A contrastive study based on the perception of the young Sevillian people about the Andalusian and Castilian varieties

Abstract

This investigation aims to compare, following the methodology of the Proyecto para el estudio de creencias y actitudes hacia las variedades del español en el siglo XXI (PRECAVES XXI), between the different perceptions that the young Sevillian people have about their own language variety, the Andalusian, and the one which is often used as a prestigious referent, the Castilian. For this, we started with the opinion of university students born and resident in Seville, who attend a college degree and post-graduated studies related with linguistics or languages, basically Spanish language. It’s about a group of students that, in a Southern dialectal area like the one it is analysed here, generate a special interest, because in their professional path, particularly for those who will dedicate themselves to teaching, they must have the ability to know and convey the language usages which they consider cultured and prestigious. By knowing what is the appraisal that some of the speakers have about the local accent, we will be able to see more clearly the causes of various convergence processes which occur nowadays in Seville, as well as to itemize through different opinions in which we find that the north-central variety is considered the most prestigious.