Katie Carmichael

Katie Carmichael is an associate professor in the Department of English, director of language sciences, and co-director of the Speech Lab at Virginia Tech.

Her interests center on sociolinguistic variation and change, especially considering how identity factors intersect with these processes. Her 2025 book, “Language and Place,” examines the role of place identity in sociolinguistic variation, providing a concise introduction to the ways linguists and those from other fields theorize about language and place. Much of Dr. Carmichael’s work examine linguistic practices within Louisiana – New Orleans English, Cajun English, and Louisiana French. 

Research Interests: Variationist sociolinguistics; language change; language & identity; language and place; language ideologies; language endangerment; phonetics & phonology; New Orleans English; Cajun English; Louisiana French.