Spanish in the U.S.

“Spanish in the United States: Myths and Realities”. A talk by Kim Potowski

By Anais Holgado Lage and Nadia Cervantes Pérez

On May 8, 2018, Professor Kim Potowski delivered a talk titled “Spanish in the US: Myths and Realities”.

Kim Potowski is Professor of Hispanic Linguistics in the Hispanic and Italian Studies Department at the University of Illinois at Chicago.  In her talk, Professor Potowski discussed five myths surrounding Spanish in the U.S providing relevant data and a good dose of humor. She addressed questions such as these: What are some of the principal characteristics of Spanish as it is spoken in the U.S.?  Is “Spanglish” a positive or a derogatory term? Is a single U.S. Spanish dialect likely to emerge?  And what are the best ways to encourage Spanish development among heritage speakers?

The talk was followed by a Q&A in which the attendees brought up thought-provoking questions. Numerous undergraduate Spanish students as well as lecturers in the Department of Spanish and Portuguese attended the event.

Find the video of the presentation here