Linguistics

Aug 22, 2016

Preserving the Spanish of Yucatan

For Foreign Languages and Literatures professor Jim Michnowicz Think and Do means, among other things, preserving linguistic diversity around the world, particularly Latin America. 

Jul 6, 2016

‘A Lee Chip’ Captures the Sound of an Island

When Caroline Myrick first went to the Caribbean island of Saba in 2012, she had no idea that she’d be publishing a dictionary on the native language four years later. 

May 12, 2016

PBS Selects Cherokee Film for National Run

PBS has selected First Language: The Race to Save Cherokee, a film produced by NC State’s North Carolina Language and Life Project, for national distribution to its member stations throughout 2016. A new American Indian broadband TV channel, Tribal TV, is also screening the film. 

Apr 27, 2016

Study Breaks New Ground in Analyzing Colombian Spanish

Juan David Gutierrez's passion for languages has led him to research the differences in regional Spanish dialects in Colombia, providing emergent insight in an area without much existing data. 

Apr 21, 2016

Research Examines ‘SHtriking’ Sound Change in Raleigh

NC State graduate student Eric Wilbanks studies how sounds change in speech. In one of his latest projects, the M.A. in linguistics candidate honed in on (str) retraction, or when /s/ is spoken more like /sh/ in (str) clusters (e.g., “SHtreet”). 

Apr 5, 2016

Class Project Leads to New Research on Spanish in North Carolina

For professor Jim Michnowicz and his students, what started as a class experiment is now producing intriguing research findings that will be published in a new book on language diversity. Their work, which provides further insight into the evolution of Spanish in North Carolina, also serves as a clear example of the kind of purposeful, community-based research that can be carried out by undergraduates. 

Mar 14, 2016

NC State Initiative Sets Gold Standard for Language Diversity

After reaching thousands of students, faculty and staff on its Raleigh campus, NC State’s Educating the Educated program is quickly becoming a national model for language diversity education. The National Association of Student Personnel Administrators affirmed the program's broadening impact, awarding Educating the Educated its grand gold medal for excellence. 

Oct 5, 2015

Undergraduate Research Highlights Student’s Interest in Linguistic Diversity

Growing up in eastern North Carolina, Jessica Hatcher’s ear became attuned to a range of dialects. Once she discovered NC State's linguistics program, this stellar young researcher has made the most of her opportunities to study how people talk. 

Aug 31, 2015

Documenting ‘A Hell of a Life’: NC State video producer’s documentary delivers raw look at moonshiner Popcorn Sutton

In his latest film about moonshiner Popcorn Sutton, NC State video producer and alumnus Neal Hutcheson delivers a broader picture of the folk legend's life. “Popcorn Sutton — A Hell of a Life” explores Sutton’s moonshine enterprise, rise to notoriety and fall into the legal and health troubles that led to his defiant suicide. 

Jul 29, 2015

So Long, Drawl

For more than half a century, the familiar Southern accent has been fading in Raleigh. Its disappearance has been so slow and so subtle that locals may not have noticed. Robin Dodsworth, an associate professor in sociolinguistics at NC State, the decline tells the story of rapid social change across the urban South.