Through the Chicagoland Language Project, my students and I are conducting ongoing fieldwork in the city of Chicago and surrounding areas in collaboration with Dr. Sharese King at the University of Chicago. Our goal is to better understand how Chicagoans use language, and how language use is connected to the diversity of lived experiences in the area.

In 2017 and 2018, we focused on the neighborhoods of Beverly and Morgan Park on the Southwest Side of Chicago. Check out local coverage of the project in the Villager, the Beverly Area Planning Association’s monthly publication! Academic publications and presentations resulting from this work can be found below.

In 2020, we received a Collaborative Research award from the National Science Foundation to continue our fieldwork in two additional Chicago field sites. The Northwestern team is currently interviewing Chicagoans from Jefferson Park/Edison Park, and the U Chicago team is interviewing Chicagoans from Bronzeville.

Learn more at the project website, check us out on Facebook.