Thoughts…2009.

The de facto slave

The United States is currently going through what we consider the worst crisis of our time and this has resulted due to our insatiable desire to “own” material goods. And this desire is fostered through the media and its manipulation of human wants (and not needs). We Americans become weak when we see someone driving a new car (even if the majority of the world doesn’t even drive). And, up until last year, our strong credit system made “owning” one so accessible. Now, in our pursuit of a dream called “American”, we find ourselves indebted beyond imagining and with no viable escape plan in mind. In this nation, children are taught to be professional slaves of the elite who control money in this nation. Now, we can just blame everyone else. But, it is true that we are manipulated into believing a lie. We are blinded.

Now, in order to realize that you really don’t have to own that massive home or that luxurious car, you need some comparison. And, that comes when one travels and sees how the rest of the world survives. This is the most viable way of ridding oneself of the “need” to own a new car, etc. By traveling, you see how other people live and learn to live within your means. Now, we do have another option. And, this is to spend time with an immigrant and adopt their frugal ways. This is the immigrants greatest contribution-his experience. You see, immigrants bring a host of experiences of deprivation, a different mind, one trained to work hard but not salvage its family along the way. Unfortunately, most Americans don’t travel nor share enough time with a newcomer to take advantage of their sensibility. So, today, we find ourselves isolated from a world which no longer cares to get to know us, either.

The problem is the American de facto slave run on the treadmill of life, from conception to death. They are so busy working away seeking some “American dream” (which is really just that, a dream) that they don’t really have a chance to meditate on their true purpose in life, whatever that may be. Some will never even find a purpose for living.

The evil TV

American babies are trained to consume and all through the most evil of inventions, the television set. This monster has become the entertainer, parent and yes, master of the American mind. There is no other country in the world mocked for being addicted to work!? How have we come to believe that true happiness lies in the goods we own? It is the TV and businesses who control its broadcast who are the culprits. It is insidious and intentional. It is no coincident. Pathetic programming steals invaluable time away from families who believe they don’t have time to spend together but who apparently do have time to watch TV. The consequence of this manipulation of the lower rung of the “corporate” ladder, is a populace who is obsessed with attaining goods. These poor souls, with that goal in mind, even deny their own body the care it requires to the point that they become sick, mentally and physically.

Our time alone

We are mortgaged in huge homes that we can barely afford, yet find ourselves sitting alone in our grandeur instead of with friends, friendships which we never develop, since we are so busy searching for the American dream. We, the people, have no time to think and devise a plan to escape the snare that entraps us. If we continue on this path, we will continue to be easily manipulated and be wrought with disease. This, the consequence of the incessant and voracious appetite for material goods that is ingrained. Consumerism destroys the family unit, deprives us of friendships and meaningful memories and wreaks havoc on our frail planet. It is time to turn the set off, conjure up an escape plan and learn to live life on our real means and not allow life to live us.

Why war?

War, especially the one we are currently fighting, is motivated by money, even if “democracy” sounds more convincing. The elite, who wish to continue to control wealth, and through manipulation of the masses and shameful lies, have embarked on a war which hasn’t made anyone happy and has created more enemies than we had before it. If at anytime we were susceptible, it is NOW. We have opened Pandora’s box from hell, and now not even those which used to call themselves our allies, stand behind us. When we didn’t receive support from our allies, why didn’t we stop there. We did we forge a war with which very few agreed? The textbooks used to school our children and the omnipresent television set, easily found in every room convince us of things that we don’t and can’t possibly rationalize. 1% of the world’s population controls over 90% of the money which circulates. The elite are very interested in maintaining power and making the atrocities they have committed seem benign and this is what is precisely done on TV and in our textbooks. But, in order to avoid committing more atrocities, it is necessary to stop deifying murderers, which occurs in our textbooks. We are not learning from history because it is not accurately portrayed. The result of war is death. It is not heroic, it is murder. How can this great nation expect to be admired, respected and loved by the other nations on this globe? Let’s use common sense, whatever is left of it. You reap what you sow. We are all subject to this natural law. If you sow an apple seed, you will not reap one apple, rather hundreds of apples. We sow war and expect to reap peace? How can this be? It’s absolutely impossible. If you kill, you will fall victim of the sword. And, this is precisely what happened on September, 11, 2001. Why would anyone have perpetrated such malice? The only viable answer is that we must have murdered at least that many people, in the past, in order to have experienced it. The 9-11 perpetrators were retaliating. You see, when any of us has a family member who is murdered, we will seek revenge. And, that is precisely what those men were doing. They were seeking revenge. So, our response was to murder some more? STOP! We must understand that going to war was not about seeking justice. According to natural law, we were reaping what we sowed. Messieurs-dames, money, OIL in particular (after all we consume 25% of all that’s produced), motivated this war. This is not about democracy as even in the United States, the masses are made productive machines who do not use their minds. In the U.S., the equal opportunity I observe is de facto slavery.

