Sociolinguistic exploration of the implications of necropolitics and raciolinguistic hierarchies in language teaching and learning: a case study of bilingual Hispanic-Catalan adult students

Authors

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-795X.2024.e98638

Keywords:

Necropolitics, Colonialism., Raciolinguistics

Abstract

This article investigates the impact of necropolitics and raciolinguistics on language education, using data from a longitudinal study focused on Portuguese perceptions among bilingual Hispanic-Catalan adults. The study employed a qualitative methodology over three years, collecting data through surveys, visual and textual narratives, focus groups, and classroom observations. The findings highlighted the impact of necropolitics and raciolinguistic hierarchies, contributing to disparities in the social valuation of languages. Additionally, it was observed that students' perceptions of the language served as a motivating factor for learning Portuguese. Therefore, a reevaluation of educational policies is recommended to promote linguistic equity and inclusion, especially in multicultural and plurilingual contexts such as Catalonia. This study emphasizes the need to address socioeconomic dynamics and their repercussions on identity and stereotypes.

Author Biographies

Danielli Neves Matias Santos, University of Cologne

Postdoctoral Researcher

Danielli Neves M. Santos was born in Niterói, Rio de Janeiro, Brazil, and completed her undergraduate studies in Modern Languages at the Federal Fluminense University. During this period, she participated as a scholarship assistant in the Solidarity Literacy Project, engaging in sociolinguistic activities within the program. In 2002, she contributed to the development of the phonetic transcription of the Spanish/Portuguese dictionary for Ocèano Editorial. In 2003, she moved to Barcelona with a scholarship from the Spanish government (MAEC – AECID) for the Advanced Studies Diploma/DEA program at the University of Barcelona, culminating with a dissertation on Discourse Markers in spoken language and bilingual Portuguese-Spanish-Portuguese dictionaries.

After 2006, she remained in Barcelona, dedicating herself to teaching Portuguese as an additional language. In 2015, she resumed doctoral studies in Applied Linguistics in the Didactics of Sciences, Languages, Arts, and Humanities program at the University of Barcelona, Department of Education. The doctoral thesis, defended in 2021, received the highest grade of Summa cum laude. Her specialization focuses on Applied Linguistics, with an emphasis on the impact of socioeconomic, gender, and ethnic disparities on access to educational opportunities.

Currently, she is a visiting postdoctoral researcher at the Luso-Brazilian Institute (PBI) of the University of Cologne, developing a project in partnership with the Federal University of Sergipe (UFS) on Education in a Transnational Perspective, focusing on Spain, Brazil, and Germany.

Kevin Randall Steil, Universitat de Barcelona

Professor Adjunto da Universidade de Barcelona, Espanha. Doutorando em Educação Linguística na Universidade de Barcelona, Espanha. Membro dos grupos de pesquisa PLURAL e GRAL. Faculdade de Educação - Departamento de Educação Linguística e Literária, e Ensino de Ciências Experimentais e Matemática.

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Published

2024-09-30

How to Cite

Neves Matias Santos, D., & Randall Steil, K. (2024). Sociolinguistic exploration of the implications of necropolitics and raciolinguistic hierarchies in language teaching and learning: a case study of bilingual Hispanic-Catalan adult students. Perspectiva, 42(4), 1–21. https://doi.org/10.5007/2175-795X.2024.e98638

Issue

Vol. 42 No. 4 (2024)

Section

Article Demand for Continuous

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Copyright (c) 2024 Danielli Neves Matias Santos, Kevin Randall Steil

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