Martin is a beloved lecturer at KCL. His main line of research is concerned with the origins of language. He says he is, “looking at the role of self in language: where it comes from, how selfhood defines our relationship with language, and how our language defines selfhood.” His first book, published in 2010, was The Origins of Language: An anthropological perspective (Continuum), and he is currently preparing his second book, The Origins of Selfhood: An anthropological perspective.

What did you study at university and what made you interested in linguistics?

In my first university, I studied Economics with Accountancy. What made me get interested in Linguistics was, well I created my own language as a child as lots of children do, so that got me interested in the structure of language. I also was heavily in computing, so I became interested in the rules of language. When I was in my late 40s I started an MA in Language and Grammar and got interested in the origins of grammar, so I decided to do a PhD and I finished that in 2007. And then in 2007, I was working in a school, and Constant approached me and said we need a psycholinguistics lecturer just for a year. Unfortunately, the person they appointed (for the next year) died, so they asked me to do it again and I’ve been here ever since!      

If you had to pick an alternate career path, what would it be?

Well because my career started out in Economics, then moved onto Computing and now lecturing and doing research as well, I don’t think I could have a better career path. I’ve been really happy with my life – it’s been a good life, so far.

What is your favourite language?

We’re not supposed to have favourites, it’s like children but I think if I were to think of a language I find most attractive, it would be one I don’t speak, and that’s Welsh and its regional variant, Cornish. I’m constantly trying to get some time to self-teach a little bit of Cornish. A few years back, my partner (who is Cornish as well) got an OBE and with that you’re allowed to have a Coat of Arms. We wanted to have a little motto on the bottom of the shield, and decided on two words – rag gwariow, which means ‘for fun’.  

If you had the power to change something about the English language, what would it be?

I wouldn’t change English because English is constantly changing itself, but I would change some people’s attitudes toward English. This whole “I don’t like ‘I was like’ because we used to say, ‘we said’ but now they’re saying ‘I was like’ and it’s all wrong”. No, I don’t go with that. Most dialectisations I find to be fascinating because they’ve all got a reason behind them, which if you notice the reason you think, ‘oh actually that’s better than Standard English’. Standard English is a bit ‘naff’ (Polari word) – it doesn’t meet the needs of a real language, so that’s why there are so many dialects of English because everyone’s meeting those needs in different ways themselves. So just shut up the grammar mavens.

How do you spend your time when you’re not working?

We go out for lunch a lot and you do a bit of shopping and go for afternoon tea. But other than that, I play computer games and write my book, of course.

Do you have any pets, and if not would you like to get one?

We used to have some cats but when they died we didn’t replace them. We keep talking about getting another cat, but there was a time when we were out of the house quite a lot and it’s not fair on the pet. We may get one when we settle down into dotage… another cat but no dogs though. I don’t like dogs.

What is one thing none of your colleagues know about you?

When I was at university (the first time) I was an ‘out gay’ person, which in those days, was very odd. And so, the head of the Student Union got me to set up a Gay Soc, so I set up the first ever Student Gay Soc in Cardiff.

What’s one piece of advice you would give to third-year students?

This is just three years of your life – it’s not your whole life. I actually got a Third Class Honours in my first degree and yet here I am. Things change. You change. Life changes. So it’s just three years.  

What are your top 3 essentials that you carry in your bag?

Well, a shopping bag, an umbrella and of course, a pencil and paper.

If you’re interested in learning more about Martin and his work, check out his website here.