Spanglish: Do the Labels Matter? It's Important.

What is Spanglish? Spanglish is a language that connects two well known languages. English and Spanish are bonded together to creating a beautiful language in text and speech.

Spanglish is a language that has been a topic of debate for a long while. There are some that argue it is merely a dialect, while others define it as a language. If it is a language, would you consider someone who speaks it to be bilingual then? Araceli Osorio's article, "The role of Spanglish in the social and academic lives of second generation Latino students : students' and parents' perspectives" gives insight on this debate. In one light Spanglish is seen as a dialect because it is not spoken much in Spanish-speaking countries because the majority of Spanglish speakers are Latinos living in the United States. According to Thomas Moore Devlin, there are over 50 million people who speak Spanglish in the United States. For the Latinos living in United States, they could be considered bilingual, and in turn be capable of code-switching. Code-switching is a process of shifting from one linguistic code to another depending on the social context or conversational setting. Yet code-switching is something that can be accomplished without intention, so how can the use of it define bilingual status? There are specific words native to a language that are used in each language. For example a native Spanish speaker who uses the word DMV in speech, is switching to english. Although one may not realize they are doing so, they have to because there in no alternative to be used. Spanglish is much more than just code-swithcing; it is an effective form of communication for creating meaningful conversations and helps establish an identity within cross-cultural situations.

The Blending of Languages in Speech

An issue lies in that fact Latinos aren't on the same page when defining Spanglish. There are some that are greatly opposed to the idea, feeling that it is a corruption of the proper language Spanish. On the other hand, those who speak it are very proud and view it as representing both heritages: American and Hispanic. Here fails the issue of how we see the world. Everyone believes that their way of life, the language they speak is the correct way. Although not all may admit that is the reason for their disapproval, it's true that we are to wrapped up in our own lives to put ourselves in the shoes of others.

Regardless of one's opinion, we cannot deny the importance of the language. The role of Spanglish is very important an academic level. Research conducted by Ramon Antonio Martinez within his classroom proves that Spanglish allows students to accomplish conversational work. When the students were at a loss of words, the ability to utilize Spanglish allowed for continued conversation. Why would we deny students the creativity of expression through their language? There is simply the lack of acceptance of the unknown. If a student who only spoke English transferred to a Spanish speaking class, they wouldn't be told their language is nonexistent and incapable to be used. All of the controversy surrounding the defining of Spanglish gives it a bad name. There are many people that reject the term because they feel that it is a poor language. Ricardo Otheguy and Nancy Stern support this idea in stating that Spanglish needs to be discarded and replaced by Spanish because it is proper.

Spanglish. If you didn't know what is was before, you now have a bit of insight on what it is. We are all entitled to our own opinions in life, but I believe there are some fights that are not worth fighting. How can we sit back and tell someone that their culture and way of learning isn't valid? We all have different beliefs, morals, ideals, ways of learning, and express our culture in different ways. It's ok to be different. Now, we need to move towards accepting the differences so that Spanglish can be spoken within the United States without fear of judgement.

The Development and Perceptions of African American English

Categorizing African American English as a language has created much controversy among linguists and members of society today, finding many negative perceptions associated with it. The history of language, as well as the fundamental elements that make up a particular language, are important to draw upon when considering the basis of “how” the language has come about. 

Whether or not two speakers understand each other in conversation determines if that form of communication can be defined as a language or a dialect. There is a widespread use of African American English found in Zora Neale Hurston’s Mules and Men, in which former slaves share their stories told through Hurston’s narrative herself. The complex, rule-based linguistic system of African American English was formed as a result of former slaves cross-communicating with English speakers during early times of colonization. 

Representation of the diverse nation that we live in with careful attention
to the inclusion of African American English as a language.

