A Conversation with Dr. Tracey Derwing: Language, Learning, and the Human Side of Communication
In the field of settlement language training in Canada, the voice of Dr. Tracey Derwing carries a lot of weight. A professor emerita from the University of Alberta, her work has shaped how we understand pronunciation, intelligibility, and the lived realities of adult newcomers learning English.
In this wide-ranging conversation, Dr. Derwing reflects on her early days teaching ESL to exhausted newcomers, her groundbreaking research on pronunciation, and the evolving role of technology – including AI – in language learning.
Generative AI was used to help organize and edit the original interview transcript. It helped break long answers into shorter sections, add clarifying questions, and improve readability, while keeping the interviewee’s words, meaning, and perspective intact.
