| This dissertation examines the bilingual language attitudes and practices in a Spanish-Guarani Paraguayan community that is not only labeled as diglossic, but also undergoing shifts in language education policies. The conceptual framework for this research falls within the language socialization perspective, embedding bilingual language development within the context of societal norms for language use that are conveyed through linguistic beliefs and daily language practices.; Three consecutive research studies illustrate that children are socialized to favor Spanish over Guarani in most contexts and with most conversational partners, despite the recently implemented Guarani educational language policy. Results showed that specific qualitative social factors (e.g., race, gender, socioeconomic status, educational attainment, and the urban-rural distinction) play an important role in when, how, and with whom these children used Guarani. Target children spoke Guarani more often out of the home context with male social partners, and used Guarani to fulfill either general discursive or negative emotion functions in conversations with others.; Findings stress the complexity of Paraguayan bilingualism, and call for a reconceptualization of Rubin's (1968) hierarchical "decision tree" regarding Paraguayan language choice. This dissertation suggests that when examining language practices in this country, qualitative social factors must be considered as an initial step, rather than a final one, where they are found in Rubin's decision tree. Investigating linguistic attitudes and daily language practices coupled with qualitative social factors provides insights into the complex nature of children's Spanish-Guarani language development in this community. |