Seek knowledge

In order to control a people, you control the access that they have to knowledge. The Word teaches us to seek knowledge and wisdom more than material wealth and then we will truly be free. Legal slaves were controlled by being kept illiterate in the past. You want to be manipulated, stop reading and keep watching TV. It’s that easy. Someone that is not aware of what is happening around them will fall victim of the elite who have created wealth, and are not interested in sharing it. Please, it’s time to invest in yourself. The university is not a place where you earn a degree so that you can become a de facto slave, it is a place where you seek knowledge, which in turn will make you truly wealthy. If you want to be wealthy, seek understanding, knowledge and wisdom.

The American awakening

Democracy is a mental state and not a physical one. Freedom is felt in the heart and mind. The majority of our citizenry are not physically bound but are, in spirit. I dare say that there are people bound in prison who enjoy freedom even more than those who work 8-5pm in search of the American dream. It’s good to dream, but at one point, we must enjoy the American awakening.

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syllabus

1411-5501

1411-5261

We are not Europe. Our experience is not one of independent kingdoms which developed their own language. We are a young nation and a language experiment. Today, English has become the lingua franca and this is mostly due to the financial clout of the United States. We have land, we have resources and we have workers. But, how did the U.S. become a world power by the early 20th century, within 150 years of its inception? We achieved this through our one language stance…we became one culture and sacrificed our foreign identity. For the United States to have grown economically as fast as it did, the newcomers must have learned English and assimilated “American” culture in order to have integrated and taken advantage of the financial opportunties available in it. And, this is indeed what happened.

At the inception of this country, our founding fathers didn’t know in which language to write the Constitution as many languages were spoken freely aside from English (in contrast to today), they were, after all, recent immigrants and isolated in their communities. There was no push to assimilate the newcomers. So, the decision to use English as a common language was almost arbitrary. But, this decision has had a far-reaching  impact on language maintenance and death in the United States an throughout the world. 

In the quest of our predecessors to have access to two oceans (manifest destiny), we overcame obstacles and traversed thousands of miles by foot. A great price was paid and now we possess the third largest country in the world after Russia and Canada. But, how could a nation of that dimension prosper with so much land mass to inhabit and being a nation of immigrants? Clearly, in order to prosper commercially as a nation, we had to communicate. Therein, the English-only movement began.

In our quest to maintain united, we have taken an English only posture. Unfortunately, if we want to eat bananas or get Brazilian ethanol, we must be able to communicate with them. It’s ironic to want the product but not the producer? unlike the European Union which commerce among each other and open their border. But, if we want to receive those goods, we must be able to commerce with people around the globe, especially with Mexico and the rest of Latin-America since they are our greatest trading partner due to proximity. Globalization is changing our language experience. It requires us to become multi-lilngual. Now English only is not enough. The European language reality helps us to understand the benefits and pitfalls of an English-only stance.

Why are Europeans famous for speaking multiple languages and not us? Well, the answer is simple. They have always been fragmented kingdoms and still are even if they did adopt a single currency. The countries or kingdoms are much smaller than the United States. As a matter of fact, all of the European Union’s combined 27 nations are still less than half the size of the United States.

