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Ritva Laury

Born August 27, 1950, Turku

Slater International Fellow in Sociology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, 1971-1972, BA 1973, Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland, MA in linguistics (with distinction), California State University, Fresno 1983, PhD in linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara 1995.

After receiving her BA degree from the Helsinki School of Economics, Laury completed her MA and Ph.D in California and worked there for many years before returning to Finland in 2003. At the University of Helsinki, she has worked at the Department of Linguistics (2003-2007) and since 2007 she has been Professor of Finnish at the Department of Finnish, Finno-Ugric and Scandinavian Studies. She is Professor Emerita of Linguistics at the California State University.

Photo: Ari Aalto
Authors: Ritva Laury and Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta (ed.).
Translated by John Calton.

Language examination through speech

Ritva Laury’s research concerns the emergence of grammar from interaction. She is also interested in reference, language change, subordination and theoretical issues in linguistics. Most recently she has investigated embodiment in interaction and the question of the appropriateness of traditional linguistic categories such as the clause for the description of ordinary everyday conversation.

Laury is currently co-leader with Ryoko Suzuki (Keio University), of the bilateral project The question of units in language and interaction. The project is international in scope and includes researchers with expertise in Finnish, Japanese, Mandarin and Nuu-chah-nulth (Wakashan). Together with Jan Lindström, Professor of Nordic Languages, she heads the team investigating the Verbal and Non-verbal Resources for Action Construction in the Centre of Excellence in Research on Intersubjectivity. The project is jointly funded by the Academy of Finland and the Japan Society for the Promotion of Science.

Ritva Laury chairs the advisory board of KOTUS, the Institute for the Languages of Finland, and is a board member of the Society for the Study of Finnish (Kotikielen Seura).

Photo: Ritva Laury​

 

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Ritva Laury

Born August 27, 1950, Turku

Slater International Fellow in Sociology, Wellesley College, Wellesley, Massachusetts, 1971-1972, BA 1973, Helsinki School of Economics, Helsinki, Finland, MA in linguistics (with distinction), California State University, Fresno 1983, PhD in linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara 1995.

After receiving her BA degree from the Helsinki School of Economics, Laury completed her MA and Ph.D in California and worked there for many years before returning to Finland in 2003. At the University of Helsinki, she has worked at the Department of Linguistics (2003-2007) and since 2007 she has been Professor of Finnish at the Department of Finnish, Finno-Ugric and Scandinavian Studies. She is Professor Emerita of Linguistics at the California State University.

Photo: Ari Aalto
Authors: Ritva Laury and Riitta-Ilona Hurmerinta (ed.).
Translated by John Calton.

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