george estevez ingl 4208 research paper

7/30/2019 George Estevez Ingl 4208 Research Paper

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George Estevez Cruz

Ingl 4208

Prof. Mazak

4/30/2012

The use of code-switching in ads and business signs

Introduction:

In the island of Puerto Rico, the effects of the presence of the English language greatly

influence the manner in which Puerto Ricans communicate. Whether communication is done

verbally or written, under certain circumstances English and/or Spanish are used. As I have

travelled throughout the city of Mayaguez, I noticed that most business signs and advertisements

in these establishments were written in one of the possible combinations: English, Spanish, or

both. Curiosity on why this occurred arose in my mind. My question is why the names and ads

that are placed on these establishments have this mixture of languages. Are there certain types

of businesses that need to be named in the English language? Are some names borrowings? As

of now, some of these questions are unanswered. As I go along my research, these questions will

be answered.

Literature Review:

Garcia mentions that a bilingual community must translanguage in order to

construct meaning. People sometimes translanguage extensively, using their language for

different modalities. In this research, you will see how the major modality in which

translanguaging is done is written or read. Again, the focus of this research is on the

languages used in signs and advertisements. Garcia says that domains respond to


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communicative and affective intent as well as to the situation and the interlocutor.

Depending on the domain and situation will reflect language used by bilinguals. Baker

defines this as functional bilingualism. This basically explains how Zentella states that

the order of the sentence constituents immediately adjacent to and on both sides of the

switch point must be grammatical with respect to both languages involved

simultaneously. This demonstrates that there are some common points that, in this case,

English and Spanish have. These common points refer to how a bilingual speaker can

join to words or constituents from two languages and still share common grammatical

functions. This is an important point for my research since the combination of the two

languages within these signs shows some sort of grammatical relationship. Later on,

Zentella proves this point stating that: Given this requirement, there is a greater

propensity for switches between languages that have similar grammar at points in their

syntax that are most alike. As I have said before, it seems as if both languages have

syntactical/grammatical similarities. Bilingual speaker uses both languages under certain

circumstances.

Canagarajah states in the beginning of her essay that: competence doesnt consist

of separate competencies for each language, but a multi-competence that functions

symbiotically for the different languages in ones repertoire After reading Garcias

work on the subject, I am convinced that bilinguals use both languages depending on the

circumstances.


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Canagarajah then states that every bilingual has multilingual competence and

adopt multilingual practices in our competence. Even the so-called monolinguals

shuttle between codes, registers and discourses. This is evidence of what Baker and

Garcia mentions which relates to domains and targets. Baker says that language

competence not only includes linguistic competence but also competence in different

social and cultural situations with different people. Garcia says that bilinguals usually

have differentiated that use and competence in the language in which they translanguage.

Canagarajah says that making opportunities for critical analysis helped students develop

their translanguaging proficiency further. Garcia says that people must translanguage in

order to construct meaning.

Remember that advertising is a social practice. It reaches out to future clients.

Wardhaugh (2006) states that certain social situations may require that one code be used

rather than another, even though that second code is known to all participants but the first

only to some. In some cases throughout this investigation, the first code (Spanish) is

known and the second code (English) is partially known. There some instances in which

both codes are used and are effective on attracting consumers.

Melissa Maier Bishop examines how language codeswitching interacts with the

context language of the medium to influence certain outcomes related to advertising

effectiveness. She investigates how message recall, the perception of advertiser cultural

sensitivity and expectations concerning empathy and responsiveness of a service provider

can be enhanced through the use of codeswitching in communication among bilingual


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individuals. (5) The Spanish/English codeswitching that occurs among Hispanics that

are bilinguals in the U.S. is investigated, with testing among Mexican-American youths.

This bit of information is important to my research since some of the patterns are

expected to appear.

Maier cites to Becker (1997), Psycholinguists have found that bilingual speakers

use codeswitching as a communication resource to achieve their communicative

intentions (28). She suggests that social motivations may also play a part in conscious

codeswitching. Maier cites Myers-Scotton (1993) saying that all codeswitching is based

on an underlying negotiation principle. In terms of social negotiation, individuals may

use codeswitching to convey specific identity for themselves. Identity is used in a very

general sense; I do not mean to imply that code choices can fashion new persons out of

speakers. What they can do is negotiate particular identity for the speaker in relation to

other participants in the exchange. Maier expresses that in terms of communication,

individuals may use codeswitching to negotiate meaning that is better or more easily

expressed using multiple languages rather than remaining within a single language. What

I understand from this section is that the codes used in the signs and advertisements are

used to appeal to the consumer. That is, they try to communicate to the consumer what

they are advertising. The domain is what seems to decide the code used. My theory is

that the use of codeswitching in signs and ads are communicative tools used socially to

meet the demands of the consumer or social individual.


