Rosti Vana

Rosti Vana is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics at Sam Houston State University (SHSU), specializing in applied linguistics with a focus on sociolinguistics and heritage language pedagogy. He earned his PhD in Spanish Linguistics from Arizona State University. His research addresses sociolinguistic hierarchies in mixed L2-HL classroom contexts, emphasizing the integration of sociolinguistic principles to combat linguistic discrimination. He has published works on language ideologies in media (e.g., Netflix’s Elite) and historical analyses of US Southwestern Spanish dialects using archival newspaper corpora.

Dr. Vana teaches undergraduate and graduate courses including Elementary/Intermediate Spanish, Spanish Linguistics, and Spanish for Criminal Justice. His recent conference presentations span topics like Afro-Latinx representation in textbooks, sociopolitical dynamics in heritage language classrooms, and mediatized code-switching. He advocates for inclusive pedagogical practices that address linguistic diversity and social justice in language education.

Key research areas include: 1) language attitudes and ideologies in mixed classrooms, 2) sociolinguistic variation in US Spanish varieties, and 3) critical discourse analysis of media representations. He actively contributes to academic discourse through peer-reviewed journals and international conferences, emphasizing interdisciplinary approaches to language studies.