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 the second language acquisition of Spanish phonology and of regional and social variation.

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. I incorporate experimental research methods and theoretical perspectives from second language acquisition, psycholinguistics, laboratory phonology, and variationist linguistics to address these questions.

I also serve as the Graduate Advisor of the Spanish M.A. Program.