a special mini-podcast of the Linguistics Careercast called Linguists at Work. It’s a series of 5-minute interviews with career linguists, conducted by grad students in the Georgetown Linguistics program, in which they ask the question: “What’s your job and how did you get it?” Every interview focuses on a job that a linguist not only can do, but adds value to based on the unique skillset we develop as language scientists. Today’s pod features Lexi Slome, who is an associate trial consultant. She earned her Ph.D. in Linguistics from Georgetown University in 2024, where she focused on discourse analysis of courtroom language, including research examining the role of identity construction in telling persuasive opening statement narratives. In her current role as a trial consultant, she uses both her linguistic knowledge and research skills to provide data-driven analysis of juror reactions to complex legal cases through research exercises such as mock trials and focus groups. The interview is conducted by Joana Fehr, a graduate student from Germany in the MLC program at Georgetown University. She has lived and studied in seven countries across Europe, North America, and South America, and brings a global perspective to her work. Lexi Slome on LinkedIn Joana Fehr on LinkedInThe post Mini-pod: Linguists At Work with Lexi Slome first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“In tech, I feel like I’m giving a sociolinguistics 101 course once a month” This episode is a recording of a special live episode of the Linguistics Careercast podcast. Our panel of linguists discusses how artificial intelligence (especially Gen AI) is impacting linguistics as a field. We’ll cover topics like AI bias, challenges in training data curation, and implications of GenAI on online language data collection. These are conversations that linguists are having behind the scenes about the future of this changing technical landscape. The panel was held on April 12, 2025, during LingFest, a part of LingComm 2025 Panelists: Aubrie Amstutz, Responsible AI Research Scientist at Grid Dynamics Alicia Beckford Wassink, Director of the Sociolinguistics Laboratory and Professor of Linguistics at the University of Washington Katie Swindler, Content Management for Generative AI at Mother Tongue AI Producer: Alex Johnston, MLC Director, Georgetown University Topics include – generative AI – large language models (LLM) – ethics – trust and safety – minoritized dialects – language bias – automatic speech recognition – discourse analysis – product policyThe post Episode #69: Live at LingFest 2025 first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

“Conversation designer jobs are inherently collaborative” Jyoti Iyer earned her PhD in linguistics from the University of Massachusetts Amherst. Since then she’s made the journey from theoretical linguistics to expertise in customer-facing language experiences.  She is currently employed as a conversation designer, working at the interface between customer-focused experience design and enterprise AI, and focused on LLM-powered chat: guardrails, analytics and metrics, and API integrations. She’s also an LCL alum! Jyoti Iyer on LinkedIn Jyoti Iyer’s website Topics include: – theoretical linguistics – teaching – semantics – conversation design – networking – human computer interaction – LLMsThe post Episode #68: Jyoti Iyer first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

This episode is titled “Jobs in Tech for Qualitative Researchers and Social Scientists”. Our moderator, Alfonso Sánchez-Moya, guides a discussion with panelists Lex Konnelly and Jyoti Iyer on how backgrounds in linguistics and social sciences can shape innovation and drive meaningful change in tech companies. In this session, you’ll learn how to utilize skills and expertise in analysis, critical thinking, and understanding human behavior to impact tech and technology. And there’s practical advice on breaking into these fields and advancing your career in the rapidly evolving tech landscape. The video of this presentation is available at the Linguistics Career Launch YouTube channel. Alfonso Sánchez-Moya on LinkedIn Lex Konnelly on LinkedIn Jyoti Iyer on LinkedIn This episode of the podcast is generously sponsored by Amazon Science. Topics discussed include – qualitative research – job search – networking – transferable skills – reframing – language context – language bias – career transition – job descriptions  The post Episode #67: Jobs in Tech (LCL audio) first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.

This episode is titled “Re-Finding Your Career Path”. Our three panelists, Nancy Frishberg, Emily Pace, and Laurel Sutton share stories of their careers and the decision points that led them to their current situations. This panel emphasizes the importance of always considering your next steps and career goals as you encounter unpredictability and many unknowns throughout your life. You’ll hear candid reflections about what our panelists’ paths look like, what worked best for them, and how you can propel your own career forward. The video of this presentation is available at the Linguistics Career Launch YouTube channel. Nancy Frishberg on LinkedIn Emily Pace on LinkedIn Laurel Sutton on LinkedIn This episode of the podcast is generously sponsored by Amazon Science. Topics discussed include – career journey – navigating careers – precarity – intuition – personal life changes – work environment – networking  The post Episode #66: Re-Finding Your Career Path (LCL Audio) first appeared on Linguistics Careercast.