PAST PROJECTS

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(*) The Texas Tornados

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Hey, Baby, ¿Qué pasó?: Performing bilingual identities in Texan popular music. This project examined Spanish-English code switching in the music of the Texas Tornados, a band from San Antonio. The basis of our analysis was a close examination of the different socio-pragmatic functions of language mixing in their music repertoires. 

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Abstract: This study analyzes Spanish-English code-switching in the music of the Texas Tornados, a bilingual-bicultural San Antonio band. Their entire repertoire was transcribed and analyzed quantitatively and qualitatively to ascertain the form and functions of code-switching. We found that 39% of songs included language mixing, with English being the most frequent matrix language and Spanish lexical insertions and inter-sentential switches prevailing. Lexical insertions are used to exoticize songs and for humorous effect, while inter-sentential code-switching presents similar ideas in sequence demonstrating high poetic virtuosity. Such artistic use of language represents the subaltern status of Spanish, reflecting the sociolinguistic reality of Texas. 

 

Publication: 

Loureiro-Rodríguez, Verónica, Irene Moyna, and Damián Robles. 2018. “Hey,              Baby, ¿Qué pasó?: Performing bilingual identities in Texan popular                          music.” Language and Communication 60, 120-135.                                                    https://doi.org/10.1016/j.langcom.2018.02.009

 

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(*) Loanwords of Technology & Fashion

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The different behavior of loanwords in the Spanish of technology and of fashion and beauty. This project compared Spanish lexical borrowing in the language of technology and of fashion and beauty. Data from Spanish web pages were the source of linguistic analysis, showing, for example, that in fashion lexical borrowing is more frequent than in technology; borrowability of parts of speech varies across these fields, technology loanwords are almost exclusively patent Anglicisms. 

 

Abstract: This comparative study of Spanish lexical borrowing in the language of technology and of fashion and beauty shows that the behavior of loanwords is starkly different in these semantic fields. Data from Spanish language web pages show that lexical borrowing is more frequent in fashion than in technology, borrowability of parts of speech varies across these fields, technology loanwords are almost exclusively patent Anglicisms but in fashion they come also from other languages and have a more complex etymology, there is much more adaptation and morphological integration among technology than in fashion loanwords, and borrowing in technology is often accompanied by a kind of metalinguistic commentary that reflects attitudes and beliefs and that is not seen in the fashion data.

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