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Berlin

Germany colorful brush strokes painted flag BerlinOn November 9, 1989, the border between East and West Berlin opened. The German Democratic Republic (GDR) and the Federal Republic of Germany (FRG) reunited under a modified FRG constitution almost a year later on October 3, 1990. And in 1991, the newly reunified German Parliament decided that the once divided metropolis, which had been the capital of Prussia, the German Empire, the Weimar Republic, and the Third Reich, was to become capital once more.

First mention of Berlin comes from the year 1244, though the city’s long history is hard to see at first glance. The centuries of change and the destruction of World War II led to great alterations in the cityscape. Yet to even the untrained eye, the past is illuminated on street corners and in city squares. Monuments and statues, Baroque and Neoclassical architecture stand among the folds of glass-and-concrete modern structures.

One such structure reminds of the cities culturally diverse past. That is the French Cathedral on the Gendarmenmarkt. The church, which is not an actual cathedral, served for years large French speaking Protestant congregations, descendents of Huguenots who fled France after Louis IX revoked the Edict of Nantes in 1685. In 1700, one in five Berlin residents was of French decent. A diverse population thrives still in Berlin today. Poles, Turks, French, Italians, Greeks, Serbs and more populate the city. 13.5 percent of residents have a non-German passport, according to a February 2011 press release from the State Statistical Institute Berlin-Brandenburg.

The largest city in Germany and the second largest in the EU, Berlin has around 3.5 million inhabitants. It is a young and vibrant city. 135,000 students study at 31 universities in Berlin, and the artistic and cultural sectors supply one fifth of the city’s economy. The club scene is to be reckoned with and it’s many international festivals, such as the Berlin International Film Festival (known better as the Berlinale), draw crowds from the world over. The city’s three opera houses, more than 50 theaters, around 170 museums and collections, and 300 cinemas offer endless opportunity for exploration. And isn’t that what study abroad is about?

 

Arabic in the Emirates

Although the Emirates are not as traditionally popular a destination to study Arabic as Syria or Jordan, they present a potentially less overwhelming alternative along with a selection of quality language centers. Dubai and Abu Dhabi, the two largest cities in the Emirates are both highly multicultural with a large contingent of foreigners, including Western foreigners, to help smooth the transition to living in the UAE. In fact, the country’s demographics on the whole stand out in the unusually high numbers of non-native residents. Emiratis themselves constitue only one fifth of the entire population, while Indians, Iranians, other Arabs, and Europeans and East Asians make up the other eighty percent.

Despite the cosmopolitan nature of UAE’s cities and the workability of English as a medium of communication, Arabic language and culture retains importance as a liaison between non-Arab visitors and local society. Even among foreign residents, many either Muslim and know Arabic, or are expatriates of other Arab countries. According to an article by Gulf News, UAE’s largest English-language newspaper, Arabic is an important means of establishing trust and rapport in both business and social settings.

While Dubai and Abu Dhabi are the two largest cities and host the largest number of institutions for learning the Arabic language, opportunities are also available in smaller cities like Sharjah, the 1998 Cultural Capital of the Arabic World, and Ajman. Language schools and classes can be found for both Modern Standard Arabic and Gulf Arabic, the dialect spoken in UAE. In addition, the website Gulf Arabic is a popular and well-regarded online place to begin studying the Arabic spoken in the Emirates.

Further reading: Saffarini, Reema. “Learning Arabic in the UAE.” Published in Campus Notes, a division of Gulf News on October 21, 2007.

English in America: The Shift

The Shift

On a tiny island of which one could drive across in less than four hours, it would seem plausible that after a few hundred years, its regional accents may start to merge. The UK has done much over the past three decades to encourage the use of regional accents other than the ‘traditional’ Received Pronunciation in its media and broadcasting, which has in turn created an immediate exposure to speech we might not hear in our own neighborhoods.

Despite the unquestionable intermingling of some regional accents and dialects in the UK, recent evidence has shown that with the amalgamation of Geordie twangs and Brummie expressions, comes an equal measure of linguistic variance scattered around the British Isles. Research from the University of Lancaster has suggested that newer linguistic features are taking effect in a “wave-like” manner, first affecting major towns and cities, followed by smaller, more rural areas in between. As a result, it would appear that the whole country is constantly undergoing a colossal linguistic make-over.

In younger circles, American pronunciation is becoming increasingly more common, often being taught in schools with an absence of awareness regarding criteria of ‘traditional’ British pronunciation and instead enforcing a new take on how we ‘should’ speak – I am a definite culprit of skedule as opposed to schedule. So with these language shifts and the introduction of Americanisms into British society, could a similar process be taking place across the pond?

Professor William Labov of the University of Pennsylvania determines that North America is currently experiencing a ‘vowel-shift’. A change beyond the influences of every day media and most prominent in Northern and North-Eastern cities, even longer vowel sounds in “back” and “pack” and even shorter “pits” and “bits” are formulating a new age of speech, seeing cities such as Chicago, Rochester, New York and Cleveland speaking more differently to the rest of the US than ever before . – Now after watching a Canadian friend bet on the possibility that a bartender in Williamsburg was from Chicago and consequently proceeding to ask a series of embarrassing questions including “Did you get that tattoo in Chicago?” and “How’s the weather in Chicago?”, the sharp response “I’m from Brooklyn” with which he was met, confirms that the Great Vowel Shift of North America is perhaps more visible than first thought.

