Identity and special language varieties: an ecolinguistic view

Abstract

This starting-point of this article is the fact that a language ecosystem works in accordance with the triad of the fundamental ecology of language (FEL), in which people and territory form a unity. Thus, our main objective is to investigate complex language ecologies as well as how specialized language varieties are formed and form the identity of their users, from an ecolinguistic perspective. Our main theoretical foundation is Couto (2007), the basis for our text, together with Cabello (2002) for specialized language varieties, as well as Hall (2007), who deals with the question of identity formation in a post-modern context. Out of the interaction of different language ecosystems several FELs may emerge. These in turn may give birth to jargons and slangs. These language varieties form different identities which characterize the subjects of certain social and linguistic groups.