1st paragraph of the Bible

English:

(1)In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) Now
the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the
deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (3) And God
said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (4) God saw that the
light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (5) God
called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there
was evening, and there was morning-the first day.

Spanish:

(1) En el principio, Dios creó el cielo y la tierra. (2) Ahora la tierra no tenía forma y estaba vacio, la oscuridad estaba sobre la superficie del océano, y el espiritu de Dios estaba rondando sobre los mares. (3) Y Dios dijo, 'permite la luz existir' y haya luz. (4) Dios vio que la luz estaba bueno y separó la luz de la oscuridad. (5) Dios nombró la luz, "el dia," y nombró la oscuridad "la noche." Y haya noche y haya mañana el primero dia.

It was interesting to have to translate something so common as the beginning of the bible. I found myself having to contemplate how to best translate something and trying not to lose the intended of the English version. Such conflicts arose such as the earth being formless in English and yet in Spanish I described the earth has not having form. I had to change the adjective in English into something more active for the Spanish version. Another word was the "deep" in English which is relatively ambiguous even in English. I interpreted that as the depths of the ocean and thus translated that. Another interesting translation was the "let there be light." One of the most famous lines, it cannot quite translate directly and I chose instead to say "allow light to exist." For the most part, the main message can still be conveyed through this translation; however, this small exercise alone shows how representing complex ideas in different languages can become tricky.

Coma Victim's Language Ability

A recent breaking news story has been floating around the media about a Croatian girl who awakened from a coma with a change in language abilities. Prior to falling comatose, she had been learning German and after 24 hours in a coma, she woke up speaking only in German and not her native tongue Croatian.

Reading another article about this, the initial stories claimed that the 13 year girl woke up speaking fluent German. This however proved to be exaggerated and in fact her level of fluency could not have increased as a result of her coma. Findings did prove the claim that the girl was unable to speak her native language afterwards. This is a condition called bilingual aphasia in which damage to a part of the brain causes a person to lose capabilities with one of their two languages. Such a condition is possible because different regions of the brain are involved in remembering each of the two languages; this girl must have received an injury to the sections of her brain that were used for Croatian and resulted in her ability to only speak German.

This case proved that a lot of information remains undiscovered about language and the role the brain plays in language learning. It is known that different types of memory are involved in learning first and second languages but the point at which someone reaches a level of fluency for it to move from declarative to non-declarative memory remains unknown. Understanding how the brain manages multiples languages is still a relatively new task for cognitive psychologists and neurologists and learning how injuries to certain brain regions could affect the individual remains to be discovered.

I think this brings up the importance of biological factors in relation to language. The brain plays a major role in how we communicate with the world and how we are able to learn new languages. Further research into this topic could help us come up with better methods for learning multiple languages which can be extremely useful for people our globalized world.

The article can be found here: http://news.discovery.com/human/coma-croatian-girl-german.html

Overcoming Language Deficits

Children born with autism often have problems with language production. A recent study however shows that this barrier can be broken down through the use of music.

An article from the Boston Globe recounted the tale of two parents and the moment they realized their son was autistic. Even with therapy, he was unable to speak and had not done so since the age of 2. When he turned 8 years old, his parents decided to try out an experimental program that coaxes speech through the use of movement, singing, and imitation. While his speech would not seem very impressive to us (all done being said as "all-duh"), such little instances of speech production gratified his parents immensely.

This therapy is based on theories that music can engage and strengthen the auditory and motor regions on the right side of the brain. "The combination of sound and movement can activate a network of brain regions that overlap with brain areas thought to be abnormal in children with autism. Researchers think the intensive, repetitive training on sound paired with motion will help strengthen those abnormal areas."

Enabling someone previously limited in their capacity to speak at all, to actually create words and phrase shows the development of research into both language and medicine. I am curious as to the implications of such research; will people with language deficiencies soon be able to interact and function in the world similarly to everyone else?

article link: http://www.boston.com/news/local/massachusetts/articles/2010/04/22/when_language_is_blocked_music_may_offer_detour/

Reviving a dead language

It is well known that the English language has been imperialistic throughout history and often the goal of assimilation caused certain languages to become extinct within a generation or two. One such language that suffered from this radical attack is Dena'ina which used to be the language of native peoples living in Alaska. Students at the University of Alaska Anchorage have been studying the Kenai dialect of Dena'ina and because the last Kenia dialect speaker died years ago, they are forced to use dictionaries and grammar derived from linguists which the professor described as "harder than differential calculus."