Let’s suppose that we live in France, it’s very easy to be exposed to German as it is on its northern border. So, I could practice German on the weekends and eventually, with the help of a friend, master the language. I could then continue with my Italian as it also lies on the French border. And, Spanish would follow, etc. The countries are so small by contrast to the U.S., (France is about the same size of Texas), that they have an opportunity to travel without a visa to any country and improve their language base with minimal effort. There are, after all, 23 official languages within the European union. Many to choose from. The United States, by contrast, is so massive that it literally takes days to travel to any of our borders, north to Canada where a dialect of French can be learned, or Mexico our greatest Spanish-speaking trading partner (NAFTA). In contrast, you can traverse France easily within 10 hours to any border. Our size complicates language learning.

So, in order to grow financially and maintain order, we have encouraged the use of one language. Nevertheless, in a globalized world, the English only posture is absurd and unrealistic, especially if we intend to keep competitive.

But, our southern border is fading. This is the factor which greatly impacts language learning in the U.S. Latin-american immigration is changing our linguistic reality. The Hispanic population is the fastest growing in the country. With this continuous immigration from our southern trade partners (Latin-America), the value of speaking Spanish and the ease to practice and therefore learn it, will improve. Americans will no longer have our size and isolation as an excuse to being English-only.

INSTRUCTIONS

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Unit 2

Unit 3

Unit 4

Unit 5

Unit 6

Unit 7

Unit 8

Unit resources (accompany unit assignments)

APUNTES DEL PROFESOR (AUDIO)

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PRESENTACIONES PARA EL FORO (AUDIO)

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(** Source: *http://www.globalpolicy.org/globaliz/econ/2008/0204demise.htm

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*EDITOR’S NOTE**: This author, a world-known thinker and scholar, in the article written in February this year predicts “The political balance is swinging back” as we now see in the United States. But he immediately points out: “The real question is not whether this phase is over but whether the swing back will be able, as in the past, to restore a state of relative equilibrium in the world-system.” and goes on to ask “Or has too much damage been done? And are we now in for more violent chaos in the world-economy and therefore in the world-system as a whole.” This is a serious question, and a question that needs an answer not only from the government, the presidential contenders, and the people of the United States, but from the governments and peoples of the whole world as well.*

The ideology of neoliberal globalization has been on a roll since the early 1980s. It was not in fact a new idea in the history of the modern world-system, although it claimed to be one. It was rather the very old idea that the governments of the world should get out of the way of large,efficient enterprises in their efforts to prevail in the world market. The first policy implication was that governments, all governments, should permit these corporations freely to cross every frontier with their goods and their capital. The second policy implication was that the governments, all governments, should renounce any role as owners themselves of these

productive enterprises, privatizing whatever they own. And the third policy implication was that governments, all governments, should minimize, if not eliminate, any and all kinds of social welfare transfer payments to their populations. This old idea had always been cyclically in fashion.

In the 1980s, these ideas were proposed as a counterview to the equally old Keynesian and/or socialist views that had been prevailing in most countries around the world: that economies should be mixed (state plus private enterprises); that governments should protect their citizens from the depredations of foreign-owned quasi-monopolist corporations; and that governments should try to equalize life chances by transferring benefits to their less well-off residents (especially education, health, and lifetime guarantees of income levels), which required of course taxation of better-off residents and corporate enterprises.

The program of neoliberal globalization took advantage of the worldwide profit stagnation that began after a long period of unprecedented global expansion in the post-1945 period up to the beginning of the 1970s, which had encouraged the Keynesian and/or socialist views to dominate policy. The profit stagnation created balance-of-payments problems for a very large number of the world’s governments, especially in the global South and the so-called socialist bloc of nations. The neoliberal counteroffensive was led by the right-wing governments of the United States and Great Britain (Reagan and Thatcher) plus the two main intergovernmental financial agencies – the International Monetary Fund and the World Bank, and these jointly created and enforced what came to be called the Washington Consensus. The slogan of this global joint policy was coined by Mrs. Thatcher: TINA, or There is No Alternative. The slogan was intended to convey to all governments that they had to fall in line with the policy recommendations, or they would be punished by slow growth and the refusal of international assistance in any difficulties they might face.

