Is Spanish expanding?

Invité   Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:18 am GMT
<< Respecto al francés, la respuesta es NO. Ahora NO es más importante que hace 20 años, sino algo menos. Es hablado por unos 80 millones de hablantes nativos, y unos 100 millones más como segunda lengua, casi todos ellos en Africa. >>

Why, what do you think of Spanish? Did it ascend to the second place as the 2nd international language in the last 20 years? No, it remains stagnant because it cannot compete with English, French , German, Russian, and Italian.

The proof is Spanish is unheard in Eastern Europe, less spoken and studied in Asia than English, French, and Japanese, Almost extinct in Africa. Spanish is only useful in Hispanic America. No non-hispanics from other countries would use it as lingua franca or as an international language.
Invité   Fri Jan 23, 2009 5:52 am GMT
Le Français comme une Langue étrangère
Elle est également la langue qui progresse le plus rapidement sur l'ensemble du continent africain (comme langue officielle ou comme langue étrangère). Le français est enseigné dans de nombreuses universités partout à travers le monde et il jouit d'un rayonnement notamment dans les mondes diplomatique, journalistique, judiciaire et universitaire. Le français est la deuxième langue étrangère la plus enseignée dans les écoles de l'Union européenne (l'espagnol arrivant seulement loin derrière en 4e position). Avec l'entrée de la Roumanie et de la Bulgarie dans l'Union européenne depuis janvier 2007, le français repasse devant l'allemand en tant que langue étrangère la plus enseignée dans l'Union après l'anglais. De façon générale, le français demeure une des langues les plus enseignées dans le monde.

En raison du cas particulier d'un bloc linguistique hispanophone important en Amérique latine, seul continent où l'on retrouve de façon significative la langue espagnole (à part l'Espagne même), les États-Unis sont le seul grand pays anglophone du monde où le français n'est pas la première langue étrangère enseignée, laquelle est ici l'espagnol depuis les années 1980 ; c'était auparavant le français. Dans d'autres pays anglophones (Irlande, Canada anglophone, etc.), le français conserve le privilège d'être la première langue étrangère enseignée et loin devant les autres langues.

http://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fran%C3%A7ais
Spanish Decline   Fri Jan 23, 2009 8:11 am GMT
There's a blog that deals with the worldwide decline of Spanish.

http://spanish-decline.blogspot.com/
French decline   Fri Jan 23, 2009 9:51 am GMT
^ Ha! You frenchies are funny in your desperation. I love it. That "spanish decline" site was obviously just recently started by a french fanatic on this forum because they didn't like this site -http://theworldwidedeclineoffrench.blogspot.com/ - which has many many articles about the decline of french around the world.

The "1" article on this BRAND NEW spanish decline site was posted January 22, 2009, and the references for it are from 1996. Hahahaha! What a joke. Can't you french fanatics find any new material? Sorry but Spanish hasn't "fragmented".

The french desperation here is hilarious!
French decline   Fri Jan 23, 2009 10:09 am GMT
Besides, that "1" obsolete article has been posted on this forum over and over again, which proves that site was made by a disgruntled anti-moon french fanatic. Ha!
Guest   Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:25 am GMT
The page about Spanish decline is just a blog created by someone yesterday. Needless to say that person is the French fanatic that posts on Antimoon. Stupid frog, get a life. Your life is so sad.
Spanish in Decline   Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:49 am GMT
And what about the "The Worldwide Decline of French" blogs? Isn't it obvious that they were created by HISPANIC DUNG BEETLES and I have a suspicion that you were the one who created them not to mention the similar links created in different servers in Belgium, the Netherlands, UK, etc.

They were created by one and the same person and it was you and none other else.
Fidel Guevarra   Fri Jan 23, 2009 11:53 am GMT
Indian Languages and effects on radio broadcasting

LANGUAGE AND RADIO IN PERU AND BOLIVIA

To put the Guatemalan sociolinguistic situation and its manifestation in radio broadcasting in perspective, I feel it is useful to briefly examine Peru and Bolivia, two other Latin American countries with large Indian populations. Peru has about three-and-a-half million Quechua speakers out of a total population of seventeen million. In addition there are about half-a-million Aymara speakers. Although their numbers are small, compared to the total population, the Indians are concentrated in five southern mountain departments, where they make up as much as ninety percent of the population. Over half of Bolivia's 5.2 million population are Indians, about equally divided between Quechuas and Aymaras. As in Guatemala, the Indians of Peru and Bolivia were subdued by the Spanish and then relegated to the roles of peasants at the bottom end of society.

