- pronunciation
- [ΛneΞΈΙn ΛsΓ¦ndΙz]
- pronouns
- he/him
- office
- Sidney Smith Hall, #4070
100 St. George Street
Toronto, ON M5S 3G3
Canada - voicemail
- +1 (416) 978-1766 (email preferred)
Full CV
Education
SB in Mathematics (Course 18), minor in Linguistics (Course 24L), Massachusetts Institute of Technology (1996)
MA and PhD in Linguistics, University of California, Santa Cruz (2000, 2003)
PhD dissertation: Opacity and sound change in the Polish lexicon. DOI: 10.7282/T3319TPP. [ PDF ]
My main research focus is on teaching and learning in linguistics, especially innovative pedagogy (such as using games, project-based learning, and creative/artistic approaches in STEM) and addressing linguistic injustice and other biases in teaching. I do research on signed and spoken languages in the areas of theoretical phonology, phonetics, and linguistic typology, with an overall drive to understand to physical, biological, and cognitive factors that shape language. I have worked on derivational opacity, ludlings (language games, like Pig Latin), the history and use of constructed languages (like Esperanto and Klingon), Polish phonology, historical phonology, perception and biomechanics of signed languages, and mathematical and statistical models of linguistic phenomena.
Forthcoming / In progress
Sanders, Nathan. Forthcoming. OTtablx. LaTeX software package and documentation. v0.5. http://sanders.phonologist.org/OTtablx/
Sanders, Nathan. Forthcoming. Phonogenesis Nova: A revised application for generating novel phonological data. Software/website.
Sanders, Nathan, Julie A. Hochgesang, Lex Konnelly, Pocholo Umbal, and Kie Zuraw. Forthcoming. An inclusive approach to phonetics and phonology. In Jeffrey Punske, ed. Open handbook on linguistics pedagogy. MIT Press. [ PDF (draft) ]
Sanders, Nathan, Lisa Sullivan, and Erin Vearncombe. Under review. An approach to training graduate students for grading linguistics writing. Manuscript.
Sanders, Nathan. In progress. A modular introduction to phonetics and phonology. Oxford University Press.
Sanders, Nathan. In progress. Pedagogy in phonology. Cambridge Elements in Phonology. Cambridge University Press.
2026
Sanders, Nathan. 2006/2026. OTtablx. LaTeX software package and documentation. v0.4.1. http://sanders.phonologist.org/OTtablx/
Sanders, Nathan. 2026. Peering into the past: Using modern languages to understand ancient languages and cultures. Invited talk for Laugh & Learn, Toronto. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2026. The hidden power of language. Invited talk for Brains and Barstools, Toronto. [ PDF (slides) ]
2025
Sanders, Nathan, and Danielle Daidone. 2025. Physical and online games for phonetics and phonology. In Vita V. Kogan, ed. Teaching linguistics with games. Routledge. 12–20. DOI: 10.4324/9781003630487-2. [ PDF (preprint) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2025. Effectiveness and consistency of WIT benchmarking. Arts & Science Teaching and Learning Community of Practice, University of Toronto. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2025. Effective teaching in linguistics. Invited talk at l'Université du Québec à Montréal. [ PDF (slides) ]
Konnelly, Lex, Nathan Sanders, Jason Siefken, and Pocholo Umbal. 2025. Are writing questions in math fair? Journal of the Scholarship of Teaching and Learning 25(1): 52–76. DOI: 10.14434/josotl.v25i1.36135.
Sanders, Nathan. 2025. Effective teaching in phonetics and phonology. Invited talk at the University of Victoria. Also given as a keynote presentation at Western Interdisciplinary Student Symposium on Language Research 2025. Also given in 2024 as an invited talk at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [ PDF (slides) ]
2024
Anderson, Catherine, Margaret Grant, and Nathan Sanders, eds. 2024. Canadian Journal of Linguistics 69(3). Special issue on teaching and learning in linguistics. [ link ]
Konnelly, Lex, Pocholo Umbal, and Nathan Sanders. 2024. On the use of names and example sentences in the linguistics classroom. Canadian Journal of Linguistics 69(3): 355–365. DOI: 10.1017/cnj.2024.23.
