About me

Paul De Decker is a sociolinguist whose research includes SSHRC-funded, qualitative and quantitative studies of linguistic variation and language change in varieties of English spoken in Newfoundland and Labrador, including differences across region and time. His interests in sociolinguistic practices (i.e. patterns of language behaviour, attitudes, and ideologies) that emerge with non-standard and stigmatized speech styles led him to partner with the Newfoundland and Labrador Stuttering Association (NLSA) to investigate the sociolinguistics of stuttering and speech disfluency under the Communication Collaborative. Through the Collaborative he produces Some Stutter, Luh! Newfoundland and Labrador’s first podcast about stuttering and communication disorders.

Paul is also the lead researcher and author of The DOCTalks Guide: Cross-sector Collaborative Practices for Knowledge-based Documentary Media the bilingual French/English resource for producing collaborative documentary media for the purposes of knowledge-exchange and implementation. It was generously funded from The Canada Media Fund and New Brunswick Tourism, Heritage and Culture

Paul De Decker is committed to community-scholarly engagement, working with non-academic partners, and conducting sociolinguistic research with Newfoundlanders and Labradorians.