The Politics of Language in the Spanish-Speaking World: From Colonization to Globalization

by Mar-Molinero,Clare

• ISBN13: 9780415156554
• ISBN10: 0415156556
• Format: Nonspecific Binding
• Copyright: 2000-08-11
• Publisher: Routledge

Summary

Spanish is now the third most widely spoken language in the world after English and Chinese. This new book traces how and why Spanish has arrived at this position, examining its role in the diverse societies where it is spoken from Europe to the Americas. Providing a comprehensive survey of language issues in the Spanish-speaking world, the book outlines the historical rooots of the emergence of Spanish or Castilian as the dominant language, analyzes the situation of minority language groups, and traces the role of Spanish and its colonial heritage in Latin America. Throughout the book Clare Mar-Molinero asks probing questions such as: How does language relate to power? What is its link with identity? What is the role of language in nation-building? Who decides how language is taught? This unique study is invaluable for anyone with an interest in Spain and the Spanish language.

Author Biography

Clare Mar-Molinero is head of Spanish Studies at Southampton University

Table of Contents

Acknowledgements	viii
Introduction	ix
PART I Spanish as national language: conflict and hegemony	1	(64)
Language and nationalism	3	(15)
Theories of nationalism	3	(4)
Language and national identity	7	(9)
Conclusion	16	(2)
The `Castilianisation' process -- the emergence of Spanish as dominant language	18	(22)
The origins of Spanish in the Iberian Peninsula	19	(8)
Spanish in the Americas	27	(8)
`Espanol' or `Castellano'	35	(3)
Conclusion	38	(2)
Counter-nationalism and the other languages of the Spanish-speaking world	40	(25)
The linguistic minority communities in Spain	41	(12)
The `other' languages of Latin America	53	(9)
The triumph of Spanish	62	(3)
PART II Legislation and the realities of linguistic diversity	65	(46)
Language rights, language policies, and Language Planning	67	(16)
Linguistic rights	67	(6)
Language policies	73	(4)
Language Planning	77	(4)
Language and power	81	(2)
The state and language policies in the contemporary Spanish-speaking world	83	(28)
Spain: from dictatorship to the estado de las autonomias	83	(13)
Latin America: invisible nations	96	(12)
Conclusion	108	(3)
PART III Language and education	111	(64)
Bilingual education, literacy and the role of language in education systems	113	(18)
Bilingual education: assimilation or maintenance; exclusion or empowerment?	114	(7)
Education systems and the politics of literacy	121	(9)
Conclusion	130	(1)
Latin American educational policies in the struggle for linguistic rights	131	(26)
From bilingual to bicultural and intercultural	134	(11)
Enabling and empowering: radical adult literacy programmes in Latin America	145	(11)
Conclusion	156	(1)
Politics, language and the Spanish education system	157	(18)
`Igual que Franco pero al reves? Catalan language education policies	158	(10)
Bilingual education in the Basque autonomous community	168	(5)
Conclusion	173	(2)
PART IV Language politics in the new millennium: the outlook for Spanish	175	(32)
Spanish as minority language	177	(15)
The Latinos in the US	178	(8)
The language issue and Puerto Ricans	186	(5)
Conclusion	191	(1)
Spanish in a global era	192	(15)
Spain and Europe	195	(4)
Pan-continental movements in Latin America	199	(4)
Conclusions: Spanish as pluricentric world language	203	(4)
Notes	207	(11)
Bibliography	218	(13)
Index	231