Biographic information: English, Female 20yrs
Themes: Biographical information (age, where participant grew up/is from and their opinions regarding said place(s)), Languages participant speaks, Languages spoken by the participants family, Education (bilingual), Spanglish, The role of Spanish and English in the border region/area, Language and culture differences between different regions in the U.S. and the border regions of the U.S.
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Transcript:
[00:00]
00:03
Interviewer: Hello!
00:06
Participant: Hi! Sorry. Nancy’s doing dishes, but she’s almost done. Can you hear the water?
00:14
I: Hello! [Hi.]
00:15
I: So, I am going to ask you about twenty questions. Um, [Okay.] so the first question is, where are you from?
00:26
P: I’m from Honduras. but I spend the summers in the Las Cruces area like Santa Teresa because I have family here.
00:39
I: Okay, and then where do you currently live? And have you lived anywhere else? Well, kinda goes with alongside other question.
00:47
P: I currently live in Las Cruces and I lived in Honduras.
00:53
I: How old are you?
00:56
I am twenty years old.
00:59
I: Have you ever- or have you graduated college? If so what degree did you graduate with? or what degree are you pursuing?
01:08
P: I haven’t graduated college yet, but I’m a senior, and I’m studying communication disorders, Spanish and linguistics, because I want to become a speech pathologist.
01:21
I: Awesome. What do you do for a living?
01:25
P: Um, mostly. I’m a student, but I have a job as a behavioral technician at Mecca therapies.
01:35
I: Are you tied to the community? And if so, in what way?
01:40
P: I would say so. Um, I have a job like helping kids and families in the community, and I like volunteering around town and doing stuff like that. And I’m involved like on campus. So I would say yes.
01:57
I: Are you bilingual? If so, how many years have you fluently been speaking both, both languages, English and Spanish?
02:06
P: Um, I am fully bilingual. I can read and write and speak English and Spanish, and I grew up basically with both languages. So, I mean twenty years, I suppose I wouldn’t say I learned one before the other, I just have always you know, known both of them.
02:25
I: Yeah, (laughs) what languages do your family members speak?
02:32
P: So on my mom’s side, um my mom speaks both English and Spanish, but the rest of her family only speaks English, and on my dad’s side um they all speak English and Spanish, except for maybe a few who don’t speak English, but really for the most part um English and Spanish, but Spanish is their first language.
02:53
I: Oh okay. Awesome. What do you think the role and value of Spanish use is in this area?
03:02
P: Um, I think it’s very valuable, I think, with so much um, such a big percentage of the population being Hispanic. And oh, sorry. And also um,
03:14
P: sorry I got a notification, um but from this area, like, a me- majority of the population is Hispanic. A lot of people, I think, are bilingual. So I think the role of Spanish with like is, it’s it’s essential to communicating around um and like within the community. I think I’m not sure if I’m making sense. [Yeah.] But, um [You are.] yeah, and I think it’s very valuable to have that language especially with like just culture in general in this area, and New Mexico as a whole, is very like Hispanic from way back when and so having the language being very like popular, I think is important.
04:00
I: And then that brings me to my next question, what do you think the role and value of English use is in this area?
04:07
P: Um, I would also say, it’s very valuable. I mean, considering we are in the United States like a lot of people most people are gonna speak English. It’s rare to find someone around that solely speaks Spanish.
04:19
P: Um, so of course. it’s just as valuable, I mean with, I think most people I’ve encountered. Um, either use both or English. So of course you couldn’t, you know, communicate essentially without it.
04:38
I: Yeah. Have you ever mixed-up um both languages while speaking?
04:44
P: Oh, yeah, um all the time. It’s obviously we’ve learned about this um code switching. [Mhm.] I probably speak Spanish like on the on the daily basis, and oftentimes like with my friends who are bilingual, I’ll start a sentence in one language and end it in another, or just say words here and there. Um, or if I can’t think of a word in one language, I’ll say it and the other. So I definitely mix them both up.
I: In what environment do you speak each language in? Like school? Work? Home?
