The Spanish Language Today (Electronic book text, New ed.)

"The Spanish Language Today" describes the varied and changing Spanish language at the end of the twentieth century. As conflicting forces work towards the unification and fragmentation of both Peninsular and Latin American Spanish, this book examines where Spanish is spoken on a global scale as well as the status of Spanish within the realms of politics, education and media, with particular reference to the English-only movement in the US. The book also examines the standardization of Spanish and the specific areas of linguistic variation and change, including the effects of language contact on Spanish which is spoken widely in contexts of bi- and multilingualism. Supported throughout by extracts from contemporary press and literary sources, "The Spanish Language Today" provides a comprehensive overview of the varieties of the Spanish language today and is essential for students of the modern Spanish language.