The status and use of spanish and english among hispanic youth in dade county (miami) florida: A sociolinguistic study, 1989–1991

Abstract

Abstract Will Hispanic youth in Dade County (Miami, et al.) Florida sustain their Spanish‐English bilingualism? Or, will they shift to English‐only monolin‐gualism? Prior studies pertaining to the status of Spanish‐English bilingualism among Cuban American youth in Florida revealed an emerging pattern in which they tended to use both Spanish and English in the home, leaning toward English when speaking to their siblings. This paper reports the results of a sociolinguistic analysis on the status of Spanish‐English bilingualism among Hispanic youth in Dade County, Florida, focused on the questions: Which languages (Spanish or English) do the Hispanic youths speak to whom? And, under what circumstances? What is their attitude toward Spanish and English? And, to what extent are they literate in Spanish and English? Answers to these questions have crucial implications for the maintenance of native Spanish in the United States as well as implications pertaining to the social, political, and economic future of the nation as well as Hispanic youths. Analysis of the accrued data indicated a statistically significant difference in the amounts of English and Spanish used in two contexts: in the formal and in the familial settings. Subjects also reported a preference for English over Spanish in terms of attitudes as well as amounts of Spanish and English used. The data allowed the inference that Spanish‐English bilingualism is at a crossroads among Dade County's Hispanic youths. While the youths are Spanish‐English bilinguals by their senior year, they appear to be shifting toward the use of English as their primary language of communication. Recommendations for educational policies and practice are provided.