So while the UK might be a little behind on certain TV shows and the latest Hollywood blockbusters, unlike a lot of things in relation to the United States, language change is happening at a similar rate. Although incomparable in scale, the changing faces of British and American English are encompassing the entirety of our nations, with small towns impacting big cities and big cities impacting entire regions. In the not so distant future, we may have new stereotypes, new token accents and maybe even new attitudes towards our language.

References

http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/howaboutthat/8305645/The-conTROversy-over-changing-pronunciations.html

http://www.ling.lancs.ac.uk/staff/kerswill/pkpubs/Kerswill2003DialectLevellDiffusion.pdf

http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=5220090

http://www.economist.com/node/18775029?story_id=18775029

Athina Kontos is writer/photographer from the UK spending the summer in New York.

English in America

A British Transition

With a population of over 8 million, New York City is one of the most culturally diverse, technologically efficient and linguistically varied cities in the world. However, with no official language of the United States, English remains the de facto national language, serving the city and its neighbors daily. As the majority of New York City’s inhabitants claim American English as their mother tongue, the new age of technological progression teamed with cultural and linguistic diversity have undoubtedly sculpted this variety of language into something fast-paced, upbeat and cosmopolitan — perfect for city life. So what does it take for the average Londoner to find their linguistic feet here?

Naturally, with such resourceful and to-the-point surroundings, one must adopt a similar attitude to gain the most fruitful experience – which in New York translates as: concise sentences, raw emotion and upmost honesty. In a city where time and money are of the essence, communication must be as effective and sincere as possible, leaving little room for typically British expressives, such as the incessant juggling of sentences for fear of seeming impolite. After years of writing grammatically correct text messages and paying constant attention to British etiquette, this new linguistic demeanor could take some getting used to.

Once the first rules of succinct, city-appropriate speech have been mastered, written language is fairly simple to follow as long as you remember that the person who lives next door is not your ‘neighbour’ but your ‘neighbor’ and when flying abroad you would take an ‘airplane’ and not an ‘aeroplane’ – the rest comes naturally.

As the roots of English in North America stem solely from British colonization in the 1600s, it seems almost ironic that certain words have survived in the American English lexicon and not the British. Terms derived from Chaucerian or Middle English, such as ‘faucet’ and ‘eyeglasses’ are rarely used in British English, but are widely regarded as Americanisms. Other words, deriving from Native American and Indo-European languages display multi-cultural roots in English all over the United States, although language change and modification are more concentrated in larger cities overall.

In New York City alone there are over 800 languages spoken, all of which contribute to the way in which American English is used and perceived. Therefore from a British perspective, as long as you remember that asking to go to the “toilet” instead of the “bathroom” is the height of bad manners, there is much potential for a culturally and linguistically enriching experience to be had.

References
http://www.city-data.com/states/New-York-Languages.html
http://www.baruch.cuny.edu/nycdata/chapter01_files/sheet011.htm
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/29/nyregion/29lost.html

Athina Kontos is writer/photographer from the UK spending the summer in New York.

Save Title VI Funding

 
Language Resource Centers (LRCs) are having their budgets cut by 40-50% due to Title VI cuts approved by the Dept of Education in the latest federal budget. These centers only cost $5 million a year and provide much-needed support to K-12 language teachers. Although we may be unable to re-instate this year’s funding, 2012 is a different story so tell your representatives (and us) why we need to fund LRCs.

The latest incarnation of Congress’ budget has slashed funds to support the teaching of foreign languages to K-12 and college students for fiscal 2011. Title VI and Fulbright-Hays which fund higher education programs focused on foreign languages and international education will be cut by 40-50 percent in the current fiscal year.
These programs provide much-needed support to K-12 language educators. Miriam Kazanjian, a DC-based consultant for the Coalition for International Education, a group of more than 30 higher education
associations that share an interest in U.S. Department of Education programs and initiatives that promote global competence, told Language Magazine that the cuts could have a significant impact on
K-12 language educators. She referred to studies yet to be released that report on the efficacy of the language and international education programs being cut.
A recent evaluation of foreign-language programs financed by the Education Department was carried out by the Washington-based American Institutes for Research. But Sylvia Crowder, branch chief for the Department of Education’s Institutional Research and Studies Team, said in an email that corrections were being made on the final draft of this study and it was not available yet.
After 9-11, Congress began a decade of enhancements to Title VI and Fulbright-Hays programs to improve the nation’s in-depth knowledge of world areas and transnational issues, and fluency of U.S. citizens in foreign languages. Unfortunately many of the gains and program enhancements on strategic world areas, including a 132 percent increase in the number of Arabic, and a 300 percent in Urdu courses offered by Language Resource Centers, will be eliminated or diminished unless funding is restored to FY 2010 levels in the FY 2012 appropriations.
A campaign to reinstate funding for FY 2012 is being coordinated through www.facebook.com/savetitlevi.

