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How often do you notice Spanish in your community? A group of student researchers sought to discover the sociolinguistic uses of the Spanish language throughout two of 快猫app短视鈥檚 communities: Statesboro and Savannah. Through this research, students gained valuable undergraduate research skills while also raising awareness of the linguistic landscape of the communities the University serves. 

For Miguel Garc铆a, Ph.D., who taught the course, research isn鈥檛 just a means of concluding; it鈥檚 also an invaluable learning opportunity for students.

鈥淭hese experiences build confidence, develop transferable skills and prepare students for graduate study and professional careers. At the same time, student research showcases Georgia Southern鈥檚 commitment to innovation and experiential learning, strengthening its academic reputation,鈥� he said. 

According to 2023 Census data, , respectively. With thousands of potential Spanish-speaking residents, Garc铆a wanted to create an opportunity for his students to participate in research beyond the classroom.

鈥淲e grounded our study in five recent investigations that examined the presence of Spanish in the linguistic landscape of the United States,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淪pecifically, we drew on studies conducted in Orlando, Los Angeles, Tuscaloosa, Philadelphia and Dallas. These studies provided a useful framework for analyzing how Spanish appears in public spaces while allowing us to explore how the linguistic landscape of two Georgia cities compares with those of other regions of the country.鈥�

The research focuses on accessible public texts found in community spaces, including public signage and online publications. Students then analyzed writing styles and linguistic patterns in these texts across Statesboro and Savannah.

One student researcher, Kaidence Phillips, said that the opportunity to participate in community-based research was not only a positive experience, but a transformative one as well.

Variations in formality and the commercial focus of Spanish-language content reflect the needs and diversity amongst the two cities as well as highlighting space for improvement when it comes to consistency and informed translation. 

鈥淭his research project taught me the importance of conducting research within our local spaces,鈥� Phillips explained. 鈥淪tudies like these open up new conversations that have the power to create change. By making people aware of language use in our communities, we can work together to create solutions to make media more consistent and better.鈥�

After gathering dozens of photos from each city, students then began looking at similarities and differences in how Spanish was utilized among businesses, community service organizations, informal spaces and digital media. 

Phillips represented the class鈥檚 research at CURIO Undergraduate Research and Intellectual Opportunities (CURIO) and GS4 symposiums highlighting student research projects. 

The findings revealed both similarities to previously reported , particularly with respect to the diversity of the Spanish language.

鈥淚n our project, students collected and analyzed original data from two Georgia cities, making the research personally meaningful and relevant. They were also able to connect what they learned about the Spanish language in the classroom to real-life contexts by observing how Spanish is actually used in public spaces. That connection between academic learning and everyday life made the experience particularly rewarding,鈥� Garc铆a explained.

Previously, Garc铆a published a book project centering around Spanish poetry, 鈥淰oces, poemas e historias,鈥� and believes student work is critical to furthering understanding of community, language and research both inside and outside of the classroom.

However, research opportunities soar beyond methodology and findings alone. For students, it鈥檚 a chance to contribute to a greater pool of knowledge while also getting involved off-campus. For Georgia Southern faculty, opening doors to new experiences is one of the many ways they encourage students to engage outside of the classroom.

鈥淢y favorite part was hearing how the project changed the way students think and observe the world around them. One student on the data analysis team told me that he had started applying some of the analytical techniques we used in the project to his current job,鈥� Garc铆a said. 鈥淜nowing that the project changed the way they perceive their everyday environment, including its language use, was incredibly gratifying.鈥