Research
Linguistic anthropology and sociolinguistics
My main areas of interest address questions about language as it relates to social and cultural factors.
Language shift
  • Issues, motivations, and results in heritage language communities
  • As a result of Verticalization
Language and identity
  • Interfaces of language and ethnicity (especially religion and race)
  • Interfaces of language and identity (especially gender and sexuality)
Heritage languages
  • Permeability of the grammar in language contact
  • Word order in contact
  • Verbal and grammatical aspect in contact
Language pedagogy
I have worked to improve my classroom practice through empirical studies on second language acquisition.
Assessment
  • Use of portfolios and ongoing assessments
  • Business German
Proficiency
  • Acquisition of written and oral proficiency
  • Activities for targeting advanced levels of proficiency (ACTFL)
Culturally relevant pedagogy
  • Diversity through formal and symbolic curricula
  • Teaching with cultural realia 
New trajectories
I am venturing into newer territories (to me), especially as they relate to the groups I regularly study.
Linguistic landscapes
  • Refugee and migrant multilingualism
  • Electronic landscapes
  • Linguistic landscapes in the classroom
Indexicality
  • Indexing ethnicity through literature and media
Immigrant languages around Eau Claire, WI
"I heard say every time it rains, a new settlement springs up in Wisconsin." There are currently 46 Amish settlements in Wisconsin. The Amish number over 15,700 here, making the Badger State the fourth largest state of Amish residency...
The Groffdale Mennonites in Wisconsin number nearly 2,000 and first arrived from Pennsylvania in 1974. Since they are considerably smaller in population than the more visible Amish, the Old Order Mennonites' interactions with outsiders often goes unnoticed or is confused with the Amish...