Spanish–English Code-Mixing in U.S. Higher Education: Testing the Use of "Spanglish" in University Materials at a Hispanic-Serving Institution.

This study investigated how university students at a Hispanic-Serving Institution (HSI) responded to the use of "Spanglish," defined as English-Spanish code-mixing, in written materials promoting campus services. Results showed that Spanglish reduced students' processing fluency compared to English-only texts and did not increase perceptions of inclusiveness or feelings of welcome, although materials with glosses (English translations) yielded higher inclusivity and welcome ratings than those without glosses. Latinx students reported somewhat higher processing fluency and feelings of welcome than non-Latinx students when reading Spanglish without glosses, but overall, English-only materials were rated more positively. The findings suggest that while code-mixing with glosses may mitigate some negative effects, the sociolinguistic context, language vitality, and expectations about language use in institutional settings influence how such practices are received.