Biographic Information: English, Female 21yrs
Themes: Biographical information (age, where participant grew up/is from, their role in their community, what they do for a living), Languages spoken by participant and participant’s family, The role of Spanish and English in the region, Influence that English and Spanish have on each other, Spanglish, Language and language use differences across different regions in the U.S. and the border regions of the U.S.
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Transcript:
[00:00]
00:04
Interviewer: Hello!
00:12
Participant: Hello.
00:15
I: So um thank you for doing this um, for me. I’m going to ask you about twenty questions and um just answer them as best as you can.
00:26
P: Alright sounds good.
00:29
I: So the first question is, Where are you from?
00:33
P: I am from Las Cruces, New Mexico. I was born and raised here so lived here all my life. Um, yeah.
00:43
I: And then how old are you?
P: I’m twenty- or twenty-one but I turn twenty-two in March so kind of like, kind of close to twenty-two, but I’m twenty-one.
00:57
I: Perfect. Have you graduated college? And what degree did you graduate with? or what degree are you pursuing?
01:06
P: Um, I haven’t graduated from college yet. I’m expected to graduate in May 2024, so pretty soon. But I’m pursuing my degree in communication disorders. And then I also have another degree in pursuing in linguistics. So yeah. Haven’t graduated yet, but pretty pretty close.
01:27
I: What do you do for a living?
01:30
P: So right now, I’m a full-time student at NMSU, um so that’s my main focus is just academics and working to get my degree. Um, but I also have a work study job at, NMSU and I work at the speech and hearing clinic on campus. So it’s a pretty laid back job. I have a lot of time to um work on my school stuff. So yeah, pretty much I’d say, these schools just my main focus. But I do have that job as well.
I: Awesome. Uh, are you tied to the community? And if so, in what way? So, um, I know you kind of mentioned this already, like through school um, but if you could um get more examples that’d be amazing.
02:17
P: Um, yes, I would say I’m pretty tied to the community. Um, I think one of the biggest reasons is because I was born and raised here. Um, so I’ve already had some ties with the community in high school I was pretty involved. I was in cheerleading, and I was in student government, so I’ve already, was always doing like little um, what are they called? like volunteer work and stuff. Um, for a long time now and then now I am in NSSLHA, which is like a student organization for, um people who are pursuing their degree in communication disorders, and in that we do a lot of um volunteer work and community service things um, here in Las Cruces, so I would say that I am pretty tied to the community and pretty involved to usually try and do as much things as I can to help the community.
03:12
I: Awesome. Um, are you bilingual? If so, how many years have you been fluently speaking, both languages?
03:20
P: So I am not bilingual. I wish I was, but and I am only fluent in English. I know a little bit of Spanish. Um, it’s very, very choppy, though I don’t know a lot. I can kind of understand it better than I can speak it definitely um, and then I also do know a little bit of sign language. But I haven’t practiced in a while, so do know a little bit of some other languages. But I’m not bilingual, only fluent in Spa- or only fluent in English.
03:50
I: Thank you. What languages does your family members speak?
03:56
P: So, my family speaks English. Um, at least, like my parents and my brother, like the people I live with. Are all English speakers, but my parents do know a little bit of Spanish. Um, my mom, I think, knows a little bit more than my dad does, but they both can understand it pretty well, and can speak it decently. Um, but they’re not fluent in it. However, my grandparents and some of my other family members, like a few of my aunts and uncles, do speak um a lot of Spanish, especially like my great aunts and uncles, are all pretty much fluent in Spanish. So I do have like extended family members who are fluent in both English and Spanish, but my family members that I live with, and that I’ve grown up with are only English speakers. So that’s pretty much why, I think I only am fluent in English.
04:53
I: What do you think the role and value of Spanish use is in this area?
04:59
P: Um, so the role of Spanish use in this area, I think, is very prominent. I think Spanish is used a lot here, because for one we are very close to Mexico, and we do have a lot of people um here who have family members from Mexico or migrated here and know Spanish. Um, so I think it’s very important. Not well, yeah, pretty important to know Spanish here, at least understand it because we do have so many Spanish speakers as opposed to like people who live in, um- I don’t know like in the Mid-West, and stuff don’t know as much Spanish as we do here. So, I would say, the role here is pretty, pretty important and pretty relevant.