Anderson, Catherine, Margaret Grant, and Nathan Sanders. 2024. Building capacity for the scholarship of teaching and learning in linguistics in Canada. Canadian Journal of Linguistics 69(3): 276–284. DOI: 10.1017/cnj.2024.20.
Konnelly, Lex, and Nathan Sanders. 2024. AI hype in the classroom. Proceedings of the Linguistic Society of America 9(3): Article 5852. DOI: 10.3765/plsa.v9i3.5852.
Knowles, Rebecca, and Nathan Sanders. 2024. Data-driven approaches to vowel harmony. In Nancy A. Ritter and Harry van der Hulst, eds. Handbook of vowel harmony. Oxford University Press. 452–462. DOI: 10.1093/oxfordhb/9780198826804.013.35. [ PDF (draft) ]
Napoli, Donna Jo, and Nathan Sanders. 2024. An approach to path movement in the diachronic study of sign languages: Biomechanics and nonarbitrariness. Diachronica 41(2): 203–250. DOI: 10.1075/dia.23033.nap. [ PDF (preprint) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2024. Using learning games for phonetics and phonology. Invited talk at the University of Toronto for the Society of Linguistics Undergraduate Students. [ PDF (slides) ]. Also given in 2023 as invited talks at San Jose State University for the Linguistics and Language Development Student Association and at Simon Fraser University.
Sanders, Nathan, Lex Konnelly, and Pocholo Umbal. 2024. An action-based roadmap for equity, diversity, and inclusion in teaching linguistics. In Anne H. Charity Hudley, Christine Mallinson, and Mary Bucholtz, eds. Inclusion in linguistics. Oxford University Press. 357–382. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780197755303.003.0018.
Konnelly, Lex, and Nathan Sanders. 2024. Confronting AI hype in the classroom: ChatGPT and an equity-first linguistics pedagogy. Invited talk for the Teaching Linguistics: A Glimpse into the Future organized session at the 2024 Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. [ PDF (slides) ]
2022–2023
Sanders, Nathan. 2023. Teaching linguistics with equity, diversity, and inclusion. Invited talk at Simon Fraser University. [ PDF (slides) ]
Konnelly, Lex, Nathan Sanders, Jason Siefken, and Pocholo Umbal. 2022. Are writing questions in math fair? 6th Northeastern Conference on Research in Undergraduate Mathematics Education. [ PDF (slides) ]
Jurgec, Peter, Liisa Duncan, Emily Elfner, Yoonjung Kang, Alexei Kochetov, Brittney K. O’Neill, Avery Ozburn, Keren Rice, Nathan Sanders, Jessamyn Schertz, Nate Shaftoe, and Lisa Sullivan, eds. Proceedings of the 2021 Annual Meeting on Phonology. Washington, DC: Linguistic Society of America.
Sanders, Nathan. 2022. The Linguistics Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Repository as a resource for instructors. Invited plenary talk at the Workshop on Linguistic Equity and Justice, University of Toronto Mississauga. [ PDF (slides) ]
Anderson, Catherine, Bronwyn Bjorkman, Derek Denis, Julianne Doner, Margaret Grant, Nathan Sanders, and Ai Taniguchi. 2022. Essentials of Linguistics, second edition. Toronto: eCampusOntario.
