What do we understand by being bilingual? Is it an advantage or a disadvantage? This was the topic of today's class, in which we all have shared our personal vision about the notion of bilingualism. The discussion started after watching a very short and fun clip called "The importance of being bilingual", which tells the story of a golden fish who escapes from being devoured by a cat because he is able to speak 'dog'. Silly as it may seem, most of us have felt identified with the anecdote, as long as the fact of mastering a second language has saved our lives in more than one occasion -not literally, of course! Indeed, this topic is part of our nature, since the vast majority of the class are innate bilinguals able to switch from Catalan to Spanish without hesitation.
After this group discussion, we've moved to a quiz about English varieties in which the teacher has checked our knowledge of the different Englishes spoken around the world. Quite an amusing exercise, though, since it has served to dismantle many stereotypes - as the idea of the English as a 'fixed' language only spoken in the global powers such as the United States and the United Kingdom. The quiz provided information about the different English varieties and particularities of each region, as well as the number of speakers.
Finally, we've watched a video in which David Crystal argued about the importance of teaching English as a global language.. In fact, we agree with him that there is a real need to expose learners to as many different pronunciations as possible, so they can be able to understand a message and interact with natives of the most varied origins. Even though course books are usually based on RP or American accent, it is our duty as teachers to create a huge variety of activities in which students can get in touch with a wider perspective of the English world, in terms of spelling, content and culture. As always, the more the merrier!
P.S. If you are interested in the topic, here are some extra links!
Food for thought!
Talking about bilingualism, we reflected upon the fact that speaking a language meant having a given identity, and thus speaking more than one languages involved having many identities, and being more likely to empathise and understand people with different backgrounds. We were talking about this when the class finished and we remembered a teacher at University telling us about The Quijote being written in Spanglish, and we decided to do some research.
Ian Stavans, who adapted El Quijote to Spanglish, is considered to be the father of Spanglish himself. This synthesis of Latin-American Spanish and English is wildely spoken in the US, and it is vindicated by many as “the language of the future”. By adapting El Quijote to Spanglish, Stavans brought the Spanish language and culture closer to their own. He wrote the Chicano culture into being through this new approach to the most famous Spanish Novel. He managed to assert the Chicano Identity through this linguistic hybridisation. Isn’t it amazing what we can create through language?
Here is the beginning of Stavans translation, hope you enjoy it!
“In un placete de La Mancha of which nombre no quiero remembrearme, vivía, not so long ago, uno de esos gentlemen who always tienen una lanza in the rack, una buckler antigua, a skinny caballo y un grayhound para el chase. A cazuela with más beef than mutón, carne choppeada para la dinner, un omelet pa’ los Sábados, lentil pa’ los Viernes, y algún pigeon como delicacy especial pa’ los Domingos, consumían tres cuarers de su income. El resto lo employaba en una coat de broadcloth y en soketes de velvetín pa’ los holidays, with sus slippers pa’ combinar, while los otros días de la semana él cut a figura de los más finos cloths. Livin with él eran una housekeeper en sus forties, una sobrina not yet twenty y un ladino del field y la marketa que le saddleaba el caballo al gentleman y wieldeaba un hookete pa’ podear. El gentleman andaba por allí por los fifty. Era de complexión robusta pero un poco fresco en los bones y una cara leaneada y gaunteada. La gente sabía that él era un early riser y que gustaba mucho huntear. La gente say que su apellido was Quijada or Quesada –hay diferencia de opinión entre aquellos que han escrito sobre el sujeto– but acordando with las muchas conjecturas se entiende que era really Quejada. But all this no tiene mucha importancia pa’ nuestro cuento, providiendo que al cuentarlo no nos separemos pa’ nada de las verdá.”
