Post by ccgandrt on Feb 8, 2007 3:07:33 GMT -5
Media Language VS. Language VS. Slang
Many times I have been asked; "...but how did you learn Spanish?"
Unbelievably, I have to admit the women at the market started teaching me my first words in Spanish. They were so kind to help me learn the names of their produce while I chose them and put them in my bag. They never were in too much of a hurry with their customers that they couldn't tell me a word or two. It was hard to converse with people when all I knew was if "pollo" was young and tender or the "sandia" was ripe and sweet.
I listened and understood. I always was the best listener at the table. After three years of listening to different themes; I began speaking with other people. Spanish is spoken as it is written; the vowels have only one sound. I still have a thick 'Gringo' accent, but I can make myself clearly understood.
However, the newspapers were my best teachers. The Spanish language is used correctly with pride in their newspapers. They generally don't use slang and shun words in other languages. Spanish has lots of Latin roots which made reading so easy for me compared to speaking in the early years.
I often compare USA English and Spanish languages and how they are used on mainstream television news, radio, online or the newspapers. I do not feel proud to see and hear English brutalized and tortured. Even if the USA is doing that with everything they touch, they should leave the English language alone and respect it.
In Spanish there are different words used to describe, for example, the feet of an animal "patas" and of a human "pies". You would insult a person if you use an animal term for a part of their body. In Spanish there's also a formal and informal manner of speaking. You would speak formally with a store clerk, they are someone you don't know. To a sister or friend you might speak informally and not offend anyone. I remember thinking in the beginning of learning Spanish, oh, there's so much to learn that we don't use in English. Now, I know that's not correct, because we do speak differently to our parents than a co-worker.
For many people in the USA, looking at television news people or commercials is insulting. Some of them just have to be comedians, cute or plain ignorant. Instead to teach a person how to speak English correctly , they use slang. Is it supposed to mean they're lowering their standards and trying to be friendly with the people that are watching their latest hairdo or comb-over? It's obvious the public it not listening or analyzing the news.
Why do the news readers say to the reporter at a flood, for example "...give me a sense how the devastation is there...?" They want feel, touch or smell, perhaps? What is wrong with the old term "....give us an idea of....?" I use my brain to comprehend devastation, I don't need to feel the water.
Many times I have been asked; "...but how did you learn Spanish?"
Unbelievably, I have to admit the women at the market started teaching me my first words in Spanish. They were so kind to help me learn the names of their produce while I chose them and put them in my bag. They never were in too much of a hurry with their customers that they couldn't tell me a word or two. It was hard to converse with people when all I knew was if "pollo" was young and tender or the "sandia" was ripe and sweet.
I listened and understood. I always was the best listener at the table. After three years of listening to different themes; I began speaking with other people. Spanish is spoken as it is written; the vowels have only one sound. I still have a thick 'Gringo' accent, but I can make myself clearly understood.
However, the newspapers were my best teachers. The Spanish language is used correctly with pride in their newspapers. They generally don't use slang and shun words in other languages. Spanish has lots of Latin roots which made reading so easy for me compared to speaking in the early years.
I often compare USA English and Spanish languages and how they are used on mainstream television news, radio, online or the newspapers. I do not feel proud to see and hear English brutalized and tortured. Even if the USA is doing that with everything they touch, they should leave the English language alone and respect it.
In Spanish there are different words used to describe, for example, the feet of an animal "patas" and of a human "pies". You would insult a person if you use an animal term for a part of their body. In Spanish there's also a formal and informal manner of speaking. You would speak formally with a store clerk, they are someone you don't know. To a sister or friend you might speak informally and not offend anyone. I remember thinking in the beginning of learning Spanish, oh, there's so much to learn that we don't use in English. Now, I know that's not correct, because we do speak differently to our parents than a co-worker.
For many people in the USA, looking at television news people or commercials is insulting. Some of them just have to be comedians, cute or plain ignorant. Instead to teach a person how to speak English correctly , they use slang. Is it supposed to mean they're lowering their standards and trying to be friendly with the people that are watching their latest hairdo or comb-over? It's obvious the public it not listening or analyzing the news.
Why do the news readers say to the reporter at a flood, for example "...give me a sense how the devastation is there...?" They want feel, touch or smell, perhaps? What is wrong with the old term "....give us an idea of....?" I use my brain to comprehend devastation, I don't need to feel the water.