The Washington Consensus promised renewed economic growth to everyone and a way out of the global profit stagnation. Politically, the proponents of neoliberal globalization were highly successful. Government after government- in the global South, in the socialist bloc, and in the strong Western countries – privatized industries, opened their frontiers to trade and financial transactions, and cut back on the welfare state.Socialist ideas,even Keynesian ideas, were largely discredited in public opinion and renounced by political elites. The most dramatic visible consequence was the fall of the Communist regimes in east-central Europe and the former Soviet Union plus the adoption of a market-friendly policy by still-nominally socialist China.

The only problem with this great political success was that it was not matched by economic success. The profit stagnation in industrial enterprises worldwide continued. The surge upward of the stock markets everywhere was based not on productive profits but largely on speculative financial manipulations. The distribution of income worldwide and within countries became very skewed – a massive increase in the income of the top 10% and especially of the top 1% of the world’s populations, but a decline in real income of much of the rest of the world’s populations.

Disillusionment with the glories of an unrestrained “market” began to set in by the mid-1990s. This could be seen in many developments: the return to power of more social-welfare-oriented governments in many countries; the turn back to calling for government protectionist policies, especially by labor movements and organizations of rural workers; the worldwide growth of an alterglobalization movement whose slogan was “another world is possible.”

This political reaction grew slowly but steadily. Meanwhile, the proponents of neoliberal globalization not only persisted but increased their pressure with the regime of George W. Bush. Bush’s government pushed simultaneously more distorted income distribution (via very large tax cuts for the very well-off) and a foreign policy of unilateral macho militarism (the Iraq invasion). It financed this by a fantastic expansion of borrowing (indebtedness) via the sale of U.S. treasury bonds to the controllers of world energy supplies and low-cost production facilities.

It looked good on paper, if all one read were the figures on the stock markets. But it was a super-credit bubble that was bound to burst, and is now bursting. The Iraq invasion (plus Afghanistan plus Pakistan) are proving a great military and political fiasco. The economic solidity of the United States has been discredited, causing a radical fall in the dollar. And the stock markets of the world are trembling as they face the pricking of the bubble.

So what are the policy conclusions that governments and populations are drawing? There seem to be four in the offing. The first is the end of the role of the U.S. dollar as the reserve currency of the world, which renders impossible the continuance of the policy of super-indebtedness of both the government of the United States and its consumers. The second is the return to a high degree of protectionism, both in the global North and the global South. The third is the return of state acquisition of failing enterprises

and the implementation of Keynesian measures. The last is the return of more social-welfare redistributive policies.The political balance is swinging back. Neoliberal globalization will be written about ten years from now as a cyclical swing in the history of the capitalist world-economy. The real question is not whether this phase is over but whether the swing back will be able, as in the past, to restore a state of relative equilibrium in the world-system. Or has too much damage been done? And are we now in for more violent chaos in the world-economy and therefore in the world-system as a whole.

In this link, you can read about the qualities that are most desired by employers in new job applicants. You will be amazed!

1) Your laptop. You will avoid a lot of heartache if you have one and bring it. There are not enough computers for every students studying at Universitas. There is Wifi access all around the school.

2) Walking shoes. You will need you favorite pair of walking shoes. You will walk at least an hour a day.

3) Credit/debit cards. This is the most convenient way of accessing your money.

4) Camera. Have a good camera handy as you will visit some unique places and will want to conserve the memory.

5) miscellaneous items:

jacket (gets to 55 degrees at sunset), sunblock (there is a beach in the city), 5? outfits (don’t overpack), tylenol, prescribed medicine, etc.

A lot has been published about the lack of preparation that incoming freshmen possess. And, I do have to admit a few things concerning this topic. Last semester, Fall of 2008, grades WERE below average and I had more students fail than ever before. The notes that I use to teach the material have not changed and the pool of tests from which I select an exam, hasn’t changed either. The only variable that has changed is ME. I should have become more effective over these 7 years, more creative and more apt to teach any level student. Nevertheless, that was not the case.

At the beginning of the semester, the average was around 15 points lower than any previous group. This startled and baffled me. What was going on? What was I doing wrong? I have the reputation of being able to take any student and teach them vasts amount of data. But, this semester, I did not live up to my reputation (although, students were the most appreciative as I received quite a few cards and Christmas gifts!). Other professors have been complaining about the inadequate preparation of current students and their lack of enthusiasm and discipline. Students, now a day, just aren’t grasping these essential concepts. So, instead of complaining about the quality of my students or the lack thereof, I will try to speak encouragement. I hope to lessen the frustration of both parties.

