General, globalizada, neutra, panhispánica e transnacional

According to the current main researchers on Spanish Language Policy Studies, the español general is a transnational variety of the language.As it is ordinary, neutral and globalized, it cannot be imposed on anybody, but it is part of the linguistic repertoire of every educated speaker in the Hispanic World.For the past decades, and bearing different names, it has been referred to in all normative documents written by the academias de la lengua, has been the theme of important events promoted by the Cervantes Institute and also spread around the world as a foreign language by the same institution, the flagship of the current linguistic planning project of the Spanish State.The objective of this study is to situate the so-called español general within the Spanish language policy from the 90's of the 20 th century to the end of the first decade of the 21 st century.The central thesis underpinning this research is that the invention, promotion, defense and propaganda of this variety aim at the commercialization of the language.Situated in the field of Glotopolitics, this piece of research aims to analyze actions of language policy and planning -the latter by following Robert Cooper's model -and the ideologies that accompany them.In order to do so, a bibliographical study is carried out concerning an analysis of the conformation of the Spanish linguistic habitus since its installation in the Novo Mundo, the position it occupied in the new American nations at the moment of their independence, the beginning and construction of the linguistic authority of the Real Academia de la lengua española up to its current panhispánica linguistic policy.We also analyze the creation and actions of the Cervantes Institute (through its propaganda, events and representatives' speeches), the Spanish institution responsible for the language diffusion and spread in the world.This present study could not have been carried out without taking into account the political, social and economic context in which the language planning analyzed is designed and implemented.It also evaluates to what extent the concept of language as activo económico (economic resource and asset) drives such a project.Lastly, the linguistic instruments designed and adopted by the Cervantes Institutesuch as curricula, books and style manuals -are analyzed aiming at verifying in what ways the Spanish language planning reaches the classrooms and which is the productlanguage learned by the student of Spanish as a foreign language (international market).The analysis carried out reveals what the much-feted español general is and what it sounds like

Art · Humanities · Ideology · Language policy · Linguistics · Political science · Politics · Sociology · Theme (computing · History · Immigration and Intercultural Education · Law · Philosophy · Spanish Linguistics and Language Studies

• Historical and theoretical perspectives in language policy and planning

  Open Access•Thomas Ricento•Journal of Sociolinguistics•2000

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