This is a new sociolinguistic reference that was released this month which adds to the repertoire of this linguist and professor who has done extensive research and presented his material in English and Spanish in the form of essays and books. His sociolinguistic focus is Latin America, its linguistic diversity, history and comparisons that exist from country to country, region to region, speech community to speech community etc.
Even without having studied linguistics Spanish speakers are aware of the linguistic differences in Latin America, these differences can be broken down in subgroups by examining phonology, lexicon and syntax. This particular sociolinguistic examination of the Spanish varieties in the USA draws my attention once again because it emphasizes the diversity that exists in Spanish as well as the dynamic that it creates in the USA.
This reference and many others classify Spanish by region, discuss the linguistic features of Spanish spoken in certain countries, the origin of Spanish speakers in the USA specifically where they came from in Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua etc. for example rural vs. urban speakers, because it definitely accounts for the speech differences that are heard which includes archaisms, the usage of 'vos', the usage of certain pronouns for example 'lo', syntax and so on.
Having read plenty of reference material from many linguists, J. Lipski, IMO is one of the most interesting. What is also important is that research by many professionals in language continues because there is still plenty of unanswered questions to observations made about the spoken language. Spanglish has also become a serious focus of study as part of the Spanish complexity in the USA, which really cannot be overlooked.
The link is an excerpt of the book including the contents which reveals the information covered per chapter. Chapters 4-9 draw my interest as well as the focus on two Central American countries, Guatemala and Honduras that have noticeable speech communities in the USA today. One way to get exposure to many of the spoken varieties is interaction with each community and via television. Literature as well cannot be overlooked since many authors write in a style that's familiar to them. Those who read Spanish literature should be able to identify with my point of view as some authors literary style is a clear reflection of their vernacular. Having said this, a few authors come to mind whose books I have read which include Jaime Bayly (Peru), Edmundo Paz Sold?n (Bolivia), Pedro Juan Guti?rrez (Cuba) and Isabel Allende (Chile), just to name a few. Many times while reading one of their novels, I recognize regional vocabulary or speech patterns in the writing that are typical of the author's vernacular.
I will be receiving my copy of this reference soon and look forward to reading it thoroughly. Surely it will provide even more insight to a complex discipline in linguistics with many underlying themes. For a preview here is the link- Varieties of Spanish in the United ... - Google Book Search
Feel free to comment on your own observations about the diveristy of the spoken language in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world.
NB. This thread has nothing to do with the one that was deleted titled 'Latin America's linguistic diversity'.
-LDG.
Even without having studied linguistics Spanish speakers are aware of the linguistic differences in Latin America, these differences can be broken down in subgroups by examining phonology, lexicon and syntax. This particular sociolinguistic examination of the Spanish varieties in the USA draws my attention once again because it emphasizes the diversity that exists in Spanish as well as the dynamic that it creates in the USA.
This reference and many others classify Spanish by region, discuss the linguistic features of Spanish spoken in certain countries, the origin of Spanish speakers in the USA specifically where they came from in Mexico, Honduras, Nicaragua etc. for example rural vs. urban speakers, because it definitely accounts for the speech differences that are heard which includes archaisms, the usage of 'vos', the usage of certain pronouns for example 'lo', syntax and so on.
Having read plenty of reference material from many linguists, J. Lipski, IMO is one of the most interesting. What is also important is that research by many professionals in language continues because there is still plenty of unanswered questions to observations made about the spoken language. Spanglish has also become a serious focus of study as part of the Spanish complexity in the USA, which really cannot be overlooked.
The link is an excerpt of the book including the contents which reveals the information covered per chapter. Chapters 4-9 draw my interest as well as the focus on two Central American countries, Guatemala and Honduras that have noticeable speech communities in the USA today. One way to get exposure to many of the spoken varieties is interaction with each community and via television. Literature as well cannot be overlooked since many authors write in a style that's familiar to them. Those who read Spanish literature should be able to identify with my point of view as some authors literary style is a clear reflection of their vernacular. Having said this, a few authors come to mind whose books I have read which include Jaime Bayly (Peru), Edmundo Paz Sold?n (Bolivia), Pedro Juan Guti?rrez (Cuba) and Isabel Allende (Chile), just to name a few. Many times while reading one of their novels, I recognize regional vocabulary or speech patterns in the writing that are typical of the author's vernacular.
I will be receiving my copy of this reference soon and look forward to reading it thoroughly. Surely it will provide even more insight to a complex discipline in linguistics with many underlying themes. For a preview here is the link- Varieties of Spanish in the United ... - Google Book Search
Feel free to comment on your own observations about the diveristy of the spoken language in Latin America and the Spanish-speaking world.
NB. This thread has nothing to do with the one that was deleted titled 'Latin America's linguistic diversity'.
-LDG.