05:49
I: What do you think the role and value of English language use is in this area?
05:56
P: So the role and value of English, I think, is higher, is more important here. I think um pretty much most people know- although Spanish is common, it’s not as common as English here. And um obviously, I think it’s very important to know English. So pe- there are some people here who might only speak Spanish um and I definitely think it should be encouraged for them to learn a little bit of English, just like people who know English should be encouraged to like learn a bit a bit a little bit of Spanish again, especially just because of where we live, because it’s very common to know those two languages. Um, so I think the value of English is very high, like we should know English. But um, I don’t know. I wouldn’t say it’s tied with Spanish, but it’s it’s a little more, I think, important um living in the States for us to know English, but I think it’s also important for us to know a little bit of Spanish, at least for people who live here in Las Cruces, New Mexico.
07:05
I: Awesome. And then do you ever insert Spanish words? Um, when you are speaking English?
07:15
P: Um, I would say, I do insert a few Spanish words. UH, very, very little. I don’t have a super high Spanish vocabulary. Um, But I know a few words that I’ve just picked up on like from my environment. And due to that, I think I use them a little bit more. So yeah, I’d say that there’s a few words that I might use every once in a while.
07:41
I: Could you please provide me with a list or a couple examples of the Spanish words that you insert while speaking English?
07:50
P: Yeah. So, one word that I say I insert pretty often would be like whenever I say, like “orita,” um, which is kind of like later or before. So like, for example um one thing I might say, instead of saying like, “Oh, I went to the store earlier today.” like I might say, like, “Oh, like orita I went to the store” or like, “Orita I’m gonna go to the store” like something like that. And that’s something that I use pretty often. Honestly, I didn’t use to. But again, over time, just with my environment picking up on things, I started using that and then try and think of one more. Um. One more that I say kind- maybe not as often as that, but I might insert in my English, is like chiple, which is kind of like attach- ched, attached like a bratty in a way so like if um like a kid or something is like attached to me, or like, won’t want to leave my side, just like wants attention or is being bratty, I mean, might be like, “Oh, that kid’s like chiple.”, like something like that. Um, so, yeah, that’s probably another one that I use somewhat often um to describe somebody. But other than that I don’t know. I definitely think there’s more terms that I probably use, but I can’t really think of them at the top of my head, especially because, like I said, I don’t have a super super high vocabulary um and I only use a few words so. But those are two examples. I would say.
09:21
I: Thank you. What environment do you insert Spanish words in? Is it social? School? Work? [Um.] Do you use it like in one setting more than the other?
09:33
P: Yeah, I would say definitely social. I don’t think I ever really use even those words I just explain right now. I don’t really use at school or at work. And I think it comes down to just like environment at school and work, a lot of the people I intera- interact with aren’t like people who speak Spanglish or like at least don’t speak it like with me, like we kinda just speak English only. Um, but in some of my social environments I’m around people who do speak Spanish or do speak Spanglish and so I use it a little bit more. Um, for example, my boyfriend’s family is very fluent in Spanish. All of them pretty much are fluent in Spanish, so they use it more often. And so that’s kind of where I’ve picked up some different words. Honestly, um and so I would say that I use it more definitely, socially, whenever I’m around certain people cause there’s certain environments socially that I also won’t use some of those words in. But yeah, it definitely depends on the environment, but it is always in a social environment.
10:43
I: What age, I mean you can- it can be a rough age, um did you start implementing Spanish words?
10:50
P: Um, I would say around like fifteen, sixteen whenever I went to high school is when I started implementing some Spanish words. Uh, one reason is that I started learning a little bit more Spanish because I took my first Spanish courses when I was in high school. Um, and learned a little bit like, I explained earlier, I kinda forgot (laughs) a lot of like terms. But I do know some. So that’s when I kinda started speaking it and trying to think of another reason. Oh, um another reason why I think I started speaking a little bit more at that age was because, although Spanish was kind of around me before, because I do have a few extended family members who speak it um whenever I started dating my boyfriend, he, his family, is all like fluent in Spanish, and speak it a lot more, and so from then on until now, being around them, a lot has definitely influenced me to say a few more Spanish terms, and want to learn um a few more Spanish terms, and so I’ve gotten a little bit more comfortable, saying some things in Spanish around them trying to learn Spanish. So, yeah, I think around fifteen, sixteen is when I started speaking it more. But I think now is whenever I say the most things like, I’m co- like, slowly getting more comfortable with Spanish words and learning Spanish.