05:24
P: Um, so I speak English in school, in linguistics and, and communication disorders like in those areas of school, but, like I said, one of my majors is Spanish, so naturally, that’s totally in Spanish um, and at work, I do tend to speak English to my client, but a lot of my co-workers speak Spanish, um and are also bilingual. So to them like, if I do encounter someone that is, that speaks Spanish. I’ll probably have a conversation with them. In Spanish, just because I feel like we’re more comfortable in that language maybe. And, so that would be like at work at home. I grew up speaking both languages like I said, my mom, she’s from the United States, and my dad is from Honduras, so I would speak both languages to both parents, ‘cause they’re both bilingual, and to my brother we’d also do both. Um, you know just whate- whichever one comes naturally like sometimes my mom would ask me something in one language, and I’d respond in the other. And same with my dad. And just, you know, in general, like we switch it up. We speak both. I wouldn’t say there’s one more than another. Um, so it definitely changes in, in environment like, like, I said, like schools, probably English. But at the same time there’s ways that I find myself like mixing both of them in different environments, like when the opportunity arises.
07:02
I: What age did you begin using both English and Spanish?
07:07
P: Um, I just always did. (laughs) I don’t know. Yeah, like I wouldn’t say there was any age like I said, my parents, like one of them, is first language Spanish, and the other’s first language English, so we just always spoke both at home.
07:27
I: Does two- does knowing two languages benefit you? And if so, in what way?
07:34
P: Uh, I love this question! This is my favorite question! Like, of course it does like I can’t stress it enough. There is so many benefits to being bilingual, and that’s not just like Spanish and English. I think any languages that someone could learn or like grow up knowing, or whatever. Um, it’s obviously very beneficial that just gives you like one more opportunity to have a conversation with someone who you otherwise might not have one with. If that makes sense? [Mhm.] Um, I think it opens up many like doors, it opens up many ways of like having a relationship with someone or with something. For example, like TV shows that I would never watch ‘cause I didn’t speak Spanish like I get to watch those or like music and you know, just stuff like that in general, like it could be people or I don’t know events, music. You know what I mean.
I: Yes. yeah,
P: Yeah, definitely benefits me. And like I said, I get to work like right now my client um is like they speak English, but at other times I’ve had clients speak Spanish or just having jobs that I could be a translator and interpreter, for I think that’s beneficial to other people as well and not just me.
09:00
I: Oh. What is Spanglish? What do you think of it? And do you know people who use it?
09:13
P: Um, Spanglish is Spanish and English and it’s a mix of both and I think it’s, I think it’s great because I do it all the time, so it would be kind of hypocritical of me to say like it sucks. But I really, I enjoy it. I think it’s definitely inappropriate sometimes when people forget that not everyone is bilingual, but in context and in environments where you know that everyone will understand everything you’re saying in both English and Spanish, then it’s okay to use, especially if that’s like um your natural type of like interaction with these, like whoever you’re conversing with. Um, but if I’m being, if I’m trying to be a little more professional like, I’ll definitely tend to stick with the more natural language, or the one that I feel the other person is more comfortable with. But in context of like with my friends and family, I definitely use Spanglish a lot and would say that I mean, it’s pretty fun. Like it’s very- I think it’s helpful sometimes you can’t think of the things you want to say in the language, and it’s helpful to know you can say them and the other, and people are still gonna like, understand you. And some things, I think, have turned into kind of like their own little um like it’s kind of its own little language in a way. Some things that you say in Spanish, in Spanglish wouldn’t make sense in just Spanish, or just English. And your other question was, if I know people who use it, I think almost everyone I know who is bilingual uses it. Um, but then, again, if they’re not they don’t. (lauhgs)
11:01
I: And then my next question is, in general, who speaks which languages? Are there geographic differences or social differences?
11:11
P: Like from where I’m from?
11:14
I: Yes, or just like in, you know, in New Mexico. Um, just overall.
11:19
P: Yeah. So definitely in New Mexico, like in this area, um Las Cruces, Santa Teresa, all those areas. Um, I mean Hispanic people obviously tend to speak more Spanish and English and Spanglish, whereas Caucasian people speak more usually just English. Maybe they have, like a couple of words they know, in Spanish, or a couple of phrases, or they can understand more than they speak and stuff like that. I’ve definitely noticed that the older generation speaks a lot more um- or I guess not a lot more Spanish, but more fluently, for sure and more comfortably. I’ve noticed, like in my age group. There’s a lot of people who will understand Spanish, and we’ll have family who only speak Spanish, but they tend to like, speak English and not go for Spanish as much um, so I think that’s a difference. And then a difference between that and Honduras is like in Honduras obviously the main language is Spanish, so that’s probably what you’re gonna speak mostly everywhere. Um, but that’s not to say a lot of people don’t speak English. I mean. it’ll be not- , at least in the city where I’m from, it’ll be rare not to find someone who speaks English, or is learning or trying, or at least understands it, which I guess is kind of similar to here. It’s rare to not know, or to not encounter someone who like speak Spanish or knows it or understands it. If that makes sense.
