Some courtesy formulas used by Syrian-Lebanese immigrants in Argentina
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María Cecilia Ainciburu
María Cecilia Ainciburu is professor of Spanish Language and Applied Linguistics. She obtained her and Ph.D. degree in Applied Linguistics from Nebrija University (Spain) and she
has published many books and articles on Language Acquisition and Learning in Foreign Language Didactics. She is editor ofRevista Nebrija de Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza de Lenguas (ISSN 1699-6569). Her current research focuses on lexical acquisition, discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, theories of framing and intertextuality, linguistic construction of relationships and identities.
and
Ana Ramajo Cuesta
Ana Ramajo Cuesta holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics (Universidad Antonio de Nebrija) and a PhD in Arabic studies (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid). She has a B.A in Translation and Interpreting (Universidad de Salamanca), a Master in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language and a M.Phil in Applied Linguistics (Universidad Antonio de Nebrija). She has worked as a Spanish lecturer at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon and Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where she conducted several research projects on the acquisition of Spanish by Arab learners and Arabic sociopragmatics.
Abstract
The use of formulaic phrases has attracted considerable interest in cultural studies, but little attention has been paid to sociolinguistic issues. This paper is a study of the linguistic courtesy expressions of Syrian-Lebanese, second-generation immigrants in Argentina. Based on secret recordings, and using an interpretive approach to transfer, this research explores the relationship between courtesy formulas in Arabic and their equivalent in Spanish. Formulas containing mainly somatic elements (hands and eyes) are selected to narrow the range of meanings of the targeted expressions. The approach to transfer is interpretive; the findings show how the formulas’ structures are tailored to the requirements of different languages, and how different formulas are creatively employed to display and negotiate identities that are related to the status of immigrants in Argentina and their discursive spaces.
About the authors
María Cecilia Ainciburu is professor of Spanish Language and Applied Linguistics. She obtained her and Ph.D. degree in Applied Linguistics from Nebrija University (Spain) and she has published many books and articles on Language Acquisition and Learning in Foreign Language Didactics. She is editor of Revista Nebrija de Lingüística Aplicada a la Enseñanza de Lenguas (ISSN 1699-6569). Her current research focuses on lexical acquisition, discourse analysis, interactional sociolinguistics, theories of framing and intertextuality, linguistic construction of relationships and identities.
Ana Ramajo Cuesta holds a PhD in Applied Linguistics (Universidad Antonio de Nebrija) and a PhD in Arabic studies (Universidad Autónoma de Madrid). She has a B.A in Translation and Interpreting (Universidad de Salamanca), a Master in Teaching Spanish as a Foreign Language and a M.Phil in Applied Linguistics (Universidad Antonio de Nebrija). She has worked as a Spanish lecturer at Saint Joseph University of Beirut, Lebanon and Paris-Sorbonne University Abu Dhabi, United Arab Emirates where she conducted several research projects on the acquisition of Spanish by Arab learners and Arabic sociopragmatics.
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Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Some courtesy formulas used by Syrian-Lebanese immigrants in Argentina
- Bogans, lawyers and teachers: On the interactional achievement of word meanings
- Exploiting the social meanings of urban vernaculars: Differentiating effects of Citélanguage in advertising
- A pragmatic analysis of L2 Spanish requests: Acquisition in three situational contexts during short-term study abroad
- Forum
- A socio-cognitive approach to pragmatic inference
- Book Reviews
- Zufferey, Sandrine: Acquiring pragmatics. Social and cognitive perspectives
- Meibauer, Jörg: Lying at the Semantics Pragmatics Interface
Articles in the same Issue
- Frontmatter
- Some courtesy formulas used by Syrian-Lebanese immigrants in Argentina
- Bogans, lawyers and teachers: On the interactional achievement of word meanings
- Exploiting the social meanings of urban vernaculars: Differentiating effects of Citélanguage in advertising
- A pragmatic analysis of L2 Spanish requests: Acquisition in three situational contexts during short-term study abroad
- Forum
- A socio-cognitive approach to pragmatic inference
- Book Reviews
- Zufferey, Sandrine: Acquiring pragmatics. Social and cognitive perspectives
- Meibauer, Jörg: Lying at the Semantics Pragmatics Interface
