LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

  En la Vulgata , traducción al latín de San Jerónimo, de la Biblia , leemos en Eclesiastés 1:15: Infinitus est numerus stultorium , el número de los tontos es infinito. O sea, que somos muchos los tontos. Tanto es así que en castellano e inglés tenemos muchas maneras de hablar de los tontos: Castellano:  tonto de capirote (del haba, del bote, del culo, del higo, de baba, de remate, de las narices, de nacimiento, tontolaba). Inglés:  complete blockhead (fool, jerk, goof-off, dope, dimwit, dumb), be a card shy of a full deck. Y muchas más voces que demuestran que la Biblia tenía razón, en cuestión de tontos.

  James A. Parr and I met, at the University of Pittsburgh , in a class conducted by Dr. Mario Pei , of Columbia University . I was starting my MA studies there as a graduate teaching assistant, and Jim was the holder of a Mellon Fellowship for his doctoral work. Later, he specialized in Spanish for English speakers and I pursued teaching English to Spanish speakers. We both have written many books, and even one together: an edition of Julio Cejador ´s La lengua de Cervantes .  He even wrote a prolog to my El laberinto del idioma inglés (2009). Over the years we have met often and corresponded a lot. Our friendship has lasted because, it is my guess, we both have a wry sense of humor that has stood us in good stead till now. Yesterday I learnt of his death in July. For over a year he had not been answering my emails and now I understand why. His departure is a great loss to me and I will miss him. My condolences to his family, to Patricia, his wife, and to the Hispanic Studi...

  Just as exercise is vital in keeping our body fit, LOL (laughing out loud) is required to keep our mental health fine-tuned. I will not dwell on this because it is common knowledge: a good guffaw does wonders for our mental well-being once in a while. And for language? How can we keep it fine-tuned on a daily basis? Practicing ROL (reading out loud) often. I read out loud ( ROL ) in English and Spanish as often as possible. Reading in silence or to oneself is fine, of course, but this practice of ROL does drill the vocal cords or the movement of the tongue and lips which are essential in oral communication. ROL slowly, pronouncing carefully, using the proper intonation and modulation. A short paragraph will do and will only take a few minutes of your valuable time. Fancy you are an actor declaiming to an audience, book in hand: make them become interested in your reading and try to charm them with your voice. Enjoy the sounds of the language and vibrate with them. Thus read, ...

  "... porque sabed que hay un instante en nuestra vida, un instante único, supremo, en que detrás de una puerta que vamos a abrir está nuestra felicidad o nuestro infortunio." (Azorín, Confesiones de un pequeño filósofo , 1902.) "La felicidad es poder pensar en las musarañas sin que nadie te lo eche en cara." Juan Luis Cebrián, La rusa , 1986. "... el secreto de la felicidad es llevarla en secreto." Camilo José Cela, Cristo versus Arizona , 1988. "El dinero no da la felicidad pero ayuda a quitársela a los demás." Chumy Chúmez, De su propia cosecha , 2007. "No hay destino cósmico del género humano que le determine hacia la felicidad. " Gustavo Bueno, El mito de la felicidad , 2005. (De mi Diccionario panhispánico de citas , Serbal, 2008.)

  It seems that the capacity for language use and acquisition is located in the brain's left hemisphere. In my neuroscientific ignorance, I suppose that scientists have come to this conclusion by trial and error: we poke this spot in the brain and you cannot move your left arm; we needle this other spot and you cannot speak... etc. However, I have a doubt: if one language is located in the brain´s left hemisphere, two (or three) languages must also be located in the same place... but how? Are all languages crowded together? How does the brain differentiate one from another? When I speak English, where does my Spanish stay? And vice versa. I reckon all languages I know are located in the left hemisphere, but in different locations, right? Why doesn´t the brain get all mixed up and confuses words and expressions? A mystery. This mystery I shall unravel in my next life. In the meantime, think about this as it bears on language learning. 

  The advantages of possessing an additional language to our own are clear. How language study forces our brain to be on the alert, spot on, is evident to all. The glitch is how to start and keep going... forever, because the study of a language is forever, and forever means until we pass on. There is no goal, no end, and no finish line where you will be awarded a medal for achievement. Improvement and constant improvement is the name of the game. The way to continue is "commitment". We must make a commitment to ourselves, the commitment that we will pursue the study of language till the end of our time. How? Making a "habit" out of it, a daily habit. We are creatures of habit, don´t ever forget. Besides, if others can, why shouldn´t you?

  Por curiosidad lingüística, eché una ojeada a la serie colombiana de antena 5, que ha llegado precedida de mucho bombo y platillo por parte de la cadena española. Siempre he creído que la labor del actor era comunicar, ser entendido, articular de forma que el oyente, el espectador, comprenda lo que se le dice. Pues no, estaba equivocado, como siempre. No logré comprender más del 20 por cien de lo que decían, dicen, los protagonistas. Especialmente la joven que creo tiene el papel principal, no articula de manera comprensible y exagera su dejo colombiano-venezolano arrastrando y farfullando las palabras ( slurring ) con una sonrisa que clama ser atractiva. Aparte de que esta serie reivindica un machismo trasnochado, fin de siglo XX, que espero no sea reflejo de las sociedades hispanas de hoy, al sur de México. El famoso guionista americano Robert McKee se quejaba en una entrevista de que a los actores norteamericanos no había forma de entenderles por lo mal que enunciaban los...