World Languages & Cultures Graduate Students Present at 3 Minute Thesis Event
The event, sponsored by the Latin American Student Association, featured student research from across campus
World Languages & Cultures graduate students Yasmin Cedamanos and Carlos Domínguez recently presented their research at the Three Minute Thesis (3MT) competition held as part of the 11th Latin American Student Association (LASA) Symposium at NC State.
The 3MT format challenges presenters to explain their research to a non-technical audience in only three minutes. Unlike a normal 20-minute conference talk, often given to people in the same discipline, the 3MT presentations force researchers to frame their findings in their most essential form, and gives a varied audience a chance to see what the interdisciplinary research in World Languages & Cultures looks like.
Yasmin Cedamanos presented her MA research project titled “Ethnic self-identification and linguistic contact phenomena in North Carolina”. This study explores ethnic self-identity and language use resulting from language contact (Spanish and English) among bilinguals in North Carolina who are Spanish native or heritage speakers. “The LASA 3MT symposium was a challenge, but a great experience”, Cedamanos reported. “I also realized the amazing projects other students, particularly on this occasion, other Latino students, are involved in; it was inspiring”.
Carlos Domínguez gave his talk titled “An IPA-Informed Approach to Spanish for Specific Purposes”., and examines how a new teaching and evaluation method can potentially increase student engagement and communicative competence. The purpose of this qualitative case study is to gain insight into learner perceptions on Integrated Performance Assessments (IPA) approach to instruction in intermediate Spanish classes oriented toward legal professions. Domínguez observed that “presenting in only three minutes is even more nerve wracking because we have to condense hours of work to only a few minutes. Nonetheless, it was exciting to share our work with other graduate students in other departments and to represent World Languages & Cultures”.
“The research being conducted by our graduate students in World Languages & Cultures is really pushing the field forward in unique and meaningful ways”, according to department head and professor of Hispanic linguistics, Jim Michnowicz. “And not only are these studies contributing to our knowledge of language, literature, culture and pedagogy, but the students are also gaining important transferable skills in research design, data management and analysis, and crucial communication skills that are essential in today’s job market”.
For more information on graduate study in World Languages & Cultures, visit https://wlc.chass.ncsu.edu/graduate/
