SPAN-666 Spanish Language in the United States (3)

This course addresses Spanish in the United States in its current and historical social context. Course themes include the historical roots of Spanish in the United States and its evolution to the present day; regional dialects; bilingualism and contact with English; race and ethnicity; and questions of identity, education, and discrimination. Through the lens of Spanish in a U.S. context, students gain new understanding of the United States’ rich history as a multilingual, multicultural country and a specifically hispanophone country. Students become familiar with how and why Spanish may differ regionally within the United States, as well as general characteristics of U.S. Spanish. They also develop hands-on linguistic research skills. Students develop critical insight into what language means to people beyond literal communication, and why. Questions examined include why language is such an important part of identity and hotly debated in the political arena. Crosslist: SPAN-466.