Dennis Baron discusses the ways in which students from African American English speaking households communicate in the classroom and how Oakland schools set a great example for the rest of society- making it their mission to make sure their teachers leave any negative perceptions at the door, as their leaders educate them about the language of their own students. Although Oakland’s intentions were for the good of their students, they received large amounts of backlash, implying that the school's efforts made the concept of “Black English” relevant among students. This supports the general consensus of the public in regards to language in school as well as the workplace, as many people believe Mainstream US English to be a significant attribute of being viewed as a "good" student or businessman/woman.

Vinson Cunningham sheds light on this topic as he discusses individuals of societies’ inability to recognize and appreciate African American English for its complex and systematic structure, but rather as a random, bad habit acquired by individuals. It is in our nature to make assumptions about things that we simply do not know anything about. But it is this tendency that steers us down the wrong path as a growing, respectable society. Although African American English may not be of importance to some, it is safe to assume that those individuals have never taken the time to study the extent of its history and the strict patterns associated with it.

The variety of opinions on African American English being categorized as a language has raised the important question of whether or not it should be ruled as an “acceptable” form of communication. With that, we ask- Why not? As we are supposed to raise equality among all individuals of our nation, shouldn’t one’s language qualify for that same respect? Rather than trying to change members of society, it is our job to use our voices for the greater good and educate those around us to accept our nation for exactly what it is: Diverse.

Aspects and Variations of African American English

Studying the aspects of African American English is important for understanding how and why people spoke in this dialect long ago and why people sometimes speak in this dialect today. This dialect of English can be dated back all the way to when the slaves came over to America. They quickly realized they needed to adapt to their new surroundings and begin speaking English so they could communicate with Americans. By mixing English with their culture’s language, African American English was made.
 
There are many pieces of literature that accurately display how African American English was used both years ago and today. In Toni Morrison’s book “Sula” we can see through the dialogue of the characters, how they spoke to one another in this dialect. Readers can see different aspects of African American English presented such as absence of copula for contracted forms of is and are, general plural is absence, as well as the use of ain’t for didn’t.

Toni Morrison’s book “Sula” is a great example of African American English. This excerpt from the story shows some of the dialogue between some of the characters. The dialogue in the story is the main source for showing how people of color use African American English. The story however is written in third person. While reading the book, readers can see a direct contrast of African American English with regular English that is spoken today. Toni Morrison may have done this to show the differences between the two dialects and inform readers of how people who use African American English talk.

Many of the variations we see throughout the dialogue in this story are discussed by Wolfram in his chapter on African American English. These include the absence of copula as well as many others. These variations are also discussed in Holt's article "Mechanisms of Vowel Variation in African American English." In her article, Holt aims to prove that there is vowel variation among AAE speakers. They focused their research in North Carolina and ultimately they prove that there is some sort of vowel variation in speakers of African American English.

 Jessica Berry's article "Dialect Variation of Copula and Auxiliary Verb BE: African American English- Speaking Children With and Without Gullah/Geechee Heritage” ultimately aims to prove the same thing: the dialect of African American English is not uniform in all speakers of the dialect. Berry aims to prove however, that the heritage of a person directly affects how they speak African American English. After researching with children, with and without the Gullah/Geechee heritage, they found that there is a correlation between a child's heritage and the way they speak AAE. Both these articles show that although many people speak AAE there is much variation in the aspects of the dialect.

In Terry's article, "Relations between Dialect Variation, Grammar, and Early Spelling Skills" she talks about how there is also variation in the way African American English is spoken in children. She also aims to prove that children's use of African American English directly correlates to how they perform in school, mainly reading and writing. After testing students on things such as spelling patterns, productive morphology, and word reading, they found that the dialect in which children speak directly affects their performance in school. While we did not see much of Sula's time in school it is clear that children have a harder time in school if they speak a different language. 

Toni Morrison's book "Sula" is a great example of how African American English was spoken. Throughout the dialogue in the book we see how African American English was used by people who spoke the dialect. We see many variations throughout the book and different aspects used, such as the use of ain't for didn't. When we look at how many variations and different aspects there are in African American English, we see just how diverse the dialect really is.