12:47
I: Yeah, it does. Um, and then my next question is um, I know you kind of mentioned there was in a set time, you know which one came first.But I have a question. Tell me what was the first language you learned about in school? Do you have trouble learning it. So, do you remember being taught primarily in English or Spanish, or which one came first? If it was both.
13:17
P: Mmm. Well, I went to a bilingual school.
13:20
I: Oh okay.
P: So it was both again. (laughs)
I: (laughs) Did you have to more trouble with you know the English side or the Spanish side of things, or you don’t remember.
13:30
P: I would say, like like first learning it like in kindergarten and preschool. It was very evenly mixed, like our teachers would speak in Spanish, but the content would be in English, for example. Um, or the other way around. But what, as I got older, like elementary school it started being a little more like more English influence, because, mind you, like most people, um will- Sorry I lost my train of thought. I was gonna say, most- mind you most people where I grew up like their first language is Spanish, I’m just um, I’m just different. because [(laughs)] my mom speaks English, but that kind of I don’t know it doesn’t really answer your question. I mean, honestly, I think it was both at the same time. But definitely as I got older, it was more English based, and more like English speaking teachers like, probably from the U.S Canada UK, so their first languages were all English. Um, so I wouldn’t say I struggled in Spanish, but I definitely had a more focus in English for a long time, and then again in high school it came back to a stronger like Spanish focus. Because, you know, once you get the base of English, you kind of get, yeah, like, it all comes after that.
14:56
I: Yeah. And then my next question is, how does language use along the border differ from other places in the US? What do you think about a place like Ohio, or South Carolina, and the language used there? or like Miami, New York?
15:14
Umhm. So also have family in Ohio. They couldn’t tell you a single word in Spanish, probably besides “Hola” and that’s it. whereas here, I think, like I’ve mentioned, it’s very rare to find someone who won’t at least understand a few phrases in Spanish or even just like in the influence, like around town, like, you’ll see a lot of street names and stuff like that. Those are like very Spanish space, or even the town itself, is called Las Cruces. That means, like the crosses in Spanish. Um, [Mhm.] so it’s very like there is, there is a very like black and white difference. Um, very polar opposites, I would say, and not just like not just Ohio, but just the more north you go, I think the less of like a Spanish influence, you see, and um, and that’s like in the people in the culture, and like the town itself and stuff like that. Um, Sorry I dropped something. I don’t know if you were able to hear that.
I: I wasn’t you’re good.
16:24
P: Okay, um, sorry,
16:28
Um, and like you also mentioned Miami. It’s very- I have a lot of family in Miami, too, and there is like. it’s actually rare to find people who will speak to you in English first like people just automatically assume you speak Spanish.
16:46
I: Really? [Um.]
16:48
P: Yeah, or at least where I hang out in Miami. (laughs) [(laughs)] But yeah, it’s very like- and that’s just a mix of all Hispanic cultures. It’s not just like one, you know. But yeah, for the most part, people just be lined with Spanish, and not even like assume you don’t know it. Um, and that’s a difference here, I think. Here I’m mostly created like in English first, and then if they kind of see that I speak Spanish or I, if I see that they speak Spanish like we’ll switch to um, Spanish. But the main point of your question was. Um, how does the language use along the border differ from other places? Is that I think it’s just very. Mmm. It’s more heavily influenced towards the borders than it is- or the sou- southern border borders than it is in the Northern.
17:42
I: Nice. And then how well can you read, write, speak, and interpret your s- um we’ll say Spanish ‘cause it’s not your second. (laughs) sorry your second language uh, I know you talked about, you know, learning both them together. So, um I also know you said you’re fluent, but if you could just re re-rap on how well you can read, write, speak, and interpret Spanish.
18:06
P: Um, yes. (clears throat) Could you repeat the last question, cause you can’t cut out of it?
I: Oh, yeah. How well can you read, write, speak, and interpret your second language. So in this case, um just Spanish in ge- um in general.
P: Mhm.
18:23
I: Um, because I know you learned both of them, you know, at the exact same time. So there’s not a second language to you.
