Issues in Spanish Linguistics [ LROM2843 ]

Basics of modern Spanish phonology, phonetics, morphology and syntax.

Knowledge of the International Phonetic Alphabet.

This course is divided into a first part of diachronic study of the language (topics 1, 2) and a second part of synchronic study of the language (topics(3, 4 & 5).

1) History of the Spanish language: from Vulgar Latin to the modern romance language.

2) History of the Spanish language in America.

3) Description of the different varieties of Spanish in America.

4) Language contact in America: with indigenous languages and with English in the United States.

5) Language politics in the Spanish speaking world

Regarding topics 1 and 2, the external history of the language (rather than the internal) will be focused.

- Introduce the student to the main historical, social, cultural and political factors in the evolution of Spanish both in Spain and in Latin America.

- Introduce the student both to the internal mechanism of linguistic change of Spanish (principles of phonetic change) and those caused by language contact, i.e. contact of Spanish with American indigenous languages and with English in the United States.

By the end of the course, the student should be able to make a philological-linguistic analysis of representative texts of the history of Spanish both in Spain and Latin America and he/she should be able to locate a text in the history of the language.

By the end of the course, the student should be able to identify the most characteristic features of the different varieties of Spanish nowadays.

Written exam on the content of the class and of the readings.

The linguistic contents are explained by means of powerpoint presentations which will be published on i-campus, and by means of audio and video fragments.

Students are required to regularly prepare application exercises concerning the contents seen in class, as well as to read an article portfolio. The first part of the reader will be compulsory and will be commented upon in more detail during classes. In addition, students will be required to read an article of their choice from the second part of the reader. A comprehension questionnaire and a discussion session will support this autonomous reading.

This course offers an overview of diachronic and synchronic variation of Spanish, with special attention to the sociopolitical factors that have contributed to this variation and to the position of Spanish in the world.

reader, published on i-campus

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