Abrzándose of Two Languages

Spanglish can be described as the hugging of two languages. Spanglish is a beautiful way that Spanish speakers are able to hold onto their native language yet also bring English into their dialect.  

Some people feel that Spanglish is the product of being raised bilingually. This is true that if a person is raised bilingually then they are able to switch back and forth between two languages also known as code-switching. Yet a person is capable of code-switching even if they are not bilingual. For example, when at a restaurant people are code-switching every day, yet they do not realize it. If a person orders a taco at a restaurant they are actually saying the Spanish word taco. This could be seen as code-switching. Thomas Moore Devlin in his article, “How Many People Speak Spanglish, Where Is It Spoken?” saw Spanglish as code-switching and nothing else. Although Spanglish may fall under the title of code-switching it can also be seen as more than that. Spanglish can instead be seen as translanguaging. Translanguaging is the practice of using multiple languages by bilinguals. Henderson and Ingram in their article, "Mister, you're writing in Spanglish" discusses that Spanglish is not actually code-switching but is instead translanguaging since it is spoken by mostly bilinguals. Since the United States is heavily populated with Spanish speakers it would make sense for most Spanglish speakers to be bilingual, which would then move Spanglish into the translanguaging category instead of just code-switching.

Since Spanglish is spoken by bilinguals it is usually the way that some native Spanish speakers hold onto their Latino identity. In the website Aula Hispánica in the article, “What is Spanglish” it is said that there are 35 million Latin Americans in the United States which makes it one of the most important regions of Hispanic origin. With so many Latin Americans in the United States, it is no surprise that Spanglish occurs. In Matínez’s article, “Spanglish as Literacy Tool” he noticed that Spanglish is actually mostly spoken when communicating with family or peers. 

There is a stereotype that people who speak Spanglish are just native Spanish speakers who cannot pick up the English dialect. These people feel that Spanglish speakers are uneducated however, they are wrong. Since Spanglish is often spoken when communicating with family or peers it shows that Spanglish has a bigger meaning. Spanglish is instead a way that Latin Americans hold onto their native culture and embrace a new one. Sánchez-Muñoz in her article, “Who Soy Yo?” discusses that Spanglish speakers are people who do not identify with the Ango-American cultural values and also do not identify with the Mexican cultural values. It is important that society embraces Spanglish speakers because although it is not a known language it is important to the people who speak it.

Although Spanglish is not a classified language, people are beginning to accept it more and more every day. There are books, poems, and songs written in Spanglish. Justin Bieber’s hit song “Despacito” is written in Spanglish. In his songs, he goes back and forth from singing English and Spanish. The chorus is always in Spanish while the rest of the song is in English. There is even a children's book written by Susan Hood, called, Spike The Mixed Up Monster which is written in Spanglish about a monster who speaks in Spanglish. This little monster in the book is constantly talking in both English and Spanglish. The monster is code-switching throughout the novel. In Tato Laviera’s poem, “Spanglish” he is not only writing in Spanglish but allows the reader to feel the emotions that a Spanglish speaker feels. Laviera’s poem is great because in one line he will write in all Spanish and then in the next line he will write in all English. However, in some lines, he writes in both English and Spanish by code-switching. It seems that society is slowly beginning to accept Spanglish into the world. 

It is important that as a society people begin to accept Spanglish. America started as a melting pot people came from all different parts of the world. It is important that we do not take away one's culture. America is supposed to be a melting pot therefore, we need to accept everyone's culture. Spanglish is a way that native Spanish speakers hold on to their culture and embrace the new culture they learn in America. We do not want to whitewash people but instead accept everyone.

AAE in the Classroom to Boost Student Achievement

1996 Ebonics Controversy

African American English is spoken by many Americans all across the United States including school aged children. Statistically, children who speak AAE are more likely to fall behind in school than their peers who speak Standard English; this is largely due to the fact that most teachers do not obtain the pedagogical knowledge on how to help AAE speaking children develop literacy skills. Some may even hold a dialect bias, due to the controversy of AAE being in schools and dialect ignorance developing the belief held by society that AAE is the “wrong” form of English. These factors can lead children to feeling inadequate and unable to learn, which is something major that needs to change in schools all across the country. To the children speaking this dialect, Standard English can seem like a whole different language. 

