Module overview
The module will introduce the main theoretical ideas of language and identity alongside tracing the historical, social and linguistic background to the presence of the so-called Latinos in the US. Issues of language policies in general and those affecting Spanish in the US in particular will be covered.
The different Latino communities will be examined in turn and contrasted with the homogenising gloss they are typically given by non-Latinos in US society. We will examine how far Latinos have come to accept and conform to this external image. We will also see whether the highly marginalised and underprivileged status generally associated with the Latino communities might be changing. We will ask what political power the community can assert.
The module will look at the situation of Spanish in this community – its vitality, transmission to new generations, forms compared with other varieties of Spanish and, in particular, the phenomenon of codeswitching and of Spanglish.
We will ask what wider role the Latino example plays. What is its social, cultural and linguistic impact both in the US and globally? What trends in migration patterns, particularly that of the ‘returning’ migrant may have implications globally?
Aims and Objectives
Learning Outcomes
Knowledge and Understanding
Having successfully completed this module, you will be able to demonstrate knowledge and understanding of:
- The vitality of Spanish in the US – in terms of intergenerational transmission, public use, codeswitching, presence in the education system, and in the media
- The historical context of Hispanic migration patterns and settlement in the US
- The ambiguous meaning of identity labels such as ‘Hispanic’ or ‘Latino’
- The demographic, sociocultural and linguistic profile of the US Latinos
Transferable and Generic Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Listen and learn from fellow students
- Summarise and synthesise material in order to transmit it to fellow students in class
- Identify and focus on relevant information and ideas in a very wide range of materials in English and Spanish
- Take part in a structured debate, working in a team to synthesise evidence and present a convincing argument
- Work in small groups for independent study
- Evaluate information and discussion from a range of media (written texts, TV programmes, songs and music, interviews)
Subject Specific Practical Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Use and contrast the Spanish of US Latinos with other varieties of Spanish
- Be knowledgeable about language legislation in the US
- Understand and analyse codeswitching in immigrant communities by investigating the particular example of Spanglish
- Discuss the phenomenon of ‘hyphenated’ identity (Mexican-American, Cuban-American, etc.)
Subject Specific Intellectual and Research Skills
Having successfully completed this module you will be able to:
- Evaluate the perception of ‘threat’ (‘hispanophobia’) felt by non-Hispanic US citizens and the counter movements such as English Only
- Analyse the hybridity and/or homogenisation imposed from outside on the diverse Hispanic communities (‘chiquitisation’)
- Assess the impact of the Latino community on contemporary US society and culture and in the Spanish-speaking world. Do Latinos have a voice? Is it a Spanish language voice?
Syllabus
- Language and nation
- Migration and identity
- Language policy and language politics
- Bilingual education
- Language, identity and the media
- Cultural representations of Latinos (Assessed presentations)
- The Latino Vote in contemporary US elections
- Languages in contact: crossing borders, bilingualism and codeswitching
- The future: Spanish in the US, standard languages, global languages
Learning and Teaching
Teaching and learning methods
Teaching methods include:
- A weekly double period seminar which will be structured through a ‘snowballing’ method. Students will begin with discussions in small groups and then ‘cascade’ their findings (usually by answering guiding questions) eventually to the whole group with some facilitating from the lecturer.
- Students will be expected to organise themselves into small working groups to undertake independent research on short specified topics from week to week.
Learning activities include:
- The use of a very wide range of materials from standard texts in academic books and journals, to novels and poetry, videos, satellite TV, press coverage, recorded interviews, social media, and dance and music.
- There will be regular weekly presentations and discussions with the focus of student-led seminars and learning.
- Students may be asked to carry out independent or group fieldwork (interviews, recordings, observation, etc.)
| Type | Hours |
|---|---|
| Completion of assessment task | 12 |
| Seminar | 24 |
| Preparation for scheduled sessions | 90 |
| Follow-up work | 12 |
| Wider reading or practice | 12 |
| Total study time | 150 |
Resources & Reading list
General Resources
General. Key texts required for weekly seminar preparation are all digitised and available using the Library’s Digital Course Collection. Supplementary readings are available in hard copy in the Reserve Collection at Avenue Campus as well as a wider collection at Hartley Library. Links to websites and other online resources are provided on the module Blackboard site.
Assessment
Summative
This is how we’ll formally assess what you have learned in this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Group presentation | 30% |
| Participation | 10% |
| Critical commentary | 15% |
| Essay | 45% |
Referral
This is how we’ll assess you if you don’t meet the criteria to pass this module.
| Method | Percentage contribution |
|---|---|
| Resubmit assessments | 100% |
Repeat Information
Repeat type: Internal & External