Speakers Bureau Speaker
Holly R. Cashman, Tempe
Holly Cashman is an Assistant Professor of Spanish Linguistics in the School of International Letters and Cultures at Arizona State University, Tempe. She received her Ph.D. in Spanish Linguistics from the University of Michigan in 2001, and her B.A in Spanish and the History of Art from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland. She has published several articles, book chapters and encyclopedia entries on the topics of bilingual conversation, code-switching, speakers’ identities in interaction, and politeness/impoliteness.
Presentations may be made in Spanish.
Arizona Spanish
Is there a particular variety of Spanish that can be described as "Arizona Spanish"? This question is examined from a variety of angles, and Spanish in Arizona is compared with another well-known variety of Spanish referred to as Northern New Mexico/Southern Colorado Spanish. The sociopolitical factors that lead to the formation of distinct dialects are described, as are the factors that lead to their maintenance or loss. Examples of Spanish in Arizona are used to illuminate this fascinating discussion, alongside a comparison of Spanish in Arizona with Spanish in the Southwest and other regions of the United States.
• Cashman provides a laptop computer. Host organization provides LCD video projector and screen.
What is Spanglish? Crossing Linguistic Fences, Building Linguistic Bridges
Spanglish is a popular term used to describe the mixing of Spanish and English, usually in the speech of Spanish/English bilingual speakers. It is often disparaged and seen as evidence of incomplete proficiency in one or both languages, both by people who use it and people who do not. This presentation seeks to put Spanglish in context, historically and globally, answering questions including: Where does Spanglish come from? Where (else) is Spanglish spoken? How does language mixture happen? In addition, this presentation examines the linguistic structure of Spanglish, including the concepts of loan words, semantic extensions, calques, and code switching. The nature of Spanglish is analyzed in terms of the question: Is Spanglish a new language?
