I would not like my country to be invaded and nobody to respect my culture.
How can we one in America and not want to learn real American culture ie its language.
Americans can't be respected abroad if they don't respect themselves.
It would appear that the only culture Americans admire and/or repect is the British one. A few manage to keep ties with their ancestors and speak Polish or Yiddish for a few generations. But none seem to want to learn about real American cultures: Native American languages. Why? Because the natives were peaceful and didn't fight back at westerners? Because the British empire is wonderful? Because westerners are etnocentric and have a hard time considering any other culture valid?
Of course one should respect one's own cultural ancestry. Anyone of say Dutch descent ought to know and speak Dutch. I also believe it should be obligatory in schools to teach Native languages aswell. There, where the Sioux used to live, one should oblige schools to teach Sioux to children so they may grow up to be respectful and wize citizens. They will be respected for this.
I live in Catalunya where locals cling onto their own language proudly. They also speak fluent Castillian (Spanish) and good French, these both having been invading cultures. But teach children in Catalan in schools and universities. The result is that Barcelona has the highest cultural level in Spain today if measured by books read per capita and also the highest GDP/capita along with the Basks and Balearics, both also bilingual regions. Catalans are also those who most travell abroad.
Catalans also aspire to become independant one day, as do Basks, for historic reasons. Spain will have to accept that.
Of course some in Catalunya choose to only speak one language, but that's their downfall as most jobs go to bilinguals or trilinguals. I tell my kids: "si vols ser ric, parla Català !" Indeed Barcelona's affluent population speak Catalan.
Learning Native American languages may seem a bit anachronic to some, but the benefits thereof are enormous.
cheers!
ianfletcherif@hotmail.com Barcelona Catalunya
How can we one in America and not want to learn real American culture ie its language.
Americans can't be respected abroad if they don't respect themselves.
It would appear that the only culture Americans admire and/or repect is the British one. A few manage to keep ties with their ancestors and speak Polish or Yiddish for a few generations. But none seem to want to learn about real American cultures: Native American languages. Why? Because the natives were peaceful and didn't fight back at westerners? Because the British empire is wonderful? Because westerners are etnocentric and have a hard time considering any other culture valid?
Of course one should respect one's own cultural ancestry. Anyone of say Dutch descent ought to know and speak Dutch. I also believe it should be obligatory in schools to teach Native languages aswell. There, where the Sioux used to live, one should oblige schools to teach Sioux to children so they may grow up to be respectful and wize citizens. They will be respected for this.
I live in Catalunya where locals cling onto their own language proudly. They also speak fluent Castillian (Spanish) and good French, these both having been invading cultures. But teach children in Catalan in schools and universities. The result is that Barcelona has the highest cultural level in Spain today if measured by books read per capita and also the highest GDP/capita along with the Basks and Balearics, both also bilingual regions. Catalans are also those who most travell abroad.
Catalans also aspire to become independant one day, as do Basks, for historic reasons. Spain will have to accept that.
Of course some in Catalunya choose to only speak one language, but that's their downfall as most jobs go to bilinguals or trilinguals. I tell my kids: "si vols ser ric, parla Català !" Indeed Barcelona's affluent population speak Catalan.
Learning Native American languages may seem a bit anachronic to some, but the benefits thereof are enormous.
cheers!
ianfletcherif@hotmail.com Barcelona Catalunya