Research on Amazonian languages

This project is ongoing.

This research investigates Amazonian languages, and has several facets. One ongoing area of research involves investigating processes of language contact and change in South American languages. This work has involved loanwords, numeral systems, color terms, and grammatical structures over a wide range of languages. Other areas of research are primarily descriptive/documentary in nature, and focus on the materials Dr. Epps has collected over years of fieldwork on the northwest Amazonian languages Hup, Daw, and Nadeb. Projects include compiling dictionaries, working on pedagogical grammars, developing text collections from documentary materials, and organizing materials for archiving.

Qualifications

A knowledge of Spanish and/or Portuguese is very helpful, but is not essential for some parts of the work (focus varies by semester). Students should also have some background in linguistics, or at least a serious interest.

Project Timeline

This work is ongoing. Some semesters are more active than others.

Duties

Students normally participate in weekly meetings, and otherwise work largely independently. Students are encouraged to sign up for Lin 357 (a research credit course that counts toward your total credit hours, though not toward the linguistics major).

Typical Time Commitment
8 hours/week
Desired Length of Commitment
1 or more semesters, depending on student interest.

I'M INTERESTED IN THIS PROJECT. WHAT SHOULD I DO NEXT?

The Office of Undergraduate Research recommends that you attend an info session or advising before contacting faculty members or project contacts about research opportunities. We'll cover the steps to get involved, tips for contacting faculty, funding possibilities, and options for course credit. Once you have attended an Office of Undergraduate Research info session or spoken to an advisor, you can use the "Who to contact" details for this project to get in touch with the project leader and express your interest in getting involved.

Have you tried contacting professors and need more help? Schedule an appointment for additional support.