The use of Spanglish

[macocael]

My child lives in a bilingual home and goes to a bilingual school (well, nominally bilingual). She watches movies in Spanish and English, she has a ton of educational videos (sesame street and the like), she now counts and reels off the alphabet in both languages. But I have never seen her mingle Spanish and English, say, in one sentence: she will speak in either language (mostly Spanish, but I am told this is normal) and complete her thought in the language she began with. She will "code switch" depending on the people who address her or the situation,but never in midsentence. Well, she is only 3, so maybe that comes later. But she doesnt mingle words and she doesnt corrupt them either, both of which are signs of what I would call "Spanglish." For example, because she is fascinated by the computer, and the word for folder in Computer spanish is "carpeta," she uses the spanish, not the English word.

I wouldnt worry about sending mixed signals to a child, the brain is supremely adapted to language acquisition, particularly in the early years.

[juancarlos]

I can tell she's a very smart little girl!

[Lesley D]

When it comes to researching language terminology for comprehension of terms it is important to use a language dictionary and /or a specialized reference that deals with specialized linguistic terminology. In my experience other sources tend to be too general, summarize or only give part of the information needed. Before responding to your post let’s establish the understanding of Spanglish and code switching. Here are the following definitions from up to date texts:

Spanglish:

Variedad lingüística en la que se mezclan elementos (especialmente, léxicos y morfológicos) de las lenguas española e inglesa que hablan algunos hispanos de los Estados Unidos.

a) Léxico= vocabulario

b) Morfología= El estudio de las palabras como categorías gramaticales: partes de la oración (nombre, adjetivo, verbo...) y se analizan las distintas formas: accidentes gramaticales o variaciones que éstas pueden presentar; así en el sustantivo, el género y el número, el modo, tiempo, aspecto etc.


Code switching:

A rapid alternation from one moment to another between using different language varieties. (Language varieties are defined as: dialects, sociolects and distinct languages). Code switching is used, by ordinary speakers and writers, for two main reasons: first, to fit the style of speech to the changing social circumstances of speech situation; second, to impose a certain definition on the speech situation by the choice of a style of speech.

Since linguistic terminology is not always easy to understand I will simplify the definition above.

Code switching:

Switching between one language, dialect or sociolect to another in the middle of a language.


Using these linguistic definitions it complements my explanation of Spanglish in my first post. Spanglish is not defined as 'switching from language to another'. Spanglish is the mixture of vocabulary (English and Spanish) and morphology, the grammatical structure of English with Spanish, which characteristically leads to non-grammatical forms in Spanish i.e. sentence structure that is not characteristic of Spanish, anglicisms,etc.


Examples of Spanglish:

1) anglicismos- béisment, rufo, carpeta, yarda, gol (cuando uno quiere decir 'meta') etc. These are lexical examples as per the definition.

2) grammar usage- It’s cold= es frío. Es frío no se dice en español. La manera correcta es 'hace frío'.

This is an example of a literal translation from English to Spanish resulting in an incorrect grammatical form in Spanish but heard in the spoken language in the USA as a result of Spanglish.

3) grammar usage- below is an example and explanation of erroneous usage explained in the Miami Herald on September 27, 2005 as a result of Spanglish:


Septiembre 27, 2005

Coincidimos con el Sr. José H. Bailez respecto a que es hasta cierto punto lógico y excusable que en nuestra ciudad, Miami, se cometan ciertos errores producto de la constante traducción al español de expresiones en inglés.

Ello se debe fundamentalmente a que, en esencia, lo más importante es la comunicación entre personas cuya lengua principal no es siempre la misma.

Por otro lado, también opinamos que a quienes hablamos español como lengua madre nos toca señalar con tino esos errores para beneficio de todos.

Así pues, siguiendo este precepto, nos hacemos eco de nuestro amigo, quien nos indica un error que encontramos con frecuencia en letreros que advierten sobre posibles riesgos o peligros, al 'calcarse' la expresión inglesa use caution.

No es propia de nuestra lengua la expresión 'use cautela'.

Su equivalente es en realidad 'tenga cuidado'.

