Social and Behavioral Sciences Commons^™

Sociolinguistic Perspectives, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

In this chapter, I review recent sociolinguistic studies that have addressed the language of both ‘early’ and ‘late’ bilinguals in different sorts of settings, i.e. second language (L2) classroom learners, study abroad participants and immersion learners, HL speakers, and (im)migrant bilinguals. I highlight principal points of commonality in research endeavors that underscore the impact of linguistic variability, context of acquisition, social interaction, and speaker agency and identity on processes of formal and informal language learning, development, and use. I begin with some explanation of what has distinguished socially oriented approaches from other approaches to understanding language acquisition since the early …

La Valoración Del Habla Bilingüe En Los Estados Unidos: Fundamentos Sociolingüísticos Y Pedagógicos En 'Hablando Bien Se Entiende La Gente', Andrew Lynch, Kim Potowski

Andrew Lynch

Para muchas personas e instituciones, la Academia de la Lengua Española se considera una máxima autoridad en materia de lengua española y ejerce una fuerte influencia en la percepción y apreciación lingüísticas a través del mundo hispánico. La Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (ANLE), la más nueva de las 22 academias que conforman la Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, puede jugar un papel fundamental en la normalización del español en los Estados Unidos en años venideros, especialmente en los terrenos político e institucional. En este artículo examinamos desde un punto de vista crítico el libro Hablando bien …

Perspectivas Sobre La Enseñanza Del Español A Los Hablantes De Herencia, Kim Potowski, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

This article considers sociolinguistic and pedagogical underpinnings of teaching Spanish to bilinguals in the US, focusing on some of the challenges they present at various educational levels: (1) their sociolinguistic and cultural heterogeneity; (2) some of the linguistic phenomena present in their communicative repertoires and some of the linguistic, affective and academic aspects that influence their acquisition and use of Spanish; and (3) pedagogical approaches that are most appropriate for this population. [in Spanish]

Key Concepts For Theorizing Spanish As A Heritage Language, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

In this chapter, I provide a selective, critical overview of the principal theoretical concepts that have served to frame studies of Spanish as a heritage language in the United States since the 1970s. Among the concepts I consider are: diglossia, standard language, proficiency, register, agency, and generation.

The Linguistic Similarities Of Spanish Heritage And Second Language Learners, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

This article addresses the situation of lower-proficiency heritage language learners of Spanish in terms of their linguistic similarities to second language learners. The analysis highlights grammatical and lexical features in the oral discourse of Spanish heritage and second language learners at intermediate and advanced levels of study, establishing common linguistic ground between the two groups. Given the similarities, the article emphasizes the current need for courses designed to accommodate lower-proficiency heritage learners, integrating principles and aspects of second language acquisition theory and pedagogy.

Estudio Comparativo De Actitudes Hacia El Español En Los Estados Unidos: Educación, Política Y Entorno Social, Andrew Lynch, Carol A. Klee

Andrew Lynch

This study explores attitudes toward Spanish with respect to language education, language policy and language use in two different United States urban settings—one bilingual and another essentially monolingual. A 50-item sociolinguistic questionnaire was administered to 359 Hispanic and non-Hispanic university students at different levels of Spanish language study in Miami, Florida and Minneapolis, Minnesota. Analysis revealed broad acceptance of Spanish in US public life in both cities. However, more conservative attitudes toward ‘English only’ education and Official English policies were expressed by Miami students and by beginning-level students in general. Findings suggest that intense language contact in Miami foments a …

The Relationship Between Second And Heritage Language Acquisition: Notes On Research And Theory Building, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

This article, published in the first issue of the Heritage Language Journal, presents questions and areas of inquiry that should be pursued in Heritage Language Acquisition based on what has been done in Second Language Acquisition. Linguistic, social and educational issues are highlighted, and important parallels are made between the two fields.

Toward A Theory Of Heritage Language Acquisition: Spanish In The United States, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

The sociolinguistic realities of English and Spanish, at the national and world levels, have evolved in fundamental ways since the 1960s. Traditional theoretical models of language variation, bilingualism, and language shift in the US must be reconceptualized with the post-2000 context, and Spanish language educators must respond to the contemporary demands of their profession. In this essay, I give thought to the theoretical principles of Spanish heritage language acquisition in the US in the twenty-first century.

The Subjunctive In Miami Cuban Spanish: Bilingualism, Contact, And Language Variability, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

Exploring Turn At Talk In Spanish: Native And Nonnative Speaker Interactions, Andrew Lynch

Andrew Lynch

This preliminary study highlights the demonstrated gains in conversational competence of three Spanish L2 learners who participated in a 10-week university immersion program. The analyses considered turn-taking and discourse structure, comparing the learners’ task-based conversational interactions in L2 Spanish with separate interactions in their L1 English and the interactions of a group of Spanish native speakers. Although the findings suggest that during the immersion experience the learners made gains in L2 conversational competence with respect to pausing and turn length, their development of turn-taking organization and discourse structure reflected an approximation to their own L1 behavioral norms rather than those …