Julie Washington is a speech pathologist who studies African American English, she found that when a child who is fluent in AAE listens to a story written in Standard English there are a bunch of things that the child has to be able to do. They have to first understand the story in an unfamiliar dialect, then retain it, and translate it to their dialect to be able to fully comprehend it; by doing that they are code-switching the dialects. Some of these children learn how to code-switch naturally, but by the end of third grade about one third of them still are still not able to and are not going to unless it is taught. 

Elementary school teachers specifically are on the front lines when it comes to helping AAE children with their reading comprehension skills. If the students are not taught how to properly code-switch they will most likely not be able to keep up with their school work due to the confusion it can bring them. Students who speak AAE may find it very difficult to be able to connect oral pronunciation with written pronunciation which means they may not be able to properly sound out written SE words leaving them unable to understand text. There is an approach to teaching these students Standard English that many teachers are using. The teachers will run different drills with the students to help them match words that they know in AAE with words that mean the same thing in SE. Code-switching between the two which are much healthier for students and shows them both dialects are respected and able to be used in the classroom.

Though the belief of anything other than Standard English being “wrong” is still present in some cases due to teacher bias and dialect ignorance. These are teachers who believe AAE to be “inferior”; where teachers automatically assume these children to be “at risk”. Studies have shown they will usually take points off of homework for grammar other than SE instead of the child’s knowledge on the subject, leaving them with low grades they do not deserve. In other cases these teachers will request them to be in special education classes. Both are damaging to the child’s self-esteem and can make them feel unable to learn, leading to them giving up. Teachers with the pedagogical knowledge on how to help these children will result in all students having the option to reach their full potential.

The Importance of Spanglish Representation

Representation of Spanglish in pop culture has a great amount of influence in helping immigrants and first- and second-generation Spanglish speakers feel more represented in American Culture. In recent years songs like Shakira's "Hips Don't Lie" have made massive strides in bringing Spanglish into mainstream American culture. 

This kind of representation is extremely important for the more than 50 million Spanish speaking people in the united states, 59% of whom are bilingual, and able to speak comfortably in Spanglish. The blend of Spanish and English commonly seen in bilingual people, called Spanglish is a unique dialect with this own structure and grammar rules. Despite its structure many Americans see Spanglish as a bastardization of English and see those who speak it as uneducated.

Order in English sign outside Geno's Steaks Philadelphia

This view of Spanglish has been used as a way to discriminate against immigrants who come to the United States, as well as the generations who were born and raised speaking both English and Spanish fluently and use Spanglish in their everyday lives. Signs like the one above show how Spanish and Spanglish have been unfairly stigmatized in the U.S. to the point that both the language and dialect, as well as those who speak it have been the subject of unfair ridicule and harassment, as well as outright racist oppression. 

In order to allow Spanish speaking immigrants to feel more welcome and connected to the U.S. the stigma around Spanglish needs to change. One of the best ways to do that is through normalizing the dialect through exposure, we've seen this work in the past with dialects like Yiddish, which was seen as a form of broken Hebrew, and we’re currently seeing it with African American Vernacular English through influences like Hip Hop and Jazz. Shakira’s “Hips Don’t Lie” is a very good example of how Spanglish can enter mainstream American Culture, having been streamed over 550 million times on Spotify, and recently preforming the song during the Super Bowl Halftime Show as seen below. Shakira has been very vocal about the significance of blending Spanish and English in her music, saying that she doesn’t want to lose where she comes from to pander to American audiences.