We live idealized worlds. Worlds in which students are taught, cooperate and produce the right answer. And sometimes they will but at times, they won’t. As instructors, we shouldn’t feel personally responsible. If we are being responsible, creative instructors, then we are doing what we’re supposed to. At times, I feel personally responsible for student failure and it’s depressing. You wish that you could do more, or HELP them pass. The problem is that students are being helped year to year since kindergarten and have never truly caught up. They end up in my classroom and are blown away. They think the matter is too difficult (actually, it gets so complicated, I can’t even comprehend the answer at times. Language encompasses hundreds of thousands of words.) It’s A LOT but as an instructor, I have to hold all students to the same expectations. I do not give extra credit. I simply tell the student to try again. At one point, the student should be made aware that it’s her responsibility and that if she fails, she need to try again. It’s important to gain the knowledge and that should be why they are there. They need to be accountable and the instructor should not carry this load, alone. Otherwise, disappointment will come.  So, here are some tips to encourage instructors:

1) Teach what you can:  they are in your classroom, now do what you can and be content. I am happy to teach and believe in my ability to affect the student’s knowledge base but I do not determine the outcome. I have the opportunity to teach them, they will learn a lot or a little, but it’s up to them. I love hearing my students use certain expressions that I use. At that point, I know that they ARE listening and ARE learning.

2) Students impact their sphere of influence: it’s important to have some facts in your brain but even more important to actually use them to improve your personal life. When I expose students to a new concept, a new word, a new perspective, I am impacting their life. I hope that the knowledge learned in the classroom will allow them to lead more productive lives. I believe that they use the knowledge to impact their circle of influence for the better.

3) Encourage students to seek other educational opportunities: I hope that by teaching Spanish conversation or grammar, my students will seek more opportunities to master the subject matter and especially through getting to know one of its speakers. Even if the student fails my class because they can’t conjugate a verb, if I at least have awakened their desire to seek other educational opportunities, then I am satisfied. Learning is not relegated to the classroom, rather is a life-long endeavor.

4) Bad students versus good students: it is true that some students learn certain things easier and others take longer or never understand the material. Give the student the opportunity to seize the opportunity to learn something. Some students will not invest the time and get it, and others that do, just don’t understand. Accept this fact. And, teach them and each student will do what he can.

5) Keep doing the good: Don’t give up on them. We know what to do and shouldn’t be so discouraged about the quality of the student’s work to the point that we become less effective. It’s easy for us to get caught up and this seriously impacts the learning environment. We must prepare the way so that learning can take place. It is true that we expect a lot from our students but they are making an effort and if they didn’t get it this time, maybe they will in another class or in their own search for the answer.

6) Don’t speak negatively: this is the most critical one. We can’t get caught up in all this negativity. We are facing some challenges but I believe in my students. I’ll do what I can and I believe that if they are behind, that I can help them catch up. If every teacher assumes their responsibility, the student will be better prepared. Do what you can, and don’t baby the student in their learning. The student must take their role seriously and work hard, the WHOLE way and not just in one semester. Some will fail, others will succeed. Ensure that the lesson plan is ready to go, use innovative teaching practices and speak encouragement into your students. No need for lies, but we can speak truth in an encouraging way. Watch the tongue. We are what we speak. Speak what you expect, what you hope, what your desire, and you just might get what you ask for.

