My name is David Miller and I am going to be a junior at Penn State in the fall majoring in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology and minoring in Spanish. Our research project will be focused on differences in dialect in Colombian Spanish. Specifically, the aspiration of the /s/ consonant done by speakers of the Palenquero variety from San Basilio de Palenque. Our experiment will test how well speakers of another dialect will be able to comprehend and pick up on the differences between aspirated and non-aspirated sentences, under different experimental conditions.

Upon arriving, we visited the Institute of Caro and Cuervo where we will be conducting our research while in Bogotá. It was amazing to learn about the history of the building and the many people that have frequented it over the years. The director of the institute is also a Penn State alum which was really cool to hear about. What a small world! Although we have only been here a few days, I am already overwhelmed by the beautiful scenery and the rich history that surrounds us. I cannot wait to see what the rest of this PIRE experience has in store for us in Medellín and Palenque and I look forward to begin running participants.