Jim Michnowicz, Ph.D.
Assistant Professor of Spanish
Dialectology, sociolinguistics, phonology
Research:
My research interests center on the ways in which languages - Spanish in particular - vary across space (dialectology), social groups (sociolinguistics), and time (historical linguistics).
I'm particularly interested in 'non-standard' varieties of Spanish, and their relationship to questions of regional identity versus the overt prestige of 'standard' Spanish. I'm currently focused on a couple of primary areas (although I'm always looking for more):
Yucatan Spanish: the overall standardization of the dialect, compared with linguistic expressions of loyalty to the patria chica, especially among young speakers. Also, the (playful) stereotyping of traditional forms in popular culture, and the possible effects on the future of the dialect. I'm also interested in the role of language contact with Mayan in the development of Yucatan Spanish.
Hear samples of Yucatan Spanish here.
El Salvador Spanish (with Zoraya Place): 2nd person pronoun address (i.e. voseo vs. tuteo). Also, plans for a future project on ceceo in El Salvador.
Voseo/tuteo in Chilean Spanish (with Kelley Bishop).
Students should feel free to contact me if
interested in working on a research project.