12:15
I: Would you say that um now, how you- you know the amount of Spanish you speak would be um equal or more to when it was you were speaking more Spanish in high school.
12:26
P: Um, definitely more, [Okay.] I think I speak it more now. Um, I think, partly just from like getting comfortable with it, like when I first started speaking it, or whenever I first was like in this environment and spe- like around people who speak a lot of Spanish. I was a little bit more self-conscious with my Spanish. I didn’t know it as well, but they all knew that the people I was around knew that I wasn’t super fluent in Spanish, and kinda helped me learn a little bit more and get more comfortable saying things in Spanish. So over time, I think it’s just gotten like- I’ve gotten more and more comfortable every year. And so now I think I’m the most comfortable um than I’ve ever been. And I think that’s something that will like continue like I wanna learn more Spanish. So later on, I’m, hope I’m even more comfortable than I am now. But yeah, definitely now is when I’m the most comfortable compared to like when I was in high school or when I was younger.
13:26
I: And then my next question is, does knowing two language benefit you? And if so, in what way? So I guess, um since you don’t know like the full language, just you know the parts you knew- or the parts you do know how to speak, and then all that you can understand. Um, how does it benefit you? And in what way?
13:46
P: I think it definitely does benefit me that I know a little bit of Spanish, just because whenever I’m around somebody who might only speak Spanish, which, living in Las Cruces, can be kind of common. You do come a- across people who might not be super fluent in English and be fluent in Spanish. So it’s nice to kind of at least know the basics of Spanish for the most part to where I can maybe direct somebody, or even like greet someone. Say, Hello! If I’m meeting somebody who only speaks Spanish, I know how to say like. “Hello, how are you.” like simple things like that. So I think that’s definitely a plus for me that I know at least a little bit of Spanish. Um, for me it doesn’t feel like I know a lot. But then, thinking about someone who might live somewhere else like in the Mid-West, and isn’t around Spanish at all, they might know even less than me. Um, so I do have a little bit of a plus. However, I think if I was fluent in it I would definitely have much more of a like I don’t know. I would be luckier if I knew more Spanish than I do now, ‘cause, even though it’s a plus for me that I know a little bit, if I was fluent in it, I would have um a lot more opportunities to speak even more Spanish with somebody, or even like job opportunities in the future. Living here it’s a big plus, if you know Spanish and English. So that would be really important and really good if I knew more. But for what I do know it has been helpful, I would say.
15:23
I: awesome. The next question has a few different questions in itself, so I’m asked the first one. It is. What is Spanglish to you?
15:32
P: So, to me. Spanglish is when someone speaks both English and Spanish, and kind of combines the two. Um, from what I- whenever I’ve heard people speak, um, I guess Spanglish is they usually say more things in English, and then a little bit in Spanish. Um, however, I feel like Spanglish is something that kinda just depends on how you wanna use it. There’s not really set rules to it. So somebody might know only a little bit of English and a lot more Spanish, and so they might speak a lot of Spanish words, and then insert a few English, or vice versa, like, if they know more English, and then insert a little bit of Spanish words. Um, so yeah. I think it doesn’t really have set rules. It’s something where, you know, you kind of just combine the two in your own way, and obviously speak it to somebody who hopefully understands it, and you speak it in a way that you will understand, and that they will understand. So kinda just depends on where you’re at in both languages, I think.
16:36
I: What do you think of it? Do you think it’s like- uh, this question is asking like, do you think it’s helpful? Um, overall? I know you dig- dug into it a little bit on what you thought you know it is as a whole, but I guess the next question is like, do you think it’s helpful?
