Spanglish Origin and Continued Use

     Spanish and English have been used together in both conversation and literature since colonial times. The result of this language mingle is the creation of "Spanglish",  a curious dialect which consists of both Spanish and English used in the same sentence. While Spanglish does not combine Spanish and English words to form new ones, the dialect is primarily powered by the substitution of words. Rather than a dialect, therefore, it is also recognizable as an interlanguage.

     Words are interchangeable in Spanglish. The substitution plays a role when a Spanish speaker prefers to use a word in Spanish rather than its English counterpart, or vice versa. Florida and Texas were once Spanish-speaking colonies (owned by Spain and Mexico respectively) before they were acquired by the United States, an English-speaking country. Once English was introduced to these territories, the duel language was born from the migration of Spanish speakers into the growing United States. 

     Whether or not a person uses Spanish words more than English ones depends on how comfortable they are speaking both languages. However, Spanglish usually involves taking a base, familiar language and inserting a foreign word into a sentence spoken in the more familiar language. This process is known as code-switching. 

     Writer Junot Díaz, a Dominican-American writer for the New Yorker, has published short stories that demonstrate the continued use of Spanglish. One of his most notable short stories is called "This Is How You Lose Her", a breakdown of what happened to Díaz before and after he cheated on his girlfriend. He demonstrates his skill of blending English and Spanish grammar into sentences that craft a compelling story anyone can relate to. 

      "Her father, who used to treat me like his hijo, calls me an asshole on the phone,..." is a line in the story that shows how Spanish words can easily replace the most common ones in English. "Hijo" is given enough context clues for a reader to define it as a familial term: "son", in this case. One part of the text labels the protagonist a "sucio", which is slang on the word "dirty" but meant to indirectly translate as "a bit of dirt". This translation is a bit harder to decipher into English, but the word is given more meaning when the protagonist calls himself an "asshole" in order to provide context that "sucio" is being used an insult. 

Photo from Sideplayer

     The above conversation is an observation of how word choice effects the sentence. Díaz uses less Spanish while communicating his story, while Anita and Mark demonstrate more comfortability in describing a parking scenario in Spanish. This links back to the idea of who prefers to write in one language more than the other.

     While some Spanish speakers mix the two languages for the sake of communication, they also do so out of preserving identity. Mexican individuals who wanted to ensure the survival of their language discovered a way to live in the United States through a loophole in the Immigration Reform and Control Act. The result was a halfway assimilation into US society via a new dialect that was a mix of their language and the one requested of them to be learned by the US government. 

Lumbee English

Lumbee English as an Equal Alternative

The Lumbee tribe, a Native American group located in North Carolina, is unique in terms of dialectology. It is generally believed that the Lumbee have been speaking English for centuries now. At some point the Lumbee lost their language and adopted their own unique brand of English. It seems as though the Lumbee were forced to adapt to colonization. In doing so they lost touch with their original language and, as a result, other Native American groups along with the federal government tend to devalue the credibility of the Lumbee as an indigenous tribe.

http://slideplayer.com/slide/1641706/

The above image is a screenshot of a slide from a presentation concerning Lumbee English. It effectively summarizes the chronic misunderstandings that the Lumbee population deals with daily. The ridicule bestowed upon the Lumbee people seems to stem from the uniqueness of their dialect. Lumbee English is divergent from mainstream U.S. English in terms of pronunciation, grammar, and vocabulary.  For example, a member of the Lumbee tribe might say, "It bes really crowded." So, "be(s)" is often utilized in Lumbee English as a term similar to standard English's "is." Similarly, the use of "I'm" is altogether different in Lumbee English. One who uses the Lumbee English dialect might say, "I'm told you all that I know." This is recognizable as the Lumbee equivalent to "I've told you all that I know." In terms of pronunciation, the Lumbee dialect sounds somewhat like a cross between African American English and Southern U.S. English. However, there are a few distinct features of Lumbee English pronunciation that separate it from other local dialects. A "high" tide might be called a "hoi" tide according to Lumbee English. Such pronunciation harkens back to the influence of the British, the Highland Scots, and the Scots-Irish upon the Lumbee dialect. Also, the Lumbee people employ certain terms that are not widely known by those who speak standard American English. The term "júvimber," for example, refers to a sling shot. Similarly, the term "mommuck" is a verb that refers to messing something up. "Weren't" is also commonly used within the Lumbee community. A Lumbee person might say, "It weren't me." So, "weren't" seems to be interchangeable with "wasn't." 