https://mavspace.uta.edu:443/tamez/instruction video.swf

https://mavspace.uta.edu:443/tamez/jing movie.swf

De niño, mis tíos me llamaban “el maestro.” Parece ser que desde pequeño, había en mí cierta predisposición a actuar como maestro. Parece ser que me encantaba compartir ideas y sugerencias con ellos, a tal grado que me apodaron así. Pero, lo más interesante, y de lo que posiblemente ellos ni se dieron cuenta, es que ellos formaban en mí esta inclinación. Soy inmigrante, nacido en Allende, Nuevo León, México, pero criado en Dallas. Dado que mi familia se mudó acá cuando yo apenas cumplía los dos años, fui formado en dos culturas, la cultura anglo dominante y la hispana. A veces, comento que fui criado en mi pequeño pueblo, en mi enclave, dentro de los Estados Unidos mismo. Cuando se vive en un área, rodeado de una extensa familia, que hasta comparten el mismo hogar, y con vecinos hispanohablantes, es difícil integrarse o extenderse más allá. Verdaderamente, fui criado en México y en Estados Unidos, a pesar de no haber pisado mi tierra hasta 10 años después, a los 13 años de edad cuando por primera vez, conocí la tierra que me conoció primero. Durante el horario escolar, me criaban mis maestras, en su mayoría blancas con sus valores, normas, modales y perspectiva. Y, al salir, regresaba a mi pueblo “mexicano”, donde cenábamos toda la familia junta, la deliciosa comida preparada por mi abuela y después, a ver la novela mexicana que era el enlace más genuino a mi identidad mexicana. Ésta me instruía y revelaba cómo era que un verdadero mexicano debería de pensar, actuar, hablar, hacer gestos, vestir y dramatizar. La trasmisión de mi cultura mexicana y mi desarrollo lingüístico, lo atribuyo a esas horas, bien invertidas delante del televisor que me enseñaba lo que yo era por dentro, en mis entrañas. Era un mexicano que poco a poco, a pesar de habitar en mi pequeño enclave, iba asimilando más la cultura foránea, que iba adoptando su manera de pensar a detrimento de mi identidad mexicana. El español, lo practicaba exclusivamente con mi familia extendida; con mis hermanos y amigos, hablaba el inglés puesto que era más natural, pasaba más tiempo aprendiendo el inglés que el español.

Aunque me gustaría pensar que hablaba un español estándar durante mi adolescencia, antes de empezar a estudiarlo en la prepa, hoy como maestro, veo mi comienzo inmaduro y frágil reflejado en mis estudiantes hispanohablantes, aquellos a quienes enseño su primer curso de español académico. Y, vaya que su manera de expresar es deficiente. Unos son, prácticamente, analfabetas…por lo menos, yo lo era en mi lengua madre. Lo hablaba pero nunca lo había leído ni escrito ni por lo menos, estudiado un poco. Era analfabeta. Y, aunque es difícil encontrar analfabetas angloparlantes en los Estados Unidos, sí es posible. Y, siempre es interesante analizar su habla. Lo único que hace el analfabeta es imitar sonidos. Cuando los hispanohablantes (no nativos) intentan escribir por primera vez, me doy cuenta que su pronunciacio`n de ciertas palabras, no acierta. Puesto que no ha visto las palabras de manera escrita, omite ciertos sonidos o los confunde. Así era yo, así son mis estudiantes.

Lo más increíble es la entrega de su primer escrito. Ver esas mutaciones de palabras…escriben lo que han escuchado sin tener idea que la palabra que escriben ni se halla en ningún diccionario. Ojalá me hubieran grabado de niño para hoy poder escucharme y apreciar el gran cambio que ha ocurrido en mí. Se dice que la escolaridad es la mayor herramienta que posee el hombre para cambiar el curso de la historia y esto es aun más cierto cuando se aprende a escribir en esta lengua romance y tan valiosa, no sólo para acceder la literatura y por ende el conocimiento sino para poder expresar las emociones, los deseos y compartir el conocimiento que aprendí en ingl`es ahora al testigo hispano. Cómo más se puede compartir el conocimiento sino a través de la palabra hablada y la escrita…se puede al hablar pero es muy limitante. Sólo se puede hablar a un número reducido y nuestra voz, a no ser que se grabe el discurso que damos, ciertamente cambiará. Pero, la palabra escrita queda por la historia, entregada a la posteridad.

