Biographic Information: English, Female, 20yrs (2)
Themes: Biographical information (participant’s age, where participant is from, where participant lives currently), Participant’s education and occupation, Participant’s involvement in the community, Bilingualism and benefits associated with bilingualism, Languages spoken by participant and participant’s family, The role of Spanish and English in the region/area, Language use based on preferences and situations, Spanglish, Learning English and Spanish, Language and culture differences between U.S. regions, Code-switching, Language pressures
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Transcript:
00:00
00:05
Interviewer: Okay. Hi, Xxxxx.
00:0
Participant: Hi, Maya.
00:09
I: (laughs) um, so first I wanna thank you for, doing this interview because it’s very important to my research. Um, today we’re gonna to talk just a little bit about your language use and your background. And you know, I’m gonna ask you a few questions and whatnot.
00:30
P: Okie dokie.
00:31
I: We can start with your name and your age.
00:34
P: Um, my name is Xxxx xxxx and I’m twenty. (laughs)
00:40
I: Recently turned twenty!
00:42
P: Recently, like a few days ago.
00:45
I: Happy birthday!
00:48
P: Thank you.
00:50
I: Do you feel different? Older?
00:52
P: Um, I think after like everything that’s happened at work, I feel like I’m ready to retire. (laughs)
00:59
I: (laughs) Right.
1:03
P: Like, these past three weeks I’ve seen more traumatizing things at work than ever and it like ever, you know.
01:09
I: Yeah.
01:10
P: (inaudible)
1:12
I: Yeah, um for context tell me a little about yourself and what you’re doing.
01:18
P: Uhhhh, well, I’m twenty (laughs) I’m, I well, I’m in nursing school. I currently work at Mountain View. Um, as a nurse extern, so I kind of get to do everything, anything that I’ve been ticked off for I’m allowed to do like skills wise and I float around between all the units and then I also work as a TA at school for, um, with pre nursing students trying to help them get into nursing school and I’m also in Senate and SNA, I guess. It’s pretty much it. I have, well, What else? I have three siblings. That’s it.
2:04
I: (laughs) That’s it. Ju- three siblings. (laughs) um, you do everything you’re a little girl boss. I love it.
2:12
P: I do a lot.
2:13
I: Where are you and your siblings from?
2:17
P: Um, we’re from Las Cruces.
02:21
I: Love that and where do you- you still live here in Las Cruces, right?
2:27
P: Yeah.
2:28
I: Have you ever lived anywhere else?
2:30
P: I have yes.
2:32
I: Where have you lived?
02:33
P: I used to live in Chicago.
02:36
I: Oooo! A little shy town girly.
02:39
P: Mhmm.
02:40
I: I love that. Um, and all your siblings as well, I’m assuming.
02:46
P: No, just me and my mom.
02:49
I: Okay, so your family, so you and your mom, what language do you and your mom speak?
02:55
P: Uh, English and Spanish.
02:58
I: English and Spanish. What about your- the rest of your family?
3:01
P: English and Spanish.
3:02
I: English is Spanish. So everyone’s a little bilingual.
3:06
P: Yes.
03:08
I: Cool. Um, so both English and Spanish. Can you tell me a little bit about that? Do you remember kind of what language you learned first, or which one is more like prominent in your life?
03:22
P: Yes, so, um I definitely learned Spanish first. Spanishs my first language and I was in ESL. All throughout high school- up until high school, I mean. So I guess. I don’t know, I feel like now, like after high school and everything, I feel like sometimes I, I forget my Spanish. Sometimes, which is crazy because it was my first language. So.
03:48
I: Yeah, like if you don’t practice it, you tend to forget the words and stuff.
03:54
P: Yeah, definitely. Especially since like we used to only speak Spanish in my household and my grandmas like wanted to start learning English, so we only spoke English. So, [mhm] I feel like I kinda lost it, but. But yeah.
04:11
I: Um, and what about, so your grandma, she also speaks Engli- I mean Spanish?
04:17
P: Mhm
04:19
I: So you learned Spanish at home. What about in school? Do you remember what the first language you learned in school was?