Anderson, Catherine, Bronwyn Bjorkman, Derek Denis, Margaret Grant, Martin Kohlberger, Nathan Sanders, and Ai Taniguchi. 2022. Teaching introductory linguistics with justice: Updating an open educational resource. Congrès annuel de l’Association canadienne de linguistique 2022 | 2022 annual meeting of the Canadian Linguistic Association. [ PDF (slides) ]
2021
Sanders, Nathan. 2021. Designing online quizzes and tests: Principles and implementation. Pedagogy Workshop, Department of Linguistics, University of Toronto. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2021. Restructuring tests. Journal for Research and Practice in College Teaching 6(2): Article 4304. Special issue of personal narratives: After innovating teaching during the pandemic, what will stick? [ PDF ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2021. Language-based biases in legal contexts. Invited webinar for ezCPD.ca. [ video (59m13s) ] [ PDF (slides) ]
Konnelly, Lex, Pocholo Umbal, and Nathan Sanders. 2021. The Diverse Names Database: A tool for creating more equitable, diverse, and inclusive linguistic example sentences. Special Session on Pedagogy, Congrès annuel de l’Association canadienne de linguistique 2021 | 2021 annual meeting of the Canadian Linguistic Association. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sullivan, Lisa, Erin Vearncombe, and Nathan Sanders. 2021. Grading grading: Training for consistency, efficiency, and effectiveness in marking linguistics writing. Special Session on Pedagogy, Congrès annuel de l’Association canadienne de linguistique 2021 | 2021 annual meeting of the Canadian Linguistic Association. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2021. Teaching semantics from a JEDI perspective: Some considerations. Invited presentation. Workshop on Inclusive Teaching in Semantics, 31st Semantics and Linguistic Theory conference. [ YouTube (talk, 21m45s) ] [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan, Pocholo Umbal, and Lex Konnelly. 2021–present. The Linguistics Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Repository (LEDIR). https://ledir.ling.utoronto.ca/
Sanders, Nathan, Peter Jurgec, Junan Zhao, Chaerin Song, and Luke Zhang. 2021–2026. Phonogenesis: An application for generating novel phonological data. Software/website. https://phonogenesis.accelsnow.com/
Anderson, Catherine, Bronwyn Bjorkman, Julie Doner, Félix Desmeules-Trudel, Margaret Grant, Daniel Currie Hall, Timothy Mills, Nathan Sanders, and Ai Taniguchi. 2021. Podcasting in a pandemic for teaching, outreach, and justice. Presentation Opportunities for Scholarly Teaching, Education, and Resources panel discussion in the Scholarly Teaching in the Age of Covid-19 and Beyond organized session. The 95th Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. [ presentation webpage (video and transcript, 10m38s) ]
2020
Sanders, Nathan, Lex Konnelly, and Pocholo Umbal. 2020. Building equity, diversity and inclusion in courses: A case study in linguistics. Talk given at Faculty of Arts & Science Teaching & Learning Community of Practice, University of Toronto. [ PDF (slides) ]
Namboodiripad, Savithry, and Nathan Sanders. 2020. Centering linguistic diversity and justice in course design. Racial Justice, Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion in the Linguistics Curriculum webinar series. Linguistic Society of America. [ info page ] [ PDF (slides) ] [ YouTube (webinar, 1h27m09s) ]
Sanders, Nathan, Pocholo Umbal, and Lex Konnelly. 2020. Methods for increasing equity, diversity, and inclusion in linguistics pedagogy. Talk given at Congrès annuel de l’Association canadienne de linguistique 2020 | 2020 annual meeting of the Canadian Linguistic Association. [ PDF (slides) ] [ PDF (proceedings) ] [ YouTube (talk, 30m16s) ]
Sanders, Nathan, with host Michelle Garcia-Vega. Forthcoming. Why we do historical linguistics. Word to the Whys podcast episode. TILCoP Canada.
Anderson, Catherine, with host Nathan Sanders. 2020. Why we do language acquisition. Word to the Whys podcast episode #6. TILCoP Canada.
Sanders, Nathan, with host Margaret Grant. 2020. Why we do phonetics. Word to the Whys podcast episode #1. TILCoP Canada.
Punske, Jeffrey, Nathan Sanders, and Amy V. Fountain, eds. 2020. Language invention in linguistics pedagogy. Oxford University Press. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198829874.001.0001.
