The mirror effect in the language ideologies of Amazighs and Quechuas in Catalonia

Abstract

This paper explores the mirror effect phenomenon as an influential factor in the adoption of Catalan as the preferred language and in heritage language maintenance, and also as a factor determining language ideologies and linguistic behaviour. The mirror effect is defined as the phenomenon that makes the minority language speakers experience a change in their linguistic representations when they establish contact with minority languages such as Catalan (Cortès-Colomé, 2016). We have studied the language ideologies of the Amazigh and Quechua communities in the Barcelona metropolitan area – both of which are minoritised – in relation to the mirror effect. We argue that the mirror effect is a real phenomenon to these communities in the sense that it transforms the language ideologies and linguistic behaviour of some of their members. Even though the initial study combines quantitative and qualitative methodology, this paper focuses particularly on qualitative data. Qualitative data were obtained through semi-structured interviews with members of both communities. Along with the mirror effect, we analyse the language ideologies of the aforementioned communities in relation to their heritage languages, their dominant languages and the languages of Catalonia. Lastly, this paper proposes a new and more detailed description of the mirror effect phenomenon.

Keywords: language ideologies, heritage languages, immigration languages, Quechua, Amazigh, mirror effect.