Hace ya más de 3 años que por primera vez di la clase de hispanohablantes. Y, realmente ha sido una experiencia grata. En cada sesión, alumno tras alumno me acuerdo de mí mismo. Me acuerdo cuando yo tomé el mismo curso bajo la instrucción del excelentísimo Dr. Elliott. Un hombre, que por ser anglohablante, me inspiró a continuar los estudios y apasionarme por ellos en mi lengua natal. Este semestre, enseño a 25 alumnos que poco a poco se van apasionando por aprender más de sí mismos, al estudiar lo que pareciera lo menos significante, la gramática. Creo que poco a poco se dan cuenta de que el estudio de la gramática realmente es fundamental para entender quiénes son, es decir aprender la identidad que poseen. Es verdad que la lengua es la base de la cultura. No cabe duda pero al principio es difícil convencerlos de ello. Poco a poco, desde el inicio con el presente del indicativo hasta llegar al pluscuamperfecto del subjuntivo, se van dando cuenta de los matices que revelan quiénes son y en que dirección la lengua los lleva. Es decir, una lengua viva evoluciona, se va perfeccionando aunque algunos puristas pensarán que se va degradando. En realidad, las formas que mayor confusión causan, a pesar de nuestros esfuerzos por detener su transgresión, se van simplificando y para la supervivencia de la lengua y por ende, de sus portadores, los hablantes. Y, ¿cómo es que una persona puede comprender su lengua materna o dominante sin haber estudiado otra? ¿Cómo es que yo llego a poseer una identidad si todo mundo a mi alrededor se parece a mí? Al encontrarse con alguien en gran manera diferente, primeramente en su físico, es donde uno llega a entender quién es. Si todo mundo fuera morado, no se sabría que uno fuera morado, ya que nunca se haría esa distinción, no habría la necesidad. Pero, para estos hispanohablantes, la mayoría estadounidenses de primera generación, es crucial cursar la materia para lograr una identidad, basada no sólo en las similitudes entre los alumnos presentes provenientes de tantos países sino en la belleza de la lengua que comparten. Es verdad que la base de una cultura es la lengua. Y, esta clase es el puente que les hace ver quiénes son.

Esta clase será la primera y quizá la última donde en su totalidad, encontrarán a personas que comparten el tesoro de su lengua y cultura. Les parece extraño, me cuentan, porque es por primera vez, en una materia universitaria y para muchos al nivel escolar, donde el profesor y ellos mismos se comunican en español. En EE.UU. lógicamente, el inglés domina y es fascinante para ellos verse obligados a expresar lo más íntimo de su persona en la lengua de sus padres; es como trasladar el hogar al salón de clases. Al principio se expresan con temor ya que casi parece una invasión de la privacidad. No obstante esto evoluciona también. Dentro de su espíritu, caben dos identidades fundidas en una, no obstante algo que los hace singular. No son como sus compañeros monolingües, realmente son dos culturas fusionadas en una. En este curso, llegan a identificar y aceptarlo. Este es el principio de una exploración en busca de consolidar su identidad.

Al principio les pregunté que cuántos pensaban estudiar otra materia de español, y pocos elevaron la mano. La semana pasada, volví a preguntarles y muy pocos no la levantaron. A través de esta jornada intensiva, les ha gustado estar entre familia, compartir sus sentimientos mas íntimos y revelar lo que ocultaron del público por tanto tiempo. En este curso han perdido esa vergüenza que los protegía y les impedía revelar sus flaquezas lingüísticas. La falta de preparación académica en la lengua española les dificultaba la expresión pues pronto se darían cuenta de que sus destrezas no estaban a la par de sus compatriotas nativo hablantes que conocían la lengua, preferían expresarse en ella y que los burlaban por su ineptitud. Después de cursar esta materia en particular, han tenido la oportunidad de identificar esos errores, corregirlos y exhibir el nivel que ahora poseen. Echaron fueron el temor y con orgullo, pueden levantar la mano y unirse en la causa, aprender más sobre sí mismos, a través del estudio del castellano.

Son tan jóvenes que instarles la importancia del estudio de esta bella lengua, es difícil. Han descartado su valor y la han usado solo en los momentos que se encuentran con inmigrantes que no tuvieron la oportunidad de estudiar el inglés al grado de lograr dominarlo. Son esos momentos raros, donde se encuentran rodeados de sus antecesores, de los pioneros que vienen sufriendo el aislamiento por varios años en este país anglófono entre una plétora de lenguas ocultas. Se ha vuelto tabú el uso no inglés por el movimiento anti inmigrante que se presenta en esta época de escasez económica, cuando conviene apuntar dedos al único que no posee la palabra para defenderse, el migrante. No obstante, debido a la globalización, estamos más integrados, interconectados y el uso único del inglés, ya no basta para lograr nuestra meta, de estabilidad económica. Abrimos nuestros contornos hacia lo foráneo y nos encontramos con hablantes de otras lenguas y ahora toca aprenderlas. ¿Cómo pues, es que en este país los hispanohablantes querrían descartar este tesoro escondido, su lengua, su identidad?, mientras los anglófonos buscan ardientemente poder alcanzar este mercado inmenso de hablantes del español? Su jornada solo empieza y pronto se darán cuenta del valor de su identidad.