04:27
P: I think it was English.
04:29
I: English. Probably?
04:33
P: Probably. I think so. I did take French, but I don’t remember. Any of it [oooo]
04:38
I: (speaks French)
04:40
P: (speaks French) Xxxxxx.
04:42
I: (speaks French) Maya.
04:46
I: See, we’re, we’re trilingual.
04:48
P: Trilingual.
04:50
I: Queens. (laughs) (6.0) Xxxxxx!
P: Sorry. [5:00]
I: Back on track. Um, so with your family, do you guys mostly speak English? I know you mentioned that with your grandma, she wanted to practice her English. So is that kind of become mostly like what you guys use?
05:14
P: No, I feel like it’s definitely, both. I don’t know, we’re like, I feel like we’re kind of, we speak Spanglish in a way like, in a way, ‘cause my grandpa speaks English and Spanish, but like mostly English. So whenever I’m in my grandparents’ house, like we’re always speaking (2.3) both English and Spanish.
05:37
I: Yeah. Do you, do they have a preference? Like, does your grandma get upset if you guys speak one over the other.
05:44
P: Mm. No, she doesn’t.
05:47
I: It’s just both
05:48
P: Yeah, it’s just both. It’s a mixture of both.
05:51
I: And, um. So you learned Spanish at home, probably English at school first. Do you remember having trouble learning one or the other?
06:02
P: No, I don’t really remember having any trouble learning the languages.
06:06
I: Learning ever?
06:09
P: Um, besides being in ESL. (laughs)
06:14
I: Do you want to tell me more about that or not really?
06:17
P: ESL?
06:18
I: Yeah.
06:20
P: Um, I mean, all I did was that they would just pull me out of my classes and I’d have to take tests. They like always test me. I feel like I had like a test every month and then like even for like any state proctored exams they’d have us, they’d have everybody that was in ESL like separated into like one classroom because you know like usually we would be separated into classrooms.
They’d have us in our own little classroom and I feel like we’d always, I think we get- we got more time in our exams because of that.
06:56
I: And you love that, probably.
06:59
P: No, not really.
07:00
I: Why?
07:02
P: ‘cause I feel like the more time I have the more anxious I’ll be.
07:05
I: Hmm, you know what? I agree.
07:08
P: Yeah, like the more I’m gonna wanna go back and change my answers.
07:12
I: Yes! That’s exactly what happened to me because the other day we had a five question quiz.
It was only five questions. And I knew the answers because it’s only five questions, but he let us have it for about fifteen minutes and I just kept rethinking it and I changed my answers like twice but I always went back to the ones I had initially put down, but really like I knew the answer is within thirty seconds of getting the quiz, but just the more time having it like the more I stared at it, the more I was like, “Is this real?” But.
07:50
P: I agree, that’s how I was in high school, but like now in college like for nursing, um, all of our exams are selectal. Once you select the answer you can’t go back. So it’s locked. [Really?] Every single every- single exam and quiz is like that. It’s just because that’s how (audio inaudible) is so they kind of train us to do, to do it this way. So [yeah.] like any assignment that we have like quiz, exam, it’s always locked. To where we can’t go back.
08:18
I: Is it um, like, so they’re online?
08:21
P: Mhm
08:23
I: That’s a little nerve racking.
08:24
P: Yeah, it’s very nerve racking and then especially since like it’s always proctored. Like all of the instructors. So it’s not just our one instructor, it’s like all the TAs and then all of the instructors are always walking around and staring at us.
08:39
I: Scary. Um, so this is the perfect segue. Because speaking of school and college do you feel like you’ve used- what languages do you feel like you’ve used a lot in school? Whether it be like, teachers, classmates, homework, whatever.
09:00
P: Um, I definitely feel English.
09:03
I: Mhm.
09:04
P: English, I use the most. Um, sometimes like for clinicals whenever we do go to the hospitals, I do like I use more s- so- sometimes more Spanish just because a lot of people don’t necessarily speak Spanish and this area is a very um, Spanish divined area. So a lot of people, especially like a lot of patients speak Spanish. And a lot of my classmates don’t, so I just kind of translate and whatnot for them.
