Professional Biography

Keith Dede specializes in Chinese linguistics, specifically the fields of dialectology and sociolinguistics. His recently completed dissertation,"Language Contact, Variation and Change: The Locative in Xining, Qinghai"(1999, University of Washington), examines linguistic changes in the dialect of Xining, a small city in northwestern China. The linguistic changes are studied from historical perspectives and in the context of current social change. The dissertation also examines the relationship of the dialect to other languages in the region, including Mongolian and Tibetan, the latter of which was the subject of an article co-authored with colleagues in the United States and China. Ancilliary interests include the history of Standard Chinese and its relationship to the dialects, Chinese language teaching, and modern Chinese literature and film.

Academic Credentials

Ph.D. 1999, M.A. 1993, B.A. 1988 University of Washington