Student Spotlight: Anongnard Nusartlert (Porpla)

Our first student spotlight of Fall 2023 is Anongnard Nusartlert (a.k.a Porpla), a Ph.D. Candidate in the Department of Linguistics, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa.

Background and Research Interests

I am originally from Khon Kaen, Thailand. I am currently living in Honolulu, Hawaii. I am working as a Graduate Assistant at the Department of Linguistics, University of Hawai’i at Mānoa. I am also working as an East-West Center Participants Association (EWCPA) board member for a Community Garden and Sustainability Coordinator and as a volunteer in Angel Network Charities Food Bank Oahu, Hawaii. Back in Khon Kaen, Thailand, I was an Assistant Professor and professional lecturer at Khon Kaen University, Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, Department of English. 

I am currently in my 5th year of the Linguistic Ph.D. program, and I will graduate this Fall 2023 semester.  My dissertation title is “Isan-Thai Diglossia: Intergenerational Transmission as the Key Indicator to Vitality” under the supervision of Professor Dr. Kamil Deen. My dissertation project focuses on bilingual dominance, the intergenerational transmission of language in Thailand, and mutual intelligibility. The main focus of my dissertation is to assess the Intergenerational transmission of Isan to predict the stage of language endangerment and its vitality, using a Tool for Intergenerational Transmission Assessment designed by a linguist team from the University of Hawai’i at Mānoa (TITA, Deen et. al, 2017). 

I also conduct research with finding concrete evidence that shows whether Isan and Thai are dialects of the same language or two distinct languages by means of a mutual intelligibility test inspired by the works of Yang et. al (2019) and also O’Grady et. al (2022). The inspiration for my dissertation was kindled during our pilot study collaboration with my advisor. While engaging with the Isaan community, it became apparent that the Isaan community feels that their language is strong and under no threat from Thai. However, our thorough measurements revealed something different. 

I was born and raised in the Isan region of Thailand. However, I did not conduct this research to benefit myself, IT’S A GIFT FOR THE ISAN FOLKS, my beloved community where I was born and took my very first steps. This journey is like a labor of love, a means to show how deeply I’m tied to my roots, and a shout-out to the vibrant Isan culture that we all cherish.

Fun Fact:

I have a real passion for traveling without a set plan to surprise myself, occasionally allowing myself to get wonderfully lost. It’s my way of testing and honing my problem-solving skills. 

Publications and Presentations

Nusartlert, Anongnard and Deen, Kamil. (2023). Intergenerational Transmission of Isan and Thai: The Passive Voice as a measure. Present in the 32nd Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS2023), May 16-18, 2023, Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Nusartlert, Anongnard and Deen, Kamil. (2022). Lexical Production and Perception in Child Isan-Thai. Present in the 31st Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS2022), May 18-20, 2022. USA.

Student Steering Committee, the 31st Annual Meeting of the Southeast Asian Linguistics Society (SEALS 31), 2022

Design a Thai language class for the Department of Indo-Pacific Languages and Literatures UHM, in collaboration with instructor Teerapat Chinapirom and a chair Dr. Pia Arboleda, during the academic year 2022-2023.