These differences, although relatively slight, have alienated the Lumbee people as a tribe without a true identity. The Lumbee do not have their own unique indigenous language. Furthermore, their use of English is generally considered improper by those who promote mainstream U.S. English. This catch-22 situation makes the Lumbee population an altogether unique group. They are, of course, an authentic culture, and those who would deny the Lumbee of their indigenous history are simply unreasonable. 

Barstool Sports: Playing by Their Own Rules for Success

I. Introduction

               If you’re reading this blog post, chances are you read the last one, checked out Barstool, and now are back to learn more about these sports swamis and what they are doing for the progression of the English language.  (Or you’re Dr. Estes—more likely the latter.)  As we learned last post, the writers at Barstool have growing their loyal fan base exponentially and are competing with some of the titans in the sports commentating world such as ESPN.  How are these quintessential “David” men competing with the “Goliath”?  It’s basically because these sports bloggers are more than just that, they are social commentators on everything important to a stereotypical testosterone-pumping male—including, but not limited to, girls, beer and debauchery. And if you’re wondering why this is working you’re in luck, because not only are we going to discuss this impact they have had, but we will do it thoroughly and pinpoint some scholarly theories as to why these guys are so successful.

Introduction: Barstool is Formed

                Dave Portnoy, founder of Barstool Sports and better known by his cult-like following of young males as “Pres” or “El Presidente,” launched his website in the metropolitan Boston area, at first only writing about gambling advice or fantasy football tips.  However, as the site’s popularity grew, their content expanded into blogs about all sports, and from there—anything they wanted.  According to entrepreneur.com, Portnoy wanted to make a sports site for the “common man,” and break away from the rules and regulations of everyday sports writing.  "Dave is hell-bent on proving everything in the mainstream wrong," Kevin Clancy, a writer for Barstool, says. "He wants to prove all the advertising agencies are wrong, all the media agencies are wrong and all the PR agencies are wrong. He is fighting against everyone who says you have to play by the same cookie-cutter rules, and he won't stop until he proves he's right. It's his crusade." 

                Barstool has expanded to having multiple Podcast radio shows, and have found their way to the actual athletes themselves, some world-class names, too.  Michael Phelps, Giants offensive lineman Justin Pugh and Mets pitcher Noah Syndergaard have all been seen sporting some Barstool “Saturdays are for the Boys” merchandise.  But how are these writers doing it? 

II. First Reason- Their Voice

Dave Portnoy: Founder of Barstool Sports
Photo Courtesy of entrepreneur.com

                When you think of the major sports content producer SportsCenter, what do you think of?  Men and women gathered around a nice studio in suits and pencil skirts, laying out the details of that day’s athletic events.  Their writing is mostly dry, factual, serving the main purpose of getting the message across to their viewers as clearly and efficiently as possible. 

                As we’ve learned, this is NOT the image Portnoy and his staff want to embody when people think of Barstool.  They want you to think beer-stained Ralph Lauren button downs that are missing buttons from a night of long partying.  Worn-out Sperry boat shoes that have seen not boats, but too many dirty, sticky barroom floors covered in stale alcohol and washed away vomit.  And the lack of formality in their writing has gotten them that reputation.

                According to James E. Katz and Chih-Hui Lai in their article, “News Blogging in Cross-Cultural Contexts: A report on the Struggle for Voice,” citizen journalists and political bloggers also have to consider voice in their writing to maintain an audience.  Katz and Lai write, “Unless the mainstream media are able to successfully incorporate the more localized concerns—concerns that have been overshadowed to some degree up by the development of mass media in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries—they are likely to lose their audience.” (105).  Portnoy and the writers at Barstool have taken on a similar concept.  They have found their niche audience of makes 18-35 and have created a voice that would suit those readers.  And in doing this, they write articles about things they know these people want to hear: some examples being their infamous “Smokeshow of the day,” where they post a picture of an attractive woman to the site with a background about who she is, and have even gotten as vain as “Guess That Ass,” where readers must guess the derrière of a famous female by only seeing a picture of their lower bodies.

