Surely on some occasion we have read an ad looking for a worker with a background in programming or we have heard someone who says they have a background in plastic arts.
The English word background means, in a literal sense, the background of something or that which is at the bottom of a place. However, it also has a figurative meaning, since it indicates the background of something, background or history. In this way, someone's background refers to their experience in some matter, usually professional experience. In English, it is very common to speak of "personal background" in very different contexts (for example, in relation to personal history in medical history or to refer to where someone comes from).
The use of the word background is already part of everyday Spanish
However, other words could be used instead, such as experience, background or background. Thus, we could communicate the same message in two ways: what is your background as a salesperson or what experience you have as a salesperson. Although the meaning is the same, the fact of mixing English and Spanish in a statement supposes a deformation of the Spanish
A new way of communicating
The influence of English on the Spanish language is increasingly significant. We say that we go shopping, no way and not in any way, we invent words like balconing, edredoning or bungee jumping, we say check instead of examining and, ultimately, we are creating a new language. On the other hand, in territories such as Florida, Texas, New York or Puerto Rico, the use of Spanglish is spreading.
The word background is just one more example of the growing influence of English on communication in general. The hybrid between Spanish and English is a growing phenomenon and before it there are two positions: that of those who consider that languages evolve and the appearance of English neologisms is natural and, on the opposite side, the position that defends the need to preserve Spanish before the uncontrolled invasion of English.
We could say that some are supporters of anything goes, since the important thing is effectiveness in communication and the use of Anglicisms is not relevant or worrying and, on the contrary, there is a purist criterion of language, according to which the correct use of Spanish should avoid resort to barbarisms and unnecessary neologisms.
Photos: iStock - sturti / Johnny Greig
