Spanglish

As a Latina in the United States I tend to speak in many different dialects of English. I use different dialects depending if I am talking to my family, or to people at work. I use different dialects because with each group I am in a different setting and I have different conversations with them.

When I am at home I tend to speak English with Spanish mixed in it. When I have a conversation with my dad I tend to start talking to him in English and then end up saying half of my conversation in Spanish. I do this because when I want to use words that my dad does not understand in English I have to say them in Spanish my dad does not know very much English so half of my conversation ends up in Spanish. When I am talking to my family in English I have to watch the words I use with them in English. For example, One day I did something wrong so my grandma was yelling at me so the first thing I wanted to do was to try to explain my self so I interrupted her and said “but” and she went crazy she that I was talking about a butt. She told me that I could not speak to her that way. She yelled and told me that she was my grandma and not my friends and that I can not use that type of language with her. I had to explain to her that but has many meanings.

When I am at work my English seems to change and I want to use the best English I can. I do this because this at in order to get a point across I have to use correct English because if I do not my ideas seem to come together and do not make sense. I also seem to speak my best English at work because I need to sound educated. I can not speak the same way I do with my friends as I do at work. For example when I work I have to call people and remind them about an information session they signed up for. When I call them I can not say “can I talk to Joe” I would have to say “may I please speak to Joe” I could not say “um you are signed up for an information session ok its on Saturday” I would say “this is just a friendly reminder that you signed up for an information session this Saturday at 10:00.” When I am at work I have to use my correct English.

All in all as a latinga in the United States I speak different dialects with my family and at work. They are different because I am in a different setting and I am having a different conversation with them.