Spanish on a Global Scale

Language Magazine journeys to the places around the globe where Spanish can best be learned

There are as many reasons to learn Spanish as there are places to learn it:
Spanish is spoken by at least an estimated 350 million people around the world and is currently the 4th most commonly spoken language worldwide. Geographically, a large number of countries speak Spanish: Spain, the U.S., Mexico, the Philippines, Colombia, Costa Rica, Venezuela, Argentina, Chile, Equatorial Guinea, Guatemala, Honduras, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Peru, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, Puerto Rico, Panama, Bolivia, Paraguay, and Uruguay. Knowing Spanish opens the door for you to communicate with 1/3 of a billion speakers worldwide.

If you live in the U.S., it is possible to maintain almost daily contact with native Spanish speakers in many cities or even in rural areas. This is certainly the case in the many states bordering Mexico, or such states as Florida and New York where there are many immigrants of Cuban heritage. Even if your home state is not located in one of these areas, there is still a great likelihood of finding Spanish-speakers close to where you live, which is perhaps why over half of all students learning languages in U.S. colleges and universities choose Spanish over other languages.

Internationally, people who speak Spanish often have opportunities to work in trade or business fields. Other options include diplomacy, interpretation, and security applications, which all require a sensitivity to and proficiency in another language. Furthermore bilingual employees often receive a larger salary than their non-Spanish speaking counterparts.

Places to Learn Spanish

Spain

Fundación San Millan
The Monasteries of Suso and Yuso in San Millán de la Cogolla, a UNESCO world Heritage Site, owe their international fame to the fact that they form the cradle of the Spanish language.

To continue the historic task of spreading knowledge of the language, a modern language center, Centro de Investigación (Cilengua) has been created so that nationally and internationally acclaimed scholars can develop various projects related to the Spanish language.

The Center also offers well-designed Spanish language and culture programs combined with an attractive tourist program, covering gastronomy, history, culture and a the incomparable, world-famous vineyards of La Rioja.

Universidad de Granada
The Centro de Lenguas Modernas is part of the prestigious University of Granada in southern Spain. It offers Spanish Language and Culture Courses throughout the year taught by highly qualified professionals in a unique setting, halfway between snow-capped mountains and subtropical beaches. Here foreign students enjoy a singular multicultural and multilingual atmosphere, sharing their daily lives with Spanish students learning other languages, thus stimulating a mutual interest in their different languages and cultures. Granada’s vitality and riveting history are reflected in its 70,000 university students and the spectacular Alhambra Palace declared a World Heritage Site by the UNESCO in 1984.”

Universidad Francisco de Vitoria
Universidad Francisco de Vitoria (Madrid, Spain) forms part of a private, non-profit Foundation. Fully accredited by the Spanish Ministry of Education and Local Madrid Government, UFV offers 19 undergraduate degrees in eight academic areas. As a Catholic institution, the university distinguishes itself by offering individualized attention to students, its dedication to social awareness through service learning and core curriculum courses in the humanities and leadership. Semester study abroad programs combine Spanish language study with classes on offer in the regular academic offer. UFV’s four-week Intensive Spanish Language and Culture Course and the Hispanic Studies for Heritage Learners Program are other dynamic programs regularly offered.

The Universidad Carlos III de Madrid offers semester, intensive and yearlong intensive Spanish courses for all international students who wish to learn to learn or improve their knowledge of Spanish during their stay at the university.

All courses are based on the Common European Framework of Reference for Languages (CEFR) and are characterized by the student being at the center of the learning process; highly-qualified teaching staff; a variety of methods to respond to diversity in the classroom; small-group learning; and guided self-learning outside the classroom.

Universidad de Salamanca
Each year, thousands of students come to Salamanca to learn Spanish, turning this city into a point of reference as far as language tourism is concerned.

Salamanca is a vibrant, friendly, dynamic, safe and well-looked after city. The prestige and tradition of its university, one of the oldest in Europe, along with its accredited teaching centers make it the perfect destination to learn Spanish. It’s no coincidence therefore that the University of Salamanca is in charge of the DELE certification, an examination that is sat in over 50 countries and issued by the Spanish Ministry for Education.

Cursos Internacionales de la Universidad de Salamanca offers language and culture courses year-round at all levels with different cultural content so students can customize programs to meet their needs.

As well as general and group courses, there are programs for teachers (Másteres en Lengua y Cultura Españolas y en la Enseñanza del Español como Lengua Extranjera).

Burgos University
Ten reasons to study Spanish at the University of Burgos
1. To enjoy the familiar atmosphere of a Spanish University.
2. A safe, green city with good communications brimming art and tradition
3. Qualified and dynamic teaching staff.
4. Individual attention and tutors.
5. Great variety of workshops, cultural visits and activities.
6. Modern facilities with Wi-Fi areas, computer rooms, library and sports.
7. Possibility to prepare for the DELE exams of the Instituto Cervantes
8. Combine learning Spanish with taking graduate courses at University
9. Special programs for groups
10. Accommodation with families, University Dorms or shared flats

Santiago de Compostela University
International Courses at USC has organized, for more than sixty years, Spanish language courses for students wishing to learn and perfect the language, while experiencing the Spanish culture. Courses take place all year round and students can choose the one that suits best and even join in the Road to Santiago Course, combining a multi-angle approach to the study of the Road to Santiago and the improvement of Spanish language skills while experiencing the magic of the centuries-old pilgrimage.

