Spanglish

Spanglish is here to stay

Here is an article from NBC News reporting about code-switching between the Spanish and English languages in one conversation, called ‘Spanglish’. Spanglish speakers make up a Community of Practice by sharing the practice of using a combination of English and Spanish language. Other language combinations, like Chinglish, often a combination of Mandarin and English, are also acknowledged as a Community of Practice for bilinguals. [Published on 04-05-2018]

Posted by Stephanie Nesslein on January 11, 2019

Tags:
Spanglish;
Code-switching;
Communities of Practice

Stand By Me - Prince Royce

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Released in 2010, this version of 'Stand By Me' sung by Prince Royce utilizes code-switching between Spanish and English.

Posted by Liliana on September 27, 2018

Tags:
Spanglish;
Code-switching;
Spanish;
Multilingualism

I know you Want Me

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This artifact is of the Song "I know you want me" by Pitbull and is an example of code switching because he uses Spanish and English to sing the song, Pitbull also tries to incorporate his version of the Spanish heritage into the song by switching between Spanish and English to reach out to his audience of both languages.

Posted by Talia Musser on January 7, 2018

Tags:
Spanglish;
English;
Code-switching;
Multilingualism

Delivery Job Advertisement, Mock Spanish

This is a example of the use of "Spanglish" or mock Spanish where people combine what they see as simple Spanish words with English words to try to communicate with Spanish speaking people. This sign is a advertisement targeting both English and Spanish speakers for a delivery driver job, under the English portion the sign simply says "Se Necesita Delivery guy". The use of the Spanish mock Spanish is indexing Spanish speakers. [Published on 12-14-2017]

Posted by Landon Sweeney on December 14, 2017

Tags:
Indexicality;
Spanglish;
Mock Spanish

"Spanish Radio" - Gabriel Iglesias

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Comedian Gabriel Iglesias "Spanish Radio" skit relates to language ideologies regarding the Spanish language. Iglesias, who speaks Spanish and English, creates a humorous effect on how people from the "motherland" of Mexico speak rather fast, even for himself. Iglesias has the ability to speak two different languages (bilingualism) and codeswitches between the two languages in a lot of his skits. The skit can relate to our standard language ideology in that the Spanish speaking language is fast and hard to understand and he presents that concept through mock Spanish.

Posted by Samantha Farrell on June 23, 2017

Tags:
Standard Language Ideology;
Spanglish;
Spanish;
Code-switching;
Accent

Jane H. Hill’s 1999 work “Language, Race, and White Public Space"

In Jane H. Hill’s 1999 work “Language, Race, and White Public Space” she piggy-backs off of a piece of 1996 literature written by Bonnie Urciuoli about bilingual Puerto Ricans living in New York City. While referring to these bilingual Puerto Ricans, Hill acknowledges that they symbolize all of the greater Spanish speaking community, not just themselves. Hill’s main points throughout the article argue that there are two spheres of spoken language throughout a community and that there is a blatant double standard between whites and the Spanish speaking people. Let’s start with the two spheres of bilingual spoken language. Throughout a Spanish speaking community in the united states, there sits two spheres of spoken language, an “inner-sphere” and an “outer-sphere”. The inner sphere of bilingual spoken language includes all the informal speech regarding subjective personal matter. Within this sphere speakers are relaxed, often code switching to help relate with whom they are speaking to. Code switching also allows them to use words that don’t “exist” in the English language, allowing them to broaden their conversational vocabulary and to help get their point across. The boundaries between English and Spanish are blurred, and the speaker jumps back and forth as they please. Code switching is popular within the inner-sphere. The outer-sphere however, is a much different space for a foreign bilingual speaker. The outer-sphere consists of the societal normalcies that cater to the English only speakers and gives them an unfair advantage when speaking with native Spanish speaking bilinguals. According to Hill, “In an "outer-sphere" of talk with strangers and, especially, with gatekeepers like court officers, social workers, and schoolteachers, the difference between Spanish and English is ‘sharply objectified’. Boundaries and order are everything. The pressure from interlocutors to keep the two languages "in order" is so severe that people who function as fluent bilinguals in the inner sphere become so anxious about their competence that sometimes they cannot speak at all.” These two spheres do not coexist in the eyes of a native Spanish speaker. They make sure to differentiate the two at all times, as well as verify the status of the space they are in to make sure they do not bring inner-sphere speech into an outer-sphere setting. Residing within these two spheres of speech (formal and informal), we have just two languages being spoken (English and Spanish), and two “kinds” of speakers (white English-only and native Spanish speaking bilinguals), but there are four dialects (two per language). These dialects are as follows: English spoken in an American accent and a Spanish accent, and Spanish spoken in a heavy English accent and a Spanish accent. Native Spanish speakers such as the bilingual Puerto Ricans studied by Bonnie Urciuoli speak immaculate Spanish, sometimes even speaking perfect English as well. The only thing that separates them from engaging as effectively in white culture is their accent, which causes them to be very self-conscious while speaking. On the contrary, whites of course speak perfect English but when they attempt to speak Spanish, their heavy English accent does not concern them, though it disrespects and upsets native Spanish speakers. Hill says for them it’s like hearing “nails on a chalkboard”. These four spoken dialects within these two spheres ties into Jane Hills biggest main point, the double standard that manifests between these two social and spoken classes. The blatant double standard between these two groups in today’s society is pointed out by Hill in her text by stating: “Puerto Ricans experience the "outer sphere" as an important site of their racialization, since they are always found wanting by this sphere's standards of linguistic orderliness. My research suggests that precisely the opposite is true for Whites. Whites permit themselves a considerable amount of disorder precisely at the language boundary that is a site of discipline for Puerto Ricans that is, the boundary between Spanish and English in public discourse. I believe that this contrast, in which White uses of Spanish create a desirable "colloquial" presence for Whites, but uses of Spanish by Puerto Ricans are "disorderly and dangerous," is one of the ways in which this arena of usage is constituted as a… "White public space": a morally significant set of contexts that are the most important sites of the practices of a racializing hegemony, in which Whites are invisibly normal, and in which racialized populations are visibly marginal.” This creates a frustrating double standard between whites and native Spanish speakers because like Hill says in the texts, English speaking whites can speak Spanish in whatever accent or regard they care to, but when a native Spanish speaker chooses to speak Spanish, it becomes intimidating and labeled “dangerous”. Another double standard arises while regarding the intelligence of both classes of speakers, involving the two spheres of spoken language. While speaking in a non-formal inner-sphere setting, a native Spanish speaker can fluently transcribe his thoughts to words in brilliant discourse. Habitually speaking his home language, he doesn’t have to think twice about his accent, only the words he chooses to speak. Though when we shift him from the inner to the outer-sphere and put him in a formally objective conversation with a white English speaker, he becomes cornered because he has had his identity taken away from him. Among worrying about his accent while speaking within the outer-sphere he must worry about his speech as well such as his choice of diction and avoidance of simple grammatical mistakes an English speaker wouldn’t have to think twice about. Unfortunately, the opposite applies to white English speakers. On top of their English dominated speech, whenever they decide to speak what they know of the Spanish language, it is often times “grossly nonstandard and ungrammatical”. Though because English is the dominant language among the two, whites can get away with speaking a slaughtered Spanish speech because it is socially acceptable, and almost deserving of praise for learning a new language. Despite the intelligence it takes to become bilingual, that intelligence is often times not recognized by whites regarding native Spanish speakers. Native Spanish speakers are often times seen as inferior and stupid just because they may take longer with responses in Spanish/English discourse. Spanish accents in English are also seen labeled as inferior without even observing the intelligence of a speaker. A brilliant Spanish speaker may be disregarded as insufficient only because of the way he sounds to a white English speaker. These double standards between white English speakers and native Spanish speakers are frustrating to observe but important to understand. [Published on 05-11-2017]

