Associate Professor of Spanish Linguistics

San Diego State University

I am an Associate Professor in Spanish Linguistics in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese Languages and Literatures at San Diego State University. My main interests are in second language acquisition and bilingualism, and regional and social variation of Spanish. 

A principle aim of my research is to determine how dialectal variation – that is, differences in language due to social or geographic factors – plays a role in learning a second language. This research aims to address questions and issues surrounding the dialects of Spanish that second language learners are exposed to, how dialectal speech affects speech perception and processing for learners, the dialectal features acquired by learners, and how social factors such as identity, language attitudes, and motivation for learning Spanish relate to the evaluation and use of dialectal sounds. 

Living in a border area, I am also interested in the study of Spanish-English bilingualism in southern California, and social and linguistic issues resulting from language contact in our local US-Mexico border context. 

➢ Check out our Spanish M.A. Program, where I serve as the Graduate Advisor.