The earliest corpus-based studies in linguistics were traditionally historical and philological studies, with the purpose of learning how language behaved in the past and how it evolved over time. Primary linguistic data consisted of various written texts, ranging from literary works to judicial proceedings. These compiled works served many a purpose in this research, but they were severely limiting with respect to capturing how the common people of the day used the language given that written language was and is commonly more formal than spoken language. Centuries later, the sociolinguistic interview was introduced, giving rise to a myriad of studies of naturalistic speaker data, not the least of which were studies in sociopragmatic variation. As useful as sociolinguistic corpora are to the field, however, they have inherent disadvantages of which the scholar employing them for sociopragmatic research should be aware. There is no question that the sociolinguistic corpus has been immeasurably beneficial to studies in variation and will continue to be so for the foreseeable future. Despite their usefulness, their structured nature has had the effect of impeding completely natural or conversational speech on the part of the respondent, which blocks certain outcomes from being observed. A second, more general disadvantage of sociolinguistic corpora studies is that they are frozen in time as synchronic data. In itself this poses no problems, but over time this quality renders studies conducted on this data obsolete.  In this talk I present synopses of some of my corpus-based projects, the purposes they served, and also the methodological issues I encountered in conducting these studies. I share the negatives of the corpora I used and conclude with some optimistic predictions for the future of the field.

His research involves the historical development of Ibero-Romance languages with a focus on phonological and morphosyntactic evolution and divergence, especially between Spanish and Portuguese. Additionally, he conducts research in comparative syntax with a particular emphasis on cliticization patterns, as well as sociopragmatic variation in Latin American Spanish with a focus on discourse marker usage as an indicator of national and/or social identity. At UNC Chapel Hill, Dr. Graham teaches courses on the history of the Spanish language, pragmatics, phonology, and dialectology at the undergraduate and graduate levels.

En esta presentación, me adentro en las implicaciones identitarias que emergen de aproximaciones tradicionales y normativas (rule-based) a la enseñanza del español como lengua de herencia (ELH). Antes de entrar en las características que distinguen a hablantes de segunda lengua (L2) de hablantes de herencia (Fishman 2001), exploro el concepto mismo de identidad, cómo opera en el desarrollo lingüístico y social y cómo se traduce en la forma en que nos acercamos al diseño pedagógico y sus objetivos. Busco resaltar las limitaciones de un concepto de identidad estático que ha llevado a destacar en el lenguaje lo prescriptivo y clasificable en detrimento de lo cultural, social e individual donde el lenguaje tiene el potencial de manifestarse en todas sus dimensiones. Propongo que algo muy similar ocurre con la identificación de los propios aprendientes de lengua. De ahí me centro en el contexto de los hablantes de herencia (HH) del español en Estados Unidos, cuyo contacto con la lengua viene fuertemente mediado por la relación con la cultura, las relaciones familiares y los desafíos específicos de su desarrollo multicultural y multilingüe (Oyserman et al 2003; Bacallao y Smokowski 2009). Si bien las definiciones de HH que se manejan en el campo de ELH han servido para marcar una distinción esencial en la experiencia de los HH y los aprendices de L2 con la lengua (Valdés 2000; Carreira 2004), el hecho mismo de definir conlleva el riesgo de limitar (Wiley 2014; Leeman 2015) el concepto de HH a su dimensión lingüística y explicarla desde el punto de vista de carencia. Para evitar esto, junto con la dimensión socioafectiva a la que ya se ha aludido con frecuencia dentro del campo de ELH (Carreira 2014; Beaudrie 2015; Prada et al 2020), reclamo la importancia de las dimensiones individuales de cada hablante y las planteo como medio para llevar a cabo tareas concretas que implican tanto el desarrollo lingüístico en la lengua de herencia como la voz individual de cada hablante. Para permitir el desarrollo tanto lingüístico como identitario, propongo la traducción literaria como práctica pedagógica y como práctica humana, es decir, como actividad de reconocimiento tanto de lo propio como de lo que media en el proceso de identificación con lo propio, con el objetivo de dinamizar no sólo el acercamiento al lenguaje objetivo, sino al propio proceso de identificación. Aunque la traducción pedagógica es una práctica habitual en la enseñanza de L2 y LH (Jiménez Jiménez 2021; Gasca 2021; Lunn y Lunsford 2021), sus metas suelen priorizar el lenguaje y enfatizar las normas lingüísticas sin incorporar de forma significativa las razones interpersonales y los hábitos y decisiones de los hablantes. De esta manera, se replica y perpetúa un acercamiento a la lengua desde una perspectiva monolingüe, normativa, oracional y estandarizada. Para superar estas limitaciones es necesario que la traducción pedagógica no sólo incorpore las dimensiones sociales y culturales del lenguaje, sino que las priorice y, a la vez, modele la interacción y mediación entre las mismas y una voz individual. Propongo que la traducción literaria basada en textos auténticos permite esta interacción al introducir textos mediados cultural y socialmente, donde la dimensión individual puede formar parte de un proceso de interpretación, reflexión y transformación que parte de lo más inmediato (lo propio) y permite una toma de conciencia de lo que está, por el momento, en proceso de emergencia. A través de la traducción literaria, el lenguaje objetivo entra en diálogo con las dimensiones que en último término median el significado (las conexiones socio-afectivas con la lengua, el conocimiento previo, las estrategias adquiridas, las asociaciones que conforman el lenguaje subjetivo y las lagunas). Para ilustrar mi propuesta, termino presentando los resultados de una intervención didáctica experimental con un grupo de HH basada en la traducción de fragmentos de textos literarios y un protocolo think aloud que permitió acceder a parte de su proceso de interpretación, transformación y creación de sentido. Los datos muestran cómo los HH emplean la lengua para construir su identidad en el proceso de traducción, reflexionando sobre el propio concepto de identidad y cómo esta se manifiesta en sus decisiones. Por último, propongo algunas líneas de acción para integrar la traducción literaria en el proceso de desarrollo lingüístico e identitario ya dentro de un curso de ELH.

