DR1 Mini Blogs

[Marianopolita]

I came across this recent article in Diario Libre while browsing for information on Google. Is this young lady for real? According to her version of the story she was not offered employment in a restaurant because she has an accent- a Spanish accent that is. How interesting. Could it be possible that a Spanish speaker is denied employment by other Latinos because of her 'accent'? Yes, absolutely!

I read the article, and it is clear to me and I am sure to many others that this young lady has some misguided illusions. IMO, the denial of employment was not because of her accent but rather because of the way she speaks Spanish. Since examples were not given, it’s hard to tell how bad it really is but this situation speaks to the lack of education and poor Spanish that characterizes the speech of many Dominicans and Puerto Ricans. Under the mask of pride and false illusions of language, this individual is oblivious to the fact that the way you speak in any language is a reflection of your level of education and in some cases your social class.

Out of the many varieties of Spanish, one of the most complex to understand, and decipher is Spanish spoken in the Caribbean, specifically Cuba, Dominican Republic and Puerto Rico. All three have a linguistic history that includes archaisms, Taino vocabulary and the impact of the large African presence on its Spanish which includes vocabulary, grammar and syntax (sentence structure) during the colonial period aka the slave trade. The African slaves spoke Spanish similar to the way they spoke their own native languages which gave birth to the dialectal forms that characterize Cuban, Dominican and Puerto Rican speech. However, education and exposure to standard Spanish enables one to differentiate his/ her own speech, educated speakers from less educated speakers, campesinos, and as mentioned in the article 'la chusma'. It’s not a nice term however; it’s used in the Spanish-speaking world to describe the lower class.

Latinos from other countries who speak Spanish closer to the standard and even those from the Caribbean are definitely aware of some of the salient features of Caribbean Spanish. These differences become readily noticeable outside of the above mentioned countries, especially in the USA where there is an amalgam of Spanish speakers who share a common language but with many speech varieties. When an educated Spanish speaker not from Caribbean hears the way some speakers from the Caribbean speak, s/he immediately forms an opinion about the individual. If this young lady spoke in the interview with some of the typical salient features such as dropping the /s/, excessive usage of tú, non standard sentence patterns, cutting off words, regionalisms etc. Guess what? She will not get the job.

This individual may have a case with regards to the way the feedback was given which for sure will come across as discriminatory not to mention a possible other legal issue mentioned in the article. However, IMO, based on the article and the photo she may have been looking for work in the wrong establishment. Although others who work there may have a similar appearance or dressing style, they may have a better command of the language. En mi opinión, le falta una buena formación en español, no cabe duda.

This is a good example for those who subscribe to the DR1 diccionario sui generis of poor usage of words, expressions, misspelling etc. Yes, you can learn the vernacular speech as a matter of survival if you live in the country, however outside of the DR; standard Spanish is respected and admired.

See article here Joven dominico-boricua demanda restaurante de NY que la rechazó por acento latino - DiarioLibre.com. Commentary can be posted in my mini blog.


/MPLTA

[Marianopolita]

For those who are book aficionados like me today is 'El día mundial del libro' (World Book Day/ International Book Day 2009).

This day was appointed by UNESCO in honour of three renowned writers/ playwright who died on April 23, 1616. Miguel de Cervantes Saavedra (Spanish author), William Shakespeare (English author/playwright) and Inca Garcilaso de la Vega (Peruvian writer) are all classic representatives of literature in their respective language and country. The purpose of this day is to highlight the role and importance of books in our daily lives and to get the youth on board with the desire to read and the importance of reading.

Para este año 2009, la UNESCO sugiere que sea explorado el tema del rol del libro en el desarrollo de una educación de calidad y sobre el enlace entre libro y derechos humanos.

UNESCO proposes that society examine the role of books in the development of quality education and the link between literature (books) and human rights.

International Book Day is a day to pay tribute to these authors and their books as well as encourage and promote reading among youth. In many threads on DR1, I have discussed and commented on the importance of reading. Not only is it one of my favourite past times, it’s one of the best ways to self educate and explore the beauty of language. Surely each individual has their personal preferences about the type of literature s/he prefers whether it's fiction, non-fiction, self help, political etc. the categories are numerous. However, the end result is the same which is increased knowledge and self-enhancement on a personal and educational level.

Currently, I am reading a book by a renowned contemporary Chilean author, Antonio Skármeta titled El cartero de Neruda. It was given to me as a gift a few years ago and it was my book of choice this week after I had finished reading a novel last week. My mini library is extensive and although I am behind in my reading, I will catch up eventually and read some of the great literature I have sitting on the shelf. I carefully select my novels and I do focus on the contemporary giants as well as enjoy discovering authors who are not as popular.



Spanish literature is my preference and then French literature specifically authors from the Maghreb region that either currently live in one of the countries or was born there and migrated to France at some point in their lives. Just yesterday I purchased a novel by J.M.G Le Clézio, Nobel Literature Prize winner 2008. I have yet to sample his writing however, I discovered him two months ago when I purchased a translated version of one of his books titled El pez dorado. The French book I bought is titled L'Africain and I purchased it because I was intrigued by the storyline.