                This tone, style and content has angered a lot of people, mostly feminists who claim Barstool’s writing is misogynistic and offensive towards women—which it undoubtedly is.  Even radio host Howard Stern has voiced some grievances with the site, and he himself in known for being crude.  However, Portnoy does not care about the “haters.”  Portnoy said about Barstool’s content, “We're not trying to gain new readers by being crazy-outrageous. Our readers get what we do, and I don't think about what it's going to look like to the outside world. I don't really care."  Which will bring us smoothly to our next topic as to why Barstool is so successful, their readers.

III.  Stoolies—The Catalyst Behind Barstool’s Success

Barstool's infamous logo
Photo courtesy of aol.com

                Ah, yes—the Stoolies.  A rowdy bunch who find solace in sports, drinking, gambling, women, but most of all—they find solace in Barstool.  By pinpointing his audience and perfecting the voice of the site, Portnoy has developed a loyal following.  A following to the point that Barstool has become more than just a website, but a community.

                Everybody wants to be noticed.  Whether that be as intelligent, funny, caring—we all want recognition, especially from people who hold high importance in our lives.  Dave Portnoy and his staff at Barstool understand that.  Therefore, they are not afraid to interact with their readers.  Whether that be on the site or in the street, (there was once an article written by Clancy about how he saw a Stoolie on an airplane and the reader didn’t say anything to him, to which he was offended,) these guys take the time out to let their readers know that they do matter, and the readers do the same.

                However, this does not happen as conventionally as a “nice article!” or “good reporting!” comment in the comments section.  You must remember, these are mostly “Bros,” and going along with the tone of the writing, the comments are going to be written in the same kind of register.  For example, a Barstool writer could pen an article entirely about Tom Brady’s wife, Gisele, and mention in one line, one quip, about something that reminded him of a time when he had sex.  No matter how well-written the article is, there will be a chorus of Stoolies in the comments section writing, “congrats on the sex.”  This is a language that all Stoolies speak in, the language of young men that will never give you the respect you deserve.  But it’s become their theme, their own language that bounces back and forth between the readers and writers.

                I-Ping Chiang, Yi-Hsuan Chiang and Yu-Chi Lin discuss in their article, “The Antecedents and Consequences of Blogging Behavior,” the importance of bloggers interacting with their readers and what blogs readers are more likely to comment on.  In the article, they state, “Based on our findings people prefer to leave messages and make recommendations about sites that are within their realm of interest, such as the blogs of friends or people with similar interests.” (316).  They also found that interactive feedback was influential on the participating bloggers in their study in terms of social and informational reward.  These findings are essential to the Barstool blog success.

IV Conclusion

                Dave Portnoy and his band of cronies are running their blog exactly the way they want to.  Their personalized voice and connection with their audience of readers are fueling the fire of their success, even when challenged by powerhouse mainstream sites.  Barstool is anything but a part of the mainstream, but with their recent exponential success, they are belching and beer-ponging their way into it.

References:

Chiang, I-Ping; Chiang, Yi-Hsuan; Lin, Yu-Chi. “The Antecedents and Consequences of Blogging Behavior.” Social Behavior & Personality: an international journal, vol. 41, issue 2, 2013, pp. 311-317.

Katz, James; Lai, Chih-Hui. “News Blogging in Cross-Cultural Contexts: A Report on the Struggle for Voice.” Knowledge, Technology and Policy, vol. 22, issue 2, 2009, pp. 95-107.

Ankeny, Jason. “The Man Behind the ‘Bible of Bro Culture.’” Entrepreneur. November 17, 2016. Entrepreneur.com. 

"Ain't" Ain't in the Dictionary... Or is it?

