Agency in the Reconstruction of Language Identity: A Narrative Case Study from the Island of San Andrés

Institucion Universitaria Columbo Americana UNCA. Calle 19 # 2A - 49 Second Floor, Bogata, Columbia. Tel: +571-2811777 Ext 1291; e-mail:gist@unica.edu.co; Web site: http://www.publicacionesunica.com/gist/index.php/gist/index

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Case Studies; Sociocultural Patterns; Language Attitudes; Language Planning; Social Status; Foreign Countries; Civil Rights; Multilingualism; Bilingualism; English (Second Language); Second Language Learning; Language Role; Personal Narratives; Creoles; Social Capital; Spanish; Diachronic Linguistics; African Languages; Engineering Education; Language Usage; Code Switching (Language); Qualitative Research; Discourse Analysis

1692-5777

The adoption of the English language paradigm and the subsequent implementation of bilingual policies worldwide are generating new linguistic hierarchies. These have an effect on the linguistic diversity at the sub-national level and on individuals' linguistic human rights. This article reports the results of a case study on an individual's re-engineering of his in-group language identity. Through the analysis of a narrative written by the participant (Fidel), this article intends to show the effects of language ideologies on the discursive and sociocultural practices of a member of a "raizal" community from San Andrés (Colombia). As a multilingual individual surrounded by multiple ideologies of language, covert and overt language policies, and language hierarchies of prestige dictated by a scope larger than his immediate social group, Fidel preserves, challenges, and transforms his in-group linguistic identity.

As Provided

60

2015

EJ1062715