KAMMS World Wide Blog

No doubt you have noticed the increase of Spanish being spoken in cities from coast to coast. It’s a fact that you cannot ignore. Another fact, many do ignore or may not know, is that Spanish predated English in arriving on the shores of America; for the last four centuries, the two languages have co-existed.

How many Spanish-speakers live in the U.S.?

There are over twenty primarily Spanish-speaking countries in the world, yet America is the largest Spanish-speaking community besides Mexico. According to the US Census Bureau, there are over 35 million people (age 5 and over) who use Spanish at home and over 45 million people who speak Spanish as their first or second language. It is currently the most common non-English language spoken in elementary schools, colleges, and universities in the U.S.

Why so many Spanish-speakers?

There are many reasons for the relatively recent and immense influx of Spanish-speakers; roughly 400,000 legally immigrate to America ever year.  To begin with, much of the latest immigration started because of political instability in various countries, such as Cuba and Nicaragua. The U.S has developed programs to help these people immigrate to America in order to escape political oppression.

Since Puerto Rico officially became a common wealth and its people became citizens of the U.S. in 1952, there are millions of Puerto Ricans (fluent in Spanish) who have migrated to the U.S. mainland, especially New York City. Interestingly, there is also a large population of Puerto Rican farm laborers and Mexican ranchers who have settled in Hawaii. They make up seven percent of the islands’ population.

Obviously, our proximity to Mexico is a contributing factor as to why so many Mexicans immigrate to America. Additionally, the North American Free Trade Agreement has contributed to the increased business dealings between the U.S. and Mexico, further accentuating the need for American businesses and their employees to know and use the Spanish language to attract customers.

What is the future of Spanish in America?

There are continuous debates regarding the future of Spanish in the U.S. (and its threat to English as the country’s primary language), but there are some facts and historical examples we can use to hypothesis the language’s fate.

In 1751, Benjamin Franklin wrote an essay called Observations Concerning the Increase of Mankind, Peopling of Countries. He wrote the essay to address the growing concern that German-Americans were not assimilating to the colony’s culture and learning English. At the time, German-speaking immigrants outnumbered English-speakers three to one. Obviously, the Germans did assimilate and German did not become our primary language.

Moreover, studies show that the large numbers of Spanish-speaking people in the U.S. is due to recent immigration (mid-late 1900s). The children and/or grandchildren of these immigrants will speak English. Most immigrant languages are lost by the third generation. We may see a large decrease in the use of the Spanish language in years to come.

In the meantime…

Spanish-speakers of all ages must continue their efforts to learn English at school, work and in their community. They knowledge of English will help them and their children to assimilate and ultimately achieve their American dream.

English-speakers must continue to learn Spanish at school, work and in their community, as well. It will help them to communicate better with their fellow citizens and in many cases, allow them to achieve their American dream by expanding their knowledge and acquiring the asset of being bilingual.

Remember, English and Spanish have co-existed in our country for more than for four hundred years. It’s part of what makes this diverse country so great!

As a language instructor, many people interested in learning Spanish say to me: “I try to understand Spanish, but they speak too fast.” My response is that it may seem that way, when you first start learning, but once you feel more comfortable with the language, it won’t feel as though the Spanish-speakers are speaking so quickly. As you progress with your knowledge of the language, you won’t even notice the speed of the words being spoken.

When people are beginning to learn a new language, they usually try to listen to every single sound in every single word that a speaker says. Then they translate each word they hear. When they’ve finally translated the word in their head, they’re already many words behind. It can certainly be frustrating for beginning learners, but if they keep practicing, it won’t be so difficult.

Eventually, listening to Spanish becomes just like listening to English; you hear the whole sentence and you understand everything that was said, naturally, without translating. When you have a strong grasp of the language, you no longer have to focus on each word individually. You understand the language in chunks instead of separate words.

I also suggest to those with the concern about Spanish-speakers talking too quickly, to pay attention to their own rate of speech and realize how fast English must sound to a non-native English-speaker. If you say a few sentences out loud, you’ll notice how the words sometimes blend together as you say them. It’s the same as when you’re listening to a Spanish-speaker. It seems fast, but it’s just a natural rate of speech.

Besides the above mentioned reasons why Spanish may seem faster to English-speakers, there are some other factors to consider. I’ve noticed that there are definite variations in the pronunciation of words and the rate of speech among native Spanish-speakers. The differences I’ve observed depend on gender, the country of origin and the topic being discussed.

As far as gender affecting a person’s language, in my experience, sometimes women seem to pronounce words more completely from the first syllable to the last. Their pronunciation of words appears to be clearer and at a slower pace. On the contrary, men seem to cut off the endings of words and blend them together more often. I can’t say that I’ve read research on this topic; it’s just something I’ve observed personally.

Another factor to consider is that Spanish-speakers may come from an array of countries and that may also affect how fast they talk. Culture influences the language of people, so it seems only natural that those from different countries may speak differently. Next time you’re listening to a Spanish-speaker, pay attention to how they pronounce their words and how quickly they are speaking. Take note of the country where they were born and see if you can find a correlation with others from the same country.

A final aspect that I’ve noticed affects a person’s rate of speech is the particular topic the speaker is discussing. If it is a casual conversation, the speaker has a relaxed, slower pace to their communication. If it is a sensitive or volatile subject being discussed, the speaker increases the speed at which they speak. This probably happens no matter what language is being spoken.

Overall, I believe that a Spanish-speaker may sound like he or she is speaking faster, but there are many reasons why this may seem true to a beginning language learner.  After much practice with the new language, it won’t matter how fast they are speaking. When you internalize the language, understanding it becomes natural to you, no matter how fast they talk. It just takes lots of practice with the language, but you’ll get there!

In addition to using traditional language learning programs, immersing yourself in the language is key to becoming proficient. These tips will allow you to pick up extra practice, but they can also be fun!

-Watch Spanish-language films. Put on the subtitles and listen at the same time. As you watch, try to pick out words and phrases that you know, and use the context to guess the meaning of ones that you don’t know. Besides learning the language, you’ll pick up more about the culture, too!

-Watch the news in Spanish. The context of the story will make it easy for you to pick up on what is being said.

-When you are out in public, listen in on people you hear speaking Spanish and see how much you can understand. If the situation allows, join the conversation. Most people will be more than happy to help you practice your Spanish.

-Look around the house for items written in Spanish. Instructions for appliances, electronics, etc. will often have a section written in Spanish. Since you will always have the English translation, this can help you learn new vocabulary.

Check out this list of popular Spanish-Language films that should be easy to find in America. Or go to Spanish on the Job for more language learning tips.