When: June 10, 2022, 9:00 am - Friday

Where: Ezell 232

Session 6

Session Abstract

An important aspect of building a livable world is an understanding and appreciation of the languages, literatures, and cultures shaping our diverse world. This CFP invites scholarly papers from all areas of linguistics, literary studies, and related disciplines that explore bi-/multilingualism and bi-/multiculturalism from linguistic or literary perspectives and highlight how linguistic, literary, and cultural diversity contributes to the building of a more connected world.

Paper Abstracts

Olga Pahom, Lubbock Christian University, “Building Common Ground in a Multilingual World: Spanish-English Bilingual Couples and Language Choices”

Bilingual couples remain an understudied population in bilingualism research, and few studies focus on the couples’ perceptions of their own language choices. This presentation investigates the factors identified by Spanish-English couples in the U.S. as determining their use of Spanish and English. The analysis of conversational and interview data from 30 participants uncovered seven self-reported factors as main determinants of couples’ language choices. The presentation also discusses how the language choices influenced by these factors help couples establish couple identity and culture, negotiate their place in a larger speech community, and shape the future of U.S. bilingualism.

 

Abraham Mata, Lubbock Christian University, “Transatlantic Religious Discourse in Imperial Spain: A Literary Analysis of Spanish and Portuguese Sermons by Early Abolitionists”

The study of sermons is central to colonial literature and North American history. This presentation provides a comparative analysis of the Sermón de la Epifanía (Sermon of Epiphany) by the Spanish preacher António de Montesinos (1511) and the Sermão de Santo António aos Peixes (Sermon of St. Anthony to the Fish) by the Portuguese Jesuit António Vieira (1654). Using the tripartite strategy of literary criticism, this presentation argues that both preachers used abolitionist rhetoric to influence the religious and socio-political conflicts of their time and to promote an appreciation for diverse languages, peoples, and cultures.

 

Karen Beth Strovas, Wayland Baptist University, “Immigrating into Marriage: Women’s Language and Marital Experience in Postcolonial Indian Fiction”

This presentation explores three postcolonial Indian narratives: “Gogol” by Jhumpa Lahiri, “Clothes” by Chitra Divakaruni, and “The First Party” by Attia Hosain. Each story presents a newly-married Indian woman who immigrates to America shortly after her arranged marriage to join an Indian husband in the States. Lahiri, Divakaruni, and Hosain highlight the women’s language and cultural misunderstandings in America, as well as the simultaneous learning curve into marriage.  Consideration of these texts creates space for readers to rethink our concept of culture and departures from our roots and mother tongue.

 

Katie Weiss, Texas Tech University, “Sitcoms as Language-Learning Tools for Emerging Bilinguals: A Corpus Linguistic Study of Full House (1987) and Fuller House (2016)”

Full House (1987) and Fuller House (2016) are canonically related shows that were written nearly 30 years apart from one another. After building a corpus of each show, a lemma list analysis, keyword analysis, and n–gram analysis were conducted to assess the potential for vocabulary acquisition of ESL learners as they view sitcoms. The results found somewhat surprising linguistic similarities between each show, as well as significant results for the potential for sitcoms to be used as tools for pronoun and contraction acquisition for emerging bilinguals as they acquire English within the context of an ESL classroom and beyond.

Speakers

Olga Pahom, Lubbock Christian University, Convener

• Olga Pahom, Lubbock Christian University, “Building Common Ground in a Multilingual World: Spanish-English Bilingual Couples and Language Choices”
• Abraham Mata, Lubbock Christian University, “Transatlantic Religious Discourse in Imperial Spain: A Literary Analysis of Spanish and Portuguese Sermons by Early Abolitionists”
• Karen Beth Strovas, Wayland Baptist University, “Immigrating into Marriage: Women’s Language and Marital Experience in Postcolonial Indian Fiction”
• Katie Weiss, Texas Tech University, “Sitcoms as Language-Learning Tools for Emerging Bilinguals: A Corpus Linguistic Study of Full House (1987) and Fuller House (2016)”