_____________________________________

Examples of Code switching:

1) Using two languages at the same time when speaking. This can occur between two speakers or on an individual level (mental thoughts). Code switching is the alternation of complete sentences in one language to another.

'I have to go the store. Voy por pan, arroz, y leche. I did not know it’s raining. Hace frío. I will wait until later'.

'Hola, Juan, cómo estás- What are you doing today?-

Juan contesta:

'I don’t know, es posible que vaya al centro but maybe later on'.


My comments & summary:

Spanglish and code switching are two separate concepts but ironically being imposed upon each other simultaneously due to the linguistic dynamic in the USA. If you break down the speech patterns of those who speak in this manner it is a systematic combination of both (not in Dora and other educational shows because they don’t use anglicisms and erroneous grammar as far as I know) but in popular or colloquial speech this occurs. One will hear erroneous vocabulary (yarda, rufo etc.) combined with switching between two languages when speaking.

In my opinion code switching should NOT be used for bilingual instruction. Code switching is used among individuals who are already bilingual as a means of communication. Bilingualism is acquired traditionally in two ways: exposure to both languages simultaneously and formal bilingual instruction.

Code switching in the formative years of a child’s overall language learning is not beneficial as it promotes code switching and nothing else. The child does not acquire full command of either language. As well, if parents code switch when speaking with their children the likelihood of the child doing the same is very high. Parents can speak to their children either in Spanish or English but completely in one language or the other. I am always amazed when parents say to me: 'Juan no habla español', 'Juan no quiere hablar español'. My response is always: 'Juan will speak what you speak'. 'If you did not speak to him in Spanish, how will he learn to speak Spanish'.

I hope my explanation was clear and helpful.


-LDG.

Originally Posted by dcareamama

If code-switching is part of the definition of Spanglish, does that mean that teachers and linguists have become more lenient about the use of Spanglish to promote a positive attitude towards learning and knowing more than one language?

N.

[Chirimoya]

My son used to say '?que es eso para?' (literal translation of 'what is that for?') and sometimes still says 'con-sin' for without - literally 'with (with)out'. 'Quiero cereal con-sin leche'.

He doesn't code switch as such but will sometimes use a Spanish noun in an English sentence and vice-versa. 'Is there any juice in the nevera?' I try and promote sticking to one language at a time, and help by translating the word he's looking for.

It's easier here where people around us speak one or the other and those who speak both don't mix them, but when we go to Gibraltar where most people speak Spanglish - complete with speech patterns with all the examples Lesley gave and many more- it's bound to be confusing.

[Jon S.]

I'm fine with using it (Spanglish) amongst my cousins and in a private setting with friends but when it comes to education and in an office setting, English only.

[dcareamama]

Leslie,
Thank you for taking the time to answer my post. As always, your reply was extremely helpful.

N.

[Lesley D]

Here is an interesting article that I just read in the Orlando Sentinel published on April 8, 2006 about this subject matter 'spanglish and anglicismos'. It echoes much of what I have said in this thread and others.


Dígalo en español


-LDG.

[johne]

The other night I was in a meeting using my best Spanglish when one of the ladies starting laughing at my choice of words. She said I just love your choice of words when you use Spanglish with Italian words. English is my first language and my Spanish only comes from the Italian I knew and my studying Spanish for the past 2 years.Since I live in NY I hear a lot of Spanglish and sometimes when I hear it from someone I know speaks Spanish I think its corect.

So--what would you call this what I use? Spanglichitaliano???
Yours in humoro, Juan. (aka JOHN)

[AnnaC]

Giovanni, I tend to do that as well when I can't think of Spanish word. Not sure what you would call it but I like your new word Spanglichitaliano.

[yoma]

This is an interesting thread and I think this "codeswitching" is a lot more prevalent where I am from. The problem is my family would speak to me and my siblings in neither English or Spanish so we learned both and use both in the same sentence. Although some Spanglish words like rufo instead of techo, carro, etc are so prevalent that everyone now says them. I don't know how everyone started saying rufo and why not house-o? I guess it just happens. Its a problem though because I've taken some Spanish literature classes in college and the whites who learned Spanish in school are way better at grammar than Latinos because a lot of us don't know our grammar correctly.