SoLaS Lab Research

The Nature of Our Work

The Sociolinguistics and Language Structures (SoLaS) Lab investigates how people use and shape language across diverse social contexts. We examine language as it unfolds across different communities, identities, and contact situations, seeking to understand both the shared patterns that structure linguistic systems and the variable features that differentiate groups and individuals. Our research spans all levels of linguistic structure from sounds to discourse, and aims to explain how humans use language in socially meaningful ways.

Current Project

English Spoken in Omaha

Omaha sits at the intersection of several major dialect regions, yet its local English varieties remain largely undescribed. This project documents how English is used across the city, with attention to variation, contact, and multilingual influences. By establishing a community-based baseline, we can situate Omaha within broader linguistic patterns of the Midwest and Plains. This work contributes much-needed data on an understudied region of the US linguistic landscape. Ongoing recruitment!