Spanglish

Spanglish

Many people who are learning a new language often make mistakes. As Lewington (2012) refers, these mistakes are the combination of literal translations, misinterpretation and the use of false friends.

Spanglish refers to the mix of Spanish and English used by people who speaks parts of the two languages, or whose native language is different from that of the country where they live. The Hispanic population in the United States and the British population in Argentina use varieties of Spanglish.

 Lewington offers a selection of the most common Spanglish errors:

 As you want* (como quieras) - up to you 

Every day more* (Cada vez más) - more and more

 For me it is the same* (para mi es lo mismo) - I don’t mind

For the moment* (hasta ahora) - so far

I explain you* (te explico) - let me explain 

I prefer don’t go* (prefiero no ir) - I would rather not go

In the actually* (en la actualidad) - currently

 It’s his election* (es su elección) - it’s up to him

 It was a casuality* (fue una casualidad) - it was a coincidence

 Stay in form* (estar en forma) - keep fit

Two millions* (dos millones) - two million

All is okay* (todo está bien) - all is fine

Arrive to home* (llegar a casa) - get home

 As always* (como siempre) - as usual

At the end* (al final) - in the end

 I like a lot that* (me encanta) - I love it

I have the reason* (tengo la razón) - I’m right

First plate* (primer plato) - starter

Second plate* (segundo plato) - main course

Touristic* (Adj; having the quality of a tourist) - touristy (Adj; visited by throngs of tourists)

Two hours and a half* (dos horas y media) - two and a half hours

 The problem is other*(el problema es otro) - that is not the main problem



Lewington, R. (2012). Common Mistakes In English Made By Spanish Speakers. (2nd Ed.)

Midlands school BANS children from using Black Country dialect

Midlands school BANS children from using 'damaging' Black Country dialect

• Staff at the West Midlands primary have drawn up list offending phrases
  
• They include 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that' and 'Ay?'
  
• Parents and local residents have branded the move as 'snobbish'
  
• But the school says it wants it children to have 'the best start possible

By Andrew Levy
14 November 2013

Children at a primary school in the West Midlands have been told to speak proper English instead of the Black Country dialect to halt a ‘decline in standards’.

Those who say they ‘cor do that’ – ‘can’t do that’ – will not be punished, but they will be corrected every time they utter an outlawed phrase.

Angry parents criticised the ban at Colley Lane Primary School in Halesowen, claiming it is ‘snobbish’ and ‘insulting’.

Colley Lane Primary School, in Halesowen, West Midlands, where staff have have drawn up a list of offending Black Country phrases that have been banned in the classroom

'I COR BELIEVE IT': THE PHRASES PUPILS ARE BANNED FROM SAYING

Here are the phrases pupils at Colley Lane Primary School, in Halesowen, have been banned from using:

1. 'They was' instead of 'they were.'

2. 'I cor do that' instead of 'I can't do that.'

3. 'Ya' instead of 'you.'

4. 'Gonna' instead of 'going to.'

5. 'Woz' instead of 'was.'

6. 'I day' instead of 'I didn't.'

7. 'I ain't' instead of 'I haven't.'

8. 'Somefink' instead of 'something.'

9. 'It wor me' instead of 'it wasn't me.'

10. 'Ay?' instead of 'pardon?'

The distinctive Black Country dialect of the 'Yam Yams' is spoken in towns like Wolverhampton, Sandwell, Tipton and Dudley, and can be very confusing to outsiders.

Scholars find it fascinating because it has preserved grammar from Early Modern English and even Middle English.

'Thee', 'Thy' and 'Thou' are still in use, as is the case in parts of Yorkshire and Lancashire. 'Ow B'ist', meaning 'How beist thou?' is a common greeting, with the typical answer being 'Bay too bah', meaning 'I bayn't be too bad'.

'I haven't seen her' becomes 'I ay sid 'er'. Black Country dialect often substitutes the word 'ar' for 'yes'.

Several word pronunciations are also different: 'you' is pronounced 'yow' (pronounced yo with a silent w), whereas 'go', which is often pronounced 'goo' or 'gooin'' for 'going', is more in line with pronunciations in the Midlands.

