Kirk Hazen

As author and editor, Dr. Kirk Hazen has helped create five books on language and linguistics. He has taught about the English language and linguistics for 27 years, with the last 22 at West Virginia University where he is Professor of Linguistics in the Department of English. His research focuses on sociolinguistics, language variation & change, and dialects of English.

The companion site for his latest book, Appalachian Englishes in the Twenty-First Century, can be found at https://dialects.wvu.edu/appalachian-englishes.

He promotes sociolinguistic goals by presenting dialect diversity programs to numerous communities, including future health professionals, social workers, and service organizations. Dr. Hazen also consults with legal counsel as an expert witness. As director of the West Virginia Dialect Project (dialects.english.wvu.edu), he has secured funding from state and federal sources (NSF & NEH) for linguistic research.