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The aim of this paper is to approach from a variationist point of view a specific type of discursive markers in spoken Spanish in Santiago de Chile: interrogative markers of contact control. For this purpose, we identified the particles that perform that function in a sample of 54 interviews that make up the PRESEEA Sociolinguistic Corpus in Santiago, Chile were. On the one hand, we analyzed the behavior of such markers in the variety of Chilean Spanish indicated above and, on the other hand, we established their distribution in a socially stratified sample of Santiago speakers. For the study of these particles, we applied Briz (2001), Martin Zorraquino and Portolés (1999) and Portolés (2001) concepts and classifications of discourse markers, and the suggestions of Cortes (1988) for quantitative analysis. The analysis considered the «interrogative marker of contact control» as a sociolinguistic variable with one or more values or variants (markers). Consequently, socio-demographic factors were correlated with the subjects' use of such markers. Thus, based on the functional-pragmatic commutability of the discourse markers found in the interviews we carried out a quantitative analysis according to the variables age, sex, gender and educational level of the interviewees. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

This paper is a reflection about the discrimination we exert through language in different cultures. Most of the time, we do not realise of that situation because many of these linguistic facts seem to be normal for us due to, among many other reasons, the acceptance of the grammar rules. There are some references to the differences of usage of daily words and their connotations, and some suggestions are given in order to change the usage of certain structures to make language more inclusive. Finally, there is an invitation to think over the possibility of change of attitude to finish with such expressions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]