Cecilia Montes-Alcalá
Director of Spanish Program, Associate Professor of Spanish & Linguistics
- School of Modern Languages
- ADVANCE IAC
Overview
Dr. Cecilia Montes-Alcalá received her PhD in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of California, Santa Barbara. She joined the Georgia Tech faculty in 2004 as an Assistant Professor of Spanish & Linguistics in the School of Modern Languages.
A specialist in sociolinguistics, bilingualism and languages in contact, she has presented her work at numerous national and international conferences. Her recent publications include journal articles such as "Bilingual Texting in the Age of Emoji: Spanish–English Code-Switching in SMS” (Languages 9.4: 2024) and "The Dual Role of Code-Switching in Alejandro Morales’s Reto en el Paraíso” (Forum for Modern Language Studies 60.1: 2024: Oxford University Press); the co-edited volume (with Talia Bugel) New Approaches to Language Attitudes in the Hispanic and Lusophone World, Amsterdam/Philadelphia: John Benjamins series Issues in Hispanic and Lusophone Linguistics (2020); and book chapters such as “Bilingualism and Biculturalism: Spanish, English, Spanglish?” (Routledge Handbook of Chicana/o Studies. Eds. Denise Segura, Francisco A. Lomelí and Elyette Benjamin-Labarthe. Routledge, 2018) and “Socio-Pragmatic Functions of Codeswitching in Nuyorican and Cuban American Literature” (Spanish-English codeswitching in the Caribbean and the U.S., Eds. Rosa E. Guzzardo Tamargo et al. John Benjamins, 2016).
Dr. Montes-Alcalá has received research support from CIBER, the Georgia Tech Foundation, and Ivan Allen College among other funding sources and she also holds a number of awards from Emory University, the University of California, Santa Barbara, and the University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid). She teaches courses in bilingualism, sociolinguistics, applied linguistics, and Spanish culture and history. She is also director of the Spanish Program and the Spain LBAT summer program in Madrid.
- Ph.D. in Hispanic Linguistics, University of California, Santa Barbara
- B.A./ M.A. in English Language & Literature, University of Alcalá de Henares (Madrid), Spain
Interests
- Linguistics
- Spanish
Focuses:
- United States
- Dialectical Linguistics
- Languages in Contact
Courses
- LING-2001: Intro To Language I
- SPAN-3101: Conversation I
- SPAN-3211: Spain Today
- SPAN-3694: Seminar Abroad
- SPAN-3823: Special Topics
- SPAN-3833: Special Topics
- SPAN-4165: Bilingualism-Span World
- SPAN-4170: Span Applied Linguistics
- SPAN-4270: Span Sociolinguistics
- SPAN-4500: Intercultural Seminar
- SPAN-6170: Applied Linguistics
- SPAN-6270: Span Sociolinguistics
- SPAN-6500: Intercultural Seminar
Publications
Recent Publications
Book - Editors
- New Approaches to Language Attitudes in the Hispanic and Lusophone World.
Date: May 2020
The analysis of language attitudes is important not only because attitudes can affect language maintenance and language change but also because such reflections and discussions can bring light to social, cultural, political and educational matters that require an interdisciplinary approach. This volume fills a crucial void in the field of Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics by introducing the latest production in the discipline of attitudes toward Spanish, Spanish sign language, Portuguese, Guarani and Papiamentu around the world, from South America and the Caribbean to the United States, Spain and Japan. The studies presented in this collection – a variety of sociolinguistic scenarios and methodological approaches – will make an important contribution to theoretical discussions on linguistic attitudes, specifically in the domains of language integration through education, language policy, and language maintenance. This book is intended for sociolinguists, social scientists and scholars in the humanities as well as graduate students enrolled in sociolinguistics courses.