Despite the difficulty, the students and those working to revitalize the language remain determined. They want to rectify a wrong perpetuated by the United States government during the beginning of the 20th century in which children had their mouths washed out with soap or faced corporal punishment for speaking their native tongue. Unfortunately these efforts to help assimilation resulted in the decimation of languages within a couple generations. Not only were the words and syntax lost, but the thought patterns embedded in the grammar of these languages were destroyed. "For example, Dena'ina has a grammatical construct for causation; a Dena'ina speaker subconsciously inserts a barred-l sound (not in English) at a certain place in the verb to mean, "cause it to happen. Thus every Dena'ina speaker would intuitively understand the veracity of causation."

As discussed in class, a common and useful way for people to revive languages is not only its reconstruction but finding ways to get young people to use the language. For now, the Alaska Native Language Center is putting forth strong efforts to put together the broken pieces of the language Dena'ina. Whether or not the language will become widely used once the pieces are put together remains to be seen.

Here's the link to the article: http://www.adn.com/2010/04/16/1229502/as-languages-die-we-lose-diversity.html

Body Language

When someone mentions language, often the first thing to come to mind is verbal or written languages. One of the incredible creations of both humans and animals is non-verbal communication. Body language allows us to interpret a great amount of information from a person without ever having spoken a single word.

A recent article in Psychology Today addressed the need for children to be taught about body language. Joe Navarro, the author of "What Every Body is Saying" was approached by many parents and asked how they should go about telling their children about body language and at what age they should start. He calls body language our "primary means of communication" and believes "it is every parent's responsibility to socialize their children" which includes teaching them about body language. He gives a list of ten things parents can do starting at about the age of two, including lessons such as the meaning of all nonverbal communication, the power of body language to communicate emotions, and the usefulness of learning to read the body language of others.

I do agree that body language plays unique role in our lives. It explains why we often do not even have to speak the same language as someone else and yet still comprehend one another. Body language differs throughout different regions or countries but it remains a universal means of relating to one another without speech. It can help you in situations to read the emotions of those around you; whether it is something small such as your interactions with a girlfriend/boyfriend or something more substantial like a job interview.

Looking further into the importance of body language, I found an article in which reading body language becomes crucial to one's safety. As mentioned earlier, animals also make use of body language and failure to read a dog's body language resulted in a life threatening situation for a young boy. Specifically referring to dog bites, "experts say an animal's body language speaks volumes, and most bites occur because people can't interpret their pets' postures and signals." In these circumstances, it would be vital for a child to understand body language because an animal (either pet or in the wild) may portray warning signs of aggression. Misunderstandings like this can occur with two human beings as well. A "dirty" look or the middle finger can often spark arguments and fights. Our communication with other beings in the world are not limited to written or vocal interactions and we should not overlook the role body language plays in our lives.

President of Poland

I was not quite sure how to save the online files as a pdf, so I'm posting the links to the newspaper reports on the event:

Wall Street Journal (English) - "Poland Mourns After President Is Killed In Plane Crash"

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304168004575177203537027616.html?mod=WSJ_hpp_LEFTTopStories

Washington Post (English) - "Poland mourns death of president, other top officials in plane crash"

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/04/11/AR2010041100863.html

LA Times (English) - "For Poland, plane crash in Russia rips open old wounds"

http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/asia/la-fg-polish-president-crash11-2010apr11,0,4409138.story?track=rss

NY Times (English) - "Poland Mourns President, Elite Killed In Crash"

http://www.nytimes.com/reuters/2010/04/11/world/international-uk-poland-president-crash.html

USA Today (English) - "President's body returned to Poland after crash killed 96"

http://www.usatoday.com/news/world/2010-04-10-polish-president-killed_N.htm?loc=interstitialskip

Language changes over time

As we have discussed in class, one of the most powerful and crucial cognitive faculties to humans is language. We know that new languages develop while others gradually die out but sometimes we forget that each individual language itself goes through an immeasurable number of phases and changes. The article "Liquid Language" discusses this topic in specific regard to English as a very fluid and constantly evolving language. The author pointed out some interesting points about relatively modern changes in English. There will always be a generational gap and the language of young people usually has many differences with that of a parent or grandparent. For example, "cool" and "awesome" being used as adjectives for "good" are relatively new additions. The author also mentioned that some academics believe the Bible should be translated every 25 years because they believe language morphs that quickly.

Politics and societal values are also reflected in the words we use. Men is no longer acceptable when referring to both genders; after the Feminist movement, women and men should be indicated by saying people. Other distinctions that may have mattered to older generations such as when to use "fewer" or "less" and the difference between "lie" and "lay". Language has remained incredibly flexible and people constantly find new methods of communication.

Looking further into this idea that languages do not stay the same, I was curious about any theories of language simply decaying or remaining stagnant. As Professor Boroditsky mentioned, there are instances in which imperialism wipes out languages in a single generation. However aside from extreme cases such as this, there is not much evidence for instantaneous decay of language. As stated by the author of this website: http://www.ancientscripts.com/hl_why.html, "anything that can be expressed in the ancient tongue can still be expressed today". American linguist William Labov proposed that languages actually bond socially over time. He advocated that a small portion of the population pronounces certain words differently or uses different words and eventually others want to identify with that group or enjoy the newly formed methods for communication and adopt it.. This has happened in many fields, especially with computer and technology related words such as email which were used originally by a small group and are almost universal now.

