'but I don't see the point of being really bilingual' - well i see huge advantage in it, for practical reasons in many cases - while english is clearly dominant, others will not die - but for other advantages that come with such a state of education, some mentioned above, here's another - when you think in 'another' language, you think in a tangibly distinct manner .... from a very early age our thoughts are channelled down into linguistic terms, which terms shape a goodly part of our personal culture ... change the terms, get a glimpse of new culture, and only at that point do you have the opportunity to look back and observe the other from without ... which point of perspective i think valuable, and increasingly so on a shrinking planet
I preach english to all who don't yet have it, fwiw ... it's dominant, no question, and the practicality argument alone sells itself to anyone tuned in .... of course there is resistance, resentment against that dominance, i think of an individual living not far from our 'other palapa' who exhibits the same sort of paranoid xenophobic foaming at the mouth that Laz is putting on, but such folk are ineffectual dolts, who cares
What a morning, tried to catch up on several threads and the news and chat here as well, just realised it's three hours later and still falling behind ..... shoulda never learned to type, that's what -g- |