16:52
P: Yeah, I think it’s helpful. I think it can help, especially if you’re like learning one of the languages. Um, so for example, for me, since I, I do want to learn a little bit more Spanish. If I do learn a little bit more, I might speak a little bit of Spanglish in order to help with like learning my Spanish speaking skills. Um, because sometimes you might not feel super comfortable speaking just one of those languages if you’re learning it. So I think it can definitely be helpful in that way. And then also just um I think Spanglish is something that’s used a little bit more socially like in social environments, not so much work in school environments, especially work. Um, so I think it can also be helpful for you to just kind of speak it in your own way with whoever you’re talking to, whether it’s like your friend or relative. Um, you can speak it. However, you guys feel comfortable. So I think it definitely is I think it’s a good thing, I would say.
17:48
I: Do you know people use it? or do you sorry- Do you use it?
17:54
P: Um, I personally don’t think I use Spanglish just because I don’t have a high enough vocabulary of Spanish. I don’t know it fluent enough to speak Spanglish, um like I said earlier, I do insert like some Spanish words like whenever I’m speaking English, but I wouldn’t consider it Spanglish just because it’ll be like, I’ll be saying full sentences in English, and then say like one Spanish word. So I don’t really think that’s like full on Spanglish. Um, but I do know people who do speak Spanish, or that, I’ve heard speaks Spanglish.
18:32
I: Have you ever taken a Spanish course? If so, do you have trouble learning it?
18:38
P: Um, so I did take a Spanish course, before. It was whenever I was in high school so couple of years ago. I don’t really remember a lot of Spanish that I learned. Um, I think, partly because the Spanish that we learn in like, in school is a little bit different sometimes than the Spang- Spanish that people use like that, I’m around um, I don’t- I’m not super familiar with, like exactly what it’s called, but I know there’s like um like informal and formal Spanish or something. I think that’s what it’s called, but in school it’s more like formal Spanish, and then um outside of school, like some people that I know who speak Spanish, it might be called like informal Spanish. Again. I don’t really know the full-on difference, since I don’t speak Spanish, (laughs) but people who do speak it have explained that it is a little bit different. So I have forgotten some, and I think because I learned in in school, and it was more like the formal Spanish. It can be a little bit trickier to learn. And so for me, I definitely did have a little bit h- of a hard time learning it. Um, I did think it was tricky. Did think it was harder than English, at least for me, because I- English is my first language. Um, but yeah, I think it was pretty tricky, but I don’t know. I feel like it’s like that with every language that you’re not familiar with.
20:05
I: Yeah. 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? Um, we can also think of like New York and Miami.
20:20
P: Yeah, I think it definitely is different for sure. Um, I think here we have a few more
Span- well, a lot more Spanish speakers, but I think we have a few more Spanish speakers who might speak it more um like kinda like what I was explaining with the formal and informal Spanish, I also know that, like um, Spanish, like deep into Mexico, sounds different for the most part like, might sound a little bit different than Spanish here. Um, for example, I recently went to Mexico, um a couple of months ago in the summer and whenever- I went with people who did speak Spanish, and they even like explained that they’re Spanish whenever they speak it people there in Mexico can kind of tell that like, we’re American, just based on like how we speak it, even though they’re perfectly fluent in it, and can perfectly hold like a conversation with someone in uh, Mexico who speaks Spanish. They have explained that like oh, they can tell like they can tell if you’re an American speaking Spanish, and if you’re from Mexico, Mexican, speaking Spanish. Um, so I thought that was really interesting. And so that, based on that, I think we have some more people here in Las Cruces, New Mexico, who might know more of that Spanish. Um, and speak it differently than like, yeah, someone in like Ohio or North Carolina. I think over there for one, it’s just less common in general to know Spanish than it is here, and for two I think they definitely learn it different. Um, if they do learn it in school there. Um so- and since it’s less common, so yeah, I think it definitely is different in a lot of different ways. But, I don’t know.
22:02
I: And then I have another question. Do you think Spanglish is something that can be found in these, s- um,
22:12
P: like in like Ohio and stuff?
22:15
I: Yeah. In Ohio, in South Carolina.
22:16
P: like other places. Yeah. I think it definitely can be found because they have some people, obviously, I would assume they have some Spanish speakers there. Um definitely less than here, but I do think it would be com- or I don’t know about common, but would happen. Like I wouldn’t be surprised if I met somebody from there who might speak Span- um Spanglish, because I think here in the US, there’s like we have so many different cultures and so many different people everywhere so, yeah, I think it definitely can be found there, but not as easily and not as common as like here in Las Cruces.
