Frankenstorm: The Perfect Storm with a Perfect Name

Posted On October 30, 2012By TranspanishIn English Language, Languages/ No Comments

Can a new word become part of a language before the event it refers to officially happens? That seems to be what happened with “Frankenstorm” — the storm currently terrorizing cities and towns along the East Coast.

Paul Payack, the president and chief word analyst of Global Language Monitor, which tracks word usage in the English language around the world, suggests that the name Frankenstorm most likely became an official English word before the storm even made landfall. To qualify as having entered the English lexicon, a word must be mentioned at least 25,000 times in the global media, including print and electronic media, blogs and social media. And it has to be used in every place where English is spoken as the primary language.

The popularity of the word largely comes from the well-known literary character it refers to, Frankenstein, and its eerie occurrence so close to Halloween. But the extreme makeup and strength of the tropical storm-turned-hurricane is ultimately what connects it to the terrifying and destructive man-made character from Mary Shelley’s novel. Perhaps not surprisingly, the blogosphere is already lit up with debates as to what extent Frankenstorm is also man-made.

So there are several reasons that this ‘perfect storm’ seems to have gotten a perfect name … or nickname, at least. Let’s not forget she’s actually called Sandy.

Communicating for Life: The Language Barrier in Health Care

Posted On October 29, 2012By TranspanishIn Languages, Spanish Language, Spanish Translation, Translation Buyers/ No Comments

Learning a foreign language for the purpose of living in another country goes beyond mastering the basic conversations one might have on a street corner. With the complexity of life, comes the wide variety of situations that a person must know how to navigate in their new language in order to get by. But even for those who are conversational or, indeed, fluent in the language of their host country, communication in the context of health care can prove to be a daunting challenge. Because it comprises a highly technical vocabulary, a simple conversation with a doctor or nurse can easily call for a number of words that the patient may never have come into contact with before.

Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net
Unfortunately, this has the effect of preventing some groups of people from even seeking the care that they need. A recent study conducted by a team of researchers at Northwestern University found that non-English speaking Latinas in the US are less likely to receive an epidural during the birth of their first child than English-speaking Latinas and non-Hispanic patients. The language barrier that these women experience in the delivery room, for example, actually prevents them from knowing what their options are and making an informed decision regarding their health care. And that’s only one example. The ramifications of this barrier extend to anyone who has limitations in English and has ever required medical attention.

The stress that an immigrant can experience in a doctor’s office comes from all sides: unfamiliarity with common local medical practices, differences in attention to patients, even the appearance of health care facilities may be quite different from what the person is used to. Add to all of that the language barrier — amplified by a highly technical context — and the result can be a very intimidating experience.

The benefit of studies such as the recent one from Northwestern is that healthcare providers can start to understand the difficulties that Latinos and Latinas face in seeking and receiving care in the US, which can begin the process of finding ways to mitigate them. Whether it’s having a Spanish-speaking employee on hand, or creating issue-specific pamphlets in Spanish with basic information to get the conversation started — institutions and health care providers have a number of ways they can respond to this need.

Indigenous Influence on the Spanish Language

Posted On October 24, 2012By TranspanishIn Did you know?, Languages, Spanish Language/ 1 Comment

The history of the lexical influences that have come into contact with the Spanish language is one steeped in geography, politics and colonization. When Christopher Columbus arrived in the Americas representing the Spanish crown, he was immediately put into contact with various native groups and tribes with their own respective languages. As colonization spread out over the continent, the penetration of these influences grew, adding words to the Spanish language that might sometimes be taken for granted as being from the original Castilian.

Spanish words with indigenous origin

With the discovery of new technologies, crafts or inventions, comes the discovery of the terms given to them. One of these which Columbus discovered from the local mode of transportation was canoas. It was not long before the term replaced the word Columbus had used to describe them in his journals — almadía. The Castilian word was simply not an accurate description of this form of transport, and so for simplicity the native word was quickly adopted. The Spanish explorers also discovered hammocks in the Americas, and adopted the indigenous word hamaca to refer to them.

This penetration of local vocabulary also occurred with indigenous flora and fauna which did not exist in Europe at that time, and thus for which there were no existing words in Castilian Spanish. Ají is an example of this (a separate item from “pimienta”, although Columbus used the latter term to refer to the former.) Tiburón was another borrowed word, as well as iguana, manatí and guacamayo. And from the local flora came maní, camote, cacao, tomate, tamal, and papaya, among others. The sheer variety of vegetation and wildlife in South America lent the Spanish language many words in these categories from the region’s indigenous languages.