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According to Rose Nash, Puerto Rico is unique in having both English and

Spanish as official languages. According to the government Policy of bilingualism,

English is required to be taught as a subject in all schools from the first grade through

university level. She states that The close contact of Puerto Rican Spanish and American

English since the turn of the century has greatly intensified in recent years, largely

because of the ever-increasing number of Newyorricans (New York Puerto Ricans) who

have returned to the island to live, bringing with them the language and culture of

Spanish Harlem. (223) This is interesting since this is true for that time period. Today,

there are many that come from Pennsylvania, New Jersey, California, Chicago, and

Florida among others. Nash also says that in the metropolitan areas of Puerto Rico,

where Newyorricans play an influential role in the economic life of the island, there has

arisen a hybrid variety of language, often given the slightly derogatory label of Spanglish,

which coexists with less mixed forms of standard English and standard Spanish and has

at least one of the characteristics of an autonomous language: a substantial number of

native speakers. The emerging language retains the phonological, morphological, and

syntactic structure of Puerto Rican Spanish. However, much of its vocabulary is English-

derived. This is important for my research since some of the evidence presented

demonstrate that the samples taken use morphological and syntactical structures of the

English and Spanish language.

Krishna and Ahluwaliah examine the role of language choice in advertisements

directed to bilinguals in the global market. Advertising is complex since they need to


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choose a language for advertising their product to a certain population. According to

Krishna and Ahluwaliah, the use of English in ads has come to suggest a social stereotype

a symbol of modernity, progress, sophistication, and a cosmopolitan identity.

According the authors, there are language associations for different product categories.

When and which associations brought out by the marked languages are likely to influence

ad evaluations. The authors site Bearden and Etzel (1982) who claim that products can be

broadly categorized as necessities versus luxuries. Necessities are possessed by

everybody, while luxuries have an element of exclusivity associated with them. This

information is useful for me since I can now categorize each sign (whether business,

road, etc.) into two additional categories. These are luxury and necessity. Many of the

signs I have seen were of necessity. Some include auto parts stores, gasoline stations, and

even bakeries among others. There some such as barber shops which will need to be

taken under consideration since a hair-cut can sometimes be a necessity or luxury

depending on the circumstances the individual is under.

Theoretical Frame:

In this research, there are several terms which are necessary to be familiarized with.

Before beginning to understand this investigation, it is very important to understand what

translanguaging is. To translanguage is to engage un multiple discursive practices in which

bilinguals engage in order to make sense of their bilingual world. (Garcia 45). Most linguists

can agree that bilingualism is the ability to use two languages with equal proficiency.

Bilingualism is the ability to use one or more languages in different situations, contexts or

domains. Garcia (2008) states that bilingualism is when a bilingual person that languages


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differently and that has diverse and unequal experience with each of the two languages. The

experience she is talking about depends on the circumstances the bilingual speaker is in at the

moment. Baker (2006) says that bilingualism is the ability to use one or more language. Both

authors understand that bilingualism involves two languages which are used under different

situations. Baker also mentions that ownership of two or more languages is not as simple as

having wheels This is very similar two Garcias model, additive. There is no 1+1=2 with it;

each language is used under different circumstances. Baker also says that bilinguals can be

analyzed by the dimension use. The definition she gives is: the domains where each language

is acquired and used are varied. Domains are going to be an important part of my research and

therefore must be defined. Domains are simply language contexts. (Baker 2006) These language

contexts include shopping, religious meetings, schools, and many other situations that involve

social activities. Depending on the domain and situation will reflect the language used by

bilinguals. Baker defines this linguistic phenomenon as functional bilingualism. This term

describes how the bilingual speaker uses both languages under certain circumstances. In my

investigation, instances of the usage of two languages under certain circumstances are defined.

Methodology:

Setting: The location of the data collected is on the former Calle Post in Mayaguez

Puerto Rico. The road is now called Emeterio Betances. This street is heavily

filled with businesses. The starting point was located in front of San Antonio

Hospital and ended at National Lumber and Hardware. This street is heavily filled

with all sorts of businesses.


