"Ser Hispano es Cool Because..." Perceptions of Spanglish in the Media
Presentation Type
Poster/Portfolio
Presenter Major(s)
English, Spanish
Mentor Information
Kathryn Remlinger
Department
English
Location
Henry Hall Atrium 98
Start Date
11-4-2012 9:00 AM
Keywords
Culture, Identity, Media, Social Science, U.S. Diversity, World Perspective
Abstract
With the Hispanic population becoming the United States' largest minority, the use of Spanish-English code-switching, or Spanglish as many call it, is on the rise. The controversy about Spanglish as a legitimate language variety is hotly debated among scholars and the public. This study examines perceptions and language attitudes surrounding Spanglish by looking at the use of Spanish-English code-switching in a major advertising campaign, and opinions surrounding the usage of Spanglish through the social media of Facebook and Twitter. Using Preston's (2002) research on perceptual dialectology, Jane Hill's (2008) research on Mock Spanish, and Zentella's (1997) anthro-political linguistic perspective as a base, this research explores what symbolic linguistic capital Spanglish holds, how the media uses and perpetuates perceptions of Spanglish, and how well those perceptions are grounded in linguistic evidence.
"Ser Hispano es Cool Because..." Perceptions of Spanglish in the Media
Henry Hall Atrium 98
With the Hispanic population becoming the United States' largest minority, the use of Spanish-English code-switching, or Spanglish as many call it, is on the rise. The controversy about Spanglish as a legitimate language variety is hotly debated among scholars and the public. This study examines perceptions and language attitudes surrounding Spanglish by looking at the use of Spanish-English code-switching in a major advertising campaign, and opinions surrounding the usage of Spanglish through the social media of Facebook and Twitter. Using Preston's (2002) research on perceptual dialectology, Jane Hill's (2008) research on Mock Spanish, and Zentella's (1997) anthro-political linguistic perspective as a base, this research explores what symbolic linguistic capital Spanglish holds, how the media uses and perpetuates perceptions of Spanglish, and how well those perceptions are grounded in linguistic evidence.