Date of Award
12-2013
Document Type
Honors Thesis
Degree Name
Bachelor of Arts
Department
Communication
Abstract
When taking into consideration the language situation of Spain, it is important to realize that the presence of different languages varies with each region of the country and that the knowledge and status of these languages impact the use of Castilian. Catalonia is one such region in which it is important to understand and be able to recognize the differences in the Spanish language production of bilingual Castilian/Catalan speakers as opposed to monolingual Spanish speakers. The subject matter of this study is the variation in the use of Spanish language in Catalonia. Catalan has been spoken in the history of the region for centuries, recognizable since the eleventh century and found in text by the twelfth century (Woolard 1989: 14). Though Castilian was institutionalized as the language of Spain by the oppressive government of Franco, Catalan regained its status and has been recognized as a co-official language of the Catalonian area. Both Catalan and Castilian are spoken presently but the issue of the language ideology of this region and the way it is connected to the culture of the Catalan people plays a role in how the Castilian of Catalonia is spoken. The goal of this project is to note any common patterns of Spanish language production in Catalan bilinguals. This study aims to distinguish if Castilian presents Catalan loanwords and if code-switching is common. For this study, interviews and conversation with seventeen individuals of various backgrounds served as a basis for observation. Interviews were based on a questionnaire. Conversations in groups or ones that were longer were recorded for playback. The basic questionnaire involved questions of background and origin and asked for a brief assessment of an individual’s knowledge of each language. Then, open ended questions were asked based on the respondent’s experience living in the region and observations of those around 3 him/her. Finally, analysis was based on a compilation of information which was mainly collected from personal interactions with residents of Barcelona and readings published by authors on the subject matter.
Recommended Citation
Papa, Nikoleta, "Language Contact and Variation in the Spanish of Catalonia" (2013). Communication. 5.
https://scholarsarchive.library.albany.edu/honorscollege_communication/5