Research
The SPEAK Project:
Sociolinguistic Perspectives on English Across Kansas
The SPEAK project is focused on uncovering language variation across the state of Kansas. How does language differ across the state and among social groups? How is language changing over time? What perceptions do people have about Kansas speech?
Now Recruiting Participants!
Eligibility: Anyone at least 8 years old who grew up in Kansas.
Compensation: $30 for a 2-hr research study
Description: Come to our lab on KU's campus and have a conversation with one of our researchers. Then answer questions about yourself and complete language tasks on a computer.
Contact: kusociolab@gmail.com
Student-Led Research Projects
Kansas Asian/Asian American Language & Identity
MA student Lillianna Lamagna is currently researching people who live and grew up in Kansas and identify under the broad category of Asian and/or Asian American*. She is interested in examining how Asians and/or Asian Americans understand their experience growing up in Kansas, how they construct their identities, how they form their relationships, and what role language plays throughout these aspects.
Her research questions include:
- What does it feel like to be Asian and/or Asian American in Kansas?
- Do Kansan Asians and/or Asian Americans feel supported or isolated?
- Do Kansan Asians and/or Asian Americans feel connected to the broader context of Asians and/or Asian Americans?
- Do Kansan Asians and/or Asian Americans have or feel there are certain conceptions about the way they talk?
*Note that Lillianna is currently working with the term Asian and/or Asian American as she encourages her participants to self-identify. The terms Asian and/or Asian American is very broad and highly political so some participants may or may not find these terms suitable for them.
Now recruiting participants!
Eligibility: Anyone aged 8+ who grew up in Kansas and identifies broadly as Asian/Asian American.
Compensation: $30 for a 2-hour research study, or $15 for a 1-hr study
Description: Come to our lab on KU's campus and have a conversation with one of our researchers. Then answer questions about yourself and complete language tasks on a computer.
Contact: kusociolab@gmail.com
"Country Talk" in California and Kansas
Graduate research assistant Bayleigh Baldwin has broad interests in sociophonetics and style. She has previously worked on a Northern California “Country Talk” project and is now enjoying working with Kansans as a part of the SPEAK Project.
Her research questions include:
- How does “Country Talk” vary across the United States?
- How do people perceive “Country” voices?
- How do folk linguistic terms (e.g. “twang” or “drawl”) shape perceptions of “Country” voices?
She is currently working on a perception study that will investigate the importance of various acoustic features in what Kansans and non-Kansans recognize as “Country.”
Participant recruitment coming soon!