A West Virginia University English professor is significantly advancing the study of language in Appalachia, thanks to a recently awarded $250,000 grant from the National Science Foundation.

Kirk Hazen, associate professor of linguistics in the Department of English and director of the West Virginia Dialect Project (WVDP) in the Eberly College of Arts and Sciences at WVU , will use the grant to continue his analysis of dialects in the region. The grant marks the first stage of a 12-year study.

The dialect project focuses on language variation in Appalachia, primarily West Virginia. Members of the project investigate the native, natural conversion of English in Appalachia by exploring regional divisions in language, social characteristics of language patterns and potential language change.

Hazen founded the project in 1998 to consolidate scholarship on dialects and develop empirical studies of language.

Dialects and language change allow us to see how societies work and how they change,he said.Ultimately, they provide us with a view of how the human mind works.

Today, Hazens project leads the nation in this research. The last sociolinguistic scholarship on Appalachian English variations was published in 1976.

The recent award marks Hazens second NSF grant since he joined the WVU faculty in 1998. His first project explored bidialectalism, the purported ability for one person to have two dialects at the same point in time. He also has received funding from the National Endowment for the Humanities and the West Virginia Humanities Council.

Dr. Hazens and the WVDP s work is not only on the cutting edge of language study in the United States, but it is also deeply connected to the people of West Virginia and the families of the students who attend WVU ,said Donald Hall, chair of WVU s Department of English.Kirks extraordinary project demonstrates our departments ongoing commitment to serving our community and state.

Hazen intends to use the new grant in future plans for the dialect project.

The WVDP will continue to train undergraduates in linguistics and sociolinguistics through scientific investigation of language variation in Appalachia and proactive outreach with the local community,he said.Three former WVDP associates recently have gone on to graduate school, and I hope to help others follow in their footsteps.

For more information on the West Virginia Dialect Project, visit http://www.as.wvu.edu/dialect .