Spanish is often framed as both essential and deeply rooted in Miami, a necessity to "get by" living in the 305.
In certain ways, it is. In other ways it is not, says FIU sociolinguist Phillip Carter.
While both Spanish and English are spoken in South Florida, according to his latest study, English is still viewed as "more important."
Following on the heels of his Miami English dialect research that went viral and garnered widespread national attention last year, Carter's latest research continues to look at how language is used in the 305. Alongside Salvatore Callesano, assistant professor of linguistics at University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Carter examined the nonconscious biases people harbor with regard to hearing English and Spanish.
Not exactly an easy task.
As Carter points out, biases can be so ingrained in us, we're not even aware of them. Biases with regard to language, for example, might influence what we think about other people: their level of education, employment, values and more.
In this Q&A, Carter breaks down the study's findings published in The International Journal of Bilingualism, as well as what surprised him most and what he hopes Miamians take away from it.