Fundacion Comillas
Fundacion Comillas is internationally renowned in the teaching, research and dissemination of the Spanish Language and its Culture. Associated to the University of Cantabria, its prestige is strengthened by its sponsors.
The Comillas Foundation offers a unique opportunity to learn Spanish and to enjoy Spanish culture in an exceptional, different and privileged setting:
• Classrooms in an impressive modernist 19th century building
• Area of undeniable beauty bathed by the Cantabrian Sea and surrounded by the impressive Picos de Europa.

1st class teaching:
• University Degree and Postgraduate studies
• Spanish courses for Teachers, students and professionals.

Universidad Nebrija
Universidad Nebrija is a prestigious private university, known as a modern and innovative institution. Its international approach creates a stimulating and friendly atmosphere in an ideal location in Madrid. With three decades of experience in teaching and research of Spanish as a Foreign Language, Nebrija offers its students a unique way to learn Spanish. Students may choose between the Hispanic Studies Program with Language, Conversation, Culture and Literature and the Spanish Plus Program, combining Spanish courses and others taught in English in different areas: Business, History, Art and European Studies. Spanish language and culture courses are offered at all levels.

Idiomas Católica — PUCP Spanish Program
The Spanish program is open all year long. Every month, two-hour courses are available to students at different levels: Basic, Intermediate and Advanced.

In each of these interactive courses, the student is exposed to the use of practical, effective, real-life language and to the Spanish speaking culture. Sympathetic staff help students acquire the necessary structures and contents of grammar, pronunciation, vocabulary, language functions to make them fully competent in the spoken language.

Universidad Rey Juan Carlos
The Rey Juan Carlos University, created in 1996, is the most modern of all the public universities in Madrid. It has four campuses, located in Móstoles, Alcorcón, Fuenlabrada and Vicálvaro. This university currently has an enrolment 30,000 students

The Rey Juan Carlos University offers a large variety of official and special degrees, Masters and continuing education programs in Spanish and (seven degrees in English).

This university specializes in Health Sciences, Communication Sciences, Telecommunication Engineering, Tourism, and Social and Legal Sciences.

This university participates in Mobility Programs for Students and the University Language Centre teaches French, German, Italian, Chinese, Portuguese and Spanish.

University of Deusto | International Spanish Center (CIDE)
The International Spanish Center, located in Bilbao, organizes academic year, semester and summer programs specially designed for international students in the areas of Spanish language, culture, international relations and business. Programs include a large variety of services such as cultural visits, academic and personal advising, housing reservations, medical insurance, and internships.

Costa Rica

CPI Spanish Immersion School
CPI Spanish Immersion School has been offering quality Spanish immersion courses since 1991 at the best locations in Costa Rica: Heredia Central Valley, Monteverde Cloud Forest and Flamingo Beach. Students may divide their time between three distinct campuses without sacrificing quality or continuity. A variety of programs, each with small class size, have been designed for all ages and all levels. The arrangement of accommodations (homestays, apartments and student residencies), the availability of academic university credits, along with bilingual staff providing personalized service to students through the organization of volunteer programs and excursions makes CPI one of the best study abroad options in Costa Rica.

CPI has designed a variety of professional seminars, of which one of the most popular is the workshop for teachers of Spanish as a foreign language. Seminar participants are taught various techniques created, developed, and successfully applied during many years of experience as an institution that specializes in Spanish as a second language. The teachers who participate in this seminar leave prepared to step into the classroom with various instructional techniques that can easily be modified to meet the needs of any type of student.

Another important service at CPI is the Groups Division which has been custom creating itineraries and hosting groups of up to 70 students for over 10 years. Groups range from primary school children to senior citizens, and they host several high school and university groups, most of which return on an annual basis.

Argentina

Intercultural Institute
Intercultural Institute in Mendoza and San Juan in west-central Argentina is an excellent option for those who want to study in a safe, friendly city which is not only one of the world’s wine capitals but also a center for adventure tourism. Intercultural has focused on specific Spanish courses and culture, with a set of thematic modules that can respond to special needs for groups that perform major or minor in Spanish. All courses have the possibility to earn credits for universities. It also places internships in tourism, industry, wine, marketing and international trade.

Mexico

Teacher’s Summer Language Academy
Teacher’s Summer Language Academy Mexico provides accredited immersion opportunities for teachers including leveled Spanish learning, with a curriculum developed especially for classrooms. Teachers gain perspective on Mexican society and culture through fun, interesting excursions. Friendly, secure host homes model authentic Mexican home life providing conversational opportunities, treating teachers like visiting distant cousins, and engaging them in domestic activities. Small class size ensures a very personalized experience.

