Dr.Ina Biermann

Ina grew up in Potchefstroom, a university town in South Africa, where she completed her MA in English. She spent two years working on her doctoral thesis in Stylistics at the University of Lancaster, England, after which she taught for several years at UNISA, one of the oldest distance education universities in the world, gaining experience of teaching linguistics, literary theory and stylistics to undergraduate and graduate students from a variety of language backgrounds. For the past two decades, she has lived with her husband and family in the Lower Mainland. During this time she has been a lecturer in the Department of English language and literatures at UBC in the structure of Modern English (including phonology, morphology, syntax, semantics and discourse), the early and later history of English, stylistics, sociolinguistics and academic and technical writing. She also taught language, literature and writing courses at Trinity Western University, Kwantlen Polytechnic University and the University of the Fraser Valley. Her research interests are in stylistics (the analysis and interpretation of literary and non-literary texts) across various eras and styles, with an abiding interest in the work of Gerard Manley Hopkins.

A thorough understanding of the structure of the English language and of the ways in which we use language to communicate in different contexts makes for more effective future educators. It also enhances our capacity to function as discerning and compassionate members of society in our time. Since promoting in others a love for the study of the English language and the ways in which it is used is her vocation, she is excited to teach at St. Mark’s where she hopes to contribute to students’ academic preparation for their future careers and lives.

Education
DLitt et Phil (UNISA)
Supervisor: Geoffrey N. Leech, University of Lancaster, United Kingdom
Co-supervisor: Ina Gräbe, University of South Africa (UNISA)
Thesis: A study of the language of the sonnets of Gerard Manley Hopkins, with special reference to sound patterns

MA English (Potchefstroom University for Christian Higher Education)
Dissertation: A linguistic analysis of certain poems by T. S. Eliot

Previous Appointments
UBC, Department of English Language and Literatures, Lecturer (2013-2021)

Professional Societies
PALA (Poetics and Linguistics Association)

Current Research Projects
Stylistics: Book chapter in progress: Stylistics, with Luna Bergh in Carstens, W.A.M. & T.J. van Dyk, eds. Toegepaste Taalkunde in Afrikaans. (“Applied Linguistics in Afrikaans”.) J.L. van Schaik (to be published November 2021).

Publications
Biermann, Ina & Annette Combrink (eds.) (2001) Poetics, Linguistics and History: Discourses of War and Conflict: Proceedings of the 19th PALA Conference. PU for CHE: Potchefstroom.

Biermann, Ina & Sekepe Matjila (2001) Sound repetition as metaphor marker in "Aferika" by L.D. Raditladi, in Biermann, Ina & Annette Combrink (eds.) (2001) Poetics, Linguistics and History: Discourses of War and Conflict: Proceedings of the 19th PALA Conference. PU for CHE: Potchefstroom, pp. 626 642.

Biermann, Ina & Hilton Hubbard (guest eds.) (1999) Introduction. Journal of Literary Studies/Tydskrif vir Literatuurwetenskap 15(3 4) Special double issue on Stylistics. R.

Biermann, Ina (1999) Sound repetition as characterisation technique in Salman Rushdie's The Moor's Last Sigh, in Journal of Literary Studies / Tydskrif vir Literatuurwetenskap 15(3 4): 324-354. R. Available online at http://www.tandfonline.com/doi/abs/10.1080/02564719908530235

Biermann, Ina (1995) When metaphor counts: review article of Understanding Metaphor by Gerard Steen, in Language and Literature 6(1):57 68, February. R.

Biermann, Ina (1993) Intertextuality as parallelism in two South African poems. Language and Literature 2(3):197 220. R.

Biermann, Ina (1992) “Die spookreël"(“the ghost line”) pp. 501 2; “die strofe” (“the stanza") pp. 508 10; "die versreël"(“the line”) pp. 556 60, in Cloete, T.T. (ed.) Literêre Terme en Teorieë. Haum Literêr: Pretoria.

Biermann, Ina (1988) Sound in poetry: the role of phonetics in the study of poetic language as exemplified in the study of a sonnet by Gerard Manley Hopkins. SA Journal of Linguistics 6(3):15 29. R.

Biermann, Ina (1984) “Greeks Today” (English translation of the poem “Grieke vandag” by T.T. Cloete) Tydskrif vir Letterkunde NR22(3):3. R.

Pretorius, W.G.J. (1980) A Christian approach to literary criticism Koers 45(4): 285-294. R.