Guerra, Kathleen
University of Denver 
As a professor in the Department of Linguistic, Literary, and Cultural Studies of Spanish at the University of Denver, she conducts research on topics related to applied linguistics and second language acquisition. Her research in sociolinguistics focuses on how linguistic ideologies about Spanish dialects are constructed and negotiated. In the field of second language acquisition, her research focuses on inclusive pedagogies and materials in both traditional and online modes of instruction.
Lecture
Attitudes towards Ecuadorian Spanish in the USA
While numerous investigations focus on linguistic attitudes within prevailing Spanish-speaking communities in the United States (Alfaraz, 2018; Callesano & Carter, 2019), few explore the situation of minority Spanish-speaking communities (Hermosillo, 2018; Potowski & Matts, 2008; Zentella, 1990). This research investigates the process of identity and negotiation among Ecuadorians living in the United States, specifically in Denver, Colorado, and St. Louis, Missouri, where they constitute a minority group and engage more with Spanish speakers of other dialects than with their own compatriots. Our findings show a restricted exposure of the Ecuadorian dialect variant. Participants state that upon initial encounters with fellow Spanish speakers, those individuals frequently assume they are from Mexico, Colombia, Peru, Argentina, Chile, or another unspecified country. Nevertheless, a majority of respondents do not feel excluded in their mixed-origin Spanish-speaking communities. Above all, participants distinguish themselves from the majority population (particularly Mexican) with certain pride, asserting their dialectal and national identity.