Colombia

Universidad del Norte
Located in Barranquilla, a city centered between Colombia’s oldest cities Santa Marta and Cartagena, beautiful colonial sites enriched with Spanish traditions, history and attractive beaches, Universidad del Norte offers the opportunity to learn about the language, history and traditions of the Caribbean region of Colombia.

The program enhances the development of linguistic and grammatical aspects of Spanish and the familiarization of the most relevant aspects of the Caribbean culture while enjoying the company of a Uninorte student.

Students can also volunteer in areas such as teaching a second language to children and adults in vulnerable areas or to help these communities how to take care of their environment.

The Spanish Program for International Students has been offered for more than 10 years. Students from countries such as Germany, U.S., England, West Indies, Canada, Japan, and the Netherlands have participated in the courses. The Program offers multidisciplinary courses with a variety of social and cultural activities. Some activities include visits to museums, art exhibits, and trips to historic places in Barranquilla, Cartagena and Santa Marta. The Program is structured in different levels to enhance the acquisition of linguistic and grammatical aspects of Spanish and the familiarization of the most relevant aspects of Colombia. In addition, students have the opportunity to practice their speaking skills with a native Spanish-speaking student (tutor) of the University while learning more about the regional Caribbean culture.

Chile

Tandem Santiago
Escuela de idiomas Violeta Parra — Tandem Santiago was founded in 1992 and has been certificated by the international TANDEM network since 1996. Its courses are certified by Universidad Bolivariana for university credits. Since 2008, it has been a recognized DELE examination center of the Cervantes Institute in Spain. We offer full immersion language courses in small groups and private classes, DELE preparation courses, commercial Spanish classes, and legal Spanish. We arrange accommodations with families, in student residences or in hotels. Our Spanish language school is situated in a beautiful old mansion, built in the beginning of the 20th century, in Providencia — the modern Santiago — near popular parks, and little restaurants. We have 10 comfortable classrooms all naturally lit, a nice garden, a coffee lounge with free internet access and WIFI for our students. We are just a few minutes away from Underground station Salvador at the entrance of the famous “Barrio Bellavista.” This neighbourhood is a magnet for students, artists and craftsmen. Our activity program includes Tandem interchanges with Chilean students, visits of museums, wineries, salsa classes, and weekend daytrips to the Andes mountains, the central coast and the surroundings of Santiago.

don Quijote
For more than 21 years, don Quijote language schools have watched their students gain confidence and ability as they apply their new language skills to practical situations. Students learn Spanish as they learned their native language — through practice and continuous communication. don Quijote has schools located all over Spain and Latin America with classes starting every Monday, with maximum eight students per class and excellent course offering with intensive and super intensive Spanish classes, cultural lessons, and teacher training courses.
Accommodations are located in premium areas with the possibility to choose a shared flat, student residence or a home stays.

Multinational Schools

ENFOREX
Enforex Spanish language schools offer small class sizes. Courses start every Monday even for absolute beginners, all year round, covering six levels of Spanish in 24 schools in Spain and Latin America.
Students can choose between a variety of accommodation options, the majority less than 20-30 minutes from the school by foot or public transportation: host families, shared apartment and student residence. Enforex offers programs for all ages with up to date methodologies and utilizes the most effective and proven pedagogical techniques.

Multilingual Matters

Maria Maldonado reminds us why language education is still so important in this age of automated communication

The Royal Academy of the Spanish Language which is one of the authorities regulating and preserving the changes that occur in the Spanish language, in the 22nd edition of its dictionary (2001), defines language as “System of verbal and, almost always, written communication that belongs to a specific human community.” Learning a new language can open the door to many opportunities.

According to recent research, learning a new language makes it easier to learn subsequent languages. The more languages we learn, the easier it becomes to learn a new one. I can testify to this fact from my own experience as a multilingual person. My mother tongue is Spanish, although my English proficiency level is that of a native speaker (English Proficiency Test, 2007). In addition, I have reading knowledge of French, Italian and Portuguese, which comes from the fact that English and Spanish are derived from Latin. Additionally, I happen to have been living in Pakistan for the last seven years, which means that I am in contact with the live Urdu language, and am thus obliged to use it every day.

Since language is the vehicle of the culture it represents, I can now understand and operate within many different cultures: the Spanish, as it is my own, the Hispanic, since the Spanish language allows me to communicate with people from South America, the British, American and Australian cultures and the Pakistani and Indian cultures. Needless to mention that in this era of globalization, I can communicate with anyone who can communicate in English.

I am able to communicate and understand people and their cultures worldwide by being able to communicate in three different languages. In this context, learning a new language can be the means to an expanded education and even employment. The possibilities are unlimited.

According to Chomsky in his 1987 essay, “Language in a Psychological Setting,” language acquisition is “helping a flower to grow in its own way.” Language, the form taken by so much of our thinking, whether spoken, written or signed, enables us to communicate ideas from person to person and to transmit knowledge from generation to generation.