I can't emphasize enough the importance of reading and for those who are lovers of language, understanding and knowledge is never complete without extensive reading. Read in your first, second and third language. The learning process is continuous not to mention the other educational benefits that include personal and spiritual growth.

This commentary will be posted in my mini blog.

Articles from BBC Mundo.
BBC Mundo - Cultura y Sociedad - Por el placer de la lectura

BBC Mundo | Participe | ¿Cuál es su libro favorito?


-Marianopolita

[Marianopolita]

For those of you who like discussions on language, you may be interested in this recent blog entry.

DR1 is an English speaking message board made up of a diverse group of posters. Most are foreigners, some are Dominicans living in country or abroad, Latinos and Europeans etc. However, Spanish is not the primary language of many but is the language of the DR.

From reading the threads over the years the vast majority of foreigners do not speak Spanish or speak and understand at a very basic level. Many have the desire to learn and some are pursuing methods that best suit their learning ability or lifestyle.

One aspect about learning a language is making errors. It's part of the process. Learning a language is easier for some people as compared to others, some people just don't understand the grammatical aspects to make correct sentences, some just want to communicate regardless how many errors they make etc.

IMO, Spanish is a fun language but not an easy one to learn. Surely, there are other languages that are more difficult and couple that with having to learn characters like in Chinese or Japanese, Spanish will seem easy. Nevertheless many people struggle with the Romance languages as they do with other language groups (meaning of a different origin).

On DR1 posts have Spanish words or phrases in them and I believe posters post what they believe is the correct word, expression or phrase. However, many are blunders, incorrect grammatically or make no sense. I always find it interesting to read how posters interpret the language not realizing the error although what s/he meant to say can be understood. One way to learn is to analyze the error(s) and understand (grammatically) why it's incorrect.

Here is a list of Spanish language blunders on DR1 that I chose randomly that make for an interesting grammar review. As well, some proofreading tips that I use can help with some of these. In English homonyms are one of the biggest errors that people make when typing emails, writing in forums etc. For e.g. its vs. it's, there vs. their, are vs. our etc. Spelling errors can be resolved via spell check. One aspect that I am trying to improve on is proofreading which will enable me to catch those common grammar and typographical errors that I make and can be avoided.

Here are some of the DR1 Spanish blunders from recent posts / threads:


1/ 'Que ya se perdio mi esperanza! Oops I'm already married - just kidding! Best of luck to you new future. Felicidades!'- post #3-

the highlighted part is incorrect. The meaning is not what's intended although it can be understood.

Talldrink's getting married!!

2/ 'you need and move on...buenas suerte'- post #47- no /s/ on "buenas". It s/b 'buena suerte'

my girlfriend in in dom rep

3/ 'El merengue es mejor que la lambada, pero quiero dirigir'- post #4 (I think a translator was used)

Put the caption on the pic - Leonel

4/ 'porque los gringos no les gusta que se liga lo agrio con lo dulce'- post #22 - grammar is the problem in the highlighted part of the phrase.

easter. again. :-(

5/ 'no te apure!' -post #8 - mixing the vernacular with written language. S/b 'no te apures'. The /s/ must be in the written form.

Beer prices

6/ 'dominicanyols porque no se usa por(entre?) la genta educada.'- post #6- grammar (the highlighted part is incorrect)

Beer prices

7/ 'naaah Mariposacita,...' - post #68- the diminutive is Mariposita

Now we really need residency


8/ 'At 1:39, he shows his fridge. What's that in the can?antes de que ensena la vaina de hielo?'- post #1 -grammar. The highlighted part s/b 'enseñe'... antes de que enseñe.

Que esta diciendo?

9/ 'Damilo, Aglo mi, Presta mi, Tate Quieto, Orita, dejame tranquilla'.- post #34- these are examples of how the poster interprets what's heard.

http://www.dr1.com/forums/706178-post34.html


IMO, some keys to successful language learning include a combination of factors:

*grammatical study both formal instruction and independent review

*reading at your level and progressing accordingly

* speaking and interaction with Spanish speakers whenever possible

* listening to the language- e.g. music, the radio, television (especially the news)

* time- there's no time limit to language learning. The first few years are the most difficult.

I recommend this book that I purchased out of curiosity and it covers a lot of ground regarding errors made not only by learners but native speakers as well. I was presently surprised with the material covered. It's available on Amazon.



Here's part of the editorial summary:

With the aim of improving your Spanish skills, this fun but comprehensive guide will help you avoid all the common pitfalls, such as:

. .

Mispronunciation and misspelling .
Applying English grammar patterns to Spanish .
Putting verbs in the wrong tense .
Using incorrect prepositions in expressions .
Forgetting agreements in gender and number .
Hanging out with falsos amigos (false cognates) .

Correct Your Spanish Blunders: How to Avoid 99% of the Common Mistakes Made by Learners of Spanish: Jean Yates: Amazon.ca: Books



-Marianopolita