Mind Your Language: Women of Color and the "Sociolinguistic Labor" of Taking up Space in Academia 

Authored with Sherez Mohamed

Status: in press. In G. Clements & M. Petray-Covey (Eds.) Linguistic Discrimination in US Higher Education (2nd ed.) Routledge. 

Abstract: This chapter uses duoethnography to explore the concept of sociolinguistic labor in academia, focusing on the experiences of two women of color from diverse backgrounds. The chapter aims to shed light on how marginalized populations, particularly women of color, must frequently monitor and regulate their speech to match that of Standard English (which frequently is based on white, male heteronormative language), in order to access professional opportunities and avoid scrutiny of one's intelligence. Through our narratives, we demonstrate how even as native speakers of English with doctorates in linguistics, our language is still deemed as lacking or “not good enough.” By examining our experiences, we hope to bring attention to the areas of academia which must become less exclusive, in order for marginalized populations in the academy to feel safe in their identities.   

"Neutral Spanish is like unicorns, doesn't exist." Online Attitudes toward Prescriptivism and Dominican Spanish

Status: in preparation

Abstract: Dominican Spanish is one of the most stigmatized varieties of Spanish, not only in Latin America and the Caribbean (Büdenbender, 2010), but also within the Dominican Republic (Toribio, 2000a) and diasporic communities in the United States (García et al., 1988; Zentella, 2002). These negative attitudes can further contribute to linguistic insecurity among many of its speakers (Zentella, 2002). This study examines attitudes towards Dominican Spanish in juxtaposition with “neutral” Spanish, using the YouTube video, “Neutral Spanish vs. Dominican Spanish” (PeroLike, 2020), in which a dialect coach teaches a Dominican American actor how to eliminate Dominican features from his Spanish. The analysis, however, focuses on the 1,940 comments from other viewers. Using thematic analysis (Duff, 2018), this study examines common themes in viewers’ comments, most of which convey latent or overt attitudes towards neutral Spanish and Dominican Spanish. While some viewers express agreement with the coach’s practices, others praise linguistic diversity, question the notion of neutral Spanish, and criticize the coach for being unaware of her own dialectal features while suppressing those of Dominican Spanish. This study highlights not only the increasing valorization of Dominican Spanish, but also, more broadly, the growing rejection of prescriptive ideologies regarding linguistic diversity.

Related work: Ali, F. (in preparation). Translingualism and Critical Language Awareness in the L2 Classroom: Dominican Spanish as a Case Study

Countering Negative Language Attitudes: Adopting a Critical Multidialectal Approach to Language Teaching 

Authored with Kristen Kennedy Terry, Rebecca Pozzi, Chelsea Escalante, Tracy Quan, and Xinye Zhang

Status: published in L2 Journal , 2026

Abstract: Language attitudes have been recognized as an important area of study in sociolinguistic research (Evans & Preston, 2023; Preston, 2013), and the consequences of prescriptive ideologies and negative attitudes toward non-privileged varieties extend to language instruction. These ideologies regard certain uses of the language as unacceptable if they diverge from what is considered the “standard” variety, established through linguistic imperialism and a colonial heritage (Benaglia & Smith, 2022) and perpetuated by linguistic authorities. Adherence to a prescriptive perspective without questioning its ideological and discriminatory function leads to the reproduction of a “deficit perspective”, in which those who use alternative varieties of a language are considered academically deficient (Quan et al., 2025). These attitudes can influence students’ feelings about themselves, their abilities, and their academic performance, especially for speakers of heritage languages (Loza, 2024). With this in mind, we propose a critical multidialectal approach to language teaching that leverages critical language awareness (CLA, see Beaudrie & Loza, 2022; Leeman, 2014, 2018) and calls on language teachers to engage students in critical reflection on the diverse reactions to and attitudes toward linguistic variation in society (Potowski & Shin, 2018; Shin & Hudgens Henderson, 2017; Train, 2020). Additionally, we make pedagogical recommendations for language teachers of four target languages (Spanish, French, Arabic, and Chinese) that focus on: 1) including input that represents linguistic diversity, 2) approaching language teaching from a descriptive perspective, 3) addressing the relationship between language and power, 4) integrating structured critical reflection, and 5) incorporating students’ diverse identities, histories, and multidialectal realities.

"Give Credit Where Credit is Due!" The Invisible Labor of Language Brokering among Heritage Spanish Speakers

Status: in preparation

Abstract: Language brokering is a critical shared experience for many heritage language (HL) speakers. While much of the existing scholarship provides necessary insight from psychological and behavioral perspectives, there is less scholarship on language brokering from an applied linguistic lens, which can shed light on sociocultural considerations (Rubio-Carbonero et al., 2022) and educational implications (Orellana & García-Sánchez, 2023). This study examines HL speakers’ self-reported experiences with language brokering, highlighting frequent situational contexts, participants’ emotional reactions, and their attitudes towards the practice as adults. Findings show that the majority of participants responded with positive sentiments towards language brokering. While many acknowledged feeling pressure, fear of mistakes, and an awareness of high-stakes situations, most reflected on the pride they felt in their abilities, seeing it as fulfilling familial responsibility. Moreover, nearly all participants indicated that the experience impacted their linguistic identity and fostered an affinity for Spanish which in turn has shaped their professional aspirations. Additionally, this study examines implications in language pedagogy and higher education, and reflects on the critical role of translation, interpretation, and sociolinguistic labor (see Holliday & Squires, 2021) as a lived experience of many HL students. 

Related work: Ali, F. (under review). From Classroom to Comunidad: Heritage Spanish Speakers on Navigating Academia and Cultivating Linguistic Empowerment