From the Classroom: Ryan Rich

This semester, Ryan Rich enrolled in LING 4981, Special Topics: Peace Linguistics. In this course, students engage in critical discourse analysis of speeches to examine how language can either promote peace or escalate conflict. They explore how reframing can foster more constructive dialogue and analyze the distinctions between peace journalism and traditional journalism in conflict reporting. Beyond theoretical frameworks, they also discuss practical strategies for making language learning and teaching more humanizing.

Ryan reflects on a recent class experience:

I had the pleasure of meeting Duane Cardall, the retired editorial director of KSL TV, during a class presentation. He was a very well-spoken individual who was charismatic from the start, and this didn’t falter as we continued to speak with him. His life has been full of traveling and conversation, where he’s had to face all sorts of things—fires or disasters at home, or conflicts across the seas.

Cardall, above all, emphasized the accuracy and objectivity of what he covered. Even when he was assigned to topics that conflicted with his personal beliefs, he wanted to learn more. Most importantly, he wanted to put the facts out there, unclouded by personal judgements or his own moral assessments. One part of his peace journalism was his pursuit toward learning about all sides of a conflict in order to promote veracity. It was an admirable quality related to our own education on encouraging peace and mutual understanding. Not only that, but he also went into depth during his research and journalism, refusing to give just a one-dimensional view of the situations.

To promote peace, one has to not only say peaceful things, but to integrate it into one’s life. What I understood from talking with him was how powerful communication is, be it within or outside of our borders. For us to be more connected and to follow the philosophy of peace linguistics, we must first understand those around us, acknowledging all walks of life.

Students interested in learning more about Peace Linguistics can contact Michelle Lung, Linguistics PhD student, at michelle.lung@utah.edu.

For information about more linguistics courses, contact our academic advisor at ling-advising@utah.edu.