After growing up in Newcastle, Maik got a BA degree in Linguistics from the University of Reading, an MPhil from Cambridge, in Computer Speech and Language Processing, and a PhD in Linguistics from Reading. He has taught linguistics in twelve different institutions in five different countries, including four years in SIL's European Training Programme, and six years at Africa International University in Nairobi, Kenya (2006-2012). During this time he has published book chapters on a number of subjects, such as how the internet can be used to promote endangered languages, and language shift in Nairobi. Maik is on the staff of the Centre for Linguistics, Translation and Literacy (CLTL) at Redcliffe, teaching a variety of linguistics courses. Outside Redcliffe, he also serves SIL International as a Sociolinguistics Consultant, especially interested in the dynamics of multilingualism in Africa.