Hacia el reconocimiento del español de Guinea Ecuatorial

This article treats the status of the Spanish of Equatorial Guinea in comparison with other varieties of the Spanish language. Based on previous research and publications, the first paragraphs discuss possible reasons that may explain the widespread ignorance about and the negative attitude towards the Spanish of Equatorial Guinea in the Spanish-speaking world. Some socio-historical, political, geographical and linguistic reasons will be evaluated, and different prejudices and unfavorable valuations on the Equatoguinean Spanish, which have contributed to its marginal position in the Spanish dialectology, will be reviewed (and refuted). Further, we will emphasize the importance of the Spanish of Equatorial Guinea for the investigation about the varieties of Spanish, summarize its linguistic features, which allow us to consider it as an own dialect, and point out its relevance to the Afro-Hispanic studies. The article finishes with someconclusions that highlight the recent advances in the process towards the recognition of the Spanish of Equatorial Guinea.