Native Speakers' Attitudes Toward the Use of Spanish by Non-Native Speakers: From George W. to J. Lo‪.‬

ABSTRACT. This investigation of native speakers' attitudes toward the use of Spanish by non-native speakers considers the following questions: Do native speakers consider the public use of Spanish by non-native speakers to be inappropriate? Do Latino non-native speakers provoke a more favorable response? Do native speakers believe Latinos have an obligation to know Spanish? What factors correlate with native and heritage speakers' attitudes toward ethnicity and language choice? Data were collected via a questionnaire distributed to students at post-secondary institutions in ten states. The findings provide insights into the attitudes of native and heritage speakers, a rapidly growing population in the language classroom. The data also contribute to discussion of a larger issue: heritage-speaker criticism of the public use of Spanish by non-native speakers as a form of cultural appropriation.* INTRODUCTION. (1) In recent years there have been multiple opportunities to observe reactions to the use of Spanish in the public domain, not only during the last presidential campaign but also in the world of popular music. When considering non-native speakers of Spanish, different standards are often applied to Latinos and non-Latinos. One often hears that Latinos should learn and use the language, and non-Latinos should stick to English. Thus, Christina Aguilera is criticized for not being able to speak Spanish (2), while George W. Bush and others are admonished to 'Stop speaking so much Spanish and give me more substance' (Ostrom & Thomma 2000). Even though politics and entertainment are two different spheres of activity, the fact remains that non-native speakers provoke different reactions depending on their ethnicity.