Limestone's Dr. Jack Knipe To Present Research At Virtual Conference

Limestone University Assistant Professor of English and Spanish Dr. Jack Knipe will present his research on the language attitudes of international students toward African American Vernacular English at the 65th Annual Conference of the Comparative and International Education Society (CIES).

Originally scheduled to take place in Seattle April 25-May 2, the conference will now be held online due to the COVID-19 pandemic.

Knipe’s continued research with international students has previously focused on second language acquisition strategies, acculturative stress, and perceptions of English varieties or dialects. His current line of inquiry focuses specifically on language attitudes, or the beliefs and emotional reactions, of international students to African American Vernacular English (AAVE) and the use of AAVE in higher education.

Established in 1956, CIES seeks to contribute to an understanding of education through encouragement and promotion of comparative education and related areas of inquiry and activity. It is the largest and oldest of 47 comparative and international education societies around the world with over 3,000 members.

“I love being able to be a part of the annual CIES conference and connect with so many politicians, researchers, and practitioners from around the globe,” Knipe said. “I also get to share a lot of the cool things going on at Limestone. With nearly 30 countries represented on Limestone’s campus, there is a great deal of cultural and linguistic diversity to discuss. Both our large number of international students and the changing sociopolitical landscape around the world invite so many new research questions.”

Knipe has worked with the University’s Black Student Union and the International Club to promote intercultural competence and to increase understanding of African American Vernacular English.

“So many cultural events and changes have occurred over the past year,” Knipe explained. “This has sparked national discussions about race, education, and bias. Many researchers have done so much to bring light to the perceptions that many students and educators have of AAVE. My goal is to add an international perspective to the growing body of literature in this area.”

Knipe currently teaches in the Departments of English and Communications, Historical and Cultural Studies, and Interdisciplinary Studies. He also serves as the International Student Support Coordinator for the Equity and Inclusion Office at Limestone.

He earned a Doctorate degree in International Education and Linguistics from George Mason University and also holds a Certificate in English Language Teaching to Adults from the University of Cambridge, a Master of Arts degree in Spanish from Middlebury College, a Master of Education degree in Integrated Curriculum and Instruction from Covenant College, and a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish from Bob Jones University. He is engaged in a number of research projects focused on second language acquisition, cognitive and sociolinguistics, education abroad, and intercultural communication/intercultural competence.