Journal Articles
- Bilingual Texting in the Age of Emoji: Spanish–English Code-Switching in SMS
In: Languages 9.4 [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- The Dual Role of Code-Switching in Alejandro Morales’s Reto en el Paraíso
In: Forum for Modern Language Studies 60.1 [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
Chapters
- “Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Language Attitudes Towards Spanish and Portuguese Around the World.”
In: New Approaches to Language Attitudes in the Hispanic and Lusophone World. [Peer Reviewed]
Date: May 2020
- “Bilingualism and Biculturalism: Spanish, English, Spanglish?”
In: Routledge Handbook of Chicana/o Studies [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2018
All Publications
Book - Editors
- New Approaches to Language Attitudes in the Hispanic and Lusophone World.
Date: May 2020
The analysis of language attitudes is important not only because attitudes can affect language maintenance and language change but also because such reflections and discussions can bring light to social, cultural, political and educational matters that require an interdisciplinary approach. This volume fills a crucial void in the field of Hispanic and Lusophone linguistics by introducing the latest production in the discipline of attitudes toward Spanish, Spanish sign language, Portuguese, Guarani and Papiamentu around the world, from South America and the Caribbean to the United States, Spain and Japan. The studies presented in this collection – a variety of sociolinguistic scenarios and methodological approaches – will make an important contribution to theoretical discussions on linguistic attitudes, specifically in the domains of language integration through education, language policy, and language maintenance. This book is intended for sociolinguists, social scientists and scholars in the humanities as well as graduate students enrolled in sociolinguistics courses.
Journal Articles
- Bilingual Texting in the Age of Emoji: Spanish–English Code-Switching in SMS
In: Languages 9.4 [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- The Dual Role of Code-Switching in Alejandro Morales’s Reto en el Paraíso
In: Forum for Modern Language Studies 60.1 [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2024
- Code-Switching in US Latino Literature: The Role of Biculturalism
Date: 2015
- iSwitch: Spanish-English Mixing in Computer-Mediated Communication.
Date: 2015
- El uso contextual del pronombre sujeto como factor predictivo de la influencia del inglés en el español en Nueva York
Date: 2014
- Español en el Sureste de EEUU: el papel de las actitudes lingüísticas en el mantenimiento o pérdida de la lengua
Date: 2014
- Bicultural Dramas: Spanish-English Code-Switching in Bilingual Plays.
Date: 2013
- ¿Mejor o peor español? Actitudes lingüísticas de universitarios hispanohablantes en Estados Unidos
Date: 2011
- Las keys vs. el key: Feminine Gender Assignment in Mixed-Language Texts
Date: 2011
- Hispanics in the United States: More than Spanglish
Date: 2009
- Blogging in Two Languages: Code-Switching in Bilingual Blogs
Date: 2007
- Dear Amigo: Exploring Code-switching in Personal Letters
Date: 2005
- When Spanish Meets English: An Overview of Bilingualism in the United States
Date: 2005
- Cuando el inglés y el español se encuentran: lenguas en contacto en E.E.U.U
Date: 2001
Chapters
- “Interdisciplinary Approaches to the Study of Language Attitudes Towards Spanish and Portuguese Around the World.”
In: New Approaches to Language Attitudes in the Hispanic and Lusophone World. [Peer Reviewed]
Date: May 2020
- “Bilingualism and Biculturalism: Spanish, English, Spanglish?”
In: Routledge Handbook of Chicana/o Studies [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2018
- “Socio-Pragmatic Functions of Codeswitching in Nuyorican and Cuban American Literature.”
In: Spanish-English codeswitching in the Caribbean and the U.S. [Peer Reviewed]
Date: 2016
- Writing on the border: English y español también
Date: 2013
- Mándame un e-mail: cambio de códigos español-inglés online
Date: 2005
- Attitudes Towards Oral and Written Code-Switching in Spanish-English Bilingual Youths
Date: 2000
- Written Code-switching: Powerful Bilingual Images
Date: 2000
- Oral vs. Written Code-Switching Contexts in English-Spanish Bilingual Narratives
Date: 1999