Miami English: what language do Florida residents speak and why is it so unique

There are hundreds of different dialects of English in the United States, used by residents of different regions, cities, and communities. The USA is a country of diversity, and this is very evident in the language. Some dialects are more pronounced and have dozens of easily noticeable distinctive characteristics, while others are less distinguishable. But at the same time, almost every city has its own unique way of speaking English. And Miami is no exception, the page says International University of Florida.

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English in Miami has its own rhythm and brightness. However, it has never been researched enough to be recognized as a separate dialect. But now such a study has been carried out, proving the specificity and uniqueness of Miami English.

In 2013, FIU sociolinguist Philip Carter began an ambitious project to organize the first-ever study of the Miami dialect. He previously conducted research on Latin-English dialects in Texas and North Carolina. The speech he heard in Miami was unique. He began calling it "Miami English"—and defined it as a variety of English with subtle structural influences from Spanish, spoken primarily by Miami residents who are second, third, or fourth generation Latinos.

One of the reasons Miami English can be called a separate dialect is the vowel system.

Vowels and their sound are one of the first characteristics linguists look at to understand whether one language has influenced another. Because Miami is a multilingual and multicultural city, Carter wanted to determine whether Spanish vowels had crept into English words and influenced Miami English.

Confirming differences in vowel sounds requires more than just comparing speech patterns. Physical analysis is also needed.

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All speech is a sound wave. Sound waves originate from the vocal cords, but these waves are formed into specific sounds by the movements of the tongue. Speakers of different languages ​​move their tongues differently. Carter and his team wanted to pinpoint the vowel "shape" of Miami English, or how the tongue moved to make different vowel sounds.

For almost an hour, the team spoke with 20 participants who were born in Miami, Hispanics or Hispanics, as well as with five Anglo-white residents of the city. The recordings of these conversations were then analyzed using special phonetic software. This allowed the group not only to measure vowels, but also to use data to display language movements.

"In this study, we were able to say, 'For this group of people, this sound is produced with the tongue down and forward,'" Carter said.

Spanish has five vowels. There are about 11 in most dialects of English. Carter found that Spanish vowels affect the pronunciation of English words in Miami, especially among Hispanics.

“There are many examples throughout history of two languages ​​living together or next to each other and influencing each other,” Carter said. “This is one of the ways in which dialects are born, through language contact.”

In a city as diverse as Miami, it is almost inevitable that Spanish will influence English. Carter traces the origins of the Miami English to 1959. The end of the Cuban revolution brought the first Cubans to South Florida. At the end of the XNUMXth century, Miami will be home to a huge number of Cubans, as well as immigrants from South and Central America and the Caribbean.

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It is this diversity that distinguishes the Latin population of Miami from any other place in the country.

“One of the questions we hope to answer in future research is whether there are traits in Miami English that belong to the Cuban people and their heritage,” Carter said. “Is Miami English truly Cuban American English or is it something that was shaped by other Latin groups that live here?”

Carter, who is also the director of the Center for the Humanities, notes that the Miami English project is for people born in this region. It's about circumventing stereotypes or sensational stories about Miami. Language is tied to identity.

“This is not just a linguistic problem; this is a people problem. Because your language is part of who you are. Miami English belongs to this place and the people who live here. It reflects their history and personality,” Carter said. “This is something to be proud of.”

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