Because weather patterns also vary between continents, the explorers were simultaneously introduced to both hurricanes as well as the local term for them – huracanes, or huracán in the singular. And not to be left out, geography also contributed some words to Castilian Spanish during the initial period of mutual influence, such as cayo from the many cays found in the Caribbean.

Some Spanish Words of Native American Origin

Indigenous penetration into mainstream Spanish

When these words finally began to make appearances in texts from Spanish writers, they were not included as exotic novelties, as was the case with lexical influences occurring in other regions at that time. Instead, they were used simply as descriptors, introducing their usage into mainstream Spanish and simultaneously avoiding associations with “otherness”, at least in relation to the words themselves. But even with the mainstream introduction of many words with indigenous origin, there were still others that eventually fell out of use, such as cazabe for bread. Moreover, many terms from indigenous languages never extended beyond their local or regional influence. Even today, many terms from the Quechua language — choclo for corn, for example — are not used outside of areas with some connection to the Andes.

Of course, many of the indigenous languages which contributed to the Spanish lexicon no longer exist today. And in those cases, the words that we use when communicating in Spanish are their only living remnants.

The Dynamics of Language and Sociolinguistic Norms

Posted On October 23, 2012By TranspanishIn Languages, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/ No Comments

Language change is a well-documented phenomenon and one that has contributed greatly to the idea of language as a dynamic, evolving form of communication. This evolution manifests in everything from vocabulary to syntax, punctuation and accent. Because it encompasses so many influences over a period of time, language change is generally too gradual to make a significant impact within a generation. A common example of this has been borrowing words or expressions from another language, since contact between different cultures and languages was historically less common than it is now.

Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net

Yet modernization, globalization and technological development are all factors which hasten that change, particularly in spoken communication. The rules governing written text have traditionally been slower to accept changes than spoken language, and such changes are often first rejected as degradations of the language before they are finally accepted. Such has been the case throughout history.

This poses a particular challenge for linguists and others working in the translation industry, as it can often be difficult to determine whether a new form has been “accepted” or is still outside of a language’s norms. As translators, we are constantly having to monitor the sociolinguistic environments of the languages that we work with. And if localization is a focus, it is that much more important.

Ironically, while social media often represents the place where language degradation first occurs, it is also where changes to written expression first become used, popularized, and accepted by groups on a large scale. While written expressions such as “x favor” will likely never become an accepted form of formal communication, other trends – like the frequent omission of tildes, for example – may one day become so common that they are eventually incorporated into the formal usage of Spanish as well.

As many linguistics professors have argued before, the first order of business is to drop our notion that the “correct” usage of a language exists with prescriptive rules. If nothing else, it frees us to analyze the changes taking place and use professional judgement regarding when to incorporate them.

The meaning of ‘yirar’

Posted On October 18, 2012By TranspanishIn Languages, Lunfardo/ No Comments

Argentine Spanish is strewn with words and colorful phrases from Lunfardo, a rich vocabulary born on the streets of Buenos Aires in the second half of the 19th century. Now considered a fixture of the Spanish language in Argentina (especially in and around Buenos Aires) and Uruguay, linguists cite the use of Lunfardo as a defining characteristic of the Rioplatense dialect. Add a dash of Argentine flavor to your Spanish vocabulary with the Transpanish blog’s ongoing feature highlighting some of the most frequently used terms in Lunfardo.

The Lunfardo term “yirar,” in its simplest form, means to meander, to wander or to go for a short walk out and about without necessarily having anywhere to get to in mind. It’s possible that the term is derived from the Italian verb “girare,” which literally means to wander along the streets.

In order to really catch the gist of the verb “yirar,” it is important to emphasize the difference between this Lunfardo expression and other related terms in the Spanish language, including “pasear,” “dar una vuelta” and “andar,” for example. The most important feature of the verb “yirar” is the fact that it is undeniably linked to a feeling of laziness. It describes the acts of a person who doesn’t really have a direction in mind; someone who isn’t interested in hurrying to do anything or to get anywhere. “Yirar” is a Lunfardo term distinctly associated with a sloth-like character.

