Foreign Languages in the US: Spanish on the Rise
According to information collected during the last US Census, it is definitely a good idea for schools, libraries, clubs, public offices and business organizations to make sure they share information with their public and clients not only in English but also in a foreign language, especially in Spanish and Chinese. The number of US residents […]
Lunfardo: What does “bondi” mean?
Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a […]
“Wasap” and “Wasapear”: New Additions to the Spanish Language
Languages are living creatures. They are not static; they grow, change and adapt to the current times thus adopting new words that express their speakers’ reality and discarding others that are not useful any longer. Over the last years, most of the changes that languages have experienced are influenced or triggered by the massive use […]
The Meaning of the Lunfardo Word ‘Bacán’
Although not much in use these days, it may still be possible to hear people in their fifties or sixties using the word bacán in their conversations, especially when referring to somebody who seems to have a good economic position. It was a very popular term during the sixties and seventies amongst the hippies. What […]
Should NYPD Officers Speak Spanish?
The NYPD seems to have some trouble with Spanish speaking people. Just a few days after nine Hispanic officers were issued memos for chatting in Spanish amongst themselves and violating the department’s unofficial English-only policy, their intolerance with Spanish speakers has made it to the press again. image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net Five Latina women in […]
The Origin of the Word Chévere
If you have had the chance of spending some time in Venezuela, or Cuba or in any other Caribbean country or if you have watched any Venezuelan soap opera on TV, there are great chances that you have heard at least once the word chévere (meaning good, cool). And in fact it is quite likely […]
The E Day: Spanish Speakers Celebrate their Mother Language Day!
Spanish is the second language in the world according to its number of native speakers, over 500 million people can speak it across the globe and it is the third language most used in the Internet. Such impressive numbers as well as the richness of such a vast culture are definitely worth a celebration and […]
Does Whole Foods discriminate against Spanish Speaking Employees?
In such a multicultural country as the United States, the number of Hispanic employees in the workplace has shown a steady increase over the last years. Attracted by the chance of better employment opportunities, many Latinos come to the States to find jobs in small, medium-sized and large business organizations. Some of them speak English […]
Spanish Language in USA: Flourishing or Declining?
With a solid and consolidated Latin American community, the United States of America has the second largest Spanish speaking population outside Spain, being the first one in Mexico. According to the North American Academy of the Spanish Language (ANLE, Spanish acronym), over 50 million people speak Spanish in the USA. That said, is the Spanish […]
Spanish Spelling Bee May Reflect a Rising Acceptance of the Language in the U.S.
The National Spelling Bee is a competition that is believed to have originated in the early 20th century in the United States, wherein a number of young contestants are required to a orally spell various words of increasing difficulty. The first official Bee was held in 1925, and the first champion was eleven years old. […]
