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Language and EducationPublication details, including instructions forauthors and subscription information:http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rlae20

Obituary: David CorsonViv EdwardsPublished online: 29 Mar 2010.

To cite this article: Viv Edwards (2001) Obituary: David Corson, Language andEducation, 15:2-3, 81-82, DOI: 10.1080/09500780108666801

To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/09500780108666801

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Obituary: David Corson

The idea for Language and Education was born in two different countries at moreor less the same time. Just as I was approaching Multilingual Matters, DavidCorson was in negotiation with another publisher for a journal on the sametheme. It seemed more realistic to pool forces than to set up in competition.

We had never previously had contact of any kind and, if truth be told, the earlydays were marked by a slight element of mutual suspicion. However, suspicionslowly but surely gave way to respect and trust. We met only very rarely,handling everything first by letter and later by e-mail. In fourteen years, ourjudgement on journal matters differed substantially on only one – now longforgotten – paper. David’s obvious commitment, the very supportive commentswhich he offered to authors, his attention to detail and his efficiency inspiredconfidence and made him an ideal co-editor.

Language and Education was, of course, just one part of a professional life whichspanned three countries and two continents. David was born and grew up inAustralia. He taught at the University of Tasmania and later at Massey Univer-sity in New Zealand before he and his family – including his mother – came toCanada in 1992,where he taught at the Ontario Institute for Studies in Education.His mother, in particular, found Canada an interesting destination, since this –and not Australia – had been her first choice when emigrating from the UK manyyears earlier.

The breadth and depth of David’s interests was, by any standards, impressive.His research and teaching activities included social justice and education,language policy and schooling for diversity, social research theory and methods,aboriginal education, discourse and power, critical language awareness, educa-tion and work, and diversity and the ethics of education.

He was a prolific writer, responsible for some 16 books and numerous articles,and his work has had a major impact on policy makers and educationalists. His

David Corson(30 May 1945–1 June 2001)

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eight-volume Encyclopedia of Language and Education is a particularly fittingmemorial to his achievements, and serves to illustrate his many talents. Davidwas frequently a catalyst for ideas and was the initiator and driving force behindthis very ambitious project. He served as General Editor as well as co-editor ofeach volume, thus ensuring a coherence and a clarity of vision. The end productis a comprehensive and lucid account of the complex interrelationships betweenlanguage and education which has won much critical acclaim.

Less well known in language and education circles are David’s historicalnovels which chronicle the spread of the Roman Empire during the period afterNero. Domitia and Domitian was published in 2000; the Epilogue to Trajan andPlotina was completed a few days before he died.

I was privileged to experience just one small part of David’s professional lifeand what I saw impressed me greatly. I will greatly miss him.

Viv Edwards

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