Shakira Preforming at the Super Bowl 

The song features Wyclef Jean, another Spanglish speaking musician, however Shakira and Jean both speak different forms of Spanglish since they come from different countries and speak different dialects of Spanish. Their collaboration shows Spanglish speakers from any background that there is no “proper” form of Spanglish and allows speakers to feel represented in American culture. Normalizing Spanglish doesn't just change English speakers views, it also works to change the views of First-generation immigrants, who often times refuse to speak Spanglish out of fear of being seen as uneducated as they attempt to assimilate. Normalizing the dialect would allow for them to assimilate to American culture much easier since they would be able to feel more comfortable speaking Spanglish.

Normalizing Spanglish in American pop culture would improve the lives of millions of people currently living in the country, as well as people hoping to immigrate in the future. With songs like “Hips Don’t Lie” this normalization is possible, and is already happening now.

History and Modern Day Relevance of AAE

African American English is one language that has had a long history and a large debate circling around its legitimacy. There are various elements that must be taken into consideration when classifying a language. Some of these elements include the structure, functions, and vocabulary that is spoken in a certain dialect.

In Zora Neale Hurston's The Gilded Six-Bits, there is a specific portion of the work in which the speaker makes use of the African American English language. This section includes several independent pieces of language that can be broken down to demonstrate AAE. Several solid examples of the structure of the language of African American English can be located within this work from Hurston.

This particular passage can also be used to demonstrate the use of code switching, and can help to explain that code switching can appear in many different mediums including literature, film, radio and other popular culture elements. When considering African American English as a language or dialect, it is crucial to understand that whether it can be classified as either one, or both, it can be found in countless modern day examples that must be taken into consideration.

One thing that is often discussed when regarding AAE in the classroom are the pros and cons of code switching. In regards to school settings, there are both positive and negative effects that it plays on students in their academic careers. The belief is that if students can consider the way language evolves over time, as well as feel acceptance regardless of their diversity, they will be more empowered not only academically but spiritually as well.

This direct quote from Zora Neale Hurston indicates her sense of pride regarding being an author who uses African American English in her works.

In regards to education, it is important to consider not only the way educators can play a role in the acceptance of African American English, but for other school professionals to be sure they are also recognizing this language as well. By providing a set of guidelines for educators and school counseling professionals to follow, AAE speakers will have a higher chance of achieving academic success. The research that has been conducted and included in this article allows for individuals to see the benefits of incorporating the strategies into modern day classrooms to promote student success.

There are also meaningful references to African American English within the entertainment industry. AAE is relevant in present-day films, literature, and other arts. While there are unfortunately many misconceptions that African American English as a language faces, and it is often portrayed negatively in modern day examples, it is still undoubtedly present and should be introduced in the classroom in order to educate students on its history and origin.

While there are many arguments that claim African American English should be deemed as “broken” English, and many individuals do not consider AAE a “real” language, overall, the discussion of how AAE still exists in the present day helps to support an argument focusing on how it should be integrated into different societies, cultures and classrooms. AAE is continuing to appear in various outlets and should be accepted and celebrated.

The Cultural Identity Associated with African American English

American hip hop group OutKast uses African American English in their song “Elevators” to emphasize the cultural identity associated with AAE.

African American English (AAE) has a rich history of development, though scholars cannot seem to agree on its origin. Its features can be connected to English, West African languages, and some Caribbean Creole English varieties. Despite the disagreement on its origins, one idea remains clear: AAE follows its own system of rules, categorizing it as an English dialect with its own cultural identity.

There are features of AAE that OutKast uses in their song lyrics. John Rickford discusses elements like changes in pronunciation of th, deletion of final consonant sounds, and dropping b, d, and g at the front of auxiliary verbs. He also recognizes the use of invariant be, as in “we be goin to work every night”, in cases of habitual action. 

In “Elevators”, for example, OutKast writes: “Now, everyday we look up at the ceilin' / Watchin' ceilin' fans go around tryin' ta catch that feelin'”, demonstrating a deleted ending consonant g.

These AAE rules highlight its role as a dialect rather than the view that it is an incorrect, uneducated manner of speaking. In the cartoon below, this inaccurate assumption is demonstrated by a woman attempting to teach "proper English" instead of AAE.

