Is it Castellano or Español?

For over 25 years, I have been teaching, tutoring, translating, interpreting and consulting for non- Spanish speakers. After the usual questions of origin and place of residence are out of the way, the next question is regarding the language I speak. Years ago, I responded with Castellano. Now I tell people I speak Spanish. Next, the assumption is that I speak Castellano and Spanish!! To complicate this exchange of words further, the next question is which Spanish I speak. My answer is: Español. This is where the confusion continues to get worse…..but from where? Oh! So you speak Mexican Spanish. As a result, our simple conversation becomes a very complicated and interesting one.

For 20 years of my life, Castellano was the term used by my educators from Spain. It was not until I came to the United States that the term Spanish (Español) was used to refer to the language I speak. Hence, the debate on which term is correct.

According to La Real Academia Española, the term Castellano is presently used to make a distinction between the many languages spoken in Spain. After 1923, La Real Academia Española decided to use Español as the term used to refer to the official Language.

If today someone asks me in the United States whether I speak Castellano or Spanish, I would definitely respond both. Why if they are the same? Because I learnt Castellano in the school and speak Español in the streets!!!!