Broadly speaking, the primary research focus of our research group is two-fold. We are interested in gaining a better understanding of: (1) the development of grammar systems in contact with another for a sustained period of time, and (2) the changes impacting the grammar(s) of unbalanced bi/multilinguals resulting in phenomena commonly labeled attrition. A key acknowledged challenge in this research is to discover where contact and attrition have similar, and contrariwise, distinct effects of grammatical systems across the lifespan in diverse environments. We employ a multi-modal approach to data elicitation, including sociolinguistic interviews, one-on-one and group interviews, and a number of off- and on-line experimental tasks. We strongly feel that these multiple perspectives on investigating language contact and attrition significantly enrich our understanding of these complex phenomena. The languages and language families investigated by members of our research group are empirically diverse, thus aiding in providing a broad and encompassing view of various aspects of language contact and attrition.
Our research group regularly meets to discuss issues related to language contact and attrition, and provides an opportunity for us to learn more about ongoing research by both group members and guests. All are welcome to attend, and if you would like to learn more about us and our current research projects, presentations, and publications, feel free to explore our homepage or contact us via email!