I am a linguist, and more specifically a phonologist.
Linguistics is a branch of cognitive science that deals with the way human mind processes language. Linguists are scientists that study language. We look for similarities and differences across languages, while focusing on various aspects, such as the form, meaning, or context. Questions that we ask include: Why do all languages have rather similar grammatical structures (sounds, words, sentences)? How can we put words and their sounds together? Why do some sentences sound better than others? How do children learn languages? Are sign languages similar to spoken languages?
In my research and teaching, I focus primarily on sound patterns in language. Phonology is a branch of linguistics that looks at relationships among sounds in language. One fundamental insight of phonology is that a language has a finite inventory of sound segments, which include vowels and consonants. Phonology is also concerned with how the same part of the word can vary depending on the context.
My research has focused on the following topics: sound patterns in loanwords, sound patterns in Slovenian and other Slavic languages, interaction between sounds in various contexts (assimilation), and stress.