Speak American: The History of Bilingualism in
North America - Part 1

Explore the rich history and current situation of numerous languages that have been spoken on this continent. We will examine theories about the birth of language and the migrations of humans that brought language to the Americas, with a particular focus on California. Learn about the arrival of colonial languages such as English, French and Spanish and the different ways competition between these languages have played out in the political realms of Canada, the United States and Mexico. Finally, we will discuss the modern resurgence of Mayan and Nahuatl’ languages through poetry and music. Other topics will include Spanish-English code switching, Iroquois, Algonquin and African American Vernacular English.