ÖŲæŚĪ¶SM

ā€˜The name is who they areā€™: How convocation readers train to pronounce gradsā€™ names

Hearing your name read aloud inside Convocation Hall is a moment of pride and significance for students graduating from the ÖŲæŚĪ¶SM.

Thatā€™s why U of T puts special effort into helping readers ā€“ the people who read the names of graduating students at convocation ceremonies ā€“ prepare for the challenge of trying to pronounce thousands of names correctly.

ā€œOur graduates, especially at a big university like U of T, come from all over the world ā€“ and their names come with them,ā€ says Elizabeth Cowper, a professor emerita in the department of linguistics in the Faculty of Arts & Science who is one of U of Tā€™s reader trainers.

ā€œThe name is who they are.ā€

The training includes how to recognize namesā€™ likely places of origin, avoid common errors and detect pronunciation clues.

ā€œWe give them pronunciation keys; we give them a booklet where they might be able to recognize some of the common traps,ā€ says Christina Kramer, a reader trainer and a professor emerita in the department of Slavic languages and literatures.

She adds that, while readers might not get every single name right, ā€œWhat we want to happen is that every student who crosses the stage feels that the person reading the names has given due consideration to the pronunciation of their name.ā€

In the weeks leading up to the ceremonies, graduating students also have the option of sending information about their name pronunciations ā€“ or a recording of how they pronounce their names ā€“ to the Office of Convocation ( for details). They can also add phonetic advice to the card the reader will use at the ceremony.

ā€œWe appreciate the hard work our students have put into their studies and getting to this moment,ā€ says Samantha Smith, acting director of the Office of Convocation. ā€œWe want to honour that by ensuring the name they hear as they are called onto the stage is their name, said correctly.ā€

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