Language, cognition and discourse

insights into Spanish from a functionalist and cognitive perspective – an interview with professor Dr. Renata Enghels

Abstract

This interview focuses on the academic trajectory and contributions of Professor Dr. Renata Enghels in the field of Hispanic and Romance linguistics, with an emphasis on language studies from a functionalist and cognitive perspective. The aim of the interview is to understand how her theoretical and methodological approaches contribute to the analysis of discursive phenomena in contemporary Spanish, as well as to explore the pedagogical and sociocultural implications of these investigations. The interview was conducted through nine open-ended questions, strategically organized to address key topics such as the relationship between language and culture in Hispanic communities, Construction Grammar theory, linguistic variation among Romance languages, lexical productivity, intensification in discourse, the teaching of Spanish as a foreign language, and methodological challenges in the analysis of youth language. Throughout her answers, Professor Enghels highlights the importance of Functional and Cognitive Linguistics, explaining how these approaches enable a more contextual, dynamic, and situated understanding of language. She emphasizes that the study of discourse requires the integration of different levels of analysis – from the lexical, morphosyntactic, and semantic to the pragmatic and sociocultural – in order to grasp the richness and complexity of real language use. Furthermore, the discussion explores how research on phenomena such as intensification and discursive variation not only offers relevant theoretical insights but also provides tools applicable in pedagogical contexts, such as Spanish language teaching. Professor Enghels also reflects on the role of new generations in language transformation, addressing methodological issues that arise when studying youth speech. Her academic work significantly contributes to the advancement of Romance studies and opens promising avenues for interdisciplinary research on the relationship between language, cognition, culture, and society, thus consolidating a comprehensive and up-to-date approach to contemporary linguistics.