09:35
I: Right. So you use a lot of Spanish outwork you’d say?
09:39
P: Mhm. At work and clinicals and then school. Like classes, [yeah] English.
09:47
I: And at home a good mix of both?
09:50
P: Mhm.
09:51
I: So how would you divide that? Um, like how do you think, do you think you do divide your languages like in [10:00] environments in your life?
10:03
P: Mhm. Yes.
10:06
I: You want to tell me more about that?
10:09
P: Sure. Um, like I said, like in school, I feel like I definitely do speak a lot more English.
10:15
I: Mhm
10:17
P: Pretty much every day. Everything is in English at school and then whenever like whenever I’m at home or around family I do speak Spanish. And at work, I feel like it’s, – well, at my hospital job, I feel like it’s like division right in the middle just because a lot of people don’t speak Spanish so, you know, that’s-, I would say like, a hundred percent English at school, Spanish at home fifty/fifty, and then at work fifty/fifty.
10:48
I: Do you ever mix both languages like do you find yourself, not confusing, but more so like subconsciously, like saying words in another language or something like that?
11:01
P: Like if I’m talking, if I’m talking in English and I say one word in Spanish?
11:05
I: Mhm.
11:06
P: Yeah, all the time. I feel like there’s a couple of words that I don’t know how to say in English. I don’t know.
11:12
I: Yeah.
11:15
I: (lauhgs) I, no I’m the same way like sometimes I’m like I’m trying to describe something and there’s a perfect word for it in Spanish and I can’t like describe it and the same in English like sometimes I’ll be talking Spanish I’m like “it’s this in English” and I can’t think of like the word or the phrase some- a- sometimes or a lot of times it’s- I find that in Spanish there’s a lot more like insightful like phrases that people say. That just don’t really translate in English. So I’m like, I like try to tell someone like, “oh well you shouldn’t worry about it because this and this” in Spanish but it’s like it doesn’t translate the same so um, yeah, so, I definitely get that and um, I think it’s really interesting that you mentioned that in your house you use the word “Spanglish”. Um, and that’s something that I also do a lot because in my house we’re also bilingual. My mom is from the US and my dad from Honduras so we speak both languages. Um, so what is Spanglish to you? Like, can you define it?
12:24
P: Mm I think it’d just be like having a conversation where, you know, some sentences are like in- or some words are in English and then others are in Spanish. Like it’s just a combination of both within one interaction.
12:40
I: I like that one. “A combination of both in one interaction.” (lauhgs both) That’s a good one. Um, I find it interesting because one of the other preople I interviewed defined it more so as like combining words. So the- they sa- say give examples like loncheando like for having lunch. Like, “¡o! estamos loncheando.” and it’s like, [Oh, oh] like “lunch” “eando” like in Spanish, and I found that interesting because I’ve always thought of it as like I’m saying a sentence and then
like a couple of words here and there in Spanish or in English, whatever I’m speaking, right?
13:27
P: Yeah, that’s exactly how I am.
13:29
I: Exactly. Um, and that term is actually called code-switching. Which I learned about in class. Of course.
13:37
P: Interesting.
13:38
I: Um.
13:39
P: Just saying it with the right term.
13:41
I: Yeah, let me- let me throw in the real term in there, it’s called code-switching.
13:45
P: Okay.
13:46
I: And yeah, we do it a lot like even people from around Las Cruces who probably don’t think they’re fluent in Spanish like just I think like being in the area and being so exposed to it like they also tend to say stuff in Spanish and then they don’t even realize.
14:05
P: Mmm
14:06
I: Um, so what do you think of it? What do you think of that, like code-switching slash Spanglish use?
14:14
P: I think. (3.0) don’t know, I think, I think like, ss- I think it’s just second nature, honestly. Like I feel like sometimes um like just, you know, being so fluent in both languages like it’s just a way to like combine both languages that you speak fluently. To make it make sense. Does that make sense? Like I feel like it’s completely normal. Right?
14:45
I: I think so.