This cartoon represents the incorrect perspective that

Mainstream American English is "proper" and AAE is not.

Despite the rules that speakers of AAE follow, its use varies across the United States, creating regional differences in pronunciation and spelling. Many successful hip hop artists were from the east or west coasts while OutKast originated in the south, making their use of language significant to their identity. Taylor Jones determines the four main regional boundaries of the dialect in his study on AAE use across Twitter. The northeast, south, west, and the expanse of land between former slave states and the Northern cities Chicago, Detroit and Cleveland are the regions Jones emphasizes with their own spellings and slang terms.

The regional dialect distinctions highlight OutKast’s unique identity. Howard Rambsy claims that Andre 3000, one member of OutKast, demonstrates control over AAE and the culture associated with the dialect through his language. He even wrote lyrics, such as in “Elevators”, that refer to African American politics and their struggles at the time he was writing. This use of dialect helped OutKast succeed in the hip hop world despite their southern origins.

OutKast’s lyrics seem to push negative perceptions of AAE out to foster a more accepting culture surrounding southern blackness. Their use of regional language helps them show that AAE is not used only by lower classes. Cecelia Cutler argues how all listeners are submerged in AAE by listening to hip hop, helping them more fully understand that it is a proper dialect used by many speakers. In this way, OutKast is participating in the AAE conversation, recognizing its cultural importance.

While AAE’s origins are widely contested, the cultural identity it supports is undoubted. It is up to the non-AAE speaking public to recognize its role and accept its place in language.

Spanglish Influence in Pop Music

Spanglish music is making its mark on modern day society through the pop music industry. It is hard to listen to the radio today without hearing lyrics sung in Spanish. Singers like Shakira, Pitbull, and Enrique Inglesias have paved the way for many other hispanic artists to create art that is true and authentic to who they are. This Latin influence in music has resulted in a myriad of hit Spanglish songs like “Hips Don’t Lie,” “Despacito,” “Mi Gente,” and “Contigo.” Through different practices like code-switching, many hispanic artists are able to create songs that appeal to both English and Spanish speaking fans nationwide. 

Spanglish, while it is not its own language, is most often spoken in places with large Latino populations like Puerto Rico and Southern California. These are often noted as the “Spanglish hotbeds.” There are no specific grammar rules or lists of vocabulary words specifically unique to Spanglish, it is instead it is a hybrid of both English and Spanish. While it is typically spoken by people who are fluent in both languages, it is more than just an effect of being bilingual. 

One of the most notable features of Spanglish is code-switching. Code-switching allows speakers to use English and Spanish words interchangeably, keeping the structure of the respective language throughout a conversation.  Shakira’s hit song, “Hips Don’t Lie” has multiple examples of this phenomenon. A perfect example of this is the phrase “don’t you see baby así es perfecto.” While the line starts off in English, it changes to Spanish at the end, resulting in Spanglish. 

The success of songs like this have had an influence on the current popular music industry. Songs like “Despacito” topped the Billboard Hot 100s charts for an astounding 44 weeks in 2017. This proves that Spanglish was not a fad, and that people around the world are connecting with it. 

Jennifer Lopez and Shakira on stage at NFL Super Bowl LIV

As seen in the image above, blobal superstars Jennifer Lopez and Shakira performed together during the halftime show of the NFL’s Super Bowl LIV. These are two women who helped to build the demand for Latin pop in the US mainstream, so them  teaming up created quite the moment. They performed a number of  their greatest hits, many of which featured Spanglish lyrics. Two artists whom Lopez and Shakira paved the way for in the industry, J Balvin and Bad Bunny, were brought up to join them on stage in their performance. In addition to the music, these performers included more cultural rituals through dance. By remaining authentic and true to their roots, Shakira and Lopez are showing how the US is constantly evolving and expanding on their cultural acceptance and inclusion. 

