Posted on 11/11/2007 9:28:12 PM PST by World_Events
'Hello' or 'hola'? For speakers of both English and Spanish, quickly deciding which language to use can be tricky. There are plenty of cues. By Stuart Silverstein Los Angeles Times Staff Writer
7:55 PM PST, November 11, 2007
Cuban-born Maria Carreira, the coauthor of two college Spanish textbooks, can glide easily between her native tongue and English. But in her daily life in Southern California, picking which language to speak can be very complicado.
Such as the time when she was at a taco stand where everyone seemed to be ordering and chatting in Spanish. Carreira started placing her order en español, but she quickly switched to English after she got a look at the young employee behind the counter.
"He had the bluest eyes," Carreira said.
Carreira, a linguist who teaches at Cal State Long Beach and an expert in the use of Spanish in the United States, acknowledges that she blundered at the taco joint. Though the counterman responded in English, it dawned on her that he had been capably handling orders in Spanish.
Yet her flub reflects a tricky language-etiquette question confronted daily by the nation's growing ranks of English-Spanish bilinguals: When to use inglés and when to speak Spanish?
Not everyone is charmed by the budding bilingualism. Some Americans resent the widespread use of Spanish, particularly at government agencies and public schools. "Our government has gone way too far in encouraging people not to learn English," said Jim Boulet Jr., executive director of Springfield, Va.-based English First, an advocacy group that is working to make English the nation's official language.
Boulet and other critics also complain that Spanish sometimes is used to exclude, or gossip about, people who speak only English.
(Excerpt) Read more at latimes.com ...
Simple, English. If they don’t understand, just speak louder and slower.
Swedish.
Geez, why is this considered a problem??? This girl speaks both Spanish and English, and she’s at a taco place where everyone is speaking Spanish? Since she’s bilingual, why is this such a stressful situation when she looks into the blue eyes of the guy working there, who apparently also speaks Spanish?????
Why is this news? Why is it difficult to know which language to use for bilingual people?????????
She switched to English so she could flirt with him. As if he’d date someone who’d go to a taco stand... < /s >
Because blue eyed people aren’t supposed to know Spanish according to her racist way of thinking.
Mr Boulet makes a good point. When I was stationed in Florida, there were 3 or 4 Puerto Ricans in my unit (including me.) We'd only switch to Spanish when there was no one else around, or when we were going to talk trash about someone...we called it "Secure Communication Mode."
it should be quite simple...if you are in the USA...
speak English.
agreed but jorge is doing his best tho to see to it that our way of thinking is wrong.
FYI - everyone knows what you’re doing and they resent it.
They ask me to press a button for English, in English...
I was once at a department store and had a little problem with another hispanic customer who thought I had the sales guy at the shoe department give me the spot on the sofa she was saving for her daughter. She had rudely interrupted me when I was talking to the sales guy, however, it was the sales guy who took it upon himself to look for somewhere where I could sit. When the woman’s daughter returned, she told the daughter in spanish what had happened and referred to me as a witch. Being hispanic myself, I understood everything she was saying and just smiled to myself.
As I left, I told her in spanish not to worry, that she could have her spot back. Needless to say, they were speechless.
I was thoroughly surprised when a blue-eyed, blonde guy walked into the River Walk Thai restaurant in Lava Hot Springs and struck up a conversation in Thai with the owners. I suspect he learned the language while serving in the military. It was apparent that he and the owner have a long standing friendship.
There are more English speakers and Chinese speakers in the world than Spanish..
Why would it be a choice of English or Spanish?
Before the Chinese speakers sue the Spanish speakers for cultural discrimination...wouldnt that be a hoot?...let’s just speak in English in the govt and public business and if the other languages-as-a-second-language speakers want to speak some other language at home while they smoke..have at it..
It's rude and unwise to do that in the U.S. My dad sent me to Vons to purchase a few items shortly before Christmas. As I approached the Romaine lettuce, a couple women abruptly switched their conversation from English to German. I selected my heads of lettuce and wished them, Froeliche Weinachten (Merry Christmas). I can pull that off in about 20 different languages. It leaves the parties wondering how long their "secure mode" was compromised by a stupid assumption.
when youre in the us of a b==otch!
My wife and I used to speak Spanish here in the Carolinas when we wanted to make certain our conversations were private or we were commenting about somebody nearby. But that was years ago and now you can almost be certain there will be another Spanish speaker within 10 ft.
My wife loves to sneak up on the people who insist on doing "No speakie ingles" angle just to evesdrop. It has produced some memorable moments.
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