Spanglish

Spanglish

By: Laura Pope

As I departed the island of Puerto Rico yesterday, the San Juan airport was crowded with travelers, travelers from many different locations and dialects. People and language fill the security check areas. I heard more than only Spanish being spoken within the area surrounding me. As people talk, I feel as if I am taking a miniature tour of their culture. The passion and emotion that is expressed through language compels me. It compels me to learn Spanish and translate what people are conversing about.

Puerto Ricans use inflictions and emotion to better convey their message when speaking in Spanish. Throughout the airport I could determine the difference between an angry tones of Spanish from a fast direct tone that was not necessarily angry. I feel that the Spanish language is passionate when spoken. The relationship between Spanish spoken parents and their children is extremely touching.

Although, I do not speak Spanish, my trip to Puerto Rico has taught me a lot about the Spanglish influence throughout Puerto Rico. English is not a Puerto Ricans first language I discovered because they are not as confident in English as they are speaking Spanish. When I did speak to Puerto Ricans in English, they quickly began speaking in English. Most Puerto Ricans learn English for the first time in school because their parents only speak Spanish. I could determine from the children that I spoke to while in Puerto Rico that their English teachers are effective and changing future generations.