Jessi Elana Aaron

Associate Professor, Department of Spanish and Portuguese Studies, University of Florida

Affiliate faculty in Linguistics, Center for Latin American Studies, and Center for European Studies

About Me

I’m a sociolinguist with a deep fascination with how grammar, discourse, and ideology intertwine across time, geography, and power structures. My research delves into questions of language variation, identity, and agency—whether in 17th-century colonial texts or in the multilingual neighborhoods of modern Spain. I’m especially drawn to moments where linguistic form and social meaning collide: the subjunctive that hides a truth better left unsaid, the lone English noun that says more than we think, the syntactic twist that hides resistance.

At the University of Florida, I teach courses on sociolinguistics, language contact, Spanish in the U.S., and grammatical change. I also enjoy mentoring graduate students as they find their own research voices. Outside of academia, I’m a visual artist, editor, poet, and avid reader, always interested in what language can’t quite say—and what it reveals when it tries.

Background

PhD, Spanish and Portuguese (Hispanic Linguistics), with Distinction, University of New Mexico, 2006
MA, Anthropology (Ethnology), University of New Mexico, 2002
MA, Latin American Studies, Stanford University, 2000
BA, Political Science and Spanish, with honors, Stanford University, 1999

Certificate in Program Management, Google, 2024

Contact Information

Email: jeaaron@ufl.edu
Phone: (352) 392-2017
Office: 153 DAU

Office Hours

On sabbatical Fall 2025

Office Mailing Address

PO Box 117405

Gainesville, FL 32611

USA

Research

My research explores how language reflects and shapes social identities. I have examined language variation across Spanish‑speaking communities, focusing on diachronic analysis, dialect contact, code‑switching, and social representations in language use. Visit the research page to learn more about my current projects and publications.

Teaching

I teach advanced undergraduate and graduate courses that introduce students to Spanish linguistics and sociolinguistics. My classes emphasize hands-on analysis, critical thinking, and the practical application of linguistic theory to real-world questions. You can read more about my teaching philosophy and the courses I offer on the teaching page.