Here's the first article I read: http://www.dunnvillechronicle.com/ArticleDisplay.aspx?e=2522931

English as a secondary language in Miami

Recent reports show that Spanish is becoming the more predominant language in Miami, Florida and if the trend continues, English will be spoken by less than half of the city's population. Reading this article from MSNBC titled "In Miami, Spanish becoming primary language", the demographics show that the dense and ever increasing Hispanic population is making Spanish more than just a major language, the language is actually spoken much more than English. Miami has consistently attracted immigrants from Cuba and other Latin American countries. It is not surprising that Spanish has taken over a vast majority of the city.

This article does not see this as just a natural trend but as something that is negative and responsible for making English speakers feel marginalized. A woman who owns a flower shop in the city reports that her inability to speak Spanish hinders her ability to conduct business. Other Miami residents that do not speak Spanish tell how it has hurt their chances of finding a job or even something as simple as asking for directions. As a result, the white population has gradually been leaving the city and moving north where they feel more comfortable.

Spanish has assumed the role as the dominant language in this city and it is interesting to see this reversal of what is commonly seen in American cities. We are used to immigrants learning English and assimilating to the culture; however in this case, the immigrants are maintaining their culture and Americans are the ones who have to adapt in order to prosper economically. Americans' attitudes towards this trend was also very stereotypical because they feel offended that immigrants have the audacity to arrive here and have a greater advantage because their native language trumps English.

Another article on the topic had a similar viewpoint that immigrants in Miami should learn English. As brought up in class yesterday, there is no official language of the United States and I think that people should be able to speak whichever language allows them to function in society. Coming from Sacramento, the city has experienced similar trends with immigration and increased usage of other languages. English is the top language spoken in the city, but there are various street signs, billboards, and stores throughout the city that are in Spanish, Russian, Hmong, Mandarin, or a number of other languages. I also found it interesting that the white population has started a gradual migration out of Miami because a similar trend has been occurring in Sacramento; one of my teacher's called it "white flight." Within the past few decades, many new cities (Elk Grove, El Dorado Hills, Natomas, Carmichael, etc) have popped up with a very dense white population while Sacramento continues to grow in diversity. It would be interesting to see if language would also begin to travel with the immigrants and shift the dominance of English in my hometown as well.

Here's the first article: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/24871558/#storyContinued

and the second: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474978158689

Dual language classes

Learning more than one language is an ever increasing topic of interest for many people. Parents are especially concerned with their children's language abilities and how that could affect their future prospects. With college and career options becoming more competitive every day, every parent wants to give their child any extra skills possible to better ensure their success in the world. While the effects continue to be debated, bilingual education is a relatively modern idea (at least in the United States) that is being implemented across the country. The article "Dual language classes on the way" show how this educational reform is currently taking place in Modesto.

Being born and raised in Sacramento, I was particularly interested that such a program is happening in the local area. I have heard of such programs but always thought they only occurred in elite private schools on the east coast or the extremely affluent areas of Southern California. It is also interesting to note that this is starting in the midst of the economic troubles throughout the country and especially in the state. CA schools have undergone massive budget cuts during many of my years and yet the situation has no obvious solution in the near future. The article explained that the Modesto and other local schools districts who are starting these programs already have bilingual teachers who can instruct in both Spanish and English. Since these teachers do not require further training, there is less of a financial burden. Students that participate in these programs will begin bilingual education in kindergarten and continue onward instead of the typical language classes that begin in middle or high school. There will also be instruction on the basic subjects (math, social studies, etc) in both languages so that students become comfortable utilizing the language in multiple academic areas.

I think this program is a fantastic idea that should have been implemented a long time ago. Already teachers report that students who learn English as a second language are helping the native English speakers and vice versa. This way the students develop a sense of confidence in the language from a very early age and the combination of ESL students in the classes breaks down the alienation that often comes with learning English as a second language. By the time these students reach high school, they will already wield a diverse vocabulary and better understanding of cultural diversity. Bilingual education in this way can establish more acceptance and appreciation of other cultures and languages; if young people learn such values during their primary education, then they will carry that with them to college and their future lives.

The sad part is the money issue. Many schools, especially in California, do not have the resources to employ well qualified instructors and provide the necessary materials for such a program. It will take a long time for widespread bilingual education to become the norm of education policy. Hopefully the success of such programs that exist already will inspire future legislation for education reform that will push for bilingual education.

Here's a link to the article: http://www.modbee.com/2010/04/05/1115018/dual-language-classes-on-the-way.html