LINGUISTS REFLECT ON SANTIAGO LAXOPA TRIP

The Humanities Institute recently shared reflections from Maziar Toosarvandani and PhD students Kelsey Sasaki and Steven Foley on time spent in the village of Santiago Laxopa in Oaxaca this summer, the second trip there by linguists from our department. Maziar, Kelsey, Steven, fellow PhD student Jed Pizarro-Guevara, and recent undergraduate alumnae Brianda Caldera and Azusena Orozco conducted an eye-tracking study in the variety of Zapotec spoken in the village, learning more about the language and its speakers. While there, the researchers also taught English courses at the town’s school, using a curriculum designed by Azusena. The linguists were hosted by Maestra Fe Silva Robles, Co-Founder and Director of the Santa Cruz County nonprofit Senderos, our department’s partners in Nido de Lenguas, a collaborative initiative to share the beauty and value of Oaxacan languages. Learn more about Nido de Lenguas and its programs, which include monthly courses in Santiago Laxopa Zapotec taught by Silva Robles, on its website.