Perceptual attitudes towards Spanish in the Panhandle of West Virginia
This study contributes to the ongoing discussion of perceptions of and attitudes towards Spanish by native English speakers in the U.S. (e.g., Fuller, 2013; Lippi-Green, 2012; Orozco & Dorado, 2014) and examines the image of Spanish speakers in a small community in the Panhandle of West Virginia. The responses from the 445 participants indicate a juxtaposition between high prestige accorded to Spanish spoken in Spain and varieties of Spanish spoken in the Americas. The responses underline the influence of underlying language ideologies (e.g., Garret, 2010; Irvine & Gal, 2000), popular negative imagery of non-European varieties (e.g., Fuller, 2013; Lippi-Green, 2012; Lipski, 2002), and Eurocentrism, in other words, a preference for European history, languages, and cultures (e.g., Franzki, 2012; Quijano, 2000).
Article outline
- Introduction
- Social evaluations of Spanish in the U.S.
- The sociolinguistic setting of the present study
- The present study
- Materials
- Participants
- Procedure
- Analysis
- Results and discussion
- Conclusion
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Notes
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References
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Appendix