Tras obtener un Máster en enseñanza de español como segunda lengua en la Universidad de Navarra (España), completó sus estudios en lingüística con el Máster de Español (Lingüística Hispánica Aplicada) en la Universidad de Maryland con una tesina en la que desarrolla las conexiones entre traducción literaria e identidad lingüística y cultural en hablantes de herencia del español.

In this presentation, I discuss the implications of privileging value-based political research agendas in linguistics and affirm the impossibility of objective scientific linguistic research. Instead, I argue that linguists must cultivate a practice of transparency, noting not only their positionalities (see Lin 2015; Clemons and Lawrence 2020, Clemons 2024 for reference to these calls) but also in their political motivations. In this way decisions about research questions, frames, and interpretations become clearer. Since research in linguistics often attends to the contact of speakers of different languages/varieties, but also tends to disregard the humanistic study of language as social practice, the current paper draws on the work of social, political, and (racio)linguistic theorists to propose an unruly entrance into defining a contact variety of Spanish used by Black, Mexican, and Blaxican communities in Southern California. The paper provides a cultural and linguistic analysis of the 2022 D-Smoke (Daniel Anthony Farris) song El Rey, as representative of a uniquely Black and Mexican soundscape. Using the song, which features a prominent sampling of José Alfredo Jiménez’s classic ranchera, we ask what is salient about the Black Mexican soundscape of Inglewood, California. Moreover, we ask how this soundscape creates the possibility for a distinct Blaxican Spanish variety, which is explored through layers of linguistic and extra-linguistic code-switching, merging phonetic and syntactic switching with switches that are more visual and representational. We posit Black and Mexican sounds as aural signatures for Inglewood, California, the greater Los Angeles region, the greater California region, and ultimately the spaces where Black and Mexican subjectivities meet across the US. By exploring that which exist as Black and Mexican sonic, linguistic, and visual symbols in the song and official video for El Rey, we argue that D’Smoke creates a space of solidarity through a Blaxican soundscape while contesting identity regimes. Importantly, the Blaxican soundscape defined in the paper represents a site of negotiation, an audiotopia where identity is forged and language pedagogies, policies, and orientations can be (re)envisioned. Through the mapping of these examples, I develop a model for political transparency in linguistics that resists formerly constructed categorizations of linguistics as either theoretical or social. Moreover, I point to the ways that these studies insist on a conceptualization of language that is intimately tied to the body (Bucholtz and Hall 2016), not only of those being researched but of the researchers themselves. In doing so, I argue for a model of language analysis grounded in a Black feminist framework that privileges people’s ability to define themselves through their own cultural and linguistic practices, self-determination; and that requires political transparency as linguistic praxis.

