"Unraveling the Linguistic Identity of Miami: Is it a Spanish-Influenced English Dialect?"
Linguistics professor Phillip M. Carter argues that Miami English, heavily influenced by Spanish, is a distinct regional dialect of American English. Decades of exposure to Spanish have resulted in phrases spoken and understood even by native English speakers who are not fluent in Spanish. These phrases, known as calques, are direct translations from Spanish. While some linguists believe Miami English is currently more of a sociolect, specific to certain social groups, there is a possibility that it may expand and become a recognized dialect. The influence of Spanish on Miami English is seen in its vowel system, grammatical structure, and lexicon.