Description of research and teaching

Education:

MA, University of Helsinki, 1973, major subject: English philology, minor subjects: Nordic philology and drama

Licentiate of Philosophy, University of Helsinki, 1984

Doctor of Philosophy, University of Helsinki, 1988 (“The uses and shades of meaning of words for

‘every’ and ‘each’ in Old English, with an addendum on Early Middle English developments"; defense in Nov. 1987)

Docent of English Philology, University of Helsinki, 2014

Positions:

Hourly paid teacher in the English department and the Language Centre of the University of Helsinki 1978-1988

Research assistant of the Academy of Finland 1981-1986

Senior assistant (researcher) of the department of English, University of Helsinki 1995-1998

Lecturer/University Lecturer, Department of English, University of Helsinki, 1.8.1998-31.7.2014

Senior researcher of the Research Unit for Variation, (Contacts) and Change in English (VARIENG) 2000-2011

Docent of English Philology, University of Helsinki, 2014

Main research interests include historical study of the English language, syntax in particular.Old and Middle English indefinites and their development through the chronology of the English language. Another focus area: witchcraft trial documents, Salem 1692, language, discourse and socio-history.

Teaching in the past few years has covered text analysis, variation and change in the English language, early varieties of the English language (Old and Middle English), proseminars on early English historical writings and Salem witchcraft trials, introduction to medieval studies, seminar on English lexicology and discourse analysis (2012), MA thesis supervision, licentiate and doctoral thesis supervision

Curriculum vitae

After retirement (31 July 2014), I have continued academic activities as a docent of English Philology and as a senior scholar of VARIENG research community. I have given courses in Old English and provided supervision of master's theses and doctoral dissertations.