Punske, Jeffrey, Nathan Sanders, and Amy V. Fountain. 2020. Introduction. In Punske et al., eds. Language invention in linguistics pedagogy. Oxford University Press. 1–5. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198829874.003.0001.
Sanders, Nathan. 2020. A primer on constructed languages. In Punske et al., eds. Language invention in linguistics pedagogy. Oxford University Press. 6–26. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198829874.003.0002.
Sanders, Nathan, and Christine Schreyer. 2020. Moving beyond linguistics: The interdisciplinarity of conlangs. In Punske et al., eds. Language invention in linguistics pedagogy. Oxford University Press. 169–185. DOI: 10.1093/oso/9780198829874.003.0011.
2018
Sanders, Nathan. 2018. Articulation versus perception in sign language movement. Invited talk given at Gallaudet University. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2018. Some issues in the perceptual phonetics of sign language: Motion-in-depth and the horizontal-vertical illusion. Toronto Working Papers in Linguistics 40. Special issue from the CRC-Sponsored Phonetics/Phonology Workshops. [ PDF ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2018. Articulatory and perceptual patterns in sign language lexicons. Keynote speech at the 11th Annual Toronto Undergraduate Linguistics Conference [TULCon11]. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2018. A case study in teaching linguistics to middle school students with language-based learning differences. Poster presentation in Expanding the Reach of Linguistics: Collaborations with Other Disciplines and Beyond, organized session at the 92nd Annual Meeting of the Linguistics Society of America. [ PDF (poster) ] [ PDF (materials) ]
2017
Sanders, Nathan. 2017. Some issues in the perceptual phonetics of sign language: Motion-in-depth and the horizontal-vertical illusion. Talk given at the 2017 CRC-Sponsored Summer Phonetics/Phonology Workshop at the University of Toronto. [ PDF (handout) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2017. Scales of effort in sign language articulation and perception. Invited talk at the University of Delaware. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2017. What sign languages tell us about phonetics: Expanding the notion of articulatory effort. Invited talk at the University of Toronto on joint work with Donna Jo Napoli. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2017. Constructed languages as a bridge to interdisciplinary teaching. Presentation in Teaching Linguistics with Invented Languages, organized session at the 91st Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. [ PDF (slides) ]
2016
Sanders, Nathan, and Donna Jo Napoli. 2016. A cross-linguistic preference for torso stability in the lexicon: Evidence from 24 sign languages. Sign Language & Linguistics 19(2). 197–231. DOI: 10.1075/sll.19.2.02san. [ PDF (preprint) ]
Sanders, Nathan, and Donna Jo Napoli. 2016. Signs of efficiency: Maintaining torso stability affects sign language vocabulary. Natural History 124(9). 28–32. [ PDF ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2016. Constructed languages in the classroom. Language 92(3). e192–e204. DOI: 10.1353/lan.2016.0055. [ PDF (preprint) ]
Sanders, Nathan, and Donna Jo Napoli. 2016. Reactive effort as a factor that shapes sign language lexicons. Language 92(2). 275–297. DOI: 10.1353/lan.2016.0032. [ PDF (preprint) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2016. nslxIPA. Unicode IPA keyboard layout and documentation. v1.0. http://sanders.phonologist.org/nslxIPAkeyboard/
2014–2015
Sanders, Nathan, and Donna Jo Napoli. 2015. Active and reactive effort in sign language phonetics. Invited talk for the Tri-Lo Linguistics Lecture Series at Swarthmore College. [ PDF (slides) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2014. Gradient (dis)harmony: Hidden harmony and anti-harmony. Poster presented at Phonology 2014 (Annual Meetings on Phonology), Massachusetts Institute of Technology. [ PDF (mini-paper) ] [ PDF (poster) ]
Napoli, Donna Jo, Nathan Sanders, and Rebecca Wright. 2014. On the linguistic effects of articulatory ease, with a focus on sign languages. Language 90(2). 424–456. DOI: 10.1353/lan.2014.0026.