A Look Into Slang in a Classroom Setting

Slang has been around for many years, however it has become increasingly popular in the past few years and is often used amongst students ranging from elementary school all the way through college. When I was younger, slang was always looked down upon and not recognized as a correct or grammatical form of the English language. An uproar amongst teachers would ensue as soon as someone mentioned the word "ain't" in their paper or even said it aloud to a friend. Now, however, that time has passed, "ain't" is in the dictionary, and is more accepted now than ever. But "ain't" ain't the only word that has been acknowledged as real English. I have found in my research through scholarly and popular sources that slang words are accepted as another variation of our language, and are used widespread throughout the country. 

Scholarly research has found that age becomes a big factor in the use of slang because it is often seen as generational. Teenagers and college students are the main consumers and creators of slang that is used daily because young people are often inspired by creativity and not afraid to try new things (Zhou and Fan 2210). This research is similar to that found in popular sources. In a New York Times post, a lesson plan all about slang is explained. This lesson will teach students how to use their own personal slang appropriately as well investigate where these slang words originated. This lesson just goes to show just how common slang is among students, and how it is increasingly becoming a major part of the English language. 

Scholarly research has also found that "a generation gap opens up when children identify strongly with peer groups, which commonly happens in adolescence. By this time, the youngsters have mostly acquired the grammar of their language. Their major quest now is the building of lexicon, a task which continues throughout life" (Aitchison 20). The building of a person's lexicon can relate back to the use of slang. Now that the child has learned the grammar of their language, they can continue to grow their lexicon with slang words which can be passed around by peers and other people they may encounter. 

For example, students of all ages are now using the phrase "Netflix and Chill" to describe inviting someone you're interested in over to watch Netflix but a hidden meaning of engaging in sexual acts. Popular sources share with us just some of the other phrases and words of slang that are commonly being used today and their interesting meanings.

A scholarly article regarding the use of slang in classrooms in a New York school describes a teacher's dealings with slang, as it is a constant use of communication in and out of the classroom. Hamilton says that since he has been working with his students, he has gained a new appreciation for language, he says, "How I survive - or make room for and adapt to - the languages and dialects I encounter requires a great degree of respect for language diversity" (89), which again shows just how much slang really does effect language in a classroom setting. Teachers now have to understand and adapt to the language of their students, and slang has to be accepted as a form of the language. 

Popular sources such as the extremely popular "funny" news site, BuzzFeed, poke fun at the use of slang amongst students and how some of the words they create are just so original it is hard for some adults to grasp and understand the meaning of such words. The video above shows an interview of college professors at Lehigh University and their "understanding" of some of the more popular slang terms and phrases that are floating around the classroom. BuzzFeed asks them their thoughts on the meaning of the slang words: bae, FOMO, slay, and on fleek and more often than not the professors have the meaning completely wrong. 

Through popular and scholarly sources, the consensus on slang is that it should be regarded as a form of the English language. The fact that it is so popular in amongst students from elementary age to all the way up to college age shows how important creating new words and meanings is to the current generation. They thrive on creating a language that is powerful, engaging, and interesting and using slang is the perfect way to do that. Slang terms are a part of our daily routines and conversations, they are used in schools, at home, and at work by all different types of people, usually with an attempt to be creative with their language - so why shouldn't we embrace it? 

Even the fact that teachers are making an effort to understand slang used by their students by creating lesson plans or even just discussing slang with their students, is a step in the right direction. Sometimes students come from backgrounds that are really only familiar with slang as a form of language, that's why knowing slang words and engaging with students about those slang words can potentially help to eliminate the negative ones and create more positive slang that wouldn't be so harmful to include in school work. Although the use of slang has been portrayed in a negative light for so many years, it has slowly become acknowledged as a form of the English language, and this is because of the constant use of slang terms by young people. Their consistency of creating and applying new words and meanings has increased our vocabulary and opened our minds to the creativity of this interesting form of language.

Works Cited 

Aitchison, Jean. "Whassup? Slang And Swearing Among School Children." Education Review 19.2 (2006): 18-24. Web. 20 Nov. 2015.

Fan, Yanhong and Zhou, Yanchun. “A Sociolinguistic Study of American Slang.” Theory and Practice in Language Studies3.12 (2013): 2209-2213. Web. 1 Nov 2015.

Hamilton, Greg. “English in the City.” English Journal 93.4 (2004): 89-92. Web. 1 Nov 2015.