Language is a form of communication among human beings. Due to this fact, we find ourselves before a dynamic phenomenon, changing, variant, and in many ways practically impossible to observe and measure. Consequently, learning a language is a complex and simple process at the same time, since it has been proven that every human being is capable of language acquisition, even without formal instruction. In fact, in order to understand language acquisition in all its forms, the contributions from the following areas: Sociology, Formal and Applied Linguistics, Psychology, Physiology, Anthropology, Communication, Neurology and of course the shared fields of Sociolinguistic, Psycholinguistic and Neurolinguistic sciences, should be well understood.

According to Steven Pinker (Pinker, 300) “When neuroscientists look directly at the brain, using a variety of techniques, they can actually see language in action in the left hemisphere.” He continues by saying that “A patient with a sleeping right hemisphere can talk; a patient with a sleeping left hemisphere cannot.”

Pinker speaks about a technique called Positron Emission Tomography (PET), during which a volunteer is injected with water and mildly radioactive glucose, or inhales a radioactive gas in small dosages. A gamma-ray detector ring detects those parts of the brain where more activity occurs as it burns more glucose and more oxygenated blood is sent that way. They are noticeable through computer algorithms which will in turn generate a computer image or photograph where the activity in a segment of the brain is displayed. In red and yellow the more functioning areas are shown, and those with more quiet ones shown in navy. The areas of the brain which are prominently active during language in process will be highlighted if a photograph of the brain taken when the volunteer is watching or listening to patterns not related to language is subtracted from another photograph taken during a time when the volunteer is recognizing language (in the form of words or speech). The areas which will be highlighted are on the left side of the brain. According to Pinker “It is not merely speechlike sounds, or wordlike shapes, or movements of the mouth, but abstract language.“ (Pinker, 301)

According to a BBC News report (13th October 2004), researchers at University College London found that learning new languages changes the grey matter in the location of the brain that processes information. “The grey matter in this region increases in bilinguals relative to monolinguals — this is particularly true in early bilinguals who learned a second language early in life,” said Andrea Mechelli, a neuroscientist at University College London. “The degree is correlated with the proficiency achieved.” “It reinforces the idea that it is better to learn early rather than late because the brain is more capable of adjusting or accommodating new languages by changing structurally,” Mechelli said. several sources including:

The report continues with the fact that it is widely known that stimulating the brain through brain exercises (brain games, mathematics, logic and visual exercises) will alter the structure of the brain in the same way that a person can build muscle mass. Such process is called plasticity. The researchers were able to make these affirmations by comparing the brains of people that only spoke one language as compared to the brains of people who spoke more than one language, as they realized that the density of the grey matter in the brains of those who were bilingual was greater in the left inferior parietal cortex.

According to Mechelli the grey matter in bilingual people is greater than in those who only speak one language. This finding was derived from a study conducted by Mechelli and his team on 105 people out of which 80 were bilingual, where structural brain imaging was utilized in order to research whether any difference can be found between the brains of those who were bilingual and those who were monolingual. For this purpose a group of 25 monolinguals, 25 early bilinguals who had acquired a second language before the age of five and 33 late bilinguals, was selected. All the volunteers were English native speakers who possessed analogous education and age. “By looking at the size of the change (in the brain) I can tell whether someone is very proficient or not because the bigger the change the better the proficiency,” said Mechelli. (Reuters Ltd: Oct.04). Considering the evidence, the impact that language has on the brain is clear.

During my own experience teaching Spanish language to Pakistani students ages 18 years old and above, over several years in Lahore, where Punjabi is also spoken, I have observed the following phenomena; students who were not able to speak English experienced more difficulty learning Spanish from those who spoke it. In addition, the higher the proficiency in English language the easier it became for the student to learn Spanish. The more languages a person speaks, the easier it becomes to learn an additional one. The main reasons for this phenomenon are two:

A. All languages conform to a set of linguistic rules to create sentences. Once a learner has acquired two or more languages it becomes easier for him or her to learn the linguistic set of rules that correspond to the additional one.
B. Languages receive influences from other languages and accept terms from them as well; e.g.: in Spanish language there exist five thousand terms that derive from Arabic language. In addition, languages originated from the same root language have inherent similarities in vocabulary and grammar structures among them; e.g.: the following terms (and many others) are identical in English and Spanish, although they are pronounced in a different manner: chocolate, color, doctor, fiesta, horrible, hotel, motor, natural, plaza, popular, radio, sociable, soda, taxi, terrible, tropical, etc.

Recent advances in technology and the internet have made communication among cultures speedy and efficient. It is because of this reason that learning new languages has become a matter of extreme importance in the current day and age. In the words of Pinker, “A common language connects the members of a community into an information-sharing network with formidable collective powers. Anyone can benefit from the strokes of genius, lucky accidents, and trial-and-error wisdom accumulated by anyone else, present or past. And people can work in teams, their efforts coordinated by negotiated agreements” (Pinker, 16). Due to all of the previously mentioned reasons, learning a new language is thus a very interesting proposition since the advantages are unlimited; entering the global village, acquiring brain power, understanding different cultures, increase in international relations and commerce, etc. Learning new languages should be in the agenda for all.

