About

SynTeach is a multi-institution, multi-national project looking at how syntax is taught at institutions of higher learning in the United States, the United Kingdom, and Canada.

Collaborators

• Laura Bailey is a senior lecturer at the University of Kent.
• Bronwyn Bjorkman is an associate professor at Queen’s University.
• Kirby Conrod is an assistant professor at Swarthmore College.
• Caitl Light is an academic advisor at Loyola University Chicago.

Project phases

1. Pilot survey (complete): an online survey of instructors and students (present and former) who have taught or taken syntax; aimed at exploring peoples’ attitudes and experiences to inform future phases.
2. Program survey (complete): a survey of degree-granting institutions in the US, UK, and Canada looking at program requirements and course offerings of undergraduate and graduate degrees in linguistics, comparing syntax to other subfields.
3. Instructor survey (in analysis): an online survey of instructors (present and former) who have taught syntax, aimed at exploring instructors’ attitudes, experiences, and teaching practices.
4. Student survey (future): an online survey of students in syntax classes; will include multiple components.
5. Focus group interviews (future): an ethnographic exploration of instructors, students, and scholars of syntax focusing on experiences in teaching and learning.