During the 1840s in Paris, it was fashionable to wander around the city as slowly as possible. Whimsical characters and whimsical people were looked upon fondly and the French term, “flâneur,” was used to affectionately describe such people. Parisians were encouraged to indulge themselves in this sloth-like nature. It could be argued that “yirar” is Argentina’s Lunfardo response to “flâneur.”

The term “yiro” is most commonly known as an alternative word for “prostitute,” as it relates to the idea of someone who hangs around on the streets without seemingly having anywhere to go, anything to do, or any schedule to maintain. However, it is possible that the term might also be used to refer to people who wander around without direction in the hope of encountering something interesting at random; people who like to leave certain things to chance and who find planning of any kind quite restrictive.

Are you one of those people who likes to “yirar” on occasion?

Take a Butcher’s at Cockney Rhyming Slang

Posted On October 17, 2012By TranspanishIn Did you know?, English Language, Languages, Tips for Translators, Translation Buyers/ No Comments

What exactly is Cockney Rhyming Slang and where does it come from? Is it still used today? Was it developed for particular social or political reasons?

There are many worthy questions surrounding the use, creation and development of Cockney Rhyming Slang and there’s a lot of fun to be had too in the practice of this fun English language feature.

Where does the term Cockney Rhyming Slang come from and what is a Cockney?
The origin of Cockney Rhyming Slang is not completely clear. Many people attribute its development to the underground vernacular that was spoken by London thieves (in particular, those based in East London, Cockney being the term now used to loosely refer to Londoners with East London accents).

Cockneys were and – at the very core of it all – still are working class people from London. The term, Cockney, is derived from the word cockeneyes (a word which was developed in the 14th century) which means “eggs that are misshapen.”

The term is now used to refer to the majority of East-London born Brits, but when it first originated during the 17th century, it was more specifically used to refer to anyone born within the sound of Bow-bells, the bells found in the tower of St. Mary-le-Bow. The term is still used in a relatively derogatory way, but there are very few people who still use Cockney Rhyming Slang as a way of conversing on a daily basis.

The idea behind Cockney Rhyming Slang originating from London thieves comes from the idea that these professional tricksters wanted to develop a kind of language that authorities or spies listening into conversations would not be able to understand. However, as the language was never particularly widespread, no well-documented, it is difficult to be certain about this idea.

: Church of St Mary-Le-Bow by Thomas Bowles, 1757.

How does Cockney Rhyming Slang work?
The title of this post makes use of Cockney Rhyming Slang as an illustration of how the language feature is constructed. The word “Butcher’s” in the title actually forms part of a longer rhyme (commonly understood by all Cockneys) even when taken completely out of context and when removed from the original and longer rhyme, as it appears here in the title.

The full Cockney Rhyming Slang which includes the word “Butcher’s” is actually, “Butcher’s Hook” which rhymes with the English verb “to look” and therefore when a Cockney wants to take a “look” at something, he or she might say, “Let’s have a butcher’s” without necessarily having to complete the entire rhyming and adding the word “hook” on the end of the sentence.

In another example, picture yourself at home looking for something to take to work that you frantically cannot find. A Cockney might suggest “going up the apples” in order to look for the missing item. “Apples” comes from the Cockney Rhyming Slang, “apples and pears” and “pairs” rhymes with “stairs.” Therefore, when someone tells you to “go up the apples,” he or she is actually suggesting that you try going upstairs.

Examples of Cockney Rhyming Slang
Have fun incorporating some of these popular Cockney Rhyming Slang expressions into your daily conversations and find out whether you have any friends who happen to be Cockneys and who can follow what you’re saying without difficulty.

“Bacon and Eggs” – rhymes with “Legs” – “She has such long bacons.”
“Bees and Honey” – rhymes with “Money” – “Hand over the bees.”
“Crust of Bread” – rhymes with “Head” – “Use your crust, lad.”
“Rabbit and Pork” – rhymes with “Talk” – “I don’t know what she’s rabbiting about.”
“Scarpa Flow” – rhymes with “Go” – “Scarpa! The police are coming.”
“Trouble and Strife” – rhymes with “Wife” – “The trouble’s been shopping again.”
“Uncle Bert” – rhymes with “Shirt” – “I’m ironing my Uncle.”

