Mark Condra

I am a researcher investigating language and culture in society in Nepal. I have been living in Nepal for about 7 years, many of which have been spent researching and documenting the Tibetic (derived from Tibetan) language known as Naawa. I am an ACTFL certified “superior” speaker of Nepali, and an intermediate speaker of Naawa. While researching in Nepal, I have been affiliated with the Linguistics Department at Tribhuvan University in Kathmandu; at present, I am affiliate faculty of the Department of Anthropologies and Languages at Idaho State University.

My work has investigated topics such as the phonetics and phonology of Naawa; tonogenesis in Naawa; literacy development as a form of social change; and language dialects, standardization, and agency among speakers of minoritized languages. My current research is investigating how the Naawa navigate social mobility in an age of migration. Border restrictions and global factors have led many Naawa to move to cities for employment opportunities but their actual aspirations and experiences with vocational mobility are not well documented.

In addition to academic research, I am involved in developing practical resources with Naawa speakers. Some of these resources include a trilingual dictionary (Naawa – English – Nepali), resources for teaching Naawa, and Naawa story books.

Please feel free to reach out to me if you have any interest in discussing these topics. My contact information is below.