Erin F. Haynes
Graduate Student

Sociolinguistics of endangered language loss and revitalization, phonology, heritage language acquisition

Contact information

Email: hayneser@berkeley.edu

Web site: https://sites.google.com/site/hayneslinguistics/home

Personal statement

My primary research interest is in the social contexts of endangered language acquisition, loss, and revitalization. The latter two areas especially have come to a forefront in linguistics over the past two decades, as linguists have come to realize the vast extent of potential language loss in the world. I have embraced this research trend from the perspective of sociolinguistics, because neither language loss nor revitalization occur in a socio-political vacuum. It is only by furthering our understanding of the social and cultural complexities of these phenomena that we can play a significant role in reversing language loss. My interests extend to the loss and acquisition of heritage languages within immigrant language communities, many of which are not endangered on a world scale, but nonetheless play unique social and cultural functions within their local communities. Though the field of linguistics offers many tools to explore the social functions of language, my focus tends towards the phonetics/phonology end of the spectrum, and I maintain a strong secondary interest in theoretical phonology.

Selected publications

Leonard, W. & Haynes, E. (In Press). Making “collaboration” collaborative: An examination of perspectives that frame linguistic field research. Language Documentation and Conservation.

Haynes, E. (In press). An explanation of base TETU effects in Kwak’wala and Cupeño. Proceedings of the 33rd Annual Meeting of the Berkeley Linguistics Society, UC Berkeley.

Chang, C., Haynes, E., Rhodes, R., & Yao, Y. (2009). A tale of five fricatives: Consonantal contrast in heritage speakers of Mandarin. U Penn Working Papers in Linguistics, 15(1), Article 6. 

Smallwood, B., Haynes, E. F., & James, K. (2009). English language acquisition and Navajo achievement in Magdalena, New Mexico: Promising outcomes in heritage language education. Washington, DC: Center for Applied Linguistics.

Haynes, E. (2007). The present climate for Native language education. In Gross, Joan (Ed.), Teaching Oregon’s Native languages, pp. 69-93. Corvallis: Oregon State University Press.

Haynes, E. (2004). Obstacles facing tribal language programs in Warm Springs, Klamath, and Grand Ronde. Coyote Papers, 13, 87-102.