The Spanish Language Today [Paperback]

Miranda Stewart (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: July 21, 1999 | ISBN-10: 0415142598 | ISBN-13: 978-0415142595

The Spanish Language Today describes the varied and changing Spanish language at the end of the twentieth century. Suitable for introductory level upward, this book examines:
* where Spanish is spoken on a global scale
* the status of Spanish within the realms of politics, education and media
* the standardisation of Spanish
* specific areas of linguistic variation and change
* how other languages and dialects spoken in the same areas affect the Spanish language
* whether new technologies are an opportunity or a threat to the Spanish language.
The Spanish Language Today contains numerous extracts from contemporary press and literary sources, a glossary of technical terms and selected translations.

Editorial Reviews

Review

This is an impressive volume because Stuart manages to assemble in a very concise and understandable format, a diverse body of contemporary socio-linguistic processes, data, and trends in the Spanish language. It is truly an indispensable reference and it would be an ideal textbook for the advanced Spanish curriculum.
–Language Problems and Language Planning

The book's main strength is the breadth of the topics covered, a range consdierably wider than found in other books on Spanish language usage and variation.
–Language in Society

...a lively and valuable addition to the bookshelf of students and teachers in Spanish studies. It is quite unprecedented in the topics it covers and in the authenticity of the materials on which it draws. This book is highly accessible and useful.
–Ralph Penny, University of London

About the Author

Miranda Stewart is Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American studies at the University of Strathclyde

Product Details

• Paperback: 256 pages
• Publisher: Routledge (July 21, 1999)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0415142598
• ISBN-13: 978-0415142595
• Product Dimensions: 9.2 x 6.2 x 0.8 inches
• Shipping Weight: 14.1 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #928,744 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 3 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars An excellent introduction given the right context of use, May 29, 2000

By 

Pius ten Hacken (Swansea, UK) - See all my reviews

This review is from: The Spanish Language Today (Paperback)

This book has obviously been written for an introductory course of linguistics in a Spanish curriculum of an English-language university. Ideally, an introduction to general linguistics is offered in a parallel course.

In such a context, items such as phonological and syntactic variation and change as well as pragmatic and sociolinguistic issues are further illustrated and brought to life for the student by the application to her or his main discipline.

To the general, non-student reader, this book is also useful as an introduction to certain aspects of Spanish. It has an accessible style and Spanish examples which are more than one or two sentences or are difficult for one reason or another are translated in footnotes. In some chapters, however, general linguistic insights are described in so much detail that for the general reader the text is somewhat redundant.