Language Ideologies and Linguistic Practices: Exploring Upper Class Mexican Students’

1. Language Ideologies and Linguistic Practices: Exploring Upper Class Mexican Students’ Language Preferences in a United States Border City D. Carolina Ramos Bicultural-Bilingual Studies Department College of Education and Human Development Purpose In this study, the role of social classis being examined in order to better understand how particular language practices reveal social class memberships and ideologies. While race, ethnicity, and gender, among other identity characteristics have been used as categories in social science discourses, class is seldom used as a category of focus. Making social class a focal point of this study is recognition of this absence and also an effort to explore how language ideologies can be significantly influenced by social class memberships. Key Terms Language Ideologies: “(1) coordinated and shared sets of beliefs, values, and attitudes people hold about language, as well as (2) the discourse and relations of power between languages” (Sayer, 2012 p. 131). Social class: contextually mediated (Ortner, 1998); Bourdieu (1986) defines social class as a combination of economic, social, and cultural capital. Preliminary Findings Participants’ language preferences and the language ideologies that inform them can be understood as strategic practices that preserve group memberships and portray their identities. Spanish-English bilingualism as capital: “I’ve always felt that I was at an advantage and that it [being bilingual] was important and I think that when I have kids I’m gonna do the same thing. My parents did. I want my children to have the ability to speak those two languages” (Sergio). “It [speaking Spanish] was that need to be a part of the in group of my culture. It was, at one point, at first I didn’t see it as a cultural necessity, but then I saw it’s not so much a language as everything in our culture represented in a language” (Adrian). Research question: How does social class play a role in constructing the language ideologies, bilingual language practices, and identities of upper class Mexican students from the U.S.-Mexico border? Future Directions The goal of this study is to obtain baseline information about the languages and social class of people from Laredo. This will serve in constructing a comparison of identities and, ultimately, help determine what role social class has in participants’ language uses. To positively promote bilingualism and the cultural and social aspects represented through the knowledge of multiple languages, it is necessary to understand how social class, as a category like gender, ethnicity, or nationality, shapes the language ideologies that inform bilingual practices. Method Participants: 6 English-Spanish bilingual college students whose social memberships reflect an upper social class and who have lived in Laredo, Texas, a city situated on the U.S.-Mexico border. Site: Because Laredo is a border city influenced by two countries and their diverse languages, cultural aspects, and symbols on a daily basis, Laredo provides a valuable base for studying the construction of language ideologies and bilingual practices.