CHFA | Global Languages Senior Colloquium
Academic Level at Time of Presentation
Senior
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Major
History, Spanish
Minor
German
List all Project Mentors & Advisor(s)
Dr. Elena Picech
Presentation Format
Oral Presentation
Abstract/Description
Rebuilding Babel?: Tracking the Use of Anglicisms in Spanish and German
YouTube Videos
Mallory Wooldridge is a senior at Murray State University double majoring in Spanish and history with a minor in German. When not listening to Hozier’s discography, she can be found reading, scribbling poems on post-it notes, running, or planning her next trip abroad. Mallory plans to move to Germany following graduation, beginning her adventure of living and working abroad before returning to grad school.
Numerous factors including the United States’ and Great Britain’s imperialistic pasts and increasing globalization have contributed to the recent emergence of English as the global lingua franca. The English language now has a large influence in the fields of politics, technology, economics, and science, among others. This project analyzes this growing influence of the English language within the Spanish and German languages, with a particular emphasis on its cultural implications. Of primary interest is understanding what kinds of English neologisms are most likely to be introduced into so-called ‘receptor languages’ (Spanish or German). My analysis is based on the categorization of tracked anglicisms into cultural categories (technology, fashion, science, etc.). Secondly, the comparative nature of this research answers at what rate anglicisms are accepted into receptor languages, signaling whether certain languages are more likely to incorporate such terms. This research expands upon existing corpora tracking anglicisms in global languages (predominantly in radio, television, and advertisements) by examining a new form of media notable for its popularity amongst youth and its ability to rapidly establish and disseminate these borrowed terms: YouTube. The results of my video analysis, alongside existing research, suggest that though the use of anglicisms is growing in the Spanish and German languages, English is not solely ‘replacing’ already existing words, but often providing unique ways of expressing cultural concepts, a process that is occurring much more rapidly in German than in Spanish. In conclusion, this project presents an alternative perspective to cultural imperialism that offers a more nuanced understanding of the growing influence of anglicisms in global languages.
Spring Scholars Week 2022 Event
GTL 400 Senior Colloquium
Rebuilding Babel?: Tracking the Use of Anglicisms in Spanish and German YouTube Videos
Rebuilding Babel?: Tracking the Use of Anglicisms in Spanish and German
YouTube Videos
Mallory Wooldridge is a senior at Murray State University double majoring in Spanish and history with a minor in German. When not listening to Hozier’s discography, she can be found reading, scribbling poems on post-it notes, running, or planning her next trip abroad. Mallory plans to move to Germany following graduation, beginning her adventure of living and working abroad before returning to grad school.
Numerous factors including the United States’ and Great Britain’s imperialistic pasts and increasing globalization have contributed to the recent emergence of English as the global lingua franca. The English language now has a large influence in the fields of politics, technology, economics, and science, among others. This project analyzes this growing influence of the English language within the Spanish and German languages, with a particular emphasis on its cultural implications. Of primary interest is understanding what kinds of English neologisms are most likely to be introduced into so-called ‘receptor languages’ (Spanish or German). My analysis is based on the categorization of tracked anglicisms into cultural categories (technology, fashion, science, etc.). Secondly, the comparative nature of this research answers at what rate anglicisms are accepted into receptor languages, signaling whether certain languages are more likely to incorporate such terms. This research expands upon existing corpora tracking anglicisms in global languages (predominantly in radio, television, and advertisements) by examining a new form of media notable for its popularity amongst youth and its ability to rapidly establish and disseminate these borrowed terms: YouTube. The results of my video analysis, alongside existing research, suggest that though the use of anglicisms is growing in the Spanish and German languages, English is not solely ‘replacing’ already existing words, but often providing unique ways of expressing cultural concepts, a process that is occurring much more rapidly in German than in Spanish. In conclusion, this project presents an alternative perspective to cultural imperialism that offers a more nuanced understanding of the growing influence of anglicisms in global languages.