14:46
P: Yeah, ‘cause I definitely do think that like it eas- Iike sometimes it’s easier to describe certain situations or certain things um in one language, whereas other phrases would be said best [15:00] in a different language, you know? I feel like it’s just interpretation, so.
15:05
I: I agree. I like that.
15:09
P: Thanks. (laughs)
15:09
I: And obviously you know people who use it, right? Because-
15:11
P: Yeah.
15:13
I: And what do you, you think they’re like use of it? Do you think they also like find it like to be very natural and almost like subconsciously?
15:22
P: I think so. I think sometimes like you don’t even realize that you’re doing it. Or like I feel like sometimes you don’t even realize that you switched over to a different language. I think especially me sometimes I realize I’m like, “Oh wait. English.” You know?
15:37
I: Yeah. Um, same way.
P: Exactly.
15:42
I: Um, Let me find my place on my little list.
15:48
P: Okay.
15:49
I: Um, in what ways- or actually before? Do you think there was an age that you realized you became fluent in these languages, or do you think you just always kind of were?
16:06
P: No, I think I just always kind of was like, I don’t ever remember, you know, like being sat down and being taught a language. Does that make sense?
16:16
I: Yeah.
16:18
P: Like I just remember always knowing the language.
16:22
I: Yeah, I agree. I’m in the same way because like I said, like at home we just spoke both languages. So I just always have known, and people will ask me like “so since your first language, like your first language?” But I genuinely don’t think I like learned one before the other or at least I don’t realize if I did because even my mom says like I just started speaking full sentences in English and Spanish. So, I mean, my first word was bird. That’s in English.
16:54
P: Okay, cute. I don’t know what my first work was, but like I definitely think it just depends, right? Because you know, like, um in the house and I think it’s like really important like something that I wanna do with- when I have kids is like they’re- your kids are gonna be exposed to English at school. So I think that was- I just I do remember being, it being very straight to my house. Like up until like I was six it was always Spanish. And everybody only spoke Spanish and then at school we only spoke English. (3.0) You know what I mean? And then it was until like I think when I was seven that I was s- doing both at home.
17:35
I: Yeah. Was that hard to like? Only (1.8) like leave one at school and then like at home another. With like a strict type of thing?
17:47
P: No. I don’t, I don’t think so.
17:51
I: No?
17:51
P: I don’t think it was hard just because like at times like my great grandparents like lived with us as well and they only speak Spanish, like no English whatsoever.
18:00
I: Mhm
18:00
P: So, I think like I knew I’m pretty sure I knew that like I wouldn’t be able to communicate with them.
18:05
I: Right.
18:06
P: Unless I spoke Spanish.
18:08
I: We had to.
18:09
P: Yeah.
18:11
I: Um, well, that’s great. I’m glad you liked it.
18:16
P: Thanks, I’m glad too. I may not look it, but I do speak it.
18:19
I: (laughs) Umm. So you do- I mean, you’re glad you know both what benefits or like in what way has being bilingual had an impact in you- your life? or has like had a benefit in your life?
18:40
P: Umm, I feel like it’s definitely great knowing two languages and I think especially um in the field that I work in and, you know, the field that I’m pursuing, I definitely do, do think that like it’s benefited a lot to be able to help and translate for other people. Especially here because I feel like I’ve seen it a lot where a lot of people don’t speak Spanish.
19:10
I: Yeah
19:10
P: Like, then in El Paso too, you know, like. I think it’s helpful to be able to communicate with more than just one population.
19:21
I: Exactly. Do you find that a lot of people here Well, I know we kind of have mentioned this already like at work, for example, you’re the only one who is able to translate or something like that. Um, or communicate with them and you just mentioned how it’s import- like it’s been beneficial to you because you’re able to do that. Um, is that like a big, is that like important to you? Like being able to communicate with the people of your community?
19:55
P: Uh, yes, I definitely. That it’s very importnat, especially [20:00] because like I’m a family person and you know, like, like we’re always visiting family or like my grandparents and stuff. And they never really spoke English. So I don’t necessarily know how not, not, like not knowing Spanish would, you know, play a role. Like, you know? Like knowing Spanish has really bedifi- benefited me not only like in the outside community but like also with my family.
