Ideologies of Standard Spanish Discourses of Later-Generation Heritage Speakers of Spanish in Illinois

Abstract

This study examines the effects of seemingly contradictory evaluations resulting from standard language ideologies among 19 Mexican-origin university students in Illinois. The participants are later-generation heritage speakers of Spanish who were interviewed about their experiences with language use. This paper qualitatively examines three interrelated themes that emerged from the interviews: (a) self-perceptions of proficiency, (b) affective evaluations toward bilingualism and Spanish, and (c) experiences of language subordination. The findings suggest that heritage speakers show positive attitudes toward idealized bilingualism and “standard Spanish”—they speak of tradition, sense of belonging, and the instrumental value of being bilingual. Further, they show more negative evaluations toward non-standardized varieties like Spanglish, while admitting to using these varieties. They differentiate between “proper” and “improper” Spanish and describe their own proficiency in Spanish as “incorrect.” These findings point to the profound tension between conceptualizations of the standard and the non-standard among later-generation heritage speakers of Spanish. This study contributes to the understanding of standard language ideologies on the lived experiences of Spanish speakers in contemporary Illinois, where Spanish has had a long-standing presence yet mixed language varieties continue to be subordinated vis-à-vis “standard” English and Spanish across academic, professional, and social contexts.