2008–2012
Harrison, K. David, Nathan Sanders, Rachel Killackey, Kathryn Montemurro, and Peter Nilsson. 2012. The Tuvan Machine Translation Project.
Sanders, Nathan, and K. David Harrison. 2012. Discovering new vowel harmony patterns using a pairwise statistical model. Poster presented at the 20th Manchester Phonology Meeting, University of Manchester.
Napoli, Donna Jo, Nathan Sanders, and Rebecca Wright. 2011. Some aspects of ease of articulation in American Sign Language. Invited talk given at Stony Brook University. [ PDF (handout) ]
Sanders, Nathan, and Jaye Padgett. 2009. Exploring the role of production in predicting vowel inventories. Talk given at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. [ PDF (handout) ]
Cerny, Jacob, Christopher Paci, and Nathan Sanders. 2009. Towards a classification of the northern Berkshires dialect of American English. Poster presented at the 83rd Annual Meeting of the Linguistic Society of America. [ PDF (poster) ]
Sanders, Nathan, and Jaye Padgett. 2008. Articulatory parameters in a dispersion-focalization model of vowel systems. Talk given at the UC Santa Cruz Linguistics Alumni Conference. [ PDF (handout) ]
Sanders, Nathan, and Jaye Padgett. 2008. Predicting vowel inventories from a dispersion-focalization model: New results. Papers from the 44th Annual Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society. [ PDF ]
1999–2006
Sanders, Nathan. 2006. Strong lexicon optimization. Talk given at Umass Phonology Group. [ PDF (handout) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2004. Opacity from contrast: Neutral segments in harmony systems. Talk given at the 12th Manchester Phonology Meeting, University of Manchester. [ PDF (handout) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2003. Opacity and sound change in the Polish lexicon. PhD dissertation, UCSC. DOI: 10.7282/T3319TPP. [ PDF (defense handout) ] [ PDF (dissertation) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2002. Dispersion in OT: Color contrast in Middle Polish nasal vowels. WCCFL 21 Proceedings. 415–428. [ PDF ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2001. Preserving synchronic parallelism: Diachrony and opacity in Polish. CLS 37: The Main Session. Papers from the 37th Meeting of the Chicago Linguistics Society. 501–516. [ PDF ]
Sanders, Nathan. 2000. Intra-representational correspondence and the realization of empty morphemes. Qualifying exam paper, UCSC. [ PDF ]
Sanders, Nathan. 1999. Same-edge alignment with opposite-edge effects. Talk given at WCCFL 18. [ PDF (handout) ]
Sanders, Nathan. 1999. Intra-representational correspondence and truncation. Paper given at Linguistics at Santa Cruz. [ PDF ]
Kurisu, Kazutaka, and Nathan Sanders. 1999. Infixal nominal reduplication in Mangarayi. Phonology at Santa Cruz 6. 47–56. [ PDF ]
Linguistics software/tools
- OTtablx, a LaTeX package for drawing OT tableaux
- nslxIPA, a keyboard layout for IPA symbols on Macs
- Phonogenesis, an application for generating novel phonological data revised version coming soon!
Academic resources
- LEDIR (the Linguistics Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion Respository), pedagogical materials for addessing issues of equity, diversity, and inclusion in linguistics classrooms
- Essentials of Linguistics, second edition, a free online open access textbook for introductory linguistics
- Word to the Whys, a podcast about linguistics
Creative projects
- Teri the bnick, a new mascot for linguistics
- SermΕnΔs, a strategy boardgame with a historical linguistics theme playtesting available!
Fall 2026
Winter 2027
other courses taught
- LIN200: Introduction to Language
- LIN229: Phonological Patterns in Language
- LIN322: Phonological Theory
- LIN362: Historical Linguistics
- LIN402: Linguistic Typology and Constructed Languages
- LIN1104: Quantitative Methods in Linguistics (graduate)
- LIN1121: Phonological Theory (graduate)
- LIN1490: Special Topics in Linguistics: Pedagogical Praxis and Scholarship in Linguistics (graduate)
I have created a lot of games for linguistics, mostly educational games for practicing IPA symbols, phonetic terminology, and phonological features.
