Spanglish as a threat to purity of English

Spanglish as a threat to purity of English

Is Spanglish (or “Black English'” or Chinglish) a language, a dialect, or slang? Use example of how unofficial, yet increasingly common variations of the English language can be defined and classified according to the classifications of language, slang, dialect, hybrid-language, or postcolonial language etc.

In the globalization era, and the increase of the movement of people around the world, variations of language have come about, for instance, hybrid languages, dialects and slang that some people consider a threat to the “so- called” purity of a national language. Examples of hybrid languages are Franglaise, Spanglish, and Chinglish. The United States of America was formed mainly by massive acts of immigration. The largest group of immigrants to the USA is the Latino immigrants. This immigration brought about many Spanish-speaking people to the US that affected the culture and English language that was identifiable of America. Spanglish is a term that was first used to describe a phenomenon that came about in the south part of America. This term is used to describe an integration of Spanish and English languages. One question that arises becomes; is Spanglish a language, a dialect or slang? In order to answer this question it is important to distinguish between a language, a dialect, and slang.

A dialect is defined or considered non-standard English that a certain group of people shares. On the other hand, slang is considered a form of language that is lower in dignity as compared to a dialect and is in most cases avoided by people who consider themselves to be of a higher status of high degree of responsibility. However, it is important to state that slang and a dialect may overlap in certain cases. A dialect is regional and is defined social class. A dialect can have its accent, grammatical structure, and vocabulary. Slang is mostly used in informal settings and is very casual.

When Spanglish is mentioned, people tend to guess that it is a type of faulty English or a term that is used to refer to the errors that Spanish people make when they use English language. However, this is not the major meaning of Spanglish. It is important to state that Spanglish is a complex entity that represents the integration of Spanish, English and the Spanish culture. Spanglish is mostly used by second generation of immigrants because they do not have a strong connection to their country of origin, while at the same time do not feel wholly American (Otheguy 23).

Spanglish is used almost everywhere where Latino communities exist. However, Spanglish is most commonly used on the streets and among Latinos in general especially in Miami, Los Angeles, Albuquerque, San Antonio, Denver, phoenix, and Tallahassee. Despite the fact that Spanglish has been in use for long, it is still mostly based on oral communication meaning that there is diversity in its written variety.

In linguistic terms, Spanglish is characterized by various groupings of phenomena. There are code switching, loan words, code, mixing, adapted words, mistranslated terms, and bilingualism. Code switching is most significant in Spanglish. Code switching entails a scenario where a speaker can use more than one, language, dialect or variety in the same sentence. Speakers of Spanglish depict code switching in by missing English and Spanish words in the same sentence. They also do code mixing by transferring aspects or elements of English language into Spanish language in bilingual speech. This is characterized by direct translations that do not correspond to the other language. For instance, speakers of Spanglish could say Hasta you later, which is a mixture of Spanish hasta luego meaning until later and English sentence meaning see you later. This also shows the aspect of word borrowing that is a characteristic of Spanglish. For instance, speakers of Spanglish use the word advertising mostly as compared to the original Spanish word anunciar. Vocabulary used in Spanglish also shows a great relationship between Spanish and English. For instance, the first Spanish words that were integrated into English to make Spanglish were words linked to commands. These issues as discussed show that Spanglish is an unofficial, yet an increasingly common variation of English language (Echevarría).

There have been a lot of debates and disagreements on whether Spanglish should be categorized as a language, dialect, or slang.

Language is seen to be a system of signs that are used by members of a specified community for purposes of communication and thought presentation. It is also considered to be a set o linguistic entity that manifests in an ability of a user to apply a certain form of signs to communication and the expression of thoughts. Dialect is considered to be the usage of vocabulary that is specific to a certain group of people. With this analysis, it is could seem that Spanglish is a dialect because it is used by a particular group of people who are mostly the Latino immigrants who reside in the United States. However, a problem arises because a dialect comprises of vocabulary that is identifiable to one language, as opposed to two or more languages. Spanglish uses vocabulary from two different languages namely; English and Spanish. This makes it difficult to be categorized as a dialect. Spanglish cannot be categorized as a language because it is not solid and is in constant evolvement and development. It is also claimed that Spanglish is spoken by lower-class individuals who lack literacy because they are not educated. As such, they lack vocabulary that helps to adapt to the change in culture around them. Others explain that Spanglish came about as a consequence of the fact that Latinos became adept to English and began to combine the two languages with respect to the internal rhythm that showed their transplantation from their place of origin to their recreation in the United States of America. From this arguments, it could be difficult to clearly tell where Spanglish fits. However, the consideration of its features makes it a hybrid language (Stavans 45).

