Languages and cultural differences explored
Ahh the start of 2007, when I used to actually post to this blog. Well, long story short…very short: I was busy and distracted. I’ll be trying to get back into this blog a lot more and at least write a wonderful post for you all every week.
Will I actually do it? Will Batman save the day? Will George Bush be mocked for saying something stupid?
I think the answer to all three is a resounding ‘YES’!
So welcome back, I missed you. And I’m not just saying that.
70% de todas las paginas de web son en inglés. Pero solo 44% de usuarios son inglés nativos. ¿Por qué? ¿Cómo son las personas que no hablan esta lengua especial suponer usarlo?
If you don’t speak Spanish, or speak Spanish and still can’t understand my writing, that’s how the Internet feels for non-English speakers. The language gap is increasing the digital divide and more people are being swallowed by it. What good is Internet in developing countries if people can’t speak the language to use it?
I like to hope that as the Internet expands we will see more and more pages written in different languages. I also find it exciting as non-English speaking countries get to benefit from the birth of the Internet all over again by remaking the classic websites in their own languages. If your country doesn’t have an Amazon, or an eBay, you should be out there creating it.
I know the guy that brought the eBay like website of TradeMe.co.nz to New Zealand walked away with about $30 million. If you think the number of speakers of your language is too small to get you the big money, think again. New Zealand has a population of only 4 million. Now that’s something to think about, isn’t it?
A new study is researching how elderly people appear to lose their ability to speak in their second language. It seems that those that have been living in a society using a second language start to insert words from their native language without even realising it. The study is investigating why this occurs and what can be done about it.
So, are we going to lose what we are currently learning as our brains age? Is there a way to keep our brains healthy and slow the degeneration? Or will we all have to retire in our native countries so people understand us?
Well, it’s just a report at the moment, but the recommendation is to make languages a part of the curriculum from ages 7 to 14 in the UK. The report comes after the recent decision to stop languages being compulsory at high school level. It is hoped that if they can instigate these changes in the education system, it will halt declining popularity for learning languages in schools.
The report has the support of the Education Secretary, Alan Johnson, who also wants to revise the way languages are taught in schools. He looks to make the lessons less difficult and boring for students, increasing motivation and popularity of languages once again.
A short article here comments on film directors needing to change more than just the language to successfully remake a foreign language film. While I agree with this philosophy on some level, I have to ask is it really necessary to remake them at all?
There has been success where the movies have received a lot more exposure after being remade, like The Ring or The Departed. This exposure has also been good for the original movie and everyone will have a preference of which version they prefer. However, there have also been disasters where films have lost their original brilliance in translation, like Vanilla Sky.
Can’t we just keep the movies in the original version and have greater exposure to these great foreign films? Watching foreign films not only expose people to different languages, but also to different cultures. Foreign films are different because cultures are different, people are different. Do we really need a glossy Hollywood movie for every good foreign film released?
More and more parents are enrolling their children, their very young children, into language classes. Parents are starting their children off from the age of 1 in some cases and sometimes with multiple foreign languages as well. In Chicago, there is a school called Language Stars that believes this is the best time for anyone to learn a language. Children’s brains are hardwired for this function and can mimic, distinguish between languages, and speak spontaneously. Also, they don’t get confused between translating because they’re building each language separately in their heads.
One of the reasons I want to be bilingual is for my children and I think schools like this are a great idea.
Loquella.com is offering free Spanish lessons using the popular FSI (Foreign Service Institute) teaching method. With a large number of lessons available already, it’s probably worth checking out. It is based on a learning by repetition method which I don’t like 100% because of the boredom factor but it’s free! Plus, learning by repetition does work, as long as the learner is self-motivated. I haven’t had a chance to check out the system yet but I’ll let you know when I’ve had a play. The dialogue lessons where you listen to native speakers talking sound particularly interesting.
Other good news is that more languages are coming soon, starting with French, so I look forward to the building collection.
Following a discussion of learning styles with some colleagues I thought it might be interesting to briefly look at the different styles with regard to learning languages. Most researchers agree on the four basic learning styles being: Visual (seeing), Auditory (hearing), Kinaesthetic (moving), and Tactile (touching). You can find more information here and throughout the Internet.
I’m a kinaesthetic learner and find it easiest to learn by doing. Once someone has explained something, I need to have a go at it otherwise it will go in one ear and out the other. I can simulate this by performing the activity in my head if I can’t try it properly, which I find very useful. It works well for me in language classes as you usually have to use the structures you’ve just learnt right away. It also means that doing a lot of grammar exercises over and over benefits me greatly, if only they weren’t so boring!
So, here are some quizzes to help you work out your learning style. What are your own tendencies and how do they help or hinder you when learning a language?
This article points out that a child’s brain is wired to mimic what they hear, hence their ability to pick up a second languages pronunciation very easily. At the age of ten, our brain rewires itself to focus more on learning other skills that become more important in life.
So, is there a way to unlock this mimicking potential of our brain later on in life? Surely if the brain has this ability, and we ultimately control our brain, could we go back to this mimicking state for learning foreign languages? Sure, we might end up walking round repeating everything others say, and in the process lose our jobs, friends, and ability to function in adult society. But it’s a small price to pay so I can roll my R’s properly!
The Estonian Government is coming under fire due to their Language Inspectorate and some recent changes in the law. The Language Inspectorate’s job is to make sure everyone working in Estonia can speak a good level of Estonian. The new powers granted to the division mean that they can recommend the dismissal of an employee for low language skills, make them re-sit the national language exam, and take away the right to work of those who fail the exam.
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Comments from Colm:
Was it just my misunderstanding or does Amnesty International stand for the protection of human rights? What could be more important that the right of a sovereign nation to protect and promote their cultural and linguistic wealth in their homeland? Russians have been given the opportunities. They have been in the country for decades and many do not want to learn the Estonian language. They speak Russian in their communities (in Estonia) and go to Russian speaking schools. If the Estonian government gave Russian speakers more rights (in work-place situations for example) they would not have ANY incentive to learn Estonian.
Comments from Eva:
Why is it wrong to preserve one of the oldest languages of Europe? Why is it wrong for this small nation to protect itself and still be able to be an important part of Europe’s multicultural society? Russians have all the chances to learn Estonian - the courses by employers for example, the children learn it in schools etc. All their attempts to learn it are being granted - they get their money for their courses back. Do you think they aren’t been given time? How does 50 years sound? The Russian border is close and it’s no problem for them to go where they will be treated “fairly”.
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