Spanglish the most often Heard and seen!

[Marianopolita]

Plenty of research is needed

Micurie,

It is interesting that you chose Spanglish as your thesis topic but be prepared to do plenty of research because it is an area of language study that is still being heavily researched and has plenty of gray areas. As well, without knowing what your thesis statement is it is not as easy to steer you in the right direction. However, I could lend some insight. I will use linguistic terminology since you should be able to relate to it easily.

In order to ascertain information that is relevant to your thesis you need to define what aspect of Spanglish you are researching because simplifying any aspect of language research is quite difficult. Key questions that will help you seek the right information include:

? How did Spanglish originate?

? Where is it most prevalently heard and among what age group or population (some demographic research is needed there)?

? Is it truly a language or is it just a means of communication? - This could be the basis for your entire thesis. From here you determine or prove if Spanglish is a ?pidgin? (because some sources say that it is) and you can compare ?pidgins? to a higher form of language such as a ?Lingua franca? and then to a ?Creole? which derives from a ?pidgin?.

? What is it composed of? - In this area you analyze parallels between the two languages such as borrowed English words in Spanish and ?calques? of idiomatic expressions.

? What is the future of Spanglish? Could it be declared an official language, dialect or will be it become extinct over time? I think this would be hard to prove unless you get credible reading material and the examples you use must demonstrate the strong presence of Spanglish evidence in speech patterns today.

You also need to ensure that your samples fall into certain categories for example:

? Borrowed English words with a direct ?traslaci?n? into Spanish with changes made to accommodate Spanish phonetics. For example: l?der (from leader), b?isbol (from baseball), pop con (from popcorn) etc.

. Another example that falls under this category is the word "gang" in English. In Spanish spoken in the USA it is commonly known as "ganga" which is a direct "traslaci?n" from English to Spanish however with no phonetic changes. The important aspect about this part of Spanglish is not only is the word incorrect but the meaning as well. "Ganga" means "bargain" therefore, this is a perfect example of how Spanglish not only ruins Spanish but also creates a false meaning of a word. "Gang" in English = "pandilla" in Spanish. No exceptions.

? Expressions that are a direct ?traslaci?n? from English to Spanish even if it logically makes no sense in Spanish. A classic example of this is: ?I will call you back?- Te llamo pa?tras. (It makes no sense at all but is heard widespread in the US and other areas where English and Spanish co-exist). Does this group of speakers even know that the expression ?devolver la llamada? exists? Another example is the expression ?for sure? in Spanglish you will hear ?por seguro?. A direct ?traslaci?n? that makes no sense. The expression in Spanish is ?por supuesto? or ?de seguro?.

? English words used in Spanish without any phonetic changes to match Spanish phonetic properties. An example I always hear in New York City is ?building?. The word ?edificio? is struggling to survive. ?Qu? building muy bonito?.

For references I suggest searching on Amazon.com, B&N.com both always have a wide variety of resources. Of course consult your University library too. If you ascertain information from the Internet ensure that the information is credible and the web site reveals the source of information because anyone can make a web page and write whatever they want. Do not jeopardize your paper with false information.

Good luck!

-Lesley D

 

[MaineGirl]

I have been trying to study spanglish for the best few years, mainly how my students use it. For them, learning Spanish is fairly tedious, so I encourage spanglish so that they put into practice immediately anything new they have learned. I correct, but not too much at first, just pronunciation. I just let them say things so they get used to how it sounds. My study wasn't all that scientific but I am learning more and more thanks to informative posts such as the ones on this thread!

I saw spanglish in Latina magazine. Every spread is in English peppered with Spanish in italics. There is a correct Spanish translation at the end of each article, in 10 point type. Every ad was in Spanish. It looked kind of cheesy, like there were two types of people reading that magazine.

It is a bit awkward, maybe too youth-oriented right now (spanglish). My kids like it, they play with language and are creative that way (my students).

Here's a question for everyone: What language will be more affected by the mix? Will Spanish become more English? Or will English become more Spanish?

 

[Chirimoya]

It's not just a Latin American thing. Spanglish is my native tongue.

