About
I incorporate notions of Complex Adaptive Systems in computer models to study first language acquisition and language contact phenomena. Working closely with the U-M Center of the Study of Complex Systems, I have implemented several agent-based models to construct E-language and I-language contexts, with an eye toward providing greater socio- and psycholinguistic explanations for situations where different language varieties emerge. My interests in syntax center on larger questions of language learnability such as the theoretical viability of concepts such as 'monolingualism, ' 'domain specificity,' and 'parameters/parameter-setting'.
Most recently I have been involved in organizing a community-based Saturday-morning literacy program for Spanish-speaking children grades K-3 in the Ann Arbor Schools known as "En Nuestra Lengua". www.umich.edu/~tsatter/ENL. variation.
Specializations: bilingualism, syntactic theory, language variation and contact, computational models of language
Other areas of interest: language as a Complex Adaptive System
Recent and Selected Publications
“Chilling, Real Viviendo: Phonetic Evidence for the rise of African American English-influenced Spanish in the US.” Satterfield, T. & J. Benkí. In Roca, A. et al. (eds.)Somerville, MA: Cascadilla Press (forthcoming).
“Review of Honda and O’Neil 2008: Thinking Linguistically.” Modern Language Journal, 94.3. 2010.
“Mind the Gap: Epistemology and Development of Natural Language.” KSH Journal of Language Research 12(1),1-24. Satterfield, T. & A. Saleemi. 2009.
“Back to Nature or Nurture: Using computer models in creole genesis research.” In Eckardt, R., G. Jäger & T. Veenstra, eds.:Variation,Selection Development: Probing the Evolutionary Model of Language Change. Amsterdam: Mouton de Gruyter, 143-178. 2008.
“Unique applications in Multi-agent Models in Uncovering Language Learning Processes.” In Yang, A. & Y. Shan, eds.: Applications of Complex Adaptive Systems. Pennsylvania: Idea Group Publishers, 142-173. 2008.
Recent undergraduate courses taught:
Span 330: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics Span 355: Spanish in the U.S.
Span 411: Spanish Morphosyntax
Span 487: Seminar in Romance-language-based Pidgins and Creoles Span 487: Seminar in Bilingualism
