Language ideology and practice among Judeo-Spanish-speaking Sephardim in Seattle and South Florida

Abstract

Abstract This study explores language ideologies among Judeo-Spanish-speaking Sephardim in Seattle (n\xa0=\xa022) and South Florida (n\xa0=\xa020). Speakers responded to a five-point Likert scale survey containing fifteen questions, which collected data about informants use of Judeo-Spanish, metalinguistic awareness, and personal attitudes regarding contact with other languages. Some of the most significant between-group differences include feeling integrated into a community of Judeo-Spanish speakers, communicative proficiency in Modern Spanish, knowledge of which elements in Judeo-Spanish come from other languages, as well as evaluative statements concerning the use of Turkish and English throughout one s Judeo-Spanish. An examination of these groups and their individual members highlights the social structure of each population and demonstrates how such organization factors into the linguistic and ideological stance of each community.