The two core courses for the degree in International Business with a Spanish concentration are 4334 (Globalization of the Hispanic world) and 4335 (Business Spanish).

4335: Ideally, one would take this course first as it lays the foundation of Business in Spanish. In this course, the student learns the business jargon in Spanish, familiarizes with cultural topics related to business (time, gestures, religion, etc.) which influence how business is carried out in the Spanish speaking world. The student also has the opportunity to research important companies in various countries, review grammar concepts and share ideas concerning cultural topics in a chat forum. Students are required to act out a business scenario in which they apply knowledge gained in a video recording for their final project. This course is only offered online.

4334: This course requires a very strong command in speaking, reading and writing. This course can be taken in the same semester and 4335 but is better taken afterward. In this course, we apply all of the knowledge that we have gained over the years in business and Spanish courses and delve into specific topics such as Free Trade agreements, Maquiladoras in Mexico and business culture to identify potential opportunities and challenges in trying to commerce internationally within the Spanish speaking world. Students carry out an interview with a man/women who works in Internation business as their final project.  This course is offered online and as a hybrid course, depending on the semester.

Aquí encontrarán un powerpoint sobre lo que se consideran nacadas según un amigo. Quizá le hallen gracia. Para ver estas advertencias, pulsar aquí.

This coming week, the Spanish-speaking world and regions where there is a great concentration of Spanish-speaking people, conmemorate el Dia de los muertos, an ancient tradition dating back thousands of years. This is not Halloween, as it is celebrated in the States with costumes, candy and horror movies, although because of dates which coincide, it is easy to believe that they are similar.

During the Dia de los muertos, or actually multiple days (beginning with the 31st and ending on the 2nd of November), depending on where you live, is a celebration of life over death. It is a time to honor the dead, as they return home from a long voyage to reunite with loved ones during a brief stay.

In Mexico, the family unit is strong. And, this tradition strengthens it even more. The extended family continously increases, as new padrinos, madrinas, compadres, comadres…join in. What’s most impressive, however, is the fact that even after you die, you are still a part of the family.

To honor the dead, the family prepares the altar de muertos (altar of the dead) in their home, which celebrates the life of the deceased. This is done by decorating the altar with: his favorite dish(es), liquor, drink, their pictures, toys (in the case of children), tools, and other memorabilia which the deceased miss after being away for a year.

In Mesoamerican tradition, death is mocked as it cannot triumph over life rather is in harmony with it. The dead truly never die and come back to remind the living that our life is simply a cycle. That death is not the end, rather in accord with the natural cycle of existence.

Now, what impresses me is the reaction of some Americans with regard to this celebration as in certain cases, it seems a bit spooky. But, I find this ironic as being a nation founded on Christianity, the perception of death is very much the same. According to the Word, death has been overcome and the believer shall never die rather reign in heaven with the father. If one truly believes this, why be afraid of even talking about dying? Why is it that the celebration of Dia de los muertos would scare someone who supposedly holds a similar belief of eternal life? It goes to show that a lack of this type of tradition/ritual, makes the concept of death foreign and it is natural to fear what you don’t know. But, for mesoamericans who hold fast to this tradition, the encounter with death is commonplace to the extent that it is difficult to be afraid of it.

Now, the major difference between these two beliefs is that the dead are not able to return to reencounter the living in Christianity whereas for Mexicans, this happens once a year at the last opportunity at life,  Autumn, as it draws near the end, Winter. Autumn represents the end of life and beginning of the reign of death for a short period. Life is divided into cycles which surely repeat themselves each year. Just a someone is born, death must arrive. And, now it just depends on us if we welcome or avert it.