Perfiles sociolingüísticos, prácticas y actitudes lingüísticas de los hablantes de español como lengua de origen y de herencia en Bélgica

There are currently around 100,000 Spanish speakers living in Belgium, mainly from Spain and Latin America. While there are studies on their migration history and on the transmission of Spanish as a heritage language, no sociolinguistic research has yet addressed the diversity of Spanish varieties in Belgium. The aim of this study is to explore the social and linguistic profiles of Spanish speakers in both French-speaking and Dutch-speaking Belgium, as well as their attitudes toward Spanish and other languages, and their identities as multilingual speakers. Through an online questionnaire, we collected data on sociolinguistic profiles, language biographies, individual and environmental language practices, and the configuration of their social networks. Additionally, attitudes toward Spanish and identity-related ties to the language are investigated. Potential associations between these variables and the maintenance and transmission of Spanish in Belgium are explored. Findings indicate that both contextual factors (country of birth, frequency of travel to the country of origin) and psychological factors (role of Spanish in their identity and connection to Spanish) positively influence these processes.