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Speaking Spanish in the US (Janet M. Fuller, Jennifer Leeman - Multilingual Matters)

The Sociopolitics of Language

Summary

This book introduces readers to basic concepts of sociolinguistics with a focus on Spanish in the US. The coverage goes beyond linguistics to examine the history and politics of Spanish in the US, the relationship of language to Latinx identities, and how language ideologies and policies reflect and shape societal views of Spanish and its speakers. Accessible to those with no linguistic background, this book provides students with a foundation in the study of language and society, and the opportunity to relate theoretical concepts to Spanish in the US in a range of contexts, including everyday speech, contemporary culture, media, education and policy. The book is a substantially revised and expanded 2nd edition of Spanish Speakers in the USA, including new chapters on the history of Spanish in the US, the demographics of Spanish in the US, and language policy; and expanded chapters on language ideologies, race, identity, media, and education. 

Review:

Adopting a thoroughly interdisciplinary, critical and social constructionist approach, Fuller and Leeman make tremendous strides in teasing out the myriad ethnoracial, geopolitical and sociocultural foundations that affect Spanish speakers in being counted, educated and cared for in US society. This book will undoubtedly become a cornerstone in the formation of the next generation of scholars and activists dedicated to the study of Spanish in the US.

- Glenn A. Martinez, The Ohio State University, USA

Speaking Spanish in the US is an insightful, accessible, and wide-ranging book that provides a critical counterforce to contemporary discourse that criminalizes Latinx Spanish-speakers and their linguistic practices, showing definitively that Latinx people are now and have always been a vital part of US sociocultural and political economic life.

- Hilary Parsons Dick, Arcadia University, USA

Author Biography:

Janet M. Fuller is Professor of Language and Society in the Department of European Languages and Cultures, University of Groningen, the Netherlands. Her research interests include multilingualism, language ideologies and social identities.

Jennifer Leeman is Professor of Hispanic Linguistics in the Department of Modern and Classical Languages, George Mason University, USA. Her research interests include language ideologies, census questions on language and ethnoracial identity, and critical pedagogical approaches to teaching Spanish for heritage speakers.

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