Videos on Cockney Rhyming Slang
Take a “butcher’s” at these two interesting videos on Cockney Rhyming Slang taken from YouTube (one of which includes the loveable Stephen Fry) whenever you get the opportunity and use the chance to brush up on what you know.

Courting Votes and Taking Notes: The Delicate Act of Appealing to Latino Voters

Posted On October 15, 2012By TranspanishIn Latinos, Spanish Language/ No Comments

A recent BBC article picked up on a gaffe U.S. Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney made while trying to appeal to Latino voters in this year’s upcoming election. In fact, many news outlets ran the story, noting that it fits into a tradition of presidents or presidential candidates embarrassing themselves before the largest minority group in the United States.

When asked by a Cuban-American radio host what his favorite fruits were, Romney unwittingly listed one in particular that is a slang term among Cubans for a woman’s body part. While no doubt more than a few people got a laugh out of it, the exchange also points to a timely question: When it comes to courting votes among minority groups, where is the line between offensive or patronizing, versus respectful and genuine?

Although Romney wasn’t intentionally trying to make a joke or be crude, the issue of what seems appropriate often comes down to how genuine the person comes across. When George W. Bush spoke to Latino voters in Spanish, most did not take offense to his decidedly Texan accent in part because it was in line with his Texan accent in English, which got plenty of mockery as it was.

In Obama’s case, the “yes, we can” line has been well received as translated into Spanish. As it turns out, the phrase didn’t originate with Obama during the 2008 race for the presidency, but rather with Cesar Chavez nearly 50 years before. With a history as a community organizer, and perhaps because he is a minority himself, Obama has mostly come across as genuine in his efforts to reach out to the Latino community.

Getting back to business

Anyone who has visited a Spanish-speaking country was likely able to spot the tourists from the U.S. just by the way their accent sounded (and depending on who you are, might have felt comfort in their shared awkwardness.) Many tourists from any country have felt the hesitation in speaking a foreign language, not wanting to embarrass themselves but also not wanting to seem rude or cold. While news items such as this one don’t necessarily help that self-awareness, they do potentially provide an opportunity for us to collectively laugh at ourselves, and then get back to the business of communicating.

In that regard, both presidential candidates deserve to be recognized for at least trying to connect with Latino voters in several ways. Sitting down for an interview on Univision, for example, the most popular television network among the Latino community, is not in itself patronizing or offensive. Romney’s self-tanner, however, might have crossed the line for some.

Are you a Hispanic living in US? How do you feel when a candidate try to reach out to your community by speaking in Spanish?

A Guide To Peruvian Slang

Posted On October 10, 2012By TranspanishIn Languages, Spanish Language/ 3 Comments

In many places, slang is a natural inhabitant of the Spanish language. It’s so common, and yet so often different depending on the country, that people can sometimes find themselves in an embarrassing situation saying something they didn’t intend. It is particularly prevalent in Peru, where so many native languages and cultures intermingle. So taking that into consideration, here is a guide to some of the most common words you might encounter and what they mean.

Originally referring to a stuck up or snobbish person, the word “pituco/a” can sometimes be used to designate a person from one of the wealthier neighborhoods or, more commonly, a particular way of speaking. The “pituco” intonation draws out the nouns a bit longer and is usually accompanied by a deeper, slightly more bored tone of voice. This can sometimes be so dramatized that the word “gracias” makes you feel as if the “a” is falling down a hole, only to barely come out again by the end of the word.

On a lighter note, hearing a young woman referred to as “flaca” or a young man referred to as “flaco” is not uncommon. It is a friendly way of injecting casualness into an exchange, much the same way “amigo” works when you call a waiter or want to get someone’s attention for some other reason. However, this particular word is not used ironically, so if the girl really isn’t “flaca” – as is sometimes the case – there’s probably no harm intended.

This last term can also be used to denote a girlfriend, as can “costilla” (literally “rib”, of the Adam and Eve variety.) Another common one is “patas” to refer to one’s friends. A popular advertisement currently on the radio sells a large Pepsi that you can share with your “patas”, for example. The same youngish groups that you would hear using these terms might also say “bacán” or “chévere”. Both are common ways to say “cool”, and can be heard flying around university campuses or seen on social media sites quite often.

