Punctuation in Spanish: comma splices

Hello,

I am currently studying Spanish and I've noticed that a lot of native Spanish speakers (I'm in Colombia.) use comma splices (what is considered in English as a comma splice). Is this something that is considered academically correct in Spanish?

I've done a lot of web searching and the only thing I've found so far are forum posts from native Spanish speakers and native English speakers fighting about prescriptiveness and descriptiveness. I was able to find some resources on comma usage in Spanish, but nothing that talked about using commas to join two independent clauses.

Do you know of any resources that address this issue? Do you know what is considered the academically, prescriptively correct usage for commas in Spanish?

Personally, I think that Spanish follows (or followed) rules similar to those in English, but that in common usage commas have disappeared. I have nothing to back this up. It's basically a hunch. I would love to hear what you know or think about this issue.

I would also love to find a grammar book that would address issues such as these. Do you have any recommendations?

Sincerely,

SAM

I am a native speaker Spanish teacher, and I can assure you that the comma splice is a mistake in Spanish also, even though we don't have a specific name for it. The rule for the use of commas stipulates that you shouldn't use it to separate independent clauses.

However, it is true that many Spanish speaking people don't follow that rule... which is not surprising, as other rules of punctuation are also ignored. For example, the vocative comma is hardly ever used by most Spanish writers, which doesn't mean that failing to us it is no longer considered a mistake.

I'd like to say somthing of puntuation. You're right in saying that the rules of punctuation of Spanish aren't exactly the same as those of English.

There are certain important diferences: not only the ones you just mentioned, but others. For example, one of the functions the dash has in English (that of setting off concluding lists and explanations in a more informal and abrupt manner than the colon) doesn't exist in Spanish.

However, that doesn't mean that all the rules are different. Quite the opposite thing: most punctuation rules are the same in both languages, but there are some exceptions, like the ones we've mentioned.