David Heap

David Heap is a Professor in the Department of French Studies at the University of Western Ontario. He holds a Ph.D. in Romance Languages and Linguistics from the University of Toronto (1997), an MA in French (1990), and an Honours B.A. in French, Spanish, and Linguistics (1988). His research focuses on general linguistics with specializations in French, Spanish, and historical linguistics, including morphology, phonology, linguistic variation, Romance dialectology, translation theory, and language and gender.

His current research includes co-investigation in a seven-year SSHRC project Surviving Memory in Post-War El Salvador, involving fieldwork in Chalatenango, El Salvador. He also studies the grammatical expression of gender diversity in Spanish and French, and the pronominal morphology of Gallo-Romance, Occitan, and Ibero-Romance varieties.

• Education:
• Ph.D. (Toronto: Langues et linguistique romane), 1997
• MA (Toronto: French), 1990
• Honours B.A. (Toronto: French, Spanish, Linguistics), 1988

Heap has published extensively in linguistics, including a monograph on morphological variation in Occitan and co-edited volumes on Romance Languages. His work often addresses theoretical syntax, language contact, and sociopolitical dimensions of linguistic practice. He has collaborated on projects involving translation ethics, gender-inclusive language, and endangered heritage languages like Faetar.

He supervises translation and fieldwork activities for international research teams and contributes to the Atlas lingüístico de la Península Ibérica. His recent articles explore gendered language use in Spanish and French, translation challenges in participatory research contexts, and geolinguistic patterns in Alpine French dialects.