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You need English,people might talk Spanish and lately even Portuguese from the Brazilians coming in but this is still the United States,English is the one that you better know.The Cubans have been here since like the late 50's-60's,most of them along with their kids and grandkids probably have English as their primary language by now even though they might also speak Spanish at home or with friends.The amount of Spanish being spoken will probably diminish after a generation or two,Tampa for example had Cubans come over decades before they came to Miami and you'll see a lot less Spanish being spoken by them and their offspring.It'll never get to the point in Miami as Miami is a lot more bilingual with people coming in from dozens of countries as well as the recently arrived Cubans,but there are Cuban kids from Cubans who have been here for decades that barely speak Spanish.Look at me my parents are Cuban and I was born here,I'm bilingual with some Spanglish thrown in but my writing skills in Spanish are pretty bad.If anybody is reluctant to do business in English right now it's probably the South Americans coming in,but like I said this is still the U.S so English will always and should be the primary language although you may enter some businesses and only hear Spanish,it just depends where you go.
Thanks.
I think that although Spanish is certainly very present (and audible) in Miami and several other parts of the U.S., its penetration of "officialdom" is often greatly exaggerated. Comments like "Spanish is now the main operating language of (American city X)" just make me shake my head.
Sounds like Spanish is used in conversation a lot but as soon as you write something down even semi-officially it is more likely than not going to be in English.
I think it really depends.
When I get up in the morning in my home, I am speaking English & Spanish.
On my way to work, if I have to cuss out a bad driver, it will be in Spanish.
From the parking garage to the elevator to my office it will be in Spanish mostly and in English for those I know don't speak Spanish.
Once at the office, it will be in English for emails, contracts, documents, presentation.
For board/exec meetings it will be in Spanish & English before the meeting starts, English during the meeting, unless everyone there understands Spanish then it will be in Spanish, after the meeting Spanish & English.
Phone calls at my desk with clients & colleagues will be in English & Spanish depending on the individual.
Saying goodbye will be English & Spanish.
Driving home will be Spanish only.
Supermarket - Spanish
Gym - Spanish
Service Station - Spanish
Park - Spanish
Walgreens (lol) - Spanish
Restaurants/Bars - Spanish unless the person does not speak it, which is rare...
Target/Walmart - Spanish
Shopping Malls - Spanish
Any type of government or public communications with different departments - Spanish
Parking Garage Attendant in Sobe - Spanish
Beach umbrella rental person - Spanish
Toll booth collector - Spanish & English
Girlfriend - Spanish & English
Friends - Spanish unless someone cannot speak Spanish, then it will be Spanish & English
Family - Spanish & English
I think it really depends.
When I get up in the morning in my home, I am speaking English & Spanish.
On my way to work, if I have to cuss out a bad driver, it will be in Spanish.
From the parking garage to the elevator to my office it will be in Spanish mostly and in English for those I know don't speak Spanish.
Once at the office, it will be in English for emails, contracts, documents, presentation.
For board/exec meetings it will be in Spanish & English before the meeting starts, English during the meeting, unless everyone there understands Spanish then it will be in Spanish, after the meeting Spanish & English.
Phone calls at my desk with clients & colleagues will be in English & Spanish depending on the individual.
Saying goodbye will be English & Spanish.
Driving home will be Spanish only.
Supermarket - Spanish
Gym - Spanish
Service Station - Spanish
Park - Spanish
Walgreens (lol) - Spanish
Restaurants/Bars - Spanish unless the person does not speak it, which is rare...
Target/Walmart - Spanish
Shopping Malls - Spanish
Any type of government or public communications with different departments - Spanish
Parking Garage Attendant in Sobe - Spanish
Beach umbrella rental person - Spanish
Toll booth collector - Spanish & English
Girlfriend - Spanish & English
Friends - Spanish unless someone cannot speak Spanish, then it will be Spanish & English
Family - Spanish & English
I could go on, but you get the picture...
I think that sounds about right for most of us here lolol
It seems that we have quite a few posters here who are bilingual Miamians (Spanish and English). How would you honestly assess the written Spanish of people like you?
The reason I ask is because I have frequently heard that Latin American companies based in Miami have no problems finding people who can speak Spanish, but have some difficulty finding people who can write it at a professional level?
Could your average bilingual (Spanish-English) professional Miami native write up a request for proposal in acceptable Spanish that you would be comfortable presenting in Buenos Aires or Mexico City?
It seems that we have quite a few posters here who are bilingual Miamians (Spanish and English). How would you honestly assess the written Spanish of people like you?
The reason I ask is because I have frequently heard that Latin American companies based in Miami have no problems finding people who can speak Spanish, but have some difficulty finding people who can write it at a professional level?
Could your average bilingual (Spanish-English) professional Miami native write up a request for proposal in acceptable Spanish that you would be comfortable presenting in Buenos Aires or Mexico City?
On the other hand, those who say they have difficulty in finding people who can write it at a professional level are not looking hard enough (or have a targeted individual for visa sponsorship), because they are here - natives and non-natives. I know many native Miamians (of all ages) who have professional level Spanish skills and some do in fact travel throughout Latin America for business.
Let's not forget the % of adult Miamians who lack professional Spanish skills, yet still claim to be bilingual and at the same time criticize those who speak Spanish perfectly. Instead of hitting the books to formally learn it, they are not interested, and instead employ a defensive strategy as a champion of English. It's a psychological issue, and instead of blaming themselves, they project their own inadequacies and insecurities on those who are are fluent in Spanish. It's really a shame.
Sounds like Spanish is used in conversation a lot but as soon as you write something down even semi-officially it is more likely than not going to be in English.
Spanish is official in Dade, you can draw constracts and legallt binding docs. As to boards, etc, I know many people that passed the beord in Spanish..but anyways, who cares. Any chimp with an IQ over 10 can speak both languages correctly. You have to be a moron not to know English or Spanish in Miami.
