Jonathan A Pye

Dr. Pye is an Assistant Professor of Spanish in the Department of World Languages and Cultures. He received his PhD in Hispanic Linguistics from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a Graduate Minor in Latina/o Studies. His research focuses on language, identity, and perception. In particular, he is interested in the role of language in articulating Latino/a/e identities around the world and perceptions of these identities within the media. In addition to this, Dr. Pye is also interested in how professional Latino/a/e identities are elaborated in both media and non-media settings and the contours of language use in these processes. Furthermore, he also explores how students and educators understand and perceive the professional value of learning languages such as Spanish and the impact of such perceptions and attitudes on curricular design; especially, the design of classes in Spanish for Specific Purposes and Spanish for the Professions.

Dr. Pye is particularly committed to community-centered language teaching which fosters both students' language skills and also their intercultural competences. As part of this, he actively designs his teaching so that students leave confident in their Spanish-speaking abilities, but also with increased awareness of the professional applications of speaking Spanish - in healthcare, business, education, technology, and beyond.

Education

PhD in Spanish (Hispanic Linguistics), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
MA in Spanish (Hispanic Linguistics), University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
BA (Hons) in American and Latin-American Studies, University of Manchester

Specialization in Teaching

Spanish for Specific Purposes/Spanish for the Professions
Hispanic Linguistics
Spanish in the US
Spanish Sociolinguistics

Research Interests

Spanish Sociolinguistics
Spanish for Specific Purposes/Spanish for the Professions
Hispanic Linguistics

Honors & Awards

Helmut Esau Award 2024 (Linguistics Association of the Southwest)