 

[Marianopolita]

MaineGirl,

To answer your question which language will become more affected by the mix of English and Spanish. I believe for now Spanish will be more negatively affected because English is a Lingua Franca. Meaning it is the most dominant language spoken by people whose first language is not English. On that premise alone I think it would be hard for English to be affected by Spanish. Mind you English has plenty of borrowed Spanish terminology but as far as I can see the dominance is going the other way.

-Lesley D

I have been trying to study spanglish for the best few years, mainly how my students use it. For them, learning Spanish is fairly tedious, so I encourage spanglish so that they put into practice immediately anything new they have learned. I correct, but not too much at first, just pronunciation. I just let them say things so they get used to how it sounds. My study wasn't all that scientific but I am learning more and more thanks to informative posts such as the ones on this thread!

I saw spanglish in Latina magazine. Every spread is in English peppered with Spanish in italics. There is a correct Spanish translation at the end of each article, in 10 point type. Every ad was in Spanish. It looked kind of cheesy, like there were two types of people reading that magazine.

It is a bit awkward, maybe too youth-oriented right now (spanglish). My kids like it, they play with language and are creative that way (my students).

Here's a question for everyone: What language will be more affected by the mix? Will Spanish become more English? Or will English become more Spanish?

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

So now we have all of the following included as the single "language" "spanglish":

1. What Dominican and Puerto Rican adults speak in New York (primarily Spanish) when they fill in with more popular English words.

2. What Dominican and Puerto Rican youths speak in New York (primarily English) when they fill in with more popular Spanish words, with enough Spanish words to communicate with their parents, or with just enough Spanish words to create a Latino ghetto clique.

3. What Anglo kids in Spanish class in Maine speak when they don't know enough Spanish to say a complete sentence.

4. The patois spoken in Gibraltar.

What's lacking: Mutual vocabulary. Mutual form. Mutual syntaxt. Mutual intelligibility. Multi-generational durability. Literature. With the exception of the Gibraltar patois, shouldn't these just be called "bad English" or "bad Spanish"

One or more of these may graduate to a creole at some point, but I doubt it. And if one or more does become a creole and wants to call itself "Spanglish", what will the others be called?

 

[bienamor]

spanglish????

So now we have all of the following included as the single "language" "spanglish":

1. What Dominican and Puerto Rican adults speak in New York (primarily Spanish) when they fill in with more popular English words.

2. What Dominican and Puerto Rican youths speak in New York (primarily English) when they fill in with more popular Spanish words, with enough Spanish words to communicate with their parents, or with just enough Spanish words to create a Latino ghetto clique.

3. What Anglo kids in Spanish class in Maine speak when they don't know enough Spanish to say a complete sentence.

4. The patois spoken in Gibraltar.

What's lacking: Mutual vocabulary. Mutual form. Mutual syntaxt. Mutual intelligibility. Multi-generational durability. Literature. With the exception of the Gibraltar patois, shouldn't these just be called "bad English" or "bad Spanish"

One or more of these may graduate to a creole at some point, but I doubt it. And if one or more does become a creole and wants to call itself "Spanglish", what will the others be called?

And lets not forget TEXMEX, and east LA. which i believe will another problem in the mutual forms. vocab, syntax etc.

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

And lets not forget TEXMEX, and east LA. which i believe will another problem in the mutual forms. vocab, syntax etc.

Absolutley. Not to mention Samana English. And I wonder what they speak in places like the Bay Island of Honduras, the Moskito Coast, San Andres, etc. English-Spanish mixtures for sure, but do you think they sound anything like DominicanYorkshirish?

 

[Chirimoya]

I've visited the Bay Islands (Honduras), Isla San Andres (Colombia) and the Miskito Coast (Nicaragua and Costa Rica). The inhabitants are descendants of migrants from the English-speaking Caribbean living in Spanish speaking countries.

They don't sound anything like Dominican Yorks. They speak West Indian accented English as the 'home' language, but when they need to speak about anything 'official' like work or politics they lapse into Spanish. Either way the speech is peppered with words from the other language, whichever comes to mind first. It would follow that Samanenses may have done something similar when English speaking was still widespread there.