20:28
I: Yeah.
20:29
P: Does that make sense?
20:30
I: Yeah, it- totally. One side of my family is (1.8) only s- well not only, but like uh, basically only speaks Spanish. Um, and the same with one of the other interviewees I had. So that’s a like recurring theme like, if we weren’t able to, we wouldn’t communicate with like half of our family. That makes sense. Yeah. (1.3) um, so you’ve had, like you found it to be beneficial like in your professional life in your academic career, um, and just in your personal life and your family life and in your community and within the Las Cruces community like how do you think the role and value of English- um or what do you think the role and the value of English is in this area?
21:22
P: Hmm. I’m not sure. Like I, I think, mmm. I think it’s important to know English, right?
‘Cause It is the US and I feel like school-wise, everything is taught in English. Um, I guess just like general communication. It’s important for that. You’re not necessarily going to go into depth with people that like don’t speak the language. Does that make sense?
21:57
I: Sorry, I think I lost you for a second.
22:01
P: I’m- am I back?
22:02
I: You’re back.
22:04
P: Yay! (lauhgs)
22:06
I: (laughs) Stop! (laughs) um, and then same question. What do you think the role? And s- the value of Spanish is in Las Cruces? or s- area- surrounding areas? or in general? I mean, it could be.
22:23
P: I definitely do think that like Spanish does have like somewhat of a higher importance than English, especially like in this area. Especially since like we are so close to the border. (2.0) And people are constantly at the border. (4.0) but yeah, I do think it’s very important, to be able to communicate with people. Like within the area.
22:54
I: (laughs) What? Why’d you get nervous?
22:58
P: Well, you make me nervy (laughs)
23:02
I: Um, one hundred percent I agree with you. It’s important because this area is so populated with Hispanic like culture that you know. There’s, it’s like almost like inescapable kind of sounds like bad, but i- it- it’s the word to describe it. You know what I- It’s inevitable, I should say, not inescapable. Like it’s inevitable. So, you know, I always think it’s beneficial when someone like is able to communicate with those in their community and like I think it’s very valued and lost creases especially because It’s so populated by Hispanic.
23:43
P: I agree, especially since like the borders perfectly right next to us, you know.
23:50
I: Right below.
23:51
P: Right below us?
23:52
I: Yeah.
23:53
P: yeah.
23:54
I: (laughs) Below us.
23:54
P: Oh, yeah.
23:56
I: Um, and in general, what would you say you hear often in Las Cruces or most?
24:05
P: I feel like I’m always hearing Spanish. Like even just, you know, going to Walmart going to like the stores someone is always speaking Spanish or I feel like even just like um like um, like at work everyone’s speaking Spanish. or like even outside of like our classes, everyone always talks in Spanish or like will say, certain things in Spanish.
24:30
I: Yeah.
24:31
P: You know?
24:34
I: Like slang maybe?
24:36
P: Yeah, maybe like slag or like also like you know expressing their opinions in a different language.
24:43
I: Yes, I agree.
24:46
P: Yeah, I think. [umm] I feel like sometimes that’s like an also important. If even though you may not look and like you do know how to speak, you, you could be both, you could defend yourself. You know what I mean?
24:56
I: (lauhgs) Exactly. I agree.
24:59
P: Yeah
[25:00]
I: I agree. Um, and not just, not just as people, but like w- society, w- societally?
25:12
P: Mhm
25:13
I: I don’t know if that’s a word, but, [I think]
(inaudible)
25:17
P: Vocabulary
25:19
I: Um, but like what differences do you notice in like this area? And for example, for, for everyone else I’ve interviewed, I haven’t been specific, but I’ll be specific for you, like between Chicago and Las Cruces like what um, like cultural language, whatever you want to like compare and contrast like what are some things you’ve noticed?
