Spanglish Only.

A handful of thoughts on the future of Spanish in the United States and the role advertising plays in preserving it.

The news headline was conclusive and straightforward: “There are more Spanish-speakers in the United States than in Spain.” Wow! And the truth is, I had never really stopped to analyze the fact that it may well be the United States who will be deciding the future of the Spanish language. Just shy of 55 million, the Unites States is the second country in the world with the most Spanish-speakers, and by the year 2050 it may possibly become number one, ahead of even Mexico.

Sure, Spanish spoken in this country-like in any other country-is constantly evolving, mutating; a few language liberals might say it is becoming richer; other more conservative experts may think it is being polluted. I think it is a mixture of both.

There are many different types of Spanish. Words have different meanings from one Spanish-speaking country to the next, not to mention accents, grammar variations and differences in pronunciation. Spanish can even be different within a single country, depending on the region. Now, put all those differences in the US melting pot and you get yourself a population of Latin Americans who not only have to work around differences in pronunciation and vocabulary, but they also have to deal with the infamous Spanglish.

This sublanguage acts just like any other language would, and has evolved differently in different areas of the United States, depending on the socioeconomic and education level of the speaker and on their country of origin-or the country of origin of their parents or grandparents for that matter. It is a known fact that Spanglish dilutes Spanish, but it is also true that when it comes to languages, destruction leads to rebirth. That is how languages evolve.

Here are some examples of Spanglish spoken every day in this country:

Aseguranza – seguro – insurance
Cuquear – cocinar -to cook
Carpeta – alfombra – carpet
Groceria – alimentos – grocery
Likear- gotear – to leak
Luz – semáforo – traffic light
Marketa- supermercado – market
Mopear – trapear – to mop
Washeria – lavandería – laundry
Yarda -patio -yard

So, what can the advertising industry do in the face of the unavoidable? It may choose to ignore the changes taking place and defend the correct use of Spanish tooth and nail, or become some sort of mediator, act as a catalyst between the so called “standard” Spanish and its hybrid, the infamous “Spanglish” spoken on the streets.

The years will tell what the days will never know. What is clear today is that our job as advertisers is not to teach Spanish lessons, but to convey clear, well-written messages.

Edgar Hernández is a creative copywriter at Grupo Gallegos. An advertising agency based in Long Beach California focusing on the Hispanic market.