Sociolinguistic Variation & Language Contact


My dissertation, Aspects of Afro-Puerto Rican Spanish: The Interplay of Social and Linguistic Factors, combines linguistic, sociohistorical, legal and anthropological insights to examine language variation and change in Loíza, Puerto Rico, a community central to Afro-Latino identity. Drawing on linguistic, sociohistorical, legal, and anthropological perspectives, it addresses key questions at the interface of morphology, syntax, phonetics, and phonology applied to the sociocultural context of the Afro-Latino Vernaculars of the Americas (ALVAs)—the languages that developed in Latin America from the contact of African languages, Spanish and Portuguese in colonial times. By combining quantitative and qualitative methods, this project explores creole studies through an interdisciplinary lens, situating Loíza Spanish at the intersections of language, pedagogy, race, and identity. It contributes to ongoing debates in sociolinguistics, raciolinguistics, and migration studies while offering new insights into language contact, acquisition, and change.


Applied Linguistics & Heritage Language Pedagogy

Alongside my sociolinguistic research, I engage deeply with heritage language instruction and Spanish for the Professions. I teach Spanish, Portuguese, and Italian at UT Austin, integrating heritage language perspectives, critical applied linguistics, and digital humanities. I develop materials and teaching approaches that validate heritage varieties while preparing students for professional contexts, including healthcare, business, translation, and law. My work in medical Spanish has led to an invitation to contribute a chapter on doctor–patient interaction to the forthcoming Handbook of Applied Sociolinguistics (Cambridge University Press).


Community-Engaged Projects

I collaborate on initiatives that link linguistic analysis with pedagogical and community impact: