- Home >
- Top Stories
Student-faculty research lauded
April 20, 2007
Last fall, while participating in the Oaxaca, Mexico, study away semester program, student Carly West was also completing research for a project she was working on with Spanish professor Bridget Yaden.
The two teamed up to examine the linguistic minorities and educational policies in Oaxaca. More than 20 different languages are spoken within the Mexican state, West said. The city of Oaxaca is located at the bottom of a valley, and the surrounding mountains are home to secluded indigenous groups, each with their own unique language.
“Bilingualism is alive and well there,” Yaden said.
However, Spanish, and in part English, are beginning to permeate the indigenous groups and the indigenous languages are slowly disappearing. West and Yaden hope their research can help stop that decline by demonstrating the educational benefits of bilingualism.
West and Yaden’s project is one example of the many collaborative research projects between students and faculty that take place each year. Projects completed this past academic year were recognized at the Student-Faculty Research Luncheon last Thursday.
More than 30 projects were honored at the luncheon, and included those from the humanities division, natural sciences division, the School of the Arts and Communication and the social sciences division. The projects were presented on posters or through PowerPoint presentations, and both students and faculty members were available to answer questions.
For their project, West and Yaden spent last summer studying the history and status of bilingualism, and then West spent a semester interviewing various indigenous Oaxacan groups about the status of their languages. The two then applied their findings to the contemporary issues of literacy rates and academic achievement among linguistic minorities in the United States and Mexico.
“It was a fabulous experience to be involved with the community members,” West said. “I learned different cultures are fascinating. Every group had a different perspective on life.”
West said her Spanish language skills weren’t up to par with the native speakers, but that turned out to be a benefit while she was conducting interviews. Many of the indigenous people she talked with were also just beginning to learn the language, and their common lack of language skills allowed her to connect better with her subjects.
For several years, students and faculty have worked together on research and creative projects, and one of the university’s initiatives for 2010 is to increase the number of projects, said Doug Oakman, chair of the humanities department.
Oakman added that West and Yaden’s project represents a new trend in the humanities. In the past, most humanities scholars complete their research solo, but now more are beginning to collaborate with other scholars.
Yaden’s work with West marked the first time in her 11 years at PLU that she has worked collaboratively with a student on research, she said. Her first try was successful and she’d like to do it again.
For a complete list of all the projects showcased at the luncheon, visit http://news.plu.edu/research.
“Bilingualism is alive and well there,” Yaden said.
However, Spanish, and in part English, are beginning to permeate the indigenous groups and the indigenous languages are slowly disappearing. West and Yaden hope their research can help stop that decline by demonstrating the educational benefits of bilingualism.
West and Yaden’s project is one example of the many collaborative research projects between students and faculty that take place each year. Projects completed this past academic year were recognized at the Student-Faculty Research Luncheon last Thursday.
More than 30 projects were honored at the luncheon, and included those from the humanities division, natural sciences division, the School of the Arts and Communication and the social sciences division. The projects were presented on posters or through PowerPoint presentations, and both students and faculty members were available to answer questions.
For their project, West and Yaden spent last summer studying the history and status of bilingualism, and then West spent a semester interviewing various indigenous Oaxacan groups about the status of their languages. The two then applied their findings to the contemporary issues of literacy rates and academic achievement among linguistic minorities in the United States and Mexico.
“It was a fabulous experience to be involved with the community members,” West said. “I learned different cultures are fascinating. Every group had a different perspective on life.”
West said her Spanish language skills weren’t up to par with the native speakers, but that turned out to be a benefit while she was conducting interviews. Many of the indigenous people she talked with were also just beginning to learn the language, and their common lack of language skills allowed her to connect better with her subjects.
For several years, students and faculty have worked together on research and creative projects, and one of the university’s initiatives for 2010 is to increase the number of projects, said Doug Oakman, chair of the humanities department.
Oakman added that West and Yaden’s project represents a new trend in the humanities. In the past, most humanities scholars complete their research solo, but now more are beginning to collaborate with other scholars.
Yaden’s work with West marked the first time in her 11 years at PLU that she has worked collaboratively with a student on research, she said. Her first try was successful and she’d like to do it again.
For a complete list of all the projects showcased at the luncheon, visit http://news.plu.edu/research.