Liliana Elizabeth Sanchez

Email Address: lesanche@uic.edu
College: Liberal Arts and Sciences Department: Hispanic and Italian Studies
Title: Professor
Office: UH 1713
Webpage: https://hip.uic.edu/profiles/sanchez-liliana/
Participating in the Chancellor’s Undergraduate Research Awards program: Yes

Research Interest:
My research interests include two main strands:

1. Language development in Spanish-English heritage bilingual populations. In this area, my research focuses on understanding how heritage speakers develop knowledge of Spanish grammar and language production, and comprehension skills and the extent to which heritage speakers may exhibit different levels of proficiency in these skills. My main goal is to uncover the processes that underlie crosslinguistic influence in heritage bilinguals.
Lab link: https://brl.lab.uic.edu/

2. Indigenous languages in contact with Spanish. In this area, the project focuses on how information about COVID-19 reached speakers of indigenous and minoritized languages such as Peruvian Quechua and Ecuadorian Kichwa. It also involves language documentation of indigenous and minoritized languages. Project link: https://sites.google.com/view/saipm-covid19/home?authuser=0

Minimum time commitment in hours per week: 3

Qualifications of a Student:
All projects:
Preferred GPA: 3.0
Preferred majors/minors: Spanish, Linguistics, Psychology, Cognitive Science or related majors/minors.
Required: Proficiency in Spanish
Some prior experience with excel, word, statistics (for example R) not a pre-requisite but a plus, and some prior knowledge of basic linguistic concepts. Willingness to learn experimental methods in linguistics (use of Psychopy and eye-tracking, PRAAT, for example).

Brief Summary of what is expected from the student:
In strand 1, the student will be expected to participate in Lab meetings and work on data coding (Spanish and English0, and some closely supervised data analysis. The student will learn how to create infographics with the data and how to present descriptive and inferential statistical data. Students with some knowledge of Spanish are welcome to apply. Come join a very vibrant group of researchers.


In strand 2, the student will be expected to participate in Lab meetings and work on organizing indigenous Quechua/Kichwa data files in Word for archival purposes, data coding, and closely supervised data analysis. Students with no knowledge of indigenous languages but with a strong interest in social justice issues pertaining to language rights are welcome. Come join an international team in an NSF-funded project.

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