Language Text and Identity in the Hispanic World

Module tutors: Dr Michela Coletta, Raquel Navas, Prof Fabienne Viala, Prof Kirsty Hooper

Module Description

• How does the variety of Spanish spoken across different regions reflect and shape cultural and linguistic identities within Hispanic communities, especially in relation to other languages?​
• How do writers working between languages, such as Latinx authors, navigate and express their identity through literature? ​
• How do language, literature, and cultural practices in Hispanic societies frame narratives of human-nonhuman relations and climate change?

This module will equip you with an understanding of the cultural and sociolinguistic diversity of the Hispanic world, and a strong grounding in the literary and cultural analysis of texts that address this diversity. The module has four sections:

I. Multispecies Identities in Latin American Culture. How do modes of relating to other-than-human life change over time and space? How are identities co-constituted across species and what does that tell us about who we are? The module’s opening section explores these questions through Latin American multispecies storytelling. We will read and discuss short fiction about fantastical, psychological, and ecological intersections between humans and non-humans. A selection of writings will include early-twentieth-century narratives set in the Argentine tropical forest, anti-anthropocentric short stories from Brazil, and contemporary storytelling rooted in indigenous Amazonian oral traditions.

II. Spanish in the World. In this part of the module, we will explore different varieties of Spanish spoken around the world, along with some of the other languages with which it shares its territory. This section intends to build theoretical foundations of sociolinguistics, focusing on Spanish-speaking groups through the study of language and society. Topics include linguistic identity, language contact, language attitudes, policy and planning, linguistic landscapes, and social factors in Spanish language acquisition.

III. Climate Fiction in the Hispanic World. In this section, we will analyse the scope of contemporary Hispanic climate fiction to reflect on the challenges of inhabiting the Anthropocene. Since 2011, when the word “cli-fi” was coined by Dan Bloom in the Anglophone context of environmental humanities, writers across Latin America have been exploring the potential of imagining stories in which the climate tipping points have been reached to trigger debates around the meaning of kinship, solidarity and human identity in a damaged world. We will read closely 2063 y Otras Distopías (2017) by the Puerto Rican writer José Rabelo. Beside his work of fiction, Rabelo teaches creative writing and works as a dermatologist in Puerto Rico, a position through which he has been able to witness firsthand how the climate crisis has been damaging health on the island. In his collection of short stories, Rabelo creates speculative vignettes to portray and embody what the worst-case scenarios in the future might look like. Seminar discussions will combine close reading and literary analysis with broader questions from the environmental humanities which explore the potential of speculative fiction in helping us think about the consequences of climate change and in taking measures to redefine the purpose of our life on planet Earth.

IV. Writing Across and Between Languages. In this section you will build on what you've learned in the first part of the module to discover how writers who live and work between languages use their work to explore questions of language and identity. With a focus on poetry and short-form writing, we'll look at how US and British Latinx writers have used literature to understand and shape their identities; how different writers have approached the challenges of writing in a language that isn't your own ('exophonic writing'); and how Spanish and English fit into the rich linguistic culture of the Philippines.

What students have said about this module:

"Next, we moved on to what I would honestly describe as my favourite part of my studies this year: the usage of Spanish in our linguistic environment. Through the usage of a Twitter feed we were all encouraged to keep our eyes peeled for examples of Spanish in our environment. I thoroughly enjoyed this section of the module as it was interactive and provided a far deeper depth of understanding with regards to the languages of the Hispanic World and all that they entail."

"Overall, I am unable to put into words how much enjoyment I have derived from HP103; my outlook has been broadened, narrow precepts challenged and, moreover, every lecture and seminar has reaffirmed why I chose my course – it is engaging, interactive, captivating and enthralling."

Imogen, Hispanic Studies: so much more than rellena los huecos.Link opens in a new window