Yet some slang words are simply abbreviations of regular Spanish words – “cole” for colegio, “cumple” for cumpleaños, “porfa” for por favor, or “grifo” for griferia. And still others are elusive as to their origin: you might go to work at your “chamba” (“job”), and afterwards have a cold “chela” (“beer”) with your friends (the respective verb forms being chambear and chelear), and at the end of the evening say “chaufa” to everyone (a take on the customary “chau” as goodbye.) To avoid any confusion, chaufa is also the fried rice that you get at a Chinese restaurant.

If you go to any of the local markets, you will probably hear customers calling the women who sell produce “seño”, with the emphasis on the first syllable. While it may sound more like señor to the uninitiated, it’s actually an endearing way to say señora.

As a final note, many things in Peru seem to revolve around beloved food items like chicken, potatoes and eggs. And the slang is no exception. Many of these are harmless, although some can be an insult if said with a particular inflection and directed at a person who isn’t a friend. As with many Spanish expressions, the key is in the intonation.

Twenty Reasons to Choose to Study Spanish as a Foreign Language

Posted On October 8, 2012By TranspanishIn Languages, Spanish Language/ 1 1 Comment

If you are thinking about learning a new foreign language, Spanish should be at the top of your list. Why? Twenty of the very best reasons, divided into specific sections, which explain why Spanish should be your first choice in foreign language study are listed below.

Society, Communication and Travel
Social groups and structures are changing. With more people choosing to emigrate every year, the world’s face is rapidly changing. People travel more now than ever (for work and for pleasure) and more people are willing to live in other countries. This means that communication in foreign languages is even more important than ever. Being able to communicate in Spanish is particularly important for the following reasons:

1. Spanish is the mother tongue of approximately 350 million people in 21 countries, including Mexico: 95 million, Spain: 40 million, Argentina: 38 million, Colombia: 35 million. However, what is more interesting is that at the end of the 1800s, only 60 million people spoke Spanish. Today, almost 500 million people across the world speak Spanish.
2. Almost half of the population in the Western Hemisphere speaks Spanish. Spanish is just as important as English for the people who live in this sector of the world.
3. Spanish has always occupied an important place within US society, but over the past decade many people have begun to select Spanish as their preferred foreign language, after English, across the European continent too.
4. By learning Spanish fluently, you will be able to get by in Italian and French too, because of the similarities in grammar and vocabulary between the Romance languages.
5. Spanish is the second most used language, after English, which is used in many forms of international communication.
6. Spanish is also one of the six official languages used by the United Nations.
7. There are 28 different places in the world where Spanish is either the primary language or the largest secondary language. These places include: Andorra, Argentina, Belize, Bolivia, Chile, Colombia, Costa Rica, Cuba, Dominican Republic, Ecuador, El Salvador, Equatorial Guinea, France, Gibraltar, Guatemala, Honduras, Mexico, Morocco, Nicaragua, Panama, Paraguay, Peru, Philippines, Puerto Rico, Trinidad and Tobago, Uruguay, USA and Venezuela.
8. Approximately 5.8% of Internet users speak Spanish. This means that Spanish is the 4th most common language used online, coming in behind English, Japanese and German only.

Economy and Finance
A large part of our lives in the 21st revolves around the economy. Our finances and investments are important. Spanish is becoming an integral part of the global economy and many international partnerships and investments.

9. Spanish-speaking countries are experiencing lots of economic growth. This development is attracting a lot of interest from the English-speaking world in terms of finance and investment.
10. The creation of the MERCOSUR and other free trade agreements between South American countries and North America (ALADI, the Andean Community, CACM, NAFTA, G3) help to support and strengthen the respective economies of these countries,. This support helps to make Spanish-speaking economies more efficient and more competitive on a global scale.
11. Analyzing Inter-European trade, British, French and German companies have explained that the main barriers to international trade occur when there are language barriers that cannot be overcome. By investing in Spanish language learning, the developing economies in the Spanish-speaking world become potential investment and business opportunities.

Education, Business and Career Opportunities
Opportunities for working at home, working as a travelling entrepreneur with nothing but a laptop in tow, are growing rapidly. The face of employment is changing at an amazing speed. For this reason…

12. Over the past ten years, the demand for Spanish Language courses worldwide has risen by almost 50%
13. In both the US and Canada, Spanish is the most popular foreign language to learn.
14. Thanks to these developments, the demand for the media (radio, television, newspaper, magazines) to be in Spanish has notably increased.
15. Work opportunities abroad in Spanish speaking countries are limitless (as too are volunteer projects and internships).
16. Taking your business to a Spanish-speaking audience is easily done via the Internet from the comfort and familiar surroundings of your home country.