While Spanglish today can be seen across different forms of media including advertisements, TV shows, musicals, and songs, this was not always the case. People used to look down upon Spanglish and view it as an underground form of communication.  In 1999, Latino/a artists used have to produce English-only songs in order to attain commercial success in the US. This is not the case for artists in 2020. The US has shown a great deal of cultural acceptance and empowerment. Diversity in music is encouraged today and there are many predominantly Spanish songs that top the charts in pop music.  Music has really helped bridge the gap between Spanish and English and encourage the use of Spanglish in the modern world. 

The Importance of AAE Research Through Zora Neale Hurston's Novel Preparation

Zora Neale Hurston’s Their Eyes Were Watching God reflects the in-depth research that Hurston had done to form a well-adapted representation of the African American English (AAE) dialect in Central Florida.

The importance of Hurston’s dialectical research reflects on the misrepresentation of dialects that teeter on the verge of racist or stereotypical. The history that revolves around Ebonics or AAE is often looked down upon as being a sign of being uneducated or illiterate. Often the criticism is rooted in America's long, dark history of racism. However, Hurston develops her novel by examining, authenticating, and embracing the distinctive features of vocabulary, grammar, and pronunciation of Central Florida’s AAE dialect by immersing herself in the culture and having grown up in the area.

According to Barry Betsy, Hurston reportedly spent multiple years in Eatonville, Florida collecting folklore from the residents while secretly identifying the dialectical nuances of their speech. This methodic practice enhanced the Central Florida AAE dialect without giving cause to the real nature of her research.

Hurston’s dialect reflects the standardized forms for AAE while touching on the variations that the Eatonville AAE dialect has. Rather than assuming that the dialect spoken in Central Florida uses the standardized “rules” of AAE, Hurston defies those standards by documenting and researching the town. As Manuela Coppola argues, she notes that Hurston includes the elements of speech, but also the idioms, metaphors, and prominent variations in sentence structures.

1937 News Article Documenting Hurston's New Anthropological Research

This news article reports on Hurston’s anthropological studies that she conducts prior to writing her novels. Her novel was Tell My Horse: Voodoo and Life in Haiti and Jamaica (1938) and it was published one year following Their Eyes Were Watching God. Hurston wastes no time when it comes to research and writing, moving from project to project, using her skills as an anthropologist, and developing numerous books.

To fully develop a concrete, credible, and realistic study on language, it is important to immerse oneself into the culture to avoid using stereotypes or assumptions. In an article written by Tracey Weldon, she cites research by Baugh (1983) that encourages linguistic researchers to study the communities of speakers who dwell in the area of research.

By immersing herself in the culture of the community she writes about, whether part of her fictional or nonfiction work, Hurston is developing a direct and true essence of the people. Having grown up in Eatonville, Florida and then later returning to the area for research, Hurston is working with two dimensions. A personal history with the town as well as the influences of other people in the community. To work solely from her own experience would not provide an accurate dialect because she would be working with only one person. In studying the community through the folklore, she not only gains a greater understanding for the AAE dialect in Eatonville, but also gains a sense of phrases, history, and tradition that adds flavor to the language.

The Rise of Spanglish in Popular Music

A plethora of interchangeable languages and dialects exist around the world, one of them being Spanglish. This hybrid language formed so English and Spanish speakers could communicate and understand each other. Before diving into Spanglish's contribution towards mass media, it is essential to understand what Spanglish is and how it came about.

Although the origin of Spanglish can be controversial, it has actually been around for centuries; some believe that Spanglish existed when the Treaty of Guadalupe Hidalgo was signed in 1848. After the signing, the United States gained a massive portion of Mexico. As a result, the two languages came together; Spanish speakers began to learn English and vice versa.

9 Memes Every Spanglish Speaker Can Relate To

In 2017, over 50 million people in the United States spoke Spanish; of those 50 million, a whopping 59% were bilingual. For those raised in bilingual households, Spanglish was a fun and easy approach towards communication.