Do you live in Dade or in Poke County?
Spanish is OFFICIAL in DADE. There are official Bilingual Education and Spanish occupies a privileged position in privileged schools (private). There are people that take the boards and official examination in Spanish.
The only difference with Quebec is that in Miami, Spanish-speakers command the whip and bring the money.
And money, not languages, is what makes the world go round...and English is loosing power by days.
I wish I was taught Mandarin and Russian instead of French, English, Spanish and a couple of derelict dead languages I only use in quizzes.
Apart from that, a person not capable of leaning Spanish should only work as blue collars in Middle America.
Sorry, I know you were raised in English and that tou associate a patriotic value to that language, but that's nonsense becase people with money literally defecate on all those values except if related with financial lingo.
The language of business is of course English. Spanish is just the language of the streets of Hialeah and SW Miami Dade. Southern English is the language of the streets of NW Miami-Dade, Liberty City, Overtown, Florida City, etc.
Do you live in Dade or in Poke County?
Spanish is OFFICIAL in DADE. There are official Bilingual Education and Spanish occupies a privileged position in privileged schools (private). There are people that take the boards and official examination in Spanish.
The only difference with Quebec is that in Miami, Spanish-speakers command the whip and bring the money.
And money, not languages, is what makes the world go round...and English is loosing power by days.
I wish I was taught Mandarin and Russian instead of French, English, Spanish and a couple of derelict dead languages I only use in quizzes.
Apart from that, a person not capable of leaning Spanish should only work as blue collars in Middle America.
Sorry, I know you were raised in English and that tou associate a patriotic value to that language, but that's nonsense becase people with money literally defecate on all those values except if related with financial lingo.
I'm sorry but if business is the driving force behind linguistics then that's even a bigger tip of the scales in English's favour on a worldwide level. Within Miami specifically it may be swaying toward Spanish (or may not--perhaps it's already reached somewhat of an equilibrium), but within the world as a whole English is only growing as the predominant world language, and the language of business. Why? Simple. Because there is no clear competitor to replace it. French seemed like the clear second horse for the longest time in history but its influence on a worldwide scale is declining (although I don't agree with the people who say that French is a threatened language even where it is the mother tongue, I just mean on a worldwide scale its significance is slipping relative to English and others that are growing).
The two main competitors now are Spanish and Mandarin. I doubt Mandarin will gain much ground, because for one it is incredibly difficult to learn, secondly within China and among the diaspora there isn't enough linguistic unity (Cantonese is actually bigger than Mandarin among Chinese in the United States and Canada). Even as China grows in power, perhaps surpassing even the United States, the Mandarin language will not supplant English. If anything, more Chinese will simply learn English and do business in it. English as a language goes FAR beyond American and British influence. It is the language of commerce, of the internet. It's even the language of anti-western and anti-American philosophical discussion and debate. Even if there was a global movement against American or western dominance it would still likely be English in which its rallying cries would be spoken, ironically enough.
Spanish is the only language that could become a contender. I think it won't because English is already firmly established as the "global language" but if Spanish really gains ground in America, it could become a distinct second. If anything, Spanish's role in the future may be similar to French's role in the past. But ultimately it still won't come close to supplanting English worldwide. It may not be America that ensures English's dominance but actually Europe.
Ironically enough, yes, English's true bastion of continued reign in the future may not be the United States but Europe. In America, Spanish could potentially become a second language that could come close to English in significance (note, I'm not saying that this will probably happen, just that it's possible). In Europe, it's done. English IS the main language of communication between different linguistic groups within the continent. German may have had a chance before but now it seems pretty obvious that English will be the main language of interethnic communication in Europe. Spanish in Europe, conversely, may gain some moderate ground, particularly in the UK, but it will never come close to equalling English as a language of interethnic communication within Europe, not even remotely close.
At very best, Spanish may become somewhat of a "global third language" (after one's mother tongue and English) but even that is far from being a certainty of any sort.
German and French are definitely defunct EVERYWHERE (I speak both and I know). French continues because EEC and Brussels, German keeps drifting like flotsam in German speaking countries and that's about it.
English was to become a Lingua Franca according to thinktankers, and indeed, it has grown in importance in the world. When I was born, the language of the culture was French, and now French is residual...of course, not according to French.
But as Lenin said, facts are stubborn. Rich people do tend to speak their language, in fact, they do not have any patriotic adscription to any language, they speak their language because people feel comfortable with their language. So if during the coming 40 years, South Florida is bound to receive very wealthy Latin Americans, Spanish, Brazilians, French and Italians, the Lingua Franca will be Spanish.
If VERY RICH RUSSIANS, CHINESE AND BRAZILIANS flood every luxury place in the world, they will speak THEIR LANGUAGE and in fact, we already have signs and menus in MANDARIN AND RUSSIAN, and hired Chinese and Russians to deal with them. And believe me, those Chinese and Russians do not speak a word of English...and are not enthusiastic about it.
So Global Language? I do not know.....English? I do not know!! Spanish will be up there, as number one in South Florida, as to the rest of the world...who knows? Second, Third, Fifth...transformed into Spanglish?
If you would have said to any German or French 50 years ago that their language would be RESIDUAL LANGUAGES in 2012 and Spanish/Portuguese would be 10 time more important, they would have though you were crazy.
As to some posts written by Middle Americans about the future of English, I would not bet a red cent on it. Language patriotism is the most idiotic think there's is..and I know about it..."Language patriotism" and believe in the manifest destiny of a nation is as idiotic as believeing in the second coming or any religious stuff.
As idiotic as getting mad because of this magazine:
Last edited by Pizarro; 10-01-2012 at 05:00 AM..
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