Hello Language Lovers. Thank you for joining me for this episode of Speaking Tongues. This week, I’m thrilled to bring you this conversation with Belizean linguist, Silvanna Udz.  Silvaana Maree Udz, Ed.D., is a founding member of di National Kriol Council of Belize. In addition to ongoing Belize Kriol language outputs, she also spent seven years as an assistant professor teaching English in Taiwan, at Ming Cuan University,  researching di embryonic standardization of East Asian Englishes. Before that she worked at the University of Belize and at its pre-amalgamated colleges, teaching either full time or part time since 1981: Currently, she is an adjunct assistant professor at Galen University in Belize. Her current focus with Belize Kriol and the National Kriol Council of Belize is working with a team on updating the current Belize Kriol-English dictionary. In this episode, we discuss:  🇧🇿 The structure of Belize Kriol and some of it’s developmental origins 🇧🇿 How she has worked with the team to document the changing language through usage 🇧🇿 Standardizing spelling and learning the orthography rules 🇧🇿 How education and getting kids involved in learning the Kriol early in school has proven successful 🇧🇿 What we’re eating, drinking and doing while we’re spending time in Belize To Learn More:  National Kriol Council https://nationalkriolcouncil.org/the_council Kriol – Inglish Dikshineri https://www.sil.org/system/files/reapdata/91/95/49/91954925699176285931841170600318709537/BelizeKriol_EngDic_49337_2009.pdf Follow on IG: @speakingtonguespod Follow on Twitter: @stpodcasthost Like our Facebook Page: @speakingtonguespod Subscribe on YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCJFOPq3j7wGteY-PjcZaMxg Did you enjoy this episode? Support Speaking Tongues on Buy me a Coffee: https://www.buymeacoffee.com/speakingtongues Pledge on-going monthly support. Join my Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/speakingtonguespodcast Buy my book here https://www.lulu.com/en/us/shop/elle-charisse/taste-buds-vol-1/paperback/product-wn2n46.html?page=1&pageSize=4 --- Send in a voice message: https://podcasters.spotify.com/pod/show/speaking-tongues/message