22:55
I: Awesome. And then my next question is, do you feel pressure due to where you live to speak Spanish?
23:03
P: Um, yes, definitely. I do for a couple of reasons, I think. Well, for starters, I think, even though it’s like I do feel pressure to learn it. I don’t really think it’s a totally a bad pressure. Um, because I also just wanna learn it. It’s not something where I like feel pressure and I’m like, “Ughh, like I don’t wanna know Spanish.” like I do wanna know Spanish. So just because I’m around it a lot which leads me to explaining like, why I feel that pressure for one. Yes, obviously, because we live here, and it’s very common to know both languages. Um, most people you meet here know at least some Spanish, and a lot of them know Spanish and English. Some know just Spanish. Um, so that is part of the reason why I feel pressure, and then I think also my environment, which I think is partly because we live in Las Cruces. Of course, I’m around people who speak a lot of Spanish um, like I explained earlier. My boyfriend’s family speaks all like a lot of Spanish. They know English, too, but honestly, some of his further relatives only speak Spanish, and so sometimes I can’t speak to them as often or like well, because they only know Spanish, and I can only understand and say so much in Spanish. Um, so I think that’s another reason. Just because of my personal environment, that I’m around so many Spanish speakers. I wish I knew it more. And then another reason, I think, um this is kind of a thing everywhere. It’s always good to know two languages, especially Spanish in English, um, for jobs and stuff. And I think that’s like I said everywhere. However, here in Las Cruces or in New Mexico in general, I think it’s even more wanted because we have so many Spanish speakers, and we do have some who are only Spanish speakers and don’t know English. So, um, that’s another reason. I think I feel pressure because of where we live is because of jobs like in the future ‘cause it’s a really big plus to be able to understand both English and Spanish, and be able to speaks bo- both English and Spanish.
25:09
I: Nice. And then last question is, how confident are you when you insert Spanish words while speaking English?
25:19
P: Um, so, by this point, like, now, I feel like I’ve gotten more comfortable than like I was like five, six years ago, whenever I first started using a little bit more Spanish terms. Um, I use more now, and I use them more comfortably and more often, and I definitely do feel more confident with them now. Um, however, I think,or I hope at least, that in the future I’ll feel even more confident using ‘em. Um, obviously, because I hope to learn more, and hope to just gain more confidence with using it. But um yeah, I think I definitely feel more comfortable with it now than like I was back then.But yeah, I don’t know any other like questions, similar?
26:09
I: Um, what- I know you talked about influence from fa- like your boyfriend’s family [like environment?] like that. What influence have you had from your family? Like I know you talked about your grandparents. [Yeah.] there are always you know they are speak primarily Spanish, so have they um had any influence or pressure per se on you?
26:34
P: Um, I think a little bit like, because since my parents don’t speak it like super fluently. I’ve had a little bit less pressure to learn it. I kinda always like get frustrated with them. I’m always like, “Oh, I wish you guys taught me like Spanish” because they do know enough, I think, to teach um especially my mom. She was actually originally wanting to be a bilingual teacher. She was going to school for that, and then ended up not doing bilingual ‘cause she didn’t feel fully comfortable enough with it. So I think I’ve had less, not so much pressure from my family. Um, however, like my more extended family members, especially on my dad’s side, um his parents speak it fluently, and sometimes when I’m around them they’ll speak just Spanish. I don’t really know fully what they’re saying. And then, same with a lot of his like aunts and uncles. They all speak Spanish fluently. So whenever I’m around them I think I have a little bit more pressure. But whenever I’m around like just my parents, like my brother, like my immediate family. I don’t feel as pressured. But I still like have it like in the back of my head, like I wish I knew more than I do.
27:46
I: Yeah. Well, thank you. I- that concludes all the questions I have. So I really appreciate. Um, you being willing to spend your time answering these. Um,
P: Of course.
28:01
I: that’s it.
28:02
P: All right. Sounds good, thank you.
[28:07]
New Mexico Border Spanish Corpus 