Passage V

How Bilingual Speakers Choose Which Language to Use

You walk into a clothing store and ask for a dress shirt—a simple enough thing to do. But what if you are a bilingual speaker in a bilingual city such as Miami? How would they decide which language to use? Several subtle, but significant cues, may come into play, suggesting the choice (in this case) of either Spanish or English. These cues may operate independently, or several may act together. So that they signal language choice.

Such cues may be found in the speaker's immediate surroundings. Hearing a Venezuelan singer’s latest recording being played on its sound system might prompt a bilingual speaker to use Spanish. Besides, the language of the speaker's most recent conversation can be the determining factor. For example, if the speaker had been talking in English with a friend before entering the store, he or she might continue to use English to address the store clerk.

[1] Many bilingual teenagers in Miami feel more comfortably speaking English than Spanish; the reverse is often true of their parents. [2] Age can also be an important factor in language choice. [3] Consequently, teenagers may use English if the salesperson is their own age but Spanish (as a sign of respect) if the salesperson belongs to their parents generation. (72)

A speaker fluent in two languages has distinct advantages over a monolingual speaker. It is common to hear Spanish spoken in Miami's Little Havana, where many Cuban immigrants have settled in recent decades. However, the farther one gets from this area in the city, the more common it is to hear English instead of Spanish. If the clothing store is located relatively far from Little Havana, a bilingual speaker might decide to request the dress shirt in English. Nevertheless, the combination of any of the cues mentioned above could influence the choice, which means that the acquisition of a second language is valuable for anyone wanting to be successful in business.