New Google Austin downtown building will be at the corner of W Cesar Chavez and Nueces

Google had as many as 800 employees as of the summer of 2018. That number should definitely rise dramatically as it fill 35 floors with employees. Its 790,000 square feet can occupy as many as 5,000 people. It was only last month that Apple announced its plan to build a second campus in northwest Austin. That new $1 billion campus could occupy as many as 15,000 employees.

New Google Austin Office Building Opens Spring 2022

Much like Apple’s plans, Google’s investment in the building signifies a doubling down of a major tech company of its already-existing operation in our city. Austin is already growing four times faster than most of Silicon Valley. It’s becoming harder and harder for high-taxation states to compete with states like Texas, which is one of only nine states which has no income tax. Austin, in particular, is drawing talent and startups from all over the country. The lower cost of its real estate, relative to that of other cities, is also a major factor where Austin has the advantage.

All These Extra Austinites

The big question in the mind of Austinites, however, is what we’re going to do with all these extra Austinites. The crowding of the town, plus the constraints of its highways, was already a big concern before all these tech companies started coming to town. Most of us are wondering what kind of hellish construction is coming our way in the next 10-15 years.

Plus, it doesn’t look like the influx of companies and people is slowing down anytime soon. A new tower is going up at the corner of 4th and Colorado. Also, Samsung is planning a drastic expansion of its 300-acre campus on the northeast side of town near Pflugerville.

What does all this mean for Austin? Well, it’s certainly not going to be boring or uneventful around here. It never has been. Not to mention the excitement of people from other cultures coming to town who speak foreign languages. That’s very exciting to us here at Prime Instruction & Language.

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Spanish Lessons in Austin – Private or Group Lessons

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One option is to simply say it in its common, English pronunciation, which sounds like “OS-tin.” It sounds exactly like “lost in” without the L.

The other way of saying it follows the correct phonetic pronunciation of Spanish vowel sounds. And that would be “OWS-teen.”  It sounds a lot like “jousting” without the J and the G.

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Google Plans to Occupy All 35 Floors of New Building in Downtown Austin

How to Say Austin in Spanish

Therefore, to ask someone if they live in Austin, you could say

Well, when is it “OS-tin” and when is it “OWS-teen?”

The first thing to consider is that Austin was originally a surname, that of Stephen Fuller Austin, the man who is generally regarded as the founder of Texas, or even the Father of Texas. He was a white, Caucasian male from Virginia who was educated in the northeast. We have every reason to believe that Mr. Austin pronounced his name the same way most Austinites refer to their city today: “OS-tin.”

Mr. Stephen Fuller Austin, the Father of Texas

“Beel Cleen-tone”

There is therefore no issue if you say Austin with its regular, English-sounding pronunciation in a Spanish conversation. After all, it’s an American city and that’s the way most people in that city pronounce it. If you were to converse in Spanish about Bill Clinton, for example, there is no need to convert his American-English name to “Beel Cleen-tone”…even though that’s exactly how his name would be pronounced with Spanish phonetics.

Por otra parte (on the other hand)…

On the other hand, there is certainly nothing wrong with pronouncing every word, in spite of its origin, with Spanish phonetics. This is especially appropriate if the person or audience you’re speaking to are native speakers who only speak Spanish. Further, if that person has already said “OWS-teen” or “Beel Cleen-tone” during the conversation, I would definitely mimic their pronunciation of those words.

This issue goes beyond the question of how to say Austin in Spanish. The more important question is how to be a good conversationalist. That’s a much bigger topic that we’ll have to address in another post. But the short answer to that question is that it’s always better to adapt your speaking to the person you’re talking to. There’s virtually no benefit in insisting on saying words “the correct way” if your “correct way” is distracting or offensive to the other person.

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What do you think? Feel free to comment down below. And by the way, if you’re in Austin and interested in learning Spanish, consider taking advantage of our free introductory Spanish class. Click here to learn more about it.

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Is Y’all Proper English? No, But It Should Be

The post How to Say Austin in Spanish appeared first on Prime Instruction & Language | Austin's Premier Language School.

The announcement came as a bit of a surprise. “There was no heads-up,” Council Member Jimmy Flannigan said. “It’s the same way they release an iPhone.” One has to assume that Apple’s decision to expand in Austin was affected by Amazon’s decision to locate elsewhere. Unlike the unsuccessful bid to bring Amazon’s H2 headquarters to town, Apple doesn’t appear to have needed much courting or convincing to double down in Austin.

The new facility will be in Williamson County, but is still within Austin city limits. Williamson County commissioners voted unanimously to approve $16 million of tax-funded for Apple. That’s on top of the $25 million the tech giant had already received from the Texas Enterprise Fund.

“It felt totally natural that we’d continue to grow here in the Lone Star state,” said Tony Ross, Apple’s senior director of Americas operations. “We are so excited that Williamson County will soon become an important part of our story.”

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Apple Doubles Down on West Parmer Lane

Apple’s current facilities are within the Riata Vista Circle near West Parmer Lane. That location employs more than 6,000 non-retail employees who mainly do operations work. The new location will be roughly a mile to the west on the other side of McNeil Dr. There’s nothing but trees and brush in that area at the moment. PayPal and Electronic Arts have offices just a little farther west near Anderson Mill Dr.

The company’s press release includes high praise from Texas Governor Greg Abbott:

“[Apple’s] decision to expand operations in our state is a testament to the high-quality workforce and unmatched economic environment that Texas offers.”

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Apple’s Austin Campus to Create More Than 15,000 Jobs

To begin with, Apple’s new Austin campus will require 5,000 additional employees. That number could rise to as many as 15,000 within the next few years. That would make Apple the largest private employer in the Austin area. Austin already has the greatest number of Apple employees outside of Cupertino, California, the company’s headquarter city. New jobs at the new campus will include functions in engineering, R&D, operations, finance, sales and customer support.

In addition to the employment at the new Austin campus, thousands of indirect jobs could result from the new facility. Product and service providers in North Austin should also get a boost by serving so many new people.

“Apple has been a vital part of the Austin community for a quarter century,” said Austin Mayor Steve Adler. “We are thrilled that they are deepening their investment in our people and the city we love.”

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Google Plans to Occupy All 35 Floors of New Building in Downtown Austin