Posted by Chase Kaplan on May 11, 2017

Tags:
Spanglish;
Mock Spanish;
Code-switching;
Hill, Jane

Mock Spanish in 'The Mexican' Trailer

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This trailer for the 2001 movie “The Mexican” starring Brad Pitt and Julia Roberts, demonstrates Brad Pitt’s character utilizing mock Spanish saying words like “el trucko” and “towno” in an interaction with Hispanic men. He also attempts Spanglish in another interaction saying a phone call is “muy muy important.”

Posted by Callie Hawkins on March 9, 2017

Tags:
Ideology;
Spanglish;
Spanish;
Code-switching;
Mock Spanish

Spanglish with George Lopez

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I have included a link to a video of Comedian George Lopez doing stand up comedy and talking about how Spanglish will always be used in America. This is interesting to me not only because of doing research paper on mock Spanish but also because I am Hispanic and have heard my relatives talk just how he does in the video.

Posted by Jonathan Salazar on October 3, 2016

Tags:
Spanglish;
Code-switching;
Communities of Practice;
Multilingualism

Bilingual children switching between English and Spanish

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This video includes children in a one on one setting switching between spanish and english, during various exercise. It features bilingual children in an office setting. The focus is on literacy and acquisition of bilingual children.

Posted by BreAnna Engeman on July 27, 2016

Tags:
Spanglish;
English;
Spanish;
Code-switching;
Youth;
Multilingualism

Don't Stop the Party - Pitbull lyrics

These lyrics contain the lyrics from the song Don't Stop the Party by artist Pitbull, where he uses Spanish and English throughout the song.

Posted by Zana Pascoe on March 9, 2016

Tags:
Spanglish;
English;
Spanish;
Code-switching;
Multilingualism

Pardon my Spanglish

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A comedian joins Spanish CNN to talk about his new book about Spanglish. The comedian and the anchor switch between English and Spanish throughout the video, talking in Spanglish. While there's a good deal more Spanish being spoken in the video, there's also English, just not as much as Spanish. The intro of the video is a great example of Spanglish, as is the whole interview for the most part.

Dating a Latina

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Dating a Latina: Perception vs Reality. This video is funny, some may be able to relate to it. This video exhibits Spanish, American English, and Code Switching.

President Obama - Hispandering

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In Obama's Cinco de Mayo speech it is clear that hispandering is taking place. He invited a crowd of what appeared to be people of hispanic background. What Obama is speaking about is clear, he wants immigration laws and reform to continuously be adjusted and bettered. Each time Obama said the term 'tequila' he changed the way he said it to sound more hispanic and the crowd went nuts so he continued to say it to please the people there. He used code-switching to his advantage in this speech.

Posted by Madison Rigdon on March 2, 2016

Tags:
Spanglish;
Code-switching;
Mock Spanish;
Style-shifting;
Stigma

Denice Frohman's "Accents" (2013)

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Code-switching, Puerto Rican Spanish and English

Posted by Erin Appleby on October 16, 2014

Tags:
Spanglish;
Code-switching;
Code-switching;
Spanish