The Richard and Jeannette Allsopp Centre for Caribbean Lexicography recently hosted an enriching academic exchange, welcoming 15 students from William & Mary (W&M), one of the oldest US institutions of higher education, to collaborate with 10 students at The University of the West Indies (The UWI), Cave Hill Campus on a pilot project, tentatively titled, The Linguistic Atlas of the Greater Caribbean.

The Linguistic Atlas of the Greater Caribbean is a project that seeks to document and analyse the Caribbean’s unique linguistic features, including variation in vocabulary, pronunciation and grammar across different territories. The pilot phase provided students with a platform to process data and gain practical experience in sociolinguistic research.

Throughout the exchange from June 8 to 22, 2025, students from both institutions, led by Dr Iyabo Osiapem of W&M, and Cave Hill’s Dr Jason F. Siegel, Research Fellow in Lexicography and Director of the Allsopp Centre, engaged in fieldwork and data collection focused on documenting the rich and diverse linguistic landscape of the Caribbean. In addition to research, all students participated in a tour of the Cave Hill Campus, and the visiting students explored such attractions as Animal Flower Cave, Harrison’s Cave and the Barbados Museum.

The visit not only highlighted the Allsopp Centre’s ongoing commitment to the development and promotion of Caribbean languages and lexicography, but also fostered lasting connections between the institutions and among the students themselves.

Having successfully executed this pilot, the Allsopp Centre plans to continue collaboration with W&M and lay the foundation for future phases of the Linguistic Atlas of the Greater Caribbean.

In Photo: Students from William & Mary and The University of the West Indies outside the Alister McIntyre Building during their academic and cultural exchange [Photo by: K. St. Juste]