PhD in Linguistics, University of California at San Diego, 1976-1981
Graduate courses: Syntax, Semantics, Phonology, Austronesian Linguistics, Chinese Linguistics, Computational Linguistics, Historical Linguistics
Dissertation: The Semantics of Raising Constructions

MA in German Linguistics, Monash University, 1970-1972
Thesis: The Article in a Generative-Transformational Grammar of German

BA (1st Class Honours in German Language and Literature), Queensland University, 1966-1969
Fields of study: Philosophy, Pure Mathematics, Russian Language and Literature, German Language and Literature

Thesis: The Development of the German Language in the East and West German Dudens

July 2013 - Professor Emeritus, Department of Linguistics, University of Alberta

September 2016 - Adjunct Research Fellow, School of Languages, Literatures, Cultures & Linguistics, Monash University, Australia

Jan. 2016 - May 2016. Visiting Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

August 2013 - March 2014. Visiting Professor, Nanyang Technological University, Singapore.

Sept. 2012-Dec 2012, Visiting Professor, National Chengchi University, Taiwan.

July 2002- Professor, Department of Linguistics, University of Alberta

July 2002-June 2011 Chair, Department of Linguistics, University of Alberta

Jan. 1992-July 2002 Senior Lecturer in Linguistics, Massey University, New Zealand.

July 1986-1992 Lecturer in Linguistics, Massey University, New Zealand.

July 1985-July 1986 Lecturer in Communication Studies, Darling Downs Institute of Advanced Education (now University of Southern Queensland), Australia.

Jan. 1985, Jan. 1986 Consultant to Dewan Bahasa dan Pustaka, Sarawak Branch, Malaysia.

1981-1985 Specialist in Linguistic Analysis, Australian Department of Foreign Affairs (ADAB), attached to the Southeast Asian Ministers of Education Organization, Regional Language Centre, Singapore.

1983 Assistant Professor for one semester in the Department of Chinese Literature and Linguistics, Tsing Hua University, Taiwan.

1976-1981 Teaching Assistant, UCSD. Also, an instructor in English to Japanese students.

1975-1976 Part-time Lecturer and Tutor, Linguistics Department, University of Newcastle, NSW.

1972-1974 Teaching Fellow and Senior Teaching Fellow, German Department, Monash University.

Graduate/Honours students supervised or co-supervised

Kristina Geeraert, Climbing on the Bandwagon of Idiomatic Variation: A Multi-Methodological Approach (PhD, University of Alberta, 2016)

Christopher Cox, Quantitative Perspectives on Variation in Mennonite Plautdietsch (PhD, University of Alberta 2014)

Dana Abdulrahim. A Corpus Study of Basic Motion Verbs in Modern Standard Arabic (PhD, University of Alberta 2013)

Ching-Chu (June) Sun, The Basic Locative Construction in Southern Min (MSc, University of Alberta 2012)

Hui Yin, A Cognitive Approach to Multi-Verb Constructions in Mandarin Chinese (PhD, University of Alberta 2010)

Kristina Geeraert, I haven’t drank in weeks: Preterite shift in English (MSc, University of Alberta 2010)

Jiali Mao, The semantics of eating and drinking in Mandarin, Shanghainese, and Cantonese (MSc, University of Alberta 2010)

Christopher Cox, Verb Complements in Mennonite Plautdietsch: A Corpus Study (MSc, University of Alberta 2008)

Samuel A. Navarro Ortega, The Acquisition of Motion Event Descriptions in L2 Spanish (PhD, University of Alberta 2007)

Kristina Geeraert, Ten Sons and Their Father: A Linguistic and Community-Oriented Study of a Dinka Story (Honours, University of Alberta 2006)

Dorothy Pawlina, Community-Based Dictionary Development (Honours, University of Alberta 2005)

Jingxia Lin, Mandarin le ‘come’ and its Wenzhou Cognate le: A Corpus-based Synchronic Investigation (MSc, University of Alberta 2005)

Ute Walker, Language, Migration, and Continuity of Being: Notions of Migrant Language Proficiency and Self-Concept among Multilingual Migrants in Aotearoa-New Zealand (PhD, Massey University 2004)

Robert Graham Petterson, Documentation of Minor and Endangered Languages (MPhil, Massey University 2002)

Annand V. Raman,  An Information Theoretic Approach to Language Relatedness (PhD, Massey University 1997)

Tunku Mohani, Error Analysis of Malaysian Learners of English (MA, SEAMEO Regional Language Centre/National University of Singapore 1983)