EL PONT DE SUERT LA CANONJA BENICARLÓ PETRER

Specific objectives by community

EL PONT DE SUERT:

1. To analyze the effect of internal (linguistic) and external factors (stylistic and social) on the substitution process of the local phonological variant that was studied in apparent time, [tz], by the standard variant, [z], by means of recording the same 28 informants (8% of the real universe of analysis) that had been interviewed in the past. .
2. To analyze the effect of internal (linguistic) and external factors (stylistic and social) on the substitution process of the local syntactic variant that was studied in apparent time, {SER}, by the standard variant, {HAVER}, by means of recording the same 28 informants (8% of the real universe of analysis) that had been interviewed in the past.
3. To use quantitative methods to establish the significance of results as to diffusion and the route taken by the changes which are being observed.
4. To locate the findings within the Theory of Language Variation and Change.

LA CANONJA:

1. To analyze the effect of internal (linguistic) and external factors (stylistic and social) on the on-going linguistic contact between Spanish and Catalan, by means of recording the same 30 informants (0,60% of the real universe of analysis) that had been interviewed in the past. .
2. To study in real time several variables that characterize the Tarragonès variety such as the use of the definite articles, and other morphological and syntactic variables, by means of the correlation between internal and external factors.
3. To use quantitative methods to establish the significance of results as to diffusion and the route taken by the changes which are being observed.
4. To locate the findings within the Theory of Language Variation and Change.

BENICARLÓ:

The study of language variation and change in Benicarló is validating the predictions and corroborating some of the results obtained in preceding studies such as:

• Pradilla’s Ph.D. dissertation (1993) Variació i canvi lingüístic en curs al català de transició Nord-occidental/valencià.
• Pradilla (1995). "El desafricament prepalatal en el català de transició nord-occidental/valencià", In M.T. Turell (ed.) La sociolingüística de la variació. Barcelona: PPU, pp.  53-116).

The methodology used involves the realization of a panel study with the same sample of 70 informants (0,72 % of the real univers) and the same type of sociolinguistic interview used in apparent time. The same statistical methods are being used in order to correlate linguistic, social and stylistic factors and compare the results in apparent and real time.

PETRER:

The study of language variation and change in Petrer is validating the predictions and corroborating some of the results obtained in preceding studies such as:

• Montoya’s Ph.D. dissertation (1985) De sociolingüística històrica: canvi lingüístic en curs i

desplaçament de  llengües a l’extrem meridional de la llengua catalana.

• Montoya, B. (1989).  "Estratificació de la variació lingüís­tica a  Petrer", Dins Gimeno, F. And B. Montoya, Socio­lin­güística. València: Publicacions de la Universitat de Valèn­cia, pp.  67-95).

The methodology used involves the realization of a panel study with the same sample of 86 informants (1,25% of the real univers) and the same type of sociolinguistic interview used in apparent time. The same statistical methods are being used in order to correlate linguistic, social and stylistic factors and compare the results in apparent and real time.