Originally from (all over) the Bay Area in California, she has been steeped in the traditions of anti-racist pedagogies and has dedicated herself to developing and sustaining these practices in her own research and teaching. As such, her research agenda is rooted in social change through an examination of the ways that what appears to be common knowledge is often constructed and ideologically maintained by various social institutions. Overarchingly, Aris questions the linguistic mechanisms—repetitions, stance taking, tropicalizations, etc.—responsible for the (re)construction and maintenance of racializing and marginalizing ideologies. Her career in linguistics was rather untraditional, not having heard about the field until after she had graduated with an undergraduate degree in Spanish philology and Political Science. After having worked in non-profits serving high populations of Spanish speaking immigrants who struggled to navigate their host societies, as well as a healthy stint as a bilingual schoolteacher and K-12 administrator, she began to question the cognitive, social, and ultimately societal barriers of language learning for migrant populations. As she progressed through her work, she recognized the limits of traditional (or structural) linguistics in its ability to explain language production of racialized beings across several differing contexts. As a researcher, she recognizes the benefits of transparent positionality in research practices, but only if it becomes generalized across researchers who occupy both traditionally hegemonic and marginalized subject positionalities.  

There is an unquestionable urgency for the teaching and practice of antiracism. Antiracist pedagogies recognize historical narratives and challenge their assumptions to allow for counterstories to these majoritarian narratives (Stanley, 1998). Antiracist pedagogies in the language classroom are those that examine the role of language in (re)producing, maintaining, challenging, and transforming asymmetric power relationships, discrimination, inequality, social injustice, and hegemony in relation to race and ethnicity (Leeman et al., 2011; Norton, 2012). Since May 2020, the call for antiracist initiatives has gained traction in both mainstream society and academia. Despite notable efforts in developing antiracist pedagogies, a critical question remains: how to walk the talk? There is a gap between theory and practice in effectively crafting, articulating, and implementing antiracist pedagogical approaches. This presentation addresses this void by offering a comprehensive overview of tangible examples illustrating the application of antiracist pedagogies in (Spanish) language classrooms in the USA. The presentation seeks to provide practical insights into navigating antiracist education, offering educators valuable tools to incorporate antiracist principles into their teaching methodologies. By highlighting concrete examples, this session aims to empower educators with actionable strategies that challenge traditional power structures and foster a more equitable and just educational environment. In doing so, it contributes to the ongoing discourse on the implementation of antiracist pedagogies, paving the way for a more informed and effective approach to antiracist education in language classrooms.

Raised in Alcorcón, Madrid, and a long-time resident of Brooklyn, José has a rich background as a Spanish rap artist with a BS in Social Psychology, a certified New York State 7-12 Spanish teacher with a MEd, and a PhD in Hispanic Linguistics. His dissertation was titled "Language and Racism-Motivation, linguistic proficiency and awareness in the Spanish as a second language classroom: Integration of contents related to the socio-political nature of language in a content-based approach." His primary areas of research are sociolinguistics, critical applied linguistics, bilingualism, language and identity, language ideologies, glotopolitics, Spanish as a heritage language in the USA, and, very particularly, Hip-Hop and explicitly anti-racist pedagogy development.