It is also quite common for broad Black Country speakers to say 'agooin' instead of 'going'.

The word endings with 'en' are still noticeable in conversation as in 'gooen' (going), 'callen' (calling) and the vowel 'A' is pronounced as 'O' as in 'sond' (sand), 'hond' (hand) and 'mon' (man). Other pronunciations are 'winder' for window, 'fer' for 'far', and 'loff' for 'laugh' exactly as Chaucer's English was spoken.

Here is a glossary of Black Country vocabulary:

Aive - Lift, heave
Bawk - Confuse
Beesum - A pert young woman
Bibble - Pebble, stone
Blithyed - A fool
Bowler - A large moth
Boffle - To hinder
Bonk - A small hill
Broo'us - A brewery
Cagmag - A gossipy old woman
Caw - Cannot
Chicklings - Pig's intestines (a Black Country delicacy)
Codding - Joking
Fizog - Face
Flen - A flea
Jed - Dead
Kench - Back strain
Miskin - An outside toilet
Carradiddle - A lie, fib
Tranklements - Miscellaneous items, paraphernalia
Werit - Worry

Lose vs Loose

Lose vs Loose

The words loose and lose are mixed up in writing; for some reason, many people write loose when they really mean lose.  


 LOSE /lu:z/ verb (past tense and past participle lost)
The verb to lose has three meanings: to stop having something, to be unable to find something, or to not win. 

LOOSE /lu:s/ adjective
Loose is an adjective that means not firmly attached. As a verb, to loose means to make something loose. 


El verbo to lose tiene tres significados: dejar de tener algo, no poder encontrar algo, o no ganar.
Loose es un adjetivo que significa no unido firmemente, suelto. Como verbo, to loose significa hacer que algo esté suelto.

Examples:

lose (verb)
You look better, have you lost weight?
I've lost my umbrella!
Our team lost four games in a row.

loose (adjective)
This tooth feels loose.
Her hair fell loose on her shoulders.
He always wears loose clothes.

Watch this video and you won't go wrong again! 

"Do you dare to dream?"

"Do you dare to dream?"

Author: Ramón Jiménez, a Spanish illustrator


I have included the Spanish version for those who prefer watching it in their native language!


English version: 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NQTU_NjZRIE

Spanish version:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S1mu4oKwFB4


I hope you enjoy it!

Tricky prepositions!

English prepositions are tricky ones! 

Have you ever asked yourself which preposition to use?


Well, I am talking about the usage of "to" and/or "in" in this specific example;


I have  gone to Paris (I am still in Paris)
I have been to Paris (I have already come back!)

I have been in Paris for/since... (a precise moment)

So, we use "in" when we are going to say the amount of time or a point in time using "for" or "since".



For + an amount of time
Since + a point in time (until now, you cannot say the finish)

E.g.  I've been in Paris for three years now.
       He's been in Paris for the last 3 days so you can't have seen him in London.
       She's been in Paris since 1989 so she thinks she's a Parisienne!

I hope it helps! If you have any questions, just let me know! 

Here you have a link for you to practise:

http://www.ecenglish.com/learnenglish/lessons/10-prepositions-questions-0

Myself

Hola a todos!

Hoy comienzo una nueva experiencia en esto de los "Blogs" aun no sé usarlo muy bien, pero poco a poco iré mejorando hasta dominarlo!

En este espacio me gustaría contaros y explicaros aspectos que me vayan pareciendo interesantes del Inglés, ya sean explicaciones de Gramática, Semántica, Fonética, como enlaces de interés o vídeos relacionados.

Mi nombre es MªCarmen. Graduada en Estudios Ingleses y actualmente realizando el Máster de Profesorado en Secundaria, Bachillerato, Ciclo Superior y EOI: Especialidad LE. Soy alegre, simpática, honesta, maniática del orden y cuido todo al detalle. ¡Cualquier error tiene solución!


Me paso el día sonriendo, y cuando me levanto sin energía me tomo un café cargado y ¡sigo adelante!


Un saludo.