The Switch

The Switch

(With Friends)

“Yo my manz come on, lets bounce so we can go and get something to eat and drink cause im starving”

“Ard hold up, let me pop my sneaks on so we can roll out. What should I rock the jordans or the Nike Airs?” I said

“The jordans go the best with what you wearing … but is there anywhere around here to catch a grub?”

“Yea down the block there a spot we can go … plus my manz work there so we can get a discount”

“Ard hurry up”

“Gotchu”

Settings can change the mindset on how people communicate because of the person they are talking to. A person can also be used to speaking to them in a certain way. As a person, I adapt to many ways of speaking because not each environment are the same. In school most people speak slang or “Ghetto Talk”. I grew up into this because the environment was basically the same. It was filled with people my age. At home when I return to my parents I have to speak Spanish. Not because I want to but because my dad is only fluent in Spanish. I have gotten used to speaking his language so he and I can accurately understand each other and communicate well day to day.

(With Dad)

“Bendición pop como esta? “Blessing dad how are you?” ” I said

“Dio te bendiga hijo, estoy de lo mas bien gracias a dio. “God bless you son im doing fine thank god” ”

“Viste el juego de basketball anoche? “ Did you see the basketball game last night?” ”

 “No cual juego? “No what game are you talking about?” ”

 “El juego de lo Los Lakers de Los Ángeles contra Miami Heat. “The game between the Los Angelas Lakers and the Miami Heat” ”

“No tuve la oportunidad de ver lo, quien gano? “No i didn’t get the chance to see it but please tell me who won” ”

“Como siempre lo Miami Heat 106-100. “Like always the Miami Heat” ”

            These are not the only two times I might change the way I speak. If I went out for an interview and someone is speaking to me in a “proper” way, my mindset changes. Then I know how to speak “correctly” to the person that is speaking to me. I wonder why this doesn’t happen when I am with my friends? Is it because I don’t want to? Or maybe its because my brain adapts me to the way they are talking for now I am just going to tag along on how they speak. In our generation no one speaks perfect English, especially if someone from the hood or ghetto.

            Others have many other languages that they speak. In other occasions some people are born with a birth defect that has them speaking a certain way. At the end of the day, no one speaks “perfect” English, no matter how native someone is to the United States. In my mind I think no one will be able to speak “perfect” English. Everyone has a type of mix up or mistake here and there. In the story “How to tame a wild tongue” by Gloria Anzaldúa they use a quote that can also relate to what I am trying to say in the story. The quote that they use is said, “My fingers move sly against your palm like a woman everywhere, we speak in code!” Since women in this story use codes to say what they want to say, in my life I can do the same but I am not the only one. They both are related because the Spanish and women in the story use codes to get things through and say what they are trying to say. I used this quote because it was the one that popped out to me the most and caught my eyes.

It also tells the same thing I am trying to say in my story, that because I talk two languages I can speak so other people won’t be able to understand me and the words that I am saying out of my mouth.