References
Diccionario de la Lengua Espaňola. Madrid. Real Academia Española. 22 Edition. 1992.
Chomsky, N. Language in a Psychological Setting Tokyo: Sophia Lingüística. Sophia University. 1987.
Pinker, Steven. The Language Instinct: The New Science of Language and Mind Penguin 1994.
BBC News. “Learning languages ‘boosts brain’” Oct. 14, 2004.
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/health/3739690.stm
Reuters Limited. “Learning second language changes brain. Bilingual people have more grey matter in key region”. Oct. 2004.
http://www.languagestars.com/pdfs/articles/article_08.pdf

Maria Isabel Maldonado is an assistant professor of Spanish Linguistics, director of External Linkages and in charge of the Institute of Languages at the Faculty of Oriental Learning at University of the Punjab, Lahore, Pakistan, where Pashto, Russian, Spanish, Japanese, Turkish, Chinese, Arabic, Sindhi, Balochi, German, Italian and Portuguese are taught.

January 2008

Vote for a Change

January 2008 Cover

As we enter 2008, there is a sense of optimism in the U.S despite ongoing international conflicts and gloomy economic indicators. The only explanation for this paradox must be that the need for change is the common thread in nearly all the prospective presidential candidates’ platforms, and the impetus to break with the old is coming from exactly where one would hope — the youth of America.

Young Americans are consistently portrayed as self-obsessed consumers, and maybe we have become so conditioned to expect complacency, even apathy from them, that when they prove to be motivated, principled and impassioned, it is a welcome surprise.

However, rather than become complacent ourselves, we must address the problem of disenfranchisement amongst young people in linguistic and racial minorities, who are not only statistically less likely to vote, but are also less likely to become actively involved in political campaigns, than their white peers.

In the mid-term elections of 2006, turnout among voters under 30 jumped three points from 22.5 percent to 25.5 percent from 2002. The number of young Hispanic voters also jumped three points, but only from a modest 16 percent to 19 percent. Young Asian voters only rose by one point to 17 percent, but the young Black vote fell by one point to 24 percent, and the most disturbing statistic showed that the young Native American vote fell from 14 to 11 percent (source: 2006 Supplement of the Current Population Survey).

These statistics show that more effort must be made to encourage minority youth to vote, and, since 2006, the National Council of La Raza, Rock the Vote, and other organizations have worked hard to encourage voter registration. But there is no substitute for the face-to-face interaction between teacher and student.

Education and information are the cornerstones of democracy, and educators have a duty to inform their students about the electoral process, direct them to information sources, and encourage them to become politically active, while being very careful not to allow their own political bias to direct them to a particular party or candidate.
Of course, many students from minority backgrounds are not eligible to vote due to their age or immigration status, but that does not mean that they cannot become interested and involved in the political process.

The involvement of young people from all linguistic and racial backgrounds in the political process is essential to prevent the fragmentation of a democracy, so we must do all we can to ensure that everyone becomes invested in the process. To this end, Language Magazine is launching a website, www.particip08.org where young people can find information on the political process in a variety of languages, and how to vote for a change.

IN THIS ISSUE:

The French Connection
Constance Dziombak explains how to use French to develop English Language skills and cross the curricular divide

Aligning Native Language to State Standards
Amy Fenning describes how the Tulalip Tribes of Washington is striving to save the Lushootseed language by aligning its instruction with state standards

The Importance of Being Danish
Anita Flemington draws parallels between attitudes toward bilingual and multicultural education in Denmark and the U.S.

Mandarin Made Easy?
Chellis Ying asks if the wave of new products has made learning Chinese easier or merely less painful

French in Québec
Willy Piñon celebrates Québec City’s 400th anniversary with a guide to learning French in the most francophone Canadian province

Last Writes
Richard Lederer on Cutting the Verbal Fat

February 2008

An Educational Stimulus

February 2008 Cover

It now seems inevitable that the U.S. economy will go into recession over the next year. Economic analysts will disagree about the causes, its severity and its duration, but one thing we can be sure of is that we will be told that there is not enough money to properly fund our schools and asked to make sacrifices.

At the same time, the President and the Congress have come up with a plan to stimulate the economy and mitigate the effects of the downturn — a tax rebate (not technically a rebate, but it amounts to the same thing in practice) of about $300 to $600 for singles and from $600 to $1,200 for married couples. Anyone eligible for a refund would receive an additional $300 for each child 17 or younger who lived with them for more than half of 2007.

The plan will cost about $100 billion and its architects hope that most of the money will be spent immediately to stimulate the economy. Obviously, some people will save their money, others will use it to pay off debt, and the remainder will spend it. According to the latest polls, the number one item on the nation’s shopping list will be clothing, nearly all of which is imported, so $100 billion will buy us a temporary spike in consumer spending, a short-lived feel-good factor, and very little else.
What if we gave that $100 billion to our schools instead? One thing we can be sure of is that it would be spent rather than saved — spent on people living locally, services provided locally, and goods largely produced in the U.S., all of which would help to prolong its stimulative effect. It would also be spent far quicker than the rabate checks that will not be received until May or June, so the knock-on effect should be felt sooner. And, although it would be impossible to quantify the long-term benefits of a one-off influx of $100 billion into our educational system, they would clearly outweigh those generated by the tax rebate.