It is the mirror-image of what many US-based Latinos (and many of my fellow Gibraltarians) do. For them, the 'official' world is in English and the 'home' language is Spanish, so they feel more at ease using Spanish for domestic topics but lack the vocabulary to discuss work or politics. And vice versa.

It may be interesting to speculate why English speaking has all but died out among Dominican cocolos (descendants of English speaking Caribbean migrants) and Samanenses (descendants of freed slaves from the US) while it has endured down several generations amongst Bay Islanders, the inhabitants of Isla San Andres and the Miskito Coast. It is almost certainly connected with the degree of isolation from the mainstream society and the length of time since they migrated, as well as integration with Spanish speakers.

There are similar cases in Panama (sancochojoe on this board has family connections, I remember him posting about this, so if you are still around, Joe, it'd be good to have your input) and Guatemala as well.

 

[Porfio_Rubirosa]

It may be interesting to speculate why English speaking has all but died out among Dominican cocolos (descendants of English speaking Caribbean migrants) and Samanenses (descendants of freed slaves from the US) while it has endured down several generations amongst Bay Islanders, the inhabitants of Isla San Andres and the Miskito Coast. It is almost certainly connected with the degree of isolation from the mainstream society and the length of time since they migrated, as well as integration with Spanish speakers.

Might I add racial issues to that. English speaking in the DR would, in Samana and San Pedro de Macoris, identify you as "black". Nobody wants to be "black" in the DR. As our most interesting culture would have it, you can stop being "black" and become "indio oscuro" simply by changing the language you speak.

Compare this to the Bay Islands, where English speaking might make you "white".

I once knew an older Samanense woman who had migrated to Villa Francisco in Santo Domingo. Her English was quite understandable, though easily identifiable as southern (US) black ethnic and antiquated - similar to the Gullah spoken in coastal Georgia (US). Of course, her children would have none of the English.

 

[Chirimoya]

Bay Islanders are proud of their origins. One told me that he was descended from 'African slaves and Scottish pirates!' They call Spanish-speaking Hondurans 'the Spanish' and it may well be that they look down on them because they are Indians (more often than not they are Mestizos).

OTOH Porfi, while you say that rejecting the English language makes Cocolos or Samanenses feel less 'black', I know that several black Dominicans I have met will emphasise that they are of Cocolo or Samanense origin to make it clear they are not descended from Haitians. Similar to the way that Dominicans of any shade with French surnames will insist their French ancestry did not come via Haiti.

 

[Shelby Stokes]

I agree

There is not a word for word translation for many things between the two languages. When you try to translate it you are trying to translate the thought behind what was said so sometimes as a shortcut you will just blurt out which ever word of which ever language you can use.
Also sometimes it is used as a slang by teenagers to try to rebel a little from the adults.
My Spanish skills are so small I find myself useing and English word and then if the Spanish speakers know the word they correct me with the Spansih equivilant. Since a large number of words are similar in spelling and sound it usuallu works. It is not pretty but we cominicate that way. My limited knowlege of spanish with their limited knowlege of english make for some fun times.
So curruption of the spoken language is going to happen.
John

yo agree contigo. Yo soy apprendo how to hablar espanol correctly y also con palabras los Dominicano solomente. I find that instantly, personas will ayuda mi con mi tranduccion.

I did that to show that as I learn it is better as well as relaxing to learn. I know that I have butchered the language, but if I do not crawl I will never walk or run. So give a little leway to the ones that are learning, however they learn because oneday they will Hablar perfectamente.

 

[Tordok]

yo agree contigo. Yo soy apprendo how to hablar espanol correctly y also con palabras los Dominicano solomente. I find that instantly, personas will ayuda mi con mi tranduccion.

I did that to show that as I learn it is better as well as relaxing to learn. I know that I have butchered the language, but if I do not crawl I will never walk or run. So give a little leway to the ones that are learning, however they learn because oneday they will Hablar perfectamente.

