Sara Zahler, PhD
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About Me

I am an Assistant Professor of Spanish at University at Albany, SUNY. My primary research interests are two-fold: 1) morphosyntactic variation and language change, and 2) the second language acquisition of said variation. I take a usage-based approach to my research on both first and second languages, with the assumption that the cognitive mechanisms and abilities that are involved in first language acquisition and use are the same as those that are at play for second languages. In all my research, I seek to describe, explain and track changes in patterns of variation in order to approach a better understanding of the role of variation in the acquisition and mental architecture of language.

I also have had a wide range of teaching experiences. I have taught all levels of foreign language courses as well as several upper level undergraduate and graduate linguistics and culture courses, including History of the Spanish Language, Spanish Syntax and Morphology, Grammaticalization, Foreign Language Teaching Methods, Second Language Acquisition, Individual Differences in SLA, Sociolinguistics, Spanish in the U.S. and Language Variation and Change. In all my teaching, I connect the course material to my students' experiences and create opportunities for my students to conduct real linguistic analysis and research in and outside of class. 
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​​szahler@albany.edu
​​​​University at Albany, SUNY
Department of Languages, Literatures & Cultures
HUM 235
1400 Washington Ave
Albany, NY, 12222
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