18:31
P: Yeah, for sure. Um, I would say. I can read, write, speak, and interpret it like a hundred percent. Um, like I said, one of my majors is Spanish, but even before that my whole life, like I had school in both Spanish and English, so like my grammar, my like reading comprehension, reading skills, all that it’s pretty, even between English. I will say I consume a lot more like English, I guess, media. So some people. I mean, I don’t like my mom. She just assumes that I do more like English based stuff. But that’s just cause it’s easier like. Of course, English is everywhere. Um, but that’s not to say like I can read less in Spanish because I read more in English. If that makes sense it does.
I: It does.
19:24
P: Um, yeah. But I definitely love um like reading, and I’ll try to do it in both languages and my proficiency levels. I mean, I think it’s I would say it’s pretty good. Um, you know. I, I think I hope. And I have worked as an interpreter before, so that’s can get really hard because translations are like, you have to be very quick about it. Of course you have to be like if you’re translating to someone you have to know the right like words to say, and you have to convey the correct meaning, because even some things you’ll, you’ll translate like directly, and it doesn’t mean the same things. Um, like for example, you’ll put something into Google translate, and it’ll give you something like else, and it’s like, yes, that’s like technically what the word means but that’s not what I’m trying to say. Um, If that makes sense. So [Mhm.] I think I would say that in that aspect. Both of my languages are like, really good, because I’m able to kind of interpret as like one is speaking, and I can do it like pretty like quickly, and unless it’s like really niche terminology, like medical terminology, or something like that, like, I’m pretty sure I can like be an interpreter. Um, and then, like, I said, reading, writing, speaking um yeah, I mean, I do it all pretty frequently, and I would say, I’m very proficient in both. And hopefully my teachers would say the same, because I, Spanish, is one of my majors, so I hope I’m doing just as well in my Spanish classes as I am in my English ones. Um, but that actually reminds me. I have a paper due. Sorry, that’s irrelevant, but I do have a Spanish paper.
21:20
I: I do have another question. You said at the beginning, a few questions ago that sometimes you will like code switch is there, do you do that more often in English or in Spanish?
21:35
P: Well, definitely living in Las Cruces. For sure I use English more, because, like I said, around my age, my age group I um have noticed is that people tend to speak mostly English.
21:51
P: So like in that regard, I’ll could switch like from English to Spanish every now and again. But if I’m in Honduras like, I’ll probably start off in Spanish, and then end in English, or like I’ll be speaking Spanish and throw some English words in there. Um, but in Las Cruces I think it’s the opposite, like I’ll start in English, and then, like there’s some Spanish phrases or words in there or um if I’m trying to, I don’t know. I feel like I’m just gonna go on a ramble. But (laughs) but basically that like to keep it shorter.I’ll I could switch depending on the environment, like, if I’m having a conversation in English, I’ll throw some Spanish words in there, and if I’m having a conversation in Spanish, I’ll throw some English words in there, and of course um always like being mindful of if I being understood by like everyone like I mentioned it kind of- it really peeves me off when people will be like speaking Spanglish. And I’m like, well, this person doesn’t understand what you’re saying, because they don’t know that word in English, or Spanish, you know what I mean?
23:01
I: Yeah, I do but and then another question I have is, do you feel pressure due to like living in Las Cruces to speak more Spanish? or not as much since um mentioned that, you know usually people start with English or are mainly English.
23:20
P: Mhm, um I like that question. I wouldn’t say, there’s more pressure. I definitely could think- sorry definitely think that when the kind of opportunity comes up to like um have a conversation is Spanish like, I’ll take it. But is, I don’t feel pressured to, unless I kno- know that this person like isn’t really understanding what I’m trying to say in English. But for the most part there’s not so much pressure. I just enjoy having like conversations in Spanish when I can. Um like just the same as when I’m in Honduras I enjoy having like conversations in English when I can. Um, and there was a second part to your question, but I don’t remember what it was.
24:07
I: Ummmm
P: Was there or no?
I: My que- I don’t think so. I said um, it was just, do you ever feel pressured, um due to living in Las Cruces, having to speak Spanish, even though um, you know most of the time they do speak English, or you speak English, you know the majority of it. Um, [Mhm.] but just in general. Do you feel, you know, ever pressured living here? [Yeah.] to speak Spanish.
24:34
P: Yeah, no, I wouldn’t say pressured mostly, just like if it’s needed, I’ll definitely like, step in, or if the vibe is right like, it’ll, I’ll have a conversation in Spanish.
24:48
I: And then, my- [(audio inaudible)] What was that?
