Interesante artículo sobre el spanglish.
I came across this article about Spanglish on the BBC news website and I thought I would share it with all of you. I was also wondering, what are your opinions on Spanglish?
15 Answers
Interesting! I personally think it's normal those mixes of languages, even I in my native language use words that are from other languages, but Spanglish is Really a huge phenomenon.
There is a huge difference between Spanglish and what is known as code-switching. Spanglish implies mixing individual words into sentences. Code-switching is switching fluidly back and forth between the languages. When I was a teenager living in Caracas we did a lot of both. Sometimes we'd hit a wall and not remember the word in one language so we'd drop in a word from the other language. That's Spanglish, and it's a sign of someone who is either lazy or lacks vocabulary.
Code-switching, on the other hand, often occurs when there are concepts that are easier to express in one language compared to the other. Discussions about technology or science would suddenly switch to English. Discussions about parties, where to go to eat and having fun at the beach were almost always in Spanish. That's code-switching, and it's a sign of someone who is completely fluent and comfortable in both languages.
I understand the desire for everyone to be well-educated and literate in every language they speak, and I agree in principle with the use of proper grammar and spelling. But at the same time I don't want to see Spanish turn into Latin, a dead language that never changes and is only spoken by a handful of academics. Living languages evolve and mutate. They adopt or create new words, and the spelling and meaning of words morph. If you don't believe me, look at an English dictionary from 100 years ago.
Ciao, baby. Rant off.
The sixth grader came home and told dad she wanted to see the Spelling Bee and he says "Don't be silly, Love, bees can't spell!"
I'm wondering if Spanglish is a newer phenomenon in England/Europe? It is something so common in the United States. All of my life I have heard people bounce effortlessly between Spanish and English in the same sentence. I have also grown up with this done in Italian as well.
"What is the matter with that girl? Is she stunod?"(Italian for stupid or crazy)
While I recognize that this sort of blending of languages is common here in every day conversations, in the home and in the neighborhood, I think that it is very important that we all know how to speak properly, with complete, grammatically correct sentences in English and Spanish.
A generation or so ago, this was understood. People understood that the way they communicated with their friends while hanging on the corner was not the way they would talk to a prospective employer for instance. However, today, languages are being assaulted from all angles and the lines are blurred. With the blending of cultures and the introduction of new technology, text speak, etc., we really have to be diligent to teach the next generation how to honor the spelling, grammar, etc. of all languages.
Thank you - a very interesting topic. I honestly do not believe that there is any fear of Spanish turning into a 'dead' language, not with the millions speaking it - that is just impossible. Of course languages change and evolve, everyone has had to read Chaucer or Cervantes and sometimes you have to use a dictionery to get the gist. Languages grow constantly - new words are added, old ones fall into disuse. In my town there is actually a little monthly magazine called 'Spanglish'. It is published by a Peruvian and it has mostly articles in Spanish with a few in English. It's fun for me to see the differences in the way Spanish is written and I learn a lot from it. The Spanish speaking people I meet here all have their own way of talking anyway and when they throw in the odd Spanglish word it can be startling and sometimes funny. I went on a day trip with a Spanish speaking group and somehow the fact that I was supposed to 'llevar mi lunchera' went right over my head. Luckily I was able to find a fast food outlet.
The BBC is reporting on ancient history! Oh, they may have updated the statistics but the use of Spanglish in Southern California has surrounded us for years.
If Spanglish is on your list of pequeñas fobia you will not want to see:
I would like to copy Samdie's post here, I like it.
Last year we had a young woman (who by her own admission and, apparently out of a desire to demonstrate her solidarity with the illiterate campesinos of Mexico) refused to use tildes (or much of anything in the way of punctuation).
More recently we have Ikepuede who (despite having started a thread proclaiming that Spanish is not universal) went on to insist that everybody uses slang all the time and that that's what foreigners should learn in order to communicate. Although he was never explicit on this point, it would appear that he meant that everyone should learn the slang of Puerto Rico.
Throughout the time that I've been participating in this forum, there have been those that posted questions about the translation of some sort of "chatspeak". Obviously, those that know nothing about Spanish/English, may be under the impression that what they are quoting is normal English/Spanish.If one doesn't know the language in question, it may, of course, be difficult to distinguish between normal/standard speech and chatspeak. In view of current trends, I would suggest that anything received in an e-mail or chat forum be regarded with suspicion.
It may come as a surprise to the young lady of last year or to the more recent Ikepueda, but books are still being published and, in most of them, most (unless quoting dialogue) of the text reflects the standard versions of English/Spanish. Obviously, if you are among the (apparently) large number of people who never (or only rarely) read books, this may not be an important consideration for you.
Now, I am soooo against spanglish I cannot express it in words 
I did have a co-forer who was even more against this though:
Don't miss this thread opened by Lazarus
And please, do open this thread, you only need to read the title
And please, have a look at what my much adored Alvite, famous Spanish writer, said only yesterday:
Como sigamos destruyendo con tanta tenacidad el idioma castellano, no tardará en llegar el día en el que tendremos que levantar la mirada hacia el cielo para ver como pasa volando -en perfecta ortografía, en deliciosa sintaxis- un elegante párrafo de gaviotas altas.
I just looked that up on BBC,I have been using that for 4 months , never knew it had a name , I just thought I was as thick as two planks ,sorry, ,estoy es grueso esto dos tablones! Gracias mi amiga ahora la vida es menos complicado. 
Sorry, duplicate. But let me add Spanglish is probably here to stay
When my husband's grandparents on both sides came from Italy in the early twentieth century, they did not speak English, not did they attempt to learn it. My mother-in-law had to teach her self English while living in an Italian speaking home. My husband could never communicate with his grandparents. Of course, there will be some mixing of the languages, and I had never see Spanglish until today. It was easier for me to understand, however, I think the emphasis should be on people learning the language well. I took French and Spanish in high school and frequently spoke a fran-ish in class.; not a great idea. But, it looks like it is a popular thing. I think it may hold people back from learning the proper Spanish language.
Como sigamos destruyendo con tanta tenacidad el idioma castellano, no tardará en llegar el día en el que tendremos que levantar la mirada hacia el cielo para ver como pasa volando -en perfecta ortografía, en deliciosa sintaxis- un elegante párrafo de gaviotas altas.
As we continue to destroy Spanish with great tenacity, it will not be long before the day comes in which we will have to look up to the heavens to see how flies by -- with perfect spelling, with delicious syntax -- an elegant paragraph of high gulls.
No lo comprendo exactamente.
Last year we had a young woman (who by her own admission and, apparently out of a desire to demonstrate her solidarity with the illiterate campesinos of Mexico) refused to use tildes (or much of anything in the way of punctuation).
If this woman is truly interested in supporting these people, why does she propagate their illiteracy? Keeping them ignorant can't possibly help them.
The reason any bastardization of a language is dangerous - be it language mixture, texting, gang slang, lazy usage, etc. - is that if we hear it often enough, it becomes normal and we start to use it.
¡Muy interesante! Such a blend is a natural byproduct when you have an overlap of two cultures. It's fun to use when both speakers are familiar with both languages, especially when a word in one language is more expressive than in the other ("She is sooo pesada!").
It makes things difficult for beginning learners, though. If one assumes that words such as emailear or hanguear are legitimate or widely understood, there will be surprises when you take an exam or travel to another country!
