Spanglish

The word Spanglish is a combination of the words Spanish and English and describes the mixing of those languages in oral and written production. Historically, Spanglish has been a source of disagreement. Some people consider Spanglish a valid form of communication, but others think that the two languages should be kept separate at all costs. Of the people who find value in Spanglish, some believe that Spanglish is an offensive way to describe this language use and instead prefer using the terms code switching and code mixing. Others, however, argue that Spanglish reflects the bilingual reality of its users. In this entry, the term Spanglish is used purposefully, and its value in oral production is described from the sociocultural perspective. To show how Spanglish functions in the classroom, an example of children using it in a content area is presented. Implications for teachers conclude this entry.

Dialectal variation exists within all languages. Language use varies according to gender, class, geographical region, and the multiple identities speakers create when they use language varieties. Some ways of making sounds, using grammatical structures, and selecting vocabulary are shared among members of particular speech communities. Furthermore, there are rules for when, where, and how to use language variations, as well as when not to use them. The varieties of English spoken in California differ from the ones spoken in New York, the varieties of English spoken in Chicago differ from those used in Texas, the Spanish spoken in Mexico differs from the one spoken in Peru, the Spanish spoken in central Mexico differs from the Spanish spoken along its northern border, and so on. Another language variety is Spanglish, and what makes Spanglish unique from the other varieties is that its speakers bring together the phonological and grammatical systems of two languages.

Spanglish is a language variety found in the United States that results from intense and prolonged contact between speakers of Spanish and English. Speakers of Spanglish blend the languages in different situations for a number of purposes. Ana Celia Zentella, an educational linguist, argues that Spanglish speakers can use their languages differently in a variety of situations. The use of Spanglish, as opposed to Spanish or English, depends with whom the bilingual speaker is talking. If a Spanglish speaker addresses a person that is known to be or is perceived to be a monolingual speaker of Spanish or English, then the Spanglish speaker can remain in that language. In contrast, if this same speaker knows or perceives that the person being addressed uses both languages, Spanglish can be used. In this manner, to whom one speaks, the topic of conversation, and the physical setting influence whether or not bilingual speakers can use Spanglish.

Often, the “turning on” and “turning off” of Spanish or English does not happen. Some words in Spanish do not easily translate into the English language. For instance, the word educación in Spanish means more than what education captures in English. In Spanish-speaking communities, educación is more than the education in formal settings, it is also the education that occurs in homes and communities. This example should help in understanding that although a bilingual speaker may be speaking to a monolingual English speaker, a word in Spanish may be necessary in the conversation. Another reason to explain the “turning on” and “turning off” is that at times bilingual speakers can use Spanglish because of the effect that they wish to convey to those around them. Spanglish becomes an indication they belong to a certain group, or that they are a member of a specific community. Overall, one language may be more dominant than the other in different situations or life stages.

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