Despite my previous post, against Spanglish as an accepted norm, I must admit that in both jsizemore's and Shleby Stokes' cases, there are justifiable contingencies to use this kind of language. They are both acknowledging that they are fluent and literate in English, but must adapt any way they can and mix words up to be able to communicate within a particular setting where the true goal is to learn Spanish. They wouldn't use this type of mix if they were speaking to someone who knew English. And they wouldn't choose to speak that way if they knew Spanish. The baseline knowledge of one of the two languages is what clearly differentiates this usage with that of some people who talk in the Spanglish mode exclusively, and without a full grasp of either English or Spanish. As an additional tool, for special cases, if you already know Enlgish, Spanish, or both well; then using Spanglish or some other mix as a derivative lexical luxury, then I must admit that it would seem appropriate as I have done this to French and German when English or Spanish alone were of no help to me. Is there really a need to create a new language when there are practical , global ones already in use ?

- Tordok

 

[Wilf]

So now we have all of the following included as the single "language" "spanglish":

1. What Dominican and Puerto Rican adults speak in New York (primarily Spanish) when they fill in with more popular English words.

2. What Dominican and Puerto Rican youths speak in New York (primarily English) when they fill in with more popular Spanish words, with enough Spanish words to communicate with their parents, or with just enough Spanish words to create a Latino ghetto clique.

3. What Anglo kids in Spanish class in Maine speak when they don't know enough Spanish to say a complete sentence.

4. The patois spoken in Gibraltar.

What's lacking: Mutual vocabulary. Mutual form. Mutual syntaxt. Mutual intelligibility. Multi-generational durability. Literature. With the exception of the Gibraltar patois, shouldn't these just be called "bad English" or "bad Spanish"

One or more of these may graduate to a creole at some point, but I doubt it. And if one or more does become a creole and wants to call itself "Spanglish", what will the others be called?

... and then you've also got the 'spanglish' that is spoken around the Spanish/Basque community in Glasgow. What I'm talking about here is a way of playing about with languages just for the sake of it... I normally hear this from people who have spanish as their native language and also speak very good and correct english, but sometimes borrow words from the other language, or change from one to the other mid-sentence simply as a kind of verbal sparring, to keep someone on the ball when they are speaking with other multilingual people, or you could maybe say just becuase 'it's cool'. Probably this is more common when they are engaging with spanish-speaking britons like myself, to check I'm keeping up. The same thing is going on in Ireland where there is a huge spanish community, and I imagine anywhere else where people are in a multilingual environment. I could give some examples that I picked up in Dublin...
'la ketalla' for kettle. In the house I shared with spaniards there that was the normal word for it, but spaniards here in Glasgow don't have a clue what I'm talking about if I say that. Apparently there is no word for kettle in spain, though, so I would see that as a precedent.
'el pub' as in 'vas al pub esta noche?'. In dublin this was often said with the spanish u sound, but i've had strange looks for using that mispronunciation with spaniards here, while they would consider it normal to use the english word 'pub' in the same spanish sentence.
'voy a tomar una pinta' , where pinta means a pint. That's horribly incorrect if you're a spanish purist, but again it seems to me like a very simple way of translating something that theres no precise translation for in spanish.

These are all examples that in my own experience are used in dublin but not in Glasgow, which demonstrates that it really isn't a dialect with any common vocabulary at all, it's just people improvising and playing.
But does that mean it should be viewed negatively? Surely only if it makes it more difficult for people to learn a language properly. In my opinion language isn't something that should be sterile, and learnt only from a dictionary. They evolve, and absorb influences and so they should! I've never heard any 'spanglish' that I would consider to qualify even as a 'pidgin', but i don't see any shame in that. Why call it 'bad spanish'? It's a way of communicating. Having said that I might find it aggravates more if I heard guiris on the Costa del Sol saying 'rackers' for rejas, as quoted by Jason Webster in his book Duende.
Anyway, enough of this, voy a Francesca's house tonight pa' cenar with some mates...
toodle-oo, a tout a l'heure..