P: Um one more thing, but I do feel [Oh, yes] But I do feel pressured to kind of change my accent, [Mmm.] because I’ve noticed a lot of- well, because mostly in Las Cruces, everyone is like of Mexican heritage, or just very Mexican culture, or from Mexico um and their accent is different than mine, and so I definitely change my tone and some of my pronunciation. Some of the words I use even like some words. Um, like some words I don’t tend to say in like Honduran like slang, or Honduran Spanish, whereas in Mexico I know they use the word like “güey”, like “¡Hola güey!” like we don’t really use that word, but here, in Las Cruces I tend to use it because um like, I said, like, it’s very popular in Mexico so I know they, I know they’ll know what I mean, but for as of um I feel like a lot of people here are not solely Mexican, but just mostly Mexican, I would say, and so that’s the accent that they’re used to, and seeing as I’m not I don’t have the same accent. Sometimes like. I’m not understood, or I feel like I have to repeat myself. And then I’ve noticed that when I switch it to be more similar to like a Mexican accent. They I like. I don’t have to repeat myself as often, and like I mentioned um I go to Miami a lot and have a lot of family there. So um I mentioned that there is a like wider variety of Hispanic cultures and Hispanic heritage, and people like just has found a people in Miami, and so they’re um you’ll hear all kinds of accents, and you’ll hear like like, oh, every like end of the spectrum of what an accent can be in Spanish, and I think they’re so used to like all the different accents that they, they don’t require that like, there’s less pressure for me to kind of change my accent in places like that, where there’s more- a wider variety of like um, Hispanic culture, I guess. Then in Las Cruces, where there’s mostly like, just Mexican. Did- uh did that make sense? I don’t know. [Yes.]
I: It did. (audio inaudible) And then my last question for you is to sum it all up, how confident are you and both your yeah, just using Spa- um Spanish. And I think you touch us a little bit um with that last question, everything you know you do switch to have that, you know same accent and all that, but I guess overall, Um, what is your co- you know, how’s your confidence with Spanish with speaking Spanish?
27:45
P: Um, (clears throat) so this is kind of- you- I know, I went on and on about how I’m so proficient, and I’m so great at my Spanish, and it’s amazing. Um, but I like I did like your last question. I do feel pressure to change it here. So here in Las Cruces I don’t think I’m as confident, because I have to like catch myself like switching my accent and switching my words, so I stumble upon it more often but in general, like, if I’m anywhere else, I’m like very confident, and especially like in reading, writing, and all that like I’m very confident in that regard. Um, but it’s in the mostly area where it’s all like, mostly Mexican um accent that I’m more more so like aware. I think I’m, I’m not sure what the word would be, but maybe aware of, like how to speak and what I’m saying and how I’m pronouncing things, and you know, if that all makes sense.
28:57
I: Yeah, that did. Thank you.
29:03
P: Um, yeah. I know I feel like I went on a few rambles. But (audio inaudible) [No, I really appreciate. You gave me a lot of information-] Oh sorry.
29:09
I: (laughs) No, you’re good. You gave me a lot of information to go off of so I’m really appreciative of it (clears throat).
29:19
P: Okay. I wasn’t sure what you were gonna ask me. So, something that I didn’t have.
29:24
P: I didn’t- I wasn’t prepared, so I didn’t know what to say. [(laughs)]
I: Good!
29:27
P: Hopefully (audio inaudible) I answers.
29:32
I: What was that?
29:34
P: I said, I hope I gave you a lot to work with.
I: You did. Thank you. So, um thank you again for answering all my questions. Um, yeah, you did amazing. So I look forward to looking them over and finding out more on what we discussed.
29:55
P: Thank you. I look forward to reading this paper.
29:59
I: (laughs) Yay, great! (both laugh) I hope you look forward to writing this paper.
P: Oh, I do.
30:07
I: Of course.
30:11
P: I’m excited.
I: Do you have any questions for me?
30:16
P: Um, let me think. Were you nervous.
30:24
I: Um, I think I, I wouldn’t say nervous, but I would say, trying to- I was worried on how my questions would get like portrayed and meeting, you know, getting fulfilling answers to those questions.
30:40
P: Yeah. No, I think you did good. I like your questions. They were very, um, I feel like well rounded, like, both in Spanish and English. If that makes sense. Like they, they, they gave me the chance to like respond in like in the Spanish aspect of it, and in the English aspect of it.
30:59
I: Well, I’m glad. I’m glad they covered both sides. So well, thank you again. I am really appreciative.
31:08
P: Of course. Thank you so much. Let me know if you need anything else.
I: Okay. Thank you.
[31:12]
New Mexico Border Spanish Corpus 