Critical perspectives on the polycentrism and Pan-Hispanism of the Spanish language

Abstract

Much has been said about how normative Spanish has been forged, and its relationship to the current variation in the language. We analyse discourse, very often from incompatible viewpoints, which examine the changes made by the Academies in their current polycentric / Pan-Hispanic language policies. We follow closely the evolution of the Academies themselves, the linguists who set great store by these changes and who, at the same time, provide constructive criticism of the path that remains to be travelled, and we take heed of the glottological approaches that call into question the work of the Academies and relate it to overlapping ideological and economic interests. We argue that how the different norms for Spanish in the world can be reconciled is an issue that still awaits a solution. We also analyse the effect of these norms on the teaching of Spanish as a foreign / second / heritage language.