25:45
P: Um, okay, so I definitely do think that um Las Cruces is a lot more Hispanic-oriented than um in Chicago. You know, here like anywhere you go, someone will always speak Spanish. It’s kinda like, like if whenever you go to Mexico. Like someone is always speaking Spanish. However, in Chicago I do feel like, it’s not necessarily. Um, constantly being spoken over there and I don’t, I feel like here it’s like very community oriented and you know everybody’s like everybody speaks Spanish here but in Chicago no one really does besides my family. (laughs) um but, yeah, like I feel like Las Cruces kind of tends to be a little bit more welcoming to the Hispanic community and um I don’t know how to say it, but like a little bit more, um, (4.3) I don’t know how to say- Inclusive to the community. Yeah, like Chicago, (2.0) I would definitely say that there was a lot more of a certain population in Chicago than here.
27:08
I: Mhm
27:09
P: But (3.0) You got me? Sorry, my laptop piece is coming off. It’s just like “ah!”
27:16
I: That’s okay. And Yes, well, yeah, your points make sense. I mean, of course. Being so close to a border there’s going to be a lot more Spanish influence in Spanish like speakers than there would up north in the Midwest. Um.
27:37
P: The windy city.
27:39
I: In the windy city, I’m sorry.
27:41
P: Yes, ma’am, say it right. (laughs)
27:43
I: (laughs) And (3.8) so, sorry, to recap so the, the, way language differs along the border from other places in the US is essentially like you think it’s more prominent down here?
28:03
P: Mhm. I do. And I think for me- I think it is it is a little bit surprising that it is more prominent here in a way because like I understand it’s a smaller community. So yeah, it’s gonna be more prominent, but over there in Chicago, it’s a very highl- it’s very, it’s a very populated area. Hmm.
Okay. I found this on the web for its– My Siri turned on. (laughs) But I was saying it’s very highly populated in Chicago and I feel like the population is, you know, like three times the amount it is here.
28:42
I: Mhm.
28:42
P: So it’s a little bit surprising that out of all of the people in Chicago and Illinois, like not a lot of people do speak Spanish. (2.0) Which you know, (1.0) it’s surprising.
28:57
I: Do you think (3.0) that’s because of like the influence of (1.0) just not even more like, not even recent like migrations to the US, but more so just like historically New Mexico has been like a very Spanish colonial state.
29:19
P: Yes. I definitely do think so, but I, like, my thing is I feel like um or at least me personally whenever I go to Mexico or like ~lost audio(4.0)~ go ~lost audio (3.0)~ neighbors, so like family. Like, ‘cause we have land in Mexico, so like, neighborhood and they’re constantly saying how like they do travel and I know a lot of people from Mexico travel to Chicago, whic- which is why it’s like very, sup- it’s still surprising to me that no you don’t really see people speaking that much. Know, like I know that other people [30:00] from Mexico do travel there.
30:03
I: Yeah.
30:04
P: You know? be- ~lost audio (7.0)~
30:09
I: I’m losing you.
30:13
P: Can you hear me now?
30:15
I: Yes.
30:16
P: Okay. It’s ‘cause I’m in the middle of nowhere.
30:19
I: (laughs) um, okay, before I lose you, is there anything you wanna add or ask me?
30:28
P: No.
30:30
I: Not at all? Oh, sorry for busing out the bad British accent. (laughs) That’s horrible.
30:39
P: She’s quadringle. She’s ca- quadrangle. (laughs)
30:47
I: Um, any questions for me?
30:51
P: No.
30:52
I: Not at all?
30:54
P: No, do you have any questions for me?
30:57
I: I don’t wanna keep you any longer. I definitely want to continue this conversation.
31:04
P: Okay.
31:05
I: Um. We can do that at a later date.
31:10
P: Okay.
31:11
I: Any compliments for me for the interview?
31:14
P: Yes, good job. I’m so proud.
31:18
I: Thank you.
31:19
P: It’s just gonna be fantastic.
31:22
I: Thank you so much. [I’m so]
31:23
P: I’m, I’m happy to be a part of it.
31:26
I: I’m happy that you were a part of it. You’re the best.
31:28
P: I’m happy that you asked me to be a part of it.
31:31
I: (laughs) Thank you.
31:32
P: You’re welcome.
31:34
I: Let me end this recording. One second.
31:37
New Mexico Border Spanish Corpus 