Second language phonology
I am particularly interested in the storage and processing of words by learners, because although as a field we have extensively studied how learners perceive, produce, and form categories (or not) for the sounds of their second language, how this relates to the lexical level is still not well understood. For this reason, I aim to address questions such as: How are second language words represented in the mental lexicon? What relationship does this have with learners' ability to discriminate second language sounds? What cognitive and linguistic factors affect how learners store and process words? I also work on bringing insights from research into the classroom, specifically making high variability phonetic training (HVPT) a part of coursework to help students improve their perception of second language sounds. Another strand of my research examines what tasks and analysis techniques can most accurately predict the difficulty of sound contrasts for non-native speakers, and what factors affect this, such as experience with languages and training in linguistics.
Input in the language classroom
I take a usage-based approach to second language acquisition, and thus I believe that characteristics of the linguistic input that learners receive play a central role in determining the structure of their grammar. Most foreign language learners receive the majority of their input in the classroom, but this input has yet to be well described, especially for the Spanish language classroom. In my research, I have looked at the oral input provided by Spanish instructors to their students in terms of subject expression and past tense forms. I am currently expanding this line of inquiry by examining trill variation and future forms in classroom input.
Sociolinguistic variation
As a proponent of usage-based linguistics, I think it is important to document and analyze how language varies. With a variationist approach, I have examined both synchronic and diachronic variation in Spanish. I have also applied this method to studying trill variation in the production of second language learners, and eventually I would like to examine their patterns of variation for other phonological variables as well.
I am particularly interested in the storage and processing of words by learners, because although as a field we have extensively studied how learners perceive, produce, and form categories (or not) for the sounds of their second language, how this relates to the lexical level is still not well understood. For this reason, I aim to address questions such as: How are second language words represented in the mental lexicon? What relationship does this have with learners' ability to discriminate second language sounds? What cognitive and linguistic factors affect how learners store and process words? I also work on bringing insights from research into the classroom, specifically making high variability phonetic training (HVPT) a part of coursework to help students improve their perception of second language sounds. Another strand of my research examines what tasks and analysis techniques can most accurately predict the difficulty of sound contrasts for non-native speakers, and what factors affect this, such as experience with languages and training in linguistics.
Input in the language classroom
I take a usage-based approach to second language acquisition, and thus I believe that characteristics of the linguistic input that learners receive play a central role in determining the structure of their grammar. Most foreign language learners receive the majority of their input in the classroom, but this input has yet to be well described, especially for the Spanish language classroom. In my research, I have looked at the oral input provided by Spanish instructors to their students in terms of subject expression and past tense forms. I am currently expanding this line of inquiry by examining trill variation and future forms in classroom input.
Sociolinguistic variation
As a proponent of usage-based linguistics, I think it is important to document and analyze how language varies. With a variationist approach, I have examined both synchronic and diachronic variation in Spanish. I have also applied this method to studying trill variation in the production of second language learners, and eventually I would like to examine their patterns of variation for other phonological variables as well.