The reasons why people use Spanglish are several. However, the most important reason why people use Spanglish is efficiency. Spanish language is famously known for its multisyllabic nature. The vocabularies used in Spanish contain many syllables that make it difficult for people to learn it especially those who are exposed to other languages, such as English. In addition, many people who speak Spanish prefer to use English words because of the fact that most vocabularies in English are comprised of fewer syllables. Thus, it is easier to use English words as compared to Spanish words. This is the main reason why people use Spanglish. For instance, instead of using the word estacionamiento that means parking, Spanglish speakers use parquin. Instead of using maquina, which means to type, they use taipear. The words that they use in place of Spanish words have a relationship with English words. As such, this shows that many Spanglish speakers use the Spanglish for purposes of efficiency (Echevarría).

Spanglish has also been used because of the fact that the new generation of Latinos in America does not have a complete grasp of the Spanish language. As a result, they do not know certain words that are used in the Spanish language. When this happens, they opt to use English words in place of the words that they do not know. This brings a notion that Spanglish is a pidgin language in the sense that it is the combination of English and Spanish words that allows non-English speakers to attempt communication in English. This might be true to some extent in the sense that Spanish people who have a little grasp of English words combine their language and in English to communicate especially to English speakers.

The use of Spanglish has several pros and cons. The first pro of using Spanglish is that it enables people from different societies that speak different languages to communicate effectively. This is because it is easier for an English speaker to understand a Spanglish speaker when he uses some words from Spanish language and others from English. This is also the case with a Spanish-speaking person when approached by an English-speaking person. Another pro is that Spanglish helps in the integration of American and Spanish cultures that helps communities (Latino and English) to interact and share their cultural differences in the face of globalization. Spanglish is an essential aspect of enriching American culture because it is not only a form of communication but carries with it a culture and a lifestyle identifiable of a people in US. It is also advantageous for the study of American literature (Otheguy 23).

One major con of Spanglish is the fact that it brings a real threat to the survival of English in the US. When Spanish was introduced in America, people started using it and it developed beyond the expectations of many who thought that its speakers would abandon it for English. Spanglish started as a small phenomenon but is always evolving and developing. As such, many people are becoming integrated in the use of Spanglish as a way of communication in their day-to-day interactions and activities. This means that English language receives little interest amongst people as Spanglish develops. Its continued use makes the use of standardized English more of official than for communication purposes. Another disadvantage of Spanglish is that it destroys other languages like Spanish because people are no longer interested to learn the original language. It also affects the ability of people to write and speak fluent and free-of-mistake English (Echevarría).

In conclusion, Spanglish represents a form of the unofficial, yet increasingly common variation of English language that can be defined and classified into a hybrid language. Spanglish is considered as a hybrid language because it is used by a specific group of people who are mostly the Latino immigrants who reside in the United States and further use vocabulary from two languages. In addition to its communicative aspect, Spanglish is also a representation of the integration of the Latino and American culture. The fact that Spanglish is always evolving acts as a threat to the existence of Standard English because users make mistakes in writing and speaking Standard English. Thus, it is a variation of English language.

Works Cited

Echevarría, Roberto Gonzalez. “Is ‘Spanglish’ a Language?” 28 March 1997. The New York

Times. 26 March 2008. <http://members.aol.com/gleposky/spanglish.htm>.

Otheguy, Ricardo. “A reconsideration of the notion of loan translation in the analysis of U.S.

Spanish.” Spanish in the United States: Linguistic Contact and Diversity. Ed. Anna Roca and John M. Lipski. Walter de Gruyter: 1993. 21-45.

Stavans, Ilan. Spanglish: The Making of a New American Language. 2nd ed. New York: Rayo-

Harpercollins, 2003. Print.

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