What is the Corpus del Español de Memphis (CEM) or Corpus of Memphis Spanish? The CEM consists of interviews with community members on language identity and language access (translation and interpretation) in Memphis and surrounding areas. The goal is to better understand the language access needs of the local Latino community and to foster empathy regarding language-related issues by highlighting the experience of Spanish speakers in our area.
Keywords: Language identity, translation and interpretation, children as interpreters, US Spanish, Spanglish, Memphis. Shelby County
Director: Dr. Ortega-Santos
Research Team: A. G. Faz Suárez, R. P. Gersava, J. Alaniz, R. T. Barr, E. K. Gilbert, J. H. Gutiérrez, L. M. Furtado Vaz, T. E. Soriano
How to cite the Corpus del Español de Memphis: Ortega-Santos, I., A. G. Faz Suárez, R. P. Gersava, J. Alaniz, R. T. Barr, E. K. Gilbert, J. H. Gutiérrez, L. M. Furtado Vaz, T. E. Soriano. 2023. Corpus del Español de Memphis (CEM). Memphis, University of Memphis. [https://blogs.memphis.edu/rtgsntos/corpus-del-espanol-de-memphis/]
Methodology: The research team interviewed native speakers and heritage speakers of Spanish living in the Memphis area. The interviewers transcribed the interviews. Each transcription was edited by a second member of the research team. Both the audio recordings and the transcripts are available online.
Interviews (recordings and transcriptions)
Sample answers
- Children as interpreters
- Language maintenance and language identity
- Normative pressure
- As an untrained translator or interpreter (other than interpreting as a child)
