Name: Who counts as a speaker of a language?
Uploaded: 2020-12-16T16:00:29Z
Duration: 10 min 46 s
Description: Backed by research and personal anecdotes, Spanish professor Anna Babel reveals the intricate relationship between language and culture, showing how social categories and underlying biases influence the way we hear, regard and, ultimately, judge each other. A talk that will leave you questioning your assumptions about what it really means to speak a language.

Backed by research and personal anecdotes, Spanish professor Anna Babel reveals the intricate relationship between language and culture, showing how social categories and underlying biases influence the way we hear, regard and, ultimately, judge each other. A talk that will leave you questioning your assumptions about what it really means to speak a language.

Who counts as a speaker of a language?

Language shapes how people see themselves and each other, but judgments about who counts as a 'speaker' often have more to do with bias than skill. College students with years of Spanish study may still not call themselves speakers, while children growing up bilingual can feel like outsiders in both languages. Even tests meant to measure language ability can reflect social assumptions. The boundaries of language are tangled with culture, identity, and unspoken expectations.