Mother Tongue as a Determining Variable in Language Attitudes. The Case of Immigrant Latin American Students in Spain (*)

Abstract

Bearing in mind the relevance of immigration in Spain, we consider the linguistic idiosyncrasy of the autonomous community of Catalonia in the present study to describe and analyse language attitudes to Catalan and Spanish in a sample of 225 students of immigrant origin living in different parts of the region. We focus on language attitudes in so far as they promote integration in the host society at the same time that they play a major role in the acquisition of the new language. Globally, the results obtained show positive attitudes to Catalan and Spanish. This however, has to be further clarified taking into consideration the fact that, geographical origin clearly determines the attitudes showed by students. As we will see, it is in the case of learners coming from Latin America that we find the most significant differences.