As illustrated in the image above, Spanglish is known to include a feature known as code-switching, which is when a person shifts between two languages in a sentence. In this case, a person is alternating between English and Spanish, thus creating Spanglish. The above image, for example, starts in English, and by the end, shifts to Spanish. Although code-switching deems Spanglish certain qualities such as "cluttered" and "improper," it is of high importance; code-switching is an element with many functions, including but not limited to emphasizing more meaning through communication.

In today's society, Spanglish has remained a popular phenomenon. In recent times, Spanglish has taken over the music industry. If you have ever found yourself singing along to a song with a few Spanish lyrics and have no idea what they mean, congratulations - you interacted with Spanglish!

The Story Of... 'La Isla Bonita' by Madonna

In 1987, Madonna released her hit song "La Isla Bonita." The Latin-inspired song was dedicated to the diversity she experienced living in New York. Madonna admired the culture and beauty of Latin America and their people so much that it led to one of her greatest tracks. Though the majority of the song is sung in English, there are Spanish lyrics that fit well with the Latin-influenced rhythm. For starters, the title of the song is Spanish and translates to "The Beautiful Island." In the second verse, Madonna sings "Warm wind carried on the sea, he called to me / Te dijo te amo." The integration of Spanish for the phrase "he said I love you" is much more creative and holds more of a romantic tone than it would have in English. Moreover, in the bridge Madonna belts "When it's time for siesta, you can watch them go by." The majority of the lyric is expressed in English, but the use of "siesta" illustrates the code-switch.

The impact Spanglish has had on the media is incredible, especially for popular music. Several artists today are adding Spanish into their lyrics to be more inclusive, such as Cardi B and Demi Lovato. Overall, the appreciation of Latin culture has seriously improved the music industry for the better.

The American Novelist and the African American English Dialect

"The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" by Mark Twain stands out not only for its characters but for its "representation of African-American English (AAE)."


Twain's ability as an author has helped him to expand the limits of speech. He enabled the African-American language and rhetorical practices to play a major role in the story. Among all the features of AAE, the character Jim utilized each frequently. Linguists Ningrum and Rohman say that AAE has two basic parts: grammar and sound. In discourse, Twain embodied these elements.

Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain was his pen name) was born in Florida, Missouri. He'd had a distinctive style of storytelling. The vocabulary was used to reflect the time and Twain aimed to praise the language. While it will remain contentious to some due to the degree of which it has represented AAE, the material is authentic.

"Jim pleading to the ghost"

Twain's "The Adventures of Huckleberry Finn" has a range of AAE features. Jim's character encompasses the AAE dialect. AAE doesn't use have/has. On page 26, in the scene illustrated in the image above, Jim says “Don' hurt me—don’t! I ain't ever done no harm to a ghos," shows the stressed "done," to express an action as being complete. In this sentence, every word differs from Standard English, writes Ida Dewi.

The double negatives in "done no harm" are produced by applying negation to the action word and to the modifier of the noun, or to the object of the action word. There is another negative indicator, the utilization of "ain't" in the expression. To communicate this behavior, different dialects will use "haven't." This terminology is supplanted by AAE. Twain uses consonant clusters "Don' hurt me," when two consonants show up toward the end of a word and are reduced.

There is a strong respect for how Twain used Jim's character to speak to a natural dialect. Curt Rulan, a professor at Texas State University, notes that it does require the reader to note that Jim was a slave. The repeated use of AAE and given Jim's background was something that Twain made clear. With the discussion that this content has caused as far as it is taught in schools, it comes down to the reader and their capacity to take note of the important subjects, contrasting language, and sensitive topics. It is important to keep Mark Twain's writing of AAE around because it is a language and an important part of American history.

Despite the fact that Twain wrote the novel during the 1800s, AAE is a language that is utilized today. It shows that the idea of language is fluid and ever-evolving. Individuals need to quit seeing those who speak AAE as different, there is no standard in the English language. It relies upon what is said and is comprehended by the people who speak it. Twain may have composed something provocative, however, it aimed to paint an image of America, one that was brimming with varieties of English.