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Mariana Achugar

Mariana Achugar Rank: Assistant Professor of Hispanic Studies and Second Language Acquisition
Director of Graduate Studies
Ph.D. University of California, Davis
Department Member Since: 2003

Personal Statement
My current research interests include the development of academic language in bilingual contexts. My area of specialization is Spanish as a heritage language and English as a second language in the U.S. I am particularly interested in describing the lexico-grammatical and discursive features that signal membership in an academic community using the Systemic Functional Linguistics framework. In addition, I am exploring the process by which members of an academic community move from being newcomers to full participants in it, particularly focusing on the role language plays in this learning process. This work is connected to the design of materials for the development of critical language awareness.

The other strand of my research is socio-political discourse analysis. I have done critical discourse analysis of recent historical events such as the 1970s military dictatorships in the Southern Cone and the events of Sept. 11th as seen from Latin America. These discourse analyses investigate the construction of group identity and responsibility in military texts and newspaper editorials.

Recent Publications

  • Achugar, Mariana (2004) "The events and actors of September 11, 2001 as seen from Uruguay: analysis of daily newspaper editorials." Special issue of Discourse & Society edited by Jim Martin and John Edwards.
    Vol. 15(2-3):291-320.
  • Schleppegrell, M.J., M. Achugar & T.Ote˙za (2004) "The grammar of history: enhancing content-based instruction through a functional focus on language." TESOL Quarterly Vol. 38, No.1, Spring. Pp.67-93.
  • Schleppegrell, M.J. & M. Achugar (2003) "Grammar as a way into reading history." TESOL Journal, Vol. 12, No. 2, Summer.
  • Achugar, Mariana (2003) "Academic registers in Spanish in the U.S.: a study of oral texts produced by bilingual speakers in a university graduate program." In Ana Roca & M.C. Colombi (eds.) Mi lengua: Spanish as a Heritage Language in the United States, Research and Practice. Washington D.C.: Georgetown University Press.

For More Information
Mariana Achugar
Department of Modern Languages
Carnegie Mellon University
Baker Hall 160
Pittsburgh, PA 15213
Office: BH 371
Phone: (412) 268-1895
Fax: (412) 268-1328

 

 

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