mercoledì 23 febbraio 2011

Prof. Neil Smith

Today Prof. Neil Smith was in our Phonology class. Not as a guest lecturer. I suspect he was peer-reviwing. Anyway.

He walked in before Andrew came. I think no one really recognised him. He sat just a few feet away from me. When he walked in, I thought, he couldn't be a student! Then after a while, it hit me that he might be Neil Smith. I've never met him before but I know he is an emeritus Prof. here. But he looked so much younger in real life than in his pic on UCL website. Anyway, I turned. He smiled and we said hello.

It wasn't until Andrew needs an example that he introduced Neil Smith to us. That, was quite incredible.

I first read his book and watched his documentary video last year at HKU when we discussed the topic savant. It was then I got to know he was teaching at UCL. Last term, we spent one week on his article in class and this term spent another. He is such a distinguished scholar who has done so much pioneer work. I never imagined I would meet him.

Not that I talked to him. Just knowing him being in class felt quite amazing.

Nessun commento:

Posta un commento