My work connects language research, language teaching, and computational methods. As Associate Professor of Spanish and Linguistics at Wake Forest University, I teach courses in Spanish language, Hispanic linguistics, psycholinguistics, quantitative text analysis, and language technologies.
My research uses corpora, experimental evidence, and statistical programming to study how language varies across communities and contexts. Pedagogically, I am interested in helping students work with authentic language data: asking better questions, building reproducible analyses, and understanding how language technologies shape what we can see. Current projects extend this agenda to human-centered LLM workflows that enhance interaction, learning, and collaboration. My recent book, An Introduction to Quantitative Text Analysis for Linguistics: Reproducible Research Using R, was published by Routledge in 2025.
2009 | PhD Linguistics & Cognitive Science
University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ
2004 | MA Hispanic Linguistics
University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ
1998 | BA History
University of Arizona | Tucson, AZ
Associate Professor
Department of Spanish, Wake Forest University
2015-present
Assistant Professor
Department of Romance Languages, Wake Forest University
2009-2015
Recent courses:
Spanish
- SPA 101: Elementary Spanish I
- SPA 203: Exploring the Hispanic World
- SPA 282: Advanced Spanish Language and Grammar
- SPA 320: Introduction to Hispanic Linguistics
- SPA 322: Spanish Pronunciation and Dialect Variation
Linguistics
- LIN 150: Intro to Linguistics
- LIN 330: Intro to Psycholinguistics and Language Acquisition
- LIN 380/680: Quantitative Text Analysis
Recent publications:
- Francom, J. (2025). An Introduction to Quantitative Text Analysis for Linguistics: Reproducible Research Using R. Routledge.
- Francom, J. (2022). Corpus Studies of Syntax. In G. Goodall (Ed.), The Cambridge Handbook of Experimental Syntax (pp. 687–713). Cambridge University Press.
Current projects:
- 2026- : AI-Scaffolded Writing Center Session Preparation (Co-PIs: Fan Yang, Ryan Shirey, and Sean Andersen).
Developing and evaluating locally deployed AI tools that help students articulate writing support needs before tutoring sessions.
Project builds tutor and staff understanding of LLM-based technologies through participatory design while improving tutor preparation and preserving institutional data control. Also creates shared vocabulary, knowledge bases, and design frameworks that can connect writing centers and academic support programs around common goals and practices.
Email: francojc@wfu.edu
Phone: +1 (336) 758-4868
Mail:
323 Greene Hall
Wake Forest University
Winston-Salem, NC, 27103