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Data Collection Methods: I travelled for one mile down that street. With the camera on

my phone, I was able to take pictures of the signs and advertisements located in

each business. I took several shots of each sample just in case the pictures taken

were blurry. After sorting through the samples, I decided to focus only on the

pictures that contained the mixture of both English and Spanish which is regarded

as code-switching. Out of thirty four (34) pictures taken, only nine (9) will

be taken under consideration for analysis. The pictures chosen are the ones that

display a large amount of patterns and information waiting to be extracted.

Data Analysis: In this investigation, I looked at the pictures I have selected and

analyzed the code-switching that occurred within the pictures. After

looking for patterns within these pictures, I have found that there was one

case of borrowing, some cases were kept in the original language, and

came up with a descriptive formula which describes the creation of the

business name.

Results:

Image 1: In this picture, the business was named after the owner whose name is in Spanish

whereas the second half of the title which provides the information of what service they offer is

written in English.

Image 2: These ads are taken from Ahorro Muebles. This is a furniture store. The signs that are

displayed advertise famous brands for televisions, mattresses, refrigerators, and stoves. As you

can see in a couple of the brands mentioned, the mottos they have are kept in English. It is safe to


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assume that these are accepted to be written in English since these brands are known worldwide

along with their slogan.

Image 3: This is a picture of a gasoline station within the area investigated. The name of this

gasoline station is written in English. Some of the services offered are written in both Spanish

and English. They advertise that they have a food mart, they are open twenty four hours, and

also have a food mart. Other services offered such as ice, lottery, and automatic transactions are

written in Spanish. In the center, above the lottery sign, they say they have an ATM machine.

The abbreviation ATM is written in English; in Spanish it would be ATH.

Image 4: In this business, the name as well as what they sell are mostly written in Spanish. On

the left hand sign of the establishment, they are saying that they specialize on auto parts. These

include American and foreign parts. What is interesting in this shot is that they posted a sign

advertising that they sell Interstate batteries. This poster, as it can be seen is located next to the

door, right hand side.

Image 5: This is the last place that has had a picture taken of. This business is of interest since

the name of the business begins with the Spanish word Ferreteria. If one were to translate, the

translation would be hardware store. In this shot, it is safe to assume that the use of both

Spanish and English under one title serves to advertise to speakers of both languages that they

sell those certain materials and tools.

Image 6: business focuses on auto detailing. As it can be seen in the title, which is written in

English, they are experts in cleaning cars. What is interesting is that the sign under the name of

the business display their offers written in Spanish with a word that could be considered

borrowed. In this case, the word borrowed is "vacuum".


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Image 7: In this sign, there is a mixture of both Spanish and English. Piquin is Spanish

nickname whereas auto kool is in English. Please note that Kool is written with a K and

not a c. Most businesses that deal with air conditioning choose a name (whether the owners

first name, etc.) and add alongside of it auto kool. The phrase auto kool is automatically

stored in the mind and defined as a place that works with air conditioning in automobiles.

Image 8: This sign was taken in one of the businesses described earlier (La Garita Auto Parts).

The sign advertises brakes for all types of automobiles. When businesses advertise products, they

do so in the language that has been set as what I would call as a default language. As we have

seen in other pictures, such as Interstate batteries, they are advertised in English.

Image 9: This ad of Crossco Paints is located in Ferreteria National Lumber and Hardware. The

sign is advertising the types of products Crossco has to offer to the public. The products they

offer are not translated.

Image 10: In this auto parts store, the owner decided to name the business with a mixture of

Spanish and English. As with other businesses, the first half is written in Spanish, something

that seems to reflect the culture of the area. The second half of the title of the business is written

in English. It is also safe to assume that the owner wants to reach out and do business with

clients who speak either/both languages. Whether the employees are proficient enough to attend

clients in either language have not yet been determined. Further studies and interviews are

required.

In Image 1, there was a mixture of Spanish and English. In Image 2, the mottos they have

are kept in English. It is safe to assume that these are accepted to be written in English since

these brands are known worldwide along with their slogan. Image 3 displays the services offered


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which are written in both languages. They advertise that they have a food mart, they are open

twenty four hours, and also have a food mart. Other services offered such as ice, lottery, and

automatic transactions are written in Spanish. In terms of ice, they would have had to have

written it in Spanish since clients could confuse the word with Icee is a brand known to make

water ice. In the center, above the lottery sign, they say they have an ATM machine. The

abbreviation ATM is written in English; in Spanish it would be ATH. The abbreviation

ATM in this case is considered to be a borrowing from the English language. In Image 5, the

name as well as what they sell are mostly written in Spanish. In this image, the American brands

are advertised in English. This is the last place that has had a picture taken of. This business is of

interest since the name of the business begins with the Spanish word Ferreteria. If one were to

translate, the translation would be hardware store. In this shot, it is safe to assume that the use

of both Spanish and English under one title serves to advertise to speakers of both languages that

they sell those certain materials and tools.

