Beverly S. Hartford is Associate Professor of TESOL and Applied Linguistics at Indiana University. She received her Ph.D. from the University of Texas at Austin. Her main areas of research are the development of pragmatic competence and language contact. She teaches courses in sociolinguistics, including language and society, bilingualism and language contact, World English, and pedagogical grammar, second language acquisition, and intercultural pragmatics. She has trained English teachers at universities in both Poland and Nepal, as well as conducted numerous workshops for language teachers throughout the world, including Malaysia dn Venezuela. Her publications have appeared in World Englishes, Language Learning, Studies in Second Langue Acquisition, Discourse Processes, and ELT Journal.

Albert Valdman is Rudy Professor of French, Italian, and Linguistics (emeritus) and the director of the Creole Institute at Indiana University. He is also the editor of the "Haitian CreoleaEnglish Bilingual Dictionary".