A Diverse Spanish Language
The next few entries are articles I wrote for a newsletter encouraging bilingual employees to embrace their knowledge of speaking Spanish. I found the articles while going through my old files, so I wanted to share them in this format.
Have you heard? Spanish is the second most widely spoken language on the planet (according to population)! Ethnologue, a research company that dedicates itself to the study of the wold’s languages, states that there are 332 million Spanish speakers.
With over 30 countries in this count, differences do arise. As unique cultures come to know each other, an interesting exchange happens. In Peru, for example, the term “chompa” is used to describe a jacket. Here in Texas, we are accustomed to using “chaqueta.” When it comes down to it, “chaqaeta” derives from “jacket” just as “chompa” derives from “jumper.” Náhuatl is the indigenous language in Mexico, and several words have adapted to the Spanish language. “Peanuts” for example are known as “cacahuates,” but throughout South America they are called “maní.”
In the United States, we are seeing a use of the Spanish language from both families that have roots here and families that are newly arrived. Along the Mexico-U.S. border region, the culture is very much bilingual… even to the point that many people speak what has been coined “Spanglish.”
This fascinates ethnographers and linguists. No other modern cultures show what is called “code switching.” Some of us are very comfortable speaking in Spanish and then changing to English and back again… in smooth transitions. In the 80s, I remember a commercial aired on a Spanish network that poked fun of this. The comedian was confused about learning English because “amarillo” is yellow, “hielo” is ice, and eyes are “ojos”!
We all have a lot to learn about the diverse Spanish language. The trick is to not get caught up or stressed out with any of the confusion. Immerse yourself in Spanish and learn about the different cultures that speak it. The more time you take to do so, the easier and more comfortable speaking it will become.
Can you guess the top five countries of the world by population in which Spanish is the most widely spoken language? [This question was part of a contest for the newsletter. The answers according to Ethnologue and InfoPlease back then were: 1) Mexico 2) Colombia 3) Atgentina 4) Spain and 5) United States.]
Tags: America, Chicano, codeswitching, English, Hispanic, language, Latino, Mexican American, Spanish