Language TikTok-ologías

Representations of Language Ideologies among U.S. Bilingual Spanish-Speakers on TikTok

Abstract

The present study examines how language ideologies related to U.S. English-Spanish bilingualism is represented and negotiated on the social networking site (SNS) TikTok. Drawing from a data set of 100 highly engaged videos tagged with #Spanglish, the analysis applies Fuller & Leeman’s (2020) framework of U.S. language ideologies to identify and interpret emerging patterns.  The most prominent ideologies identified were the standard language ideology, differential bilingualism, heteroglossic language ideologies, and Spanish as essential to Latinx identity. Although many videos often implicitly reproduced dominant linguistic hierarchies, many others offered critique, resistance, or even reappropriation through humor, storytelling, and layered multimodal creativity. These patterns reveal how TikTok is not only for entertainment, but it serves as a discursive space where younger bilingual users navigate issues of legitimacy, identity, and belonging. The findings underscore the ideological significance of digital participation and suggest a shifting sociolinguistic landscape in which stigmatized varieties and bilingual practices continue to gain greater visibility and affirmation through online interaction.