Of course, there is the hackneyed argument that increased spending does not improve schools, but, although it is not the only factor which affects a school performance and there are examples of extraordinary schools succeeding with very little funding, the basic equation that more money results in better schools remains true. There are vast funding disparities between schools in urban and suburban areas, between schools in different states (see Education Week’s Quality Counts report released this month), and schools in low-income areas are far less likely to employ fully qualified teachers than their counterparts in more affluent areas (see News, page 12).

As the purpose of this $100 billion windfall is just to kick-start the economy, maybe we should use this opprtunity to conduct an experiment and share the money just between the schools that most need it — those in low-income areas with high percentages of minorities and English learners. If the schools improve, — how this should be measured is another question — we will all be happy knowing that we made a long-term investment in the future of our country, and if there is no improvement, at least the economy got its stimulus.

IN THIS ISSUE:

How to Teach Science to English Learners
John Carr explains how science teachers can use simple devices to include all of their students in the excitement of science

Startalk Mandarin
Amado M. Padilla and Xiaoqiu Xu describe an intensive summer high school Mandarin program, one of many successful inaugural STARTALK programs

Motivating Students in a Mixed-Ability Classroom
Danny Iny explains how his differentiated instruction technology motivates English Language Learners to read in a mixed-ability classroom

Online TESOL Training
Dr. Lizabeth England and Jennifer Fons discuss the distance learning options available for teaching English to speakers of other languages

Were the Subjunctive That Easy
Laurie Massery offers assistance for teachers struggling with teaching the
subjunctive to English speakers

Portuguese Immersion
Marta Calheiros introduces us to the majesty and natural beauty that make Portugal such an inviting immersion destination

Last Writes
Richard Lederer on Cutting the Verbal Fat

June 2011

Access All Areas

June 2011 Cover


Amid the euphoria over the slaying of bin Laden and the spread of democratic insurgencies across the Middle East and North Africa, other equally significant worldwide events have not been afforded the same media coverage. Unless you have been educated to have an international outlook, have contacts, and know where to find information, it would have been easy to overlook these events which may well have considerable consequences.
Just across the border in Mexico, we have seen the emergence of an enormous public backlash against the violence that has plagued the country. The movement is characterized by a single slogan, Estamos hasta la madre — no más sangre (“We’ve had it up to here, no more bloodshed.” The phrase hasta la madre is peculiar to Mexico which makes it all the more poignant but less accessible even for Spanish speakers.) And it was triggered by a single incident — the death of Juan Francisco Sicilia, whose father Javier Sicilia, a poet and journalist, launched The March for Peace with Justice and Dignity, a three-day event which culminated in a rally in Mexico City. The idea was simple: a silent march and a single slogan but it captured the popular imagination and on May 8, hundreds of thousands of people marched all over Mexico demanding a radical change to government policy away from perpetual warfare and toward an integrated political solution to the conflict.

Later in May, on the other side of the Atlantic, several thousand people gathered in Madrid’s Puerta del Sol for a demonstration against unemployment and the Spanish government’s social policies defying a ban by the city’s election officials. The movement spread so rapidly across the country that, at the time of going to press, tens of thousands of Spaniards had taken over squares in 60 cities, clamoring for political, economic and social reform. The group Real Democracy Now, which helped organize the protests, put unemployment at the top of its priorities. Also of great concern are political corruption and education cuts.

The protests, whose success surprised everyone, are reminding many of the uprisings in Egypt and Tunisia, albeit without the same fear of repression. So popular had the protests become that when Spain’s electoral commission ruled them illegal because they would break the ban on political activities the day before elections, the crowds only grew stronger.

Despite the size of these movements, very few people outside of their respective countries have even heard about them, let alone have the background knowledge to be able to put them into context and recognize their significance. However, there is a common thread amongst those who are aware of these events — international experience — be it through language, education, work, or even social networking. They may speak another heritage language, have studied abroad, worked overseas, or communicate with “Skypepals” and Facebook buddies around the world. Whatever type of global experience they have acquired, it has given them the enormous advantage of an international outlook which will be of ever-increasing benefit in the future.

To succeed in the 21st century, we need the tools to participate in the global village that our technology has created. There is also a price for participation. That price is the internationalization of our educational systems via languages, communication, and travel.
 

IN THIS ISSUE:

Multilingual Matters
Maria Maldonado reminds us why language education is still so important in this age of automated communication

Home Improvement
Erica McDonald argues that self-efficacy is a key factor in improving the bilingual education of elementary students

Your Country Needs You to Study Abroad

A Labor of Learning
Cristiana Panicco sees Service Learning as the future of education

Real World Education
Sam Brier describes his faculty-led Service Learning program where students teach English in Bali

International Education News & Innovation

Spanish on a Global Scale
Language Magazine journeys to the places around the globe where Spanish can best be learned

Teaching English Internationally
Nicholas Ferdinandt explains what qualifications are needed to teach English as a Foreign Language

Teacher Education Selections
Language Magazine’s pick of teacher training programs

Last Writes
Richard Lederer with an alphabet dance

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