The discussion will take place at the Peace Center, 310 N. McKinley Ave. on Thursday, October 29 at 12 PM. 

We welcome your attendance and participation.  Please feel free to bring your lunch and we will supply bottles of water.

Matuka Yeno Mansoni was born in Western Kongo (the Lower Congo River) in 1948, and he attended a selective Catholic School in the 60's.  He went to the Teachers Training College (IPN) in Kinshasa (1970-1975), where he majored in the teaching of English for junior and senior high school.  Having received a diploma in applied pedagogy with distinction, he was hired by his English department at IPN to train teachers of English.  In 1976, he received the British Council Scholarship and studied at Ealing Technical College in London, England, where he earned his second degree, a DES (diploma in English studies) in 1977.  The British Council extended his scholarship for one year to take courses at the University of Reading in Reading, England, UK.  He earned a master's degree in applied linguistics (1978).  He returned to Zaire and taught different English and linguistics courses from freshmen to seniors.  In 1985, he was awarded a Fulbright Scholarship, which brought him to Ball State University.  As his first master's degree was seven years older, he took courses that ended up with him receiving a second master's degree in applied linguistics (1987).  Four years later, he earned his doctorate in applied linguistics with a concentration in English (1991).  His dissertation was on "The Pragmatics of Palavering" focusing on conflict management in the speech acts of Wedding, Reconciliation, and Bereavement.  In 1991-92, he was awarded a postdoctoral scholarship during which he specialized in English composition.  He has been teaching linguistics and English composition in the Department of English at Ball State since 1992.