In Image 6, what is interesting is that the sign under the name of the business display their offers

written in Spanish with a word that could be considered borrowed. In this case, the word

borrowed is vacuum.

In Image 7, they advertise products and do so in the language that has been set as what I would

call as a default language. As we have seen in other pictures, such as Interstate batteries, they are

advertised in English.

In Image 8, products they offer are not translated. In Image 9, as with other businesses, the first

half is written in Spanish, something that seems to reflect the culture of the area. The second half

of the title of the business is written in English. It is also safe to assume that the owner wants to


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reach out and do business with clients who speak either/both languages. Whether the employees

are proficient enough to attend clients in either language have not yet been determined. Further

studies and interviews are required. There seems to be a general formula to explain the creation

of these names or ads. The formula is as follows: Name of Business= Name (Lg. 1) + Service

provided (Lg. 2).

Conclusion:

Through this investigation, there were many interesting findings. In most businesses, they

were named after the owner whose name is in Spanish whereas the second half of the title which

provides the information of what service they offer which is written in English. There were some

cases that the languages were completely opposite. When businesses advertise products, they do

so in the language that has been set as what I would call as a default language. The mottos of

English written brands were kept in English. It is safe to assume that these are accepted to be

written in English since these brands are known worldwide along with their slogan. Therefore,

this phenomenon relates to maintaining prestige. Some of the services offered were written in

both Spanish and English. Some services offered in the pictures taken in this investigation, such

as ice, lottery, and automatic transactions were written in Spanish. The abbreviation ATM was

written in English. There was one case of a borrowing. Borrowings are common since many

English words do not have actual translations into Spanish. Most names of businesses contained

what seems to be a reflection the culture of the area. Individuals used codeswitching to convey

specific identity for themselves. Throughout the investigation, most businesses contained signs

and advertisements that contained both languages. It is safe to assume that the owner wants to

reach out and do business with clients who speak either/both languages. It is also safe to assume

that the use of codeswitching in signs and ads are communicative tools used socially to meet the


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demands of the consumer or social individual. Finally, all of the signs and ads which contained

codeswitching and/or borrowings were products or services that can be broadly categorized as

necessities versus luxuries. Necessities are possessed by everybody, while luxuries have an

element of exclusivity associated with them. I can safely say that all of the advertisements and

services presented in the signs were of great necessity.

There are some aspects of this investigation that needs to improve to receive qualitative

and quantitative results. In order to be sure of any assumptions made in this investigation, one

would need to investigate the entire town. Each section or neighborhood would need to be

labeled as well as the habitants. A copy of the census would be needed. This information would

enable the investigator to know how many bilinguals live in the section of the town among other

important information that would give better results and understanding. An interview with the

owner of each business is necessary to understand why the owner chose the name, chose the

language which advertisements were displayed, as well as whether they are bilinguals or

monolinguals. I would apply this to every town on the island in order to make concrete

conclusions.

Appendix: The following pictures follow the order which they are rpesented in the results.


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Works Cited

Baker, C. (2006). Foundations of bilingual education and bilingualism (4th ed.). Clevedon:

Multilingual Matters.

Cangarajah, S. (2011). Translanguaging in the classroom: Emerging issues for research and

pedagogy. Apply Linguistics Review, 2011, -1.

Garcia, O. (2009). Bilingual education in the 21st century: a global perspective. Oxford: Wiley-

Blackwell Pub.

Krishna, A., & Ahluwaliah, R. (2008, December). Language Choice in Advertising to

Bilinguals: Asymmetric Effects for Multinationals versus Local Firms. Journal of

Consumer Research, 35, 1-14. doi: 10.1086/592130

Maier Bishop, Melissa. (2006). The Role of Language Codeswitching in increasing Advertising

Effectiveness among Mexican-American Youth. (Doctoral dissertation).

Retrieved from

Nash, R. (1970). Spanglish: Language Contact in Puerto Rico. American Speech, Vol. 45, (3/4),

223-233. Retrieved 3 26, 2012, from http://www.jstor.org/stable/454837

Wardhaugh, R. (2006). An Introduction to Sociolinguistics. Malden: Basil Blackwell Ltd

Zentella, A.C. (1997). Growing up bilingual. Oxford: Blackwell publishers.

george estevez ingl 4208 research paper

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