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The subject of this study is the immigrant Bolivian population of SÆo Paulo. Composed of over 200.000 people, it is the largest immigrant community in the city at the time of the study (2008-2010). Based on empirical linguistic data collected by the author a holistic approach towards the linguistic processes involved in migration is developed and tested to answer the central linguistic questions concerning the Bolivian immigrants in SÆo Paulo: Who speaks Portuguese? In which way? Why?

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The author´s interest in Brazil, its people and language was first ignited when she worked for a social project there in 2000. Living in SÆo Paulo and traveling throughout South America deepened and informed her knowledge of the region.She holds a diploma in Latin American Studies (Cologne) and a PhD in Romance Linguistics (Berlin).

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