Does Trump Even Speak American?

What If “American” Were Actually a Language?

We usually think of “American” as a nationality. But what happens when we use the word to describe American English?

We say American English. We call people from the United States Americans. And sometimes, people even talk about “the American language.”

But America is an entire hemisphere, home to dozens of countries and hundreds of languages.

So… why does “American” usually mean just one country?

When American English Became “American”

American English is clearly different from British English, with its own accents, vocabulary, spelling, and expressions.

But does that make it a separate language?

Not according to how linguists generally classify it.

And that opens up a bigger question:

When does a dialect become a language—and who gets to decide?

Spanish gives us an interesting comparison. Spanish varies enormously across Spain and the Americas, but we still generally consider these varieties to be Spanish.

So what makes a language a language?

🌎 Who Gets to Be “American”?

The word America comes from Amerigo Vespucci and originally referred to the lands of the Western Hemisphere.

That means Mexicans, Peruvians, Brazilians, Canadians, and many others are American too.

And the Americas are home to hundreds of Indigenous languages.

So when someone says “the American language,” what exactly do they mean?

Maybe the answer is obvious.

Or maybe it’s more complicated than it seems.

🤔 So… Does Trump Even Speak American?

This question isn’t really just about Donald Trump.

It’s about language, identity, geography, and the words we use to describe ourselves and other people.

Who gets to name a language?

Who gets to claim a word as big as American?

And if “American” isn’t actually a language… then what exactly are we talking about?

🗣️ Practice Spanish & Discover Something New

You will practice Spanish while discussing:

✅ American English and British English
✅ Language vs. dialect
✅ The meaning of “American”
✅ Language, identity, and geography
✅ Spanish across Spain and the Americas
✅ Indigenous languages of the Americas
✅ Who gets to name and define a language

📢 Join Us

Come practice Spanish, explore the fascinating world of language, and decide for yourself:

Does Trump Even Speak American?

Let’s find out.

👥 Group Size Policy

🕗 1 attendee: 07:00 p.m. – 07:45 p.m.
🕗 2 attendees: 07:00 p.m. – 08:00 p.m.
🕗 3+ attendees: 07:00 p.m. – 08:30 p.m.