‘English invasion’ in Spain: an analysis of toys leaflets addressed to young children

Abstract

The current spread of English across the globe is, as Schneider states (2009: 1), ‘one of the most remarkable, and perhaps unexpected, sociocultural changes of the modern period’. This author states the wish for ‘a single, universal language which would allow all of mankind to communicate with each other directly, but all attempts at constructing such a code artificially have failed in practice. Now, it seems, one has emerged quite naturally’ (Schneider, 2009: 1). On the other hand, other authors (Anderman & Rogers, 2005: 2) report that the emergence of global English has created a homogenised form of communication, and it has made ‘mother tongue speakers fear that, in the process of becoming common property, their native tongue is turning into a “hybrid” language sometimes referred to as Eurospeak within the European Union and more broadly as “McLanguage”' (Anderman & Rogers, 2005: 2). There are, therefore, controversial viewpoints in Europe as regards the spread of English as the lingua franca or global language.

Untitled

“…For instance, Rodríguez ), Campos (2015 and Rodríguez Medina (2016a) examined the use of Anglicisms in areas such as sports; López-Zurita (2005) showed the importance of Anglicisms in economics. Advertising and TV commercials were also investigated by Rodríguez and García-Morales, González-Cruz, Luján-García and Rodríguez-Medina (2016); the fields of eroticism and sexuality were studied by Rodríguez-González, 2011, who includes many Anglicisms in his dictionary, and Crespo- Fernández and Luján-García (2013;; other studies dealt with the employment of Anglicisms in toy leaflets aimed at young children in Spain (Luján- García, 2011) or teenagers in Las Palmas de Gran Canaria (González Cruz, Rodríguez-Medina and Déniz, 2009).…”

The English-Only Movement in the US and the World in the Twenty-First Century

“…Utilizing American culturally specifijic concepts, the "Yes we want" advertisement implies change through "correct" English. In Spain, English words also are popularized on children' toys, as discussed in detail by Luján-García (2011). Thus, educational institutions and the toy industry in Spain disseminate the prestige of English and American culture among children, the most vulnerable consumers.…”

English in advertising in Colombia

“…There have been a growing number of contributions to the discussion of English in advertising around the world: Bhatia (, , , ); Ross (); Martin (, , , ); Takashi (); Friedrich (2000, ), Griffin (, ); MacGregor (); Oikonomidis (); Gao (); Ustinova (); Hashim (); Baumgardner and Brown () and Vettorel (). However, with respect to the use of English in advertising in Hispanic countries, there are relatively few published studies: Luján‐García () and Vellón () in Spain, Baumgardner (, , , ) in Mexico, and Ovesdotter () in Ecuador. This paper intends to contribute and add further to the discussion of English in commercial ads in Spanish‐speaking countries.…”