Fun Facts about Spanish in the US
There are even more reasons for learning Spanish if you live in the US than anywhere else because of the high immigration figures from Latin American countries and the opportunities for trade that geographical proximity provides.

17. The Hispanic population in the United States has grown by 60% in just one decade and can boast the fifth largest Hispanic population worldwide, with three out of four people who say that Spanish is their primary language.
18. 28 million in the US people speak at least a little Spanish.
19. By 2050, the number of Hispanics in the US is projected to grow to over 100 million people, which will form about one quarter of the total U.S. population.
20. In the New York City area, the Spanish-language Noticias 41 and Noticiero Univision, normally report higher ratings than new programs on CBS, NBC and ABC.

FUNDEU and RAE: Two Essential Sites for the Good Use of Spanish

Posted On October 2, 2012By TranspanishIn Spanish Translation, Tips for Translators/ No Comments

Spanish, like most modern languages, is suffering from a lack of care and a candid disregard for the correct use of grammar, punctuation, spelling and tense.

Indeed, it is particularly concerning when members of the press, media and communications also fail to possess a clear understanding of how the language is correctly constructed. Fortunately, Fundéu (Fundación del Español Urgente) and RAE (Real Academia Española) are two sites that can be relied on.

As the world becomes more focused on technology, as we continue to send text messages that read, “Toy en el trabajo” or “Q hacés dp?,” and as we grow to accept the use of anglicized terms or “Spanglish” phrases such as marketing, pen drive and marketa, it doesn’t seem so important to know what the correct version should be. Understanding Spanish grammar, placing the tilde in the right place and knowing the difference between “a ver” and “haber” is growing out of fashion fast.

The rising issue today is that even amongst journalists, a group of professionals which, by nature, should be devoted to the delivery of flawless written material, also contribute to the production of grammatically correct written documents. As journalists tweet and post about their press releases all over the Internet, there is little concern for grammar and for the enrichment of the Spanish language.

This is why the work undertaken at both Fundéu and RAE is so important. Individually, both Fundéu and RAE act as guardian angels, working to promote, maintain and support the constant production of grammatically-correct Spanish across all spectrums of society.

A brief overview of RAE
The primary mission, the backbone off of which everything hangs, at RAE relates directly to the common union of all Spanish speaking societies through the correct use of the Spanish language. Even though Spanish is a language which changes, sometimes radically, from place to place, the roots of the language are fundamentally the same.

RAE aims to promote and maintain the use of these common traits in order to encourage Spanish speakers to pay more attention to the correct production of texts, for whatever purpose, in their native language.

One of the most impressive elements of the work done at RAE is the language guide, accessible via its website www.rae.es. This incredibly complete digital guide / dictionary covers all kinds of doubts and queries that the Spanish speaker might have about how to correctly construct a text in his or her native language. What’s more, the team at RAE is on hand to respond to these inquiries whenever possible.

RAE is also responsible for the publication of two texts. The first is entitled La Nueva Gramática de la Lengua and the second is an update of Spanish orthography. At 700 pages long, the text is particularly dense, but this is why RAE has also produced a reduced version, which covers the most important elements and a pocket book version to always have easily to hand.

A quick peek at Fundéu
Fundéu is a non-profit organization and was created by Efe and BBVA. Its prime objective is to ensure that the media and other forms of communication contribute to the correct use of the Spanish language. Indeed, the foundation believes that the media, the Internet and journalists in particular have a responsibility to produce quality, well-written texts at all times.

Thanks to the development of its website www.fundeu.es, Fundéu has been able to spread its work all over the world and it has been able to make a positive impact in a very short space of time. In fact, Fundéu, with a Twitter following of 126.321 (at the time of going to print) shows just how helpful technology can be in the repairing of language rules that have been lost in time.

Add to that number by following its tweets @Fundeu when you get the chance.

The use of correct Spanish, Spanish which obeys a common code of grammatical rules, does not have to continue down the road of destruction and indifference. The work of RAE and Fundéu provides two clear examples of institutions who still care about and value native language structures.

Fundéu’s channel in Youtube:

Month: October 2012