Dr. Maria Yakushkina, Assistant Professor of Spanish, has published an article titled “Transnational Connections in Discourse: Stancetaking Among Heritage Speakers of Spanish in the U.S. Context” in the International Journal of Multilingualism.
The study analyzes heritage language use in relation to symbolic transnational involvement among the Cuban-American population in Miami. Focusing on 1.5- and second-generation individuals, it examines how they use subtle linguistic cues—known as stance markers—to demonstrate affiliation, emotion, and sense of belonging towards their country and culture of origin.