Language Attitudes Towards Spanish and English in Puerto Rico

Abstract

This article analyzes language attitudes towards Spanish and English in Puerto Rico, a U.S. territory since 1898, and seek to answer the following three questions: are Spanish and English conflicting elements in the Puerto Rican society? Is Spanish a symbol of identity for Puerto Ricans? Does bilingualism represent a threat to the ethno-sociolinguistic existence of Puerto Ricans? By examining an online questionnaire on language attitudes completed by participants living in Puerto Rico, I argue that for Puerto Ricans bilingualism is becoming more prevalent and many of them are increasingly accepting both languages, Spanish and English, without questioning or denying the fact that Spanish is their mother tongue.

Keywords

• language policy
• linguistic legislation
• Puerto Rico
• bilingualism
• language attitudes