Print and play educational games
- IPA Bingo for general North American English, modelled after Lynn Santelmann's original from Cascadilla Press: bingo sheets and calling cards (double border for calling out natural classes for a faster game, single border for calling out individual phones for a slower game)
- IPA Bingo for standard French (with help from Fatima Hamlaoui): bingo sheets and calling cards
- IPA Discard for non-English consonants, a shedding card game modelled after Crazy Eights and Uno: rules and cards
- IPA Hunt for non-English vowels, a hidden placement guessing game modelled after Battleship: rules and playsheet
Online educational games
- Fading Flowers, a word guessing game modelled after Hangman with definition hints, using vocabulary drawn from different phonetcis and phonology topics:
β linguistic articulators (speech and sign)
β syllable terminology
β acoustics terminology
βΒ auditory perception terminology - Correspondence, a matching game modelled after Concentration, playable either face-up (simple matching) or face-down (harder memory version), using vocabulary and notation drawn from different phonetcis and phonology topics:
β speech articulators
β consonant place of articulation
β consonant manner of articulation
β consonant groups (natural classes)
β consonant diacritics
β basic vowels (common IPA vowel symbols)
β advanced vowels (more IPA vowel symbols)
β super vowels (a mix of both of the above) - IPA Consonant Trap, logical puzzle game focused on IPA symbols and phonetics descriptions for non-English consonants
Online educational games created with Flippity.net
- Signed Language Articulation Locked Questions (question and answer game for signed language articulation)
- Describing Signs Locked Questions (question and answer game for describing signs: parameters, movement types, etc.)
- Stress and Tone Locked Questions (question and answer game for stress and tone)
There are lots of language-based games, but they are mostly party games or spelling games. There are almost no serious competitve strategy games that have a language theme, let alone a meaningful linguistics theme. To fill this gap, I have been developing a strategy boardgame called SermΕnΔs, that combines area influence, resource management, and an action point system with historical linguistics (specifically, the rise of standardized Romance languages from the regional dialects of Latin during the Middle Ages). It is now available for playtesting! More information here.
- 2026 Outstanding Achievement Awards recognize excellence among faculty and staff across Arts & Science, University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science news (2026)
- Thirsting for knowledge: Professors are bringing a touch of class to Toronto’s bars, by Cynthia Macdonald for the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science news (2026)
- Teaching linguistics with equity, diversity, and inclusion, by Danica Reid for Simon Fraser University Deaprtment of Linguistics News & Events (2023)
- Colleges offer courses in Klingon and Dothraki. Yes, really. by Mark J. Drozdowski for BestColleges.com (2022)
- Linguistics scholars join forces to create unique, inclusive textbook — and it’s free, by Cynthia Macdonald for the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science news (2022)
- A&S students explore language and social justice in linguistics First-Year Foundations seminar, by Alexa Zulak for the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science news (2019)
- Intersecting STEM and the humanities, by Shankhalika Srikanth for The Innis Herald (2019)
- IPA Hunt and IPA Discard (How to play Battleship and Uno with the International Phonetic Alphabet), on All Things Linguistic (2019)
- 'Language construction is part art, part science': Linguist Nathan Sanders on conlangs, by Alexa Zulak for the University of Toronto Faculty of Arts & Science news (2018)
- open letter to Neil deGrasse Tyson on aliens and linguistics, with Kevin Schluter, Stephen Politzer-Ahles, and Carrie Gillon (2017)
- Sign languages provide insight into universal linguistic short-cuts, Linguistic Society of America press release (2016)
- boardgames (my collection on BoardGameGeek)
- TV shows (what I'm watching and/or plan to watch)
- photography (some photos I've taken)
- an awesome clickable IPA chart, created by my former student, Jonathan Dowse
- linguistics majors at Williams College (2006–2012)