A week or so ago, I saw the thought-provoking TED video below and today I am here at Hispanicize, where I have had the honor of meeting a number of bi-lingual and multi-lingual Latina/os. A lover of language, I often think about all of the languages that have died out and how many cultures struggle to preserve their heritage through language. And while they could use some improving, my French language skills aren't so horrible; having grown up in Southern California, my Spanish comprehension skills - while limited - aren't so bad either. So while I believe that the globalization of English has its pros and cons, the idea of losing all languages and replacing them all with one universal language seems boring and one-dimensional to me. Who wants to be boring and one-dimensional?
If you have a few minutes, take 10 minutes to check out this TED video and consider speaker Patricia Ryan's point of view as she asks: Is the world's focus on English preventing the spread of great ideas in other languages? I'd be curious to know what you think.
1 comments:
You are so true about one universal language being so boring. I almost completed enough coursework in college to get a minor in Spanish & wish I would have. I actually wish I would have made it my major, just didn't realize what I could have done as my job with it at the time. Now, I am starting to reconnect with the language as I have gotten into Zumba & listening to the music and wanting to understand the lyrics. My kids are being exposed in school & I am definitely encouraging them to go further with it. Thanks for the encouragement from you.
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