Bilingualism and Identity: Spanish at the crossroads with other languages(37 Studies in Bilingualism)

Sociolinguists have been pursuing connections between language and identity for several decades. But how are language and identity related in bilingualism and multilingualism? Mobilizing the most current methodology, this collection presents new research on language identity and bilingualism in three regions where Spanish coexists with other languages. The cases are Spanish-English contact in the United States, Spanish-indigenous language contact in Latin America, and Spanish-regional language contact in Spain. This is the first comparativist book to examine language and identity construction among bi- or multilingual speakers while keeping one of the languages constant. The sociolinguistic standing of Spanish varies among the three regions depending whether or not it is a language of prestige. Comparisons therefore afford a strong constructivist perspective on how linguistic ideologies affect bi/multilingual identity formation.

Table of Contents:
1. Acknowledgements; 2. Part I. Theoretical background; 3. Preface (by Zentella, Ana Celia); 4. 1. Spanish-contact bilingualism and identity (by Nino-Murcia, Mercedes); 5. Part II. Spanish in contact with autonomous languages in Spain; 6. 2. Bilingualism, identity and citizenship in the Basque Country (by Azurmendi, Maria-Jose); 7. 3. Conflicting values at a conflicting age: Linguistic ideologies in Galician adolescents (by Loureiro-Rodriguez, Veronica); 8. 4. Language and identity in Catalonia (by Boix-Fuster, Emile); 9. Part III. Spanish in contact with Creole and Amerindian languages in Latin America; 10. 5. Literacy and the expression of social identity in a dominant language: A description of "mi familia" by Quechua-Spanish bilingual children (by Sanchez, Liliana); 11. 6. Maya ethnolinguistic identity: Violence, and cultural rights in bilingual Kaqchikel communities (by French, Brigittine M.); 12. 7. "Enra kopiai...Non kopiai": Gender, ethnicity, and language use in a Shipibo community in Lima (by Zavala, Virginia); 13. 8. Kreyol incursions into Dominican Spanish: The perception of Haitianized speech among Dominicans (by Bullock, Barbara E.); 14. Part IV. Spanish in contact with English in the United States; 15. 9. "I was raised talking like my mom": The influence of mothers in the development of MexiRicans' phonological and lexical features (by Potowski, Kim); 16. 10. Choosing Spanish: Dual language immersion and familial ideologies (by Shenk, Elaine); 17. 11. Whose Spanish? The tension between linguistic correctness and cultural identity (by Urciuoli, Bonnie); 18. 12. Constructing linguistic identity in Southern California (by Bustamante-Lopez, Isabel); 19. 13. Multilingualism and identity: All in the Family (by Rothman, Jason); 20. Part V. Conclusion; 21. Afterword: Indicators of bilingualism and identity. Samples from the Spanish-speaking world (by Hidalgo, Margarita); 22. Author index; 23. Subject index

Review :
This volume can be commended for its wide-ranging and thoughtful examination of crucial issues such as attitudes toward nonnative, nonstandard, or contact language varieties that have relevance beyond the Spanish-speaking world. As such, it makes a worthy contribution to the growing body of literature on bilingualism, language learning, and identity. As one of most important and widespread languages, what happens to Spanish is a barometer for understanding complex transformations in languages, identities and power relations in a globalizing world. This fascinating collection of studies explores the many meanings of Spanish and the identities of its users as they are co-constructed in diverse contact settings in Europe and the Americas. This is an important and valuable collection. Readers will no doubt discover that the volume's inclusion of a wide range of methodologies and diverse language contact situations enriches their understanding of the phenomena of language contact, bilingualism and language and identity. Bilingualism and Identity provides a fascinating panorama of Spanish in contact with other languages in three discrete situations: as the co-official but nationally dominant language in Spain, the majority, prestige language in Latin America and a less prestigious, minority language in the United States. Elaborating upon the various ways in which bilingual speakers create and continually renegotiate their identities, this collection draws attention to the multifarious and complex identities of individuals who navigate among multiple linguistic worlds. In short, Bilingualism and Identity is an indispensable text for any scholar interested in the bridge between Spanish bilingualism and identity. This book examines linguistic identity construction in Hispanic bilinguals and trilinguals in Spain, Latin America and the United States, offering readers a comprehensive overview of the ways in which identities emerge and are constantly renegotiated in vastly different settings. It is an exciting and important addition to the literature on language contact and a "must read" for anyone who wants to understand the role that linguistic exchanges play in the construction of identity in general and for those who are particularly interested in multilingualism in various parts of the Spanish-speaking world.