Welcome to the Spanish Heritage Language Research LAB at the University of Florida!!
The SHL research Lab is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to exploring questions related to Spanish as a heritage language (and its speakers) through different approaches and methods. Some of our current research projects include:
Meet the current members of the Lab:
The SHL research Lab is an interdisciplinary research group dedicated to exploring questions related to Spanish as a heritage language (and its speakers) through different approaches and methods. Some of our current research projects include:
- Epiphenomenal effects of SHL teaching/learning
- Heritage speakers' language brokering experiences
- The relationship between SHL teaching/learning and identity development in the context of the US
- Spanish heritage language acquisition
- Best practices in SHL teaching
- Linguistic aggressions and normativity
- Raciolinguistics
- Social Network analysis
Meet the current members of the Lab:
Gabriela D. Rivera Marín is a fifth-year doctoral candidate of Hispanic Linguistics. She holds a BA in Comparative Literature, a BA in Linguistics & Communication from the University of Puerto Rico-Río Piedras, and an MA in Spanish (Linguistics) from the University of Florida. Her current research interests include Spanish as a heritage language, sociolinguistics, raciolinguistics, and discourse analysis.
María Domínguez is a second-year Ph.D. student of Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Florida. She holds B.A. in Spanish & Linguistics from the University of Florida and an M.A. in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of New Mexico. Her main research interests include sociolinguistics, syntax, and formal and applied approaches of Spanish as a heritage language.
Ana Goás Pérez is a PhD student in Hispanic Linguistics at the University of Marburg (Germany). She spent the spring semester of 2025 at UF as a short-term scholar, supported by a DAAD research grant for international research stays. She holds two master's degrees: one in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language from the University of Salamanca (Spain) and another in Romance Languages from the University of Bonn (Germany). Her research interests include heritage language acquisition and pedagogy, variational linguistics, and language policy.
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Josh Higdon is a fourth-year PhD Candidate in Hispanic Linguistics. They hold three BAs in Latin American, Latino, and Iberian Studies, Psychology, and Cognitive Science from the University of Richmond. Josh's research interests center around psycholinguistics and heritage speakers' processing of morphosyntactic features like gender and subject-verb agreement.
Nuria Alcaide-García is a third-year PhD student in Hispanic Linguistics. Nuria holds two BAs ( in English and Hispanic Philology), and two MAs (in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language) from the University of Granada (Spain) and (in Hispanic Studies) from Washington University in St. Louis. Her academic interests include second/heritage language acquisition and teaching methodologies.
Matthew Skolar is a first-year MA student in Hispanic Linguistics from New Jersey. He holds a BA in Linguistics with a minor in Arabic from Davidson College. His research interests include the implementation of community based learning in the Spanish heritage language classroom and assessment methods for heritage language learners.
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I am very proud of ALL of my former students. After their graduation, they have all gone to do great things. See where some of the Lab alumni have gone for their next academic adventure:
Former PhD students
Former MA students
Former BA students
If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me directly, [email protected]
Former PhD students
- Daniela Stransky, Phd, 2025; Accepted a faculty position at Western Carolina University (Cullowhee, NC)
- Marina Cuartero Marco, PhD, 2023; Accepted a faculty position at Universidad Central del Ecuador (Quito, Ecuador)
- Leire Echevarría, PhD, 2022 (co-chair); Accepted a faculty position at Maryville College (Maryville, TN)
- Paola Guerrero, PhD, 2021; Accepted a faculty position at Texas Tech University (Lubbock, TX)
- Josh Prada, PhD, 2018; Accepted a faculty position at Indiana University (Indianapolis, IN); now at University of Groningen (Netherlands)
Former MA students
- Daniella Conde (MA, 2025); Went on to pursue graduate studies at Cornell University
- Alejandro Acero Ayuda (MA, 2021); Went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of Oregon
- Crispin A. Beyogle (MA, 2021); Went on to pursue graduate studies at Georgetown University
- Noah Verboon (MA, 2021); Accepted Lecturer position at Texas Tech University
Former BA students
- María Domínguez (BA, 2021); Went on to pursue graduate studies at the University of New Mexico
- Patrick Grey (BA, 2024); Went on to pursue graduate studies at Georgetown University
- Sela Iverson (BA, 2023); Went on to pursue graduate studies at John Hopkins University
- Melanie Delgado (BA, 2025); Went on to pursue graduate studies at Georgetown University
If you have additional questions, feel free to contact me directly, [email protected]