However, there is a major difference between Guatemala, on the one hand, and Peru and Bolivia on the other hand. Both of the latter countries have had governments which have taken a positive approach to bilingual education and language planning. The Indians and peasants of Bolivia began receiving a more active role in the government since that country's 1952 revolution. In Peru, serious attention was given to the peasants after a leftwing military coup in 1969. Although other governments have come and gone in the interim in both cases, what was started could not be stopped.

Bilingual education has been at the forefront of both countries' policies. In recent years "there has been a tradition of positive government policy towards bilingual education programmes in Andean Latin America" (Minaya-Rowe,1986, 468), and moreover, the aim of these programs "as officially stated, is not to produce a nation of monolingual Spanish speakers, but rather one of bilingual Spanish-Quechua speakers" (Minaya- Rowe, 1986, 475). Bolivia's education system uses "a bilingual approach which will educate its adult population, allowing them to retain their own
languages and cultures, while at the same time providing the opportunity to learn Spanish (Stark, 1985, p541). Peru designed its bilingual education program "to draw the indigenous groups into the Peruvian mainstream efficiently and with respect shown to their language and culture" (Hornberger, 1987, 206).

Both countries have even gone a step further. IN 1975, QUECHUA WAS MADE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF PERU (ESCOBAR 1981, HORNBERGER 1987), WHICH EVEN INCLUDED THE TEACHING OF QUECHUA TO SPANISH SPEAKERS. SIMILARLY, BOTH QUECHUA AND AYMARA WERE MADE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, COEQUAL TO SPANISH, IN BOLIVIA (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986). ONE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GIVING OFFICIAL STATUS WAS "THE USE OF BOTH QUECHUA OR AYMARA AND SPANISH ON (THE) RADIO" (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986).There are, in fact, some great differances between these countries and Guatemala in regards to the use of Indian languages in radio broadcasting.

Both countries, like Guatemala, have Catholic and Protestant stations that use Indian languages (Ballon, 1987; Fontenelle, 1985; Gavilan, 1983; Moore, 1985; Oros, 1987; Perry, 1982; Povrzenic, 1987b, 1987c). But what about privately owned commercial stations? In the Andean highlands of southern and central Peru, there are at least several commercial stations known to broadcast in Quechua and/or Aymara, in addition to Spanish (Hirahara & Inoue, 1984a, 1984b; Llorens and Tamayo, 1987; Povrzenic, 1987a, 1987b). These include at least one member of the Cadena de Emisoras Cruz, one of Peru's largest radio networks (Hirahara & Inoue, 1984a). In addition, Peru's most powerful commercial radio broadcaster, Radio Union in Lima, has an hour long program in Quechua every morning (Hirahara, 1981; Montoya, 1987). Likewise, in Bolivia commercial broadcasters are known to broadcast in indigenous languages (Gwyn, 1983; La Defensa, 1986; Povrzenic, 1983).

What is most significant, though, is that in both cases the official government stations have added Indian language broadcasts. Peru's Radio Nacional broadcasts in both Quechua and Aymara (Povrzenic, 1987a), as does Bolivia's Radio Illimani (Moore, 1985). IN FACT, THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT WENT A STEP FURTHER IN 1988 WHEN THEY RENAMED RADIO NACIONAL WITH THE QUECHUA NAME RADIO PACHICUTEC (KLEMETZ, 1989).

In summary, the sociolinguistic situation in Peru and Bolivia is markedly different from that in Guatemala, although all three share Spanish as a dominant language over various native languages. The difference, though is that in Peru and Bolivia, efforts have been made not only to preserve, but to give status to the native languages. Furthermore, the status of native languages in the two countries is reflected in their use by all levels of radio broadcasting in each country; private, religious, and governmental.

http://aymara.org/listarchives/archivo2001/msg00322.html

================================================

Ley de Idiomas Nacionales que oficializa el uso de idiomas indígenas en Guatemala/

Bill recognizing the official use of indigenous languages in Guatemala

Comentario: El Decreto Número 19-2003 fue publicado en Guatemala el 26 de mayo de 2003. Constituye un avance muy importante en el reconocimiento del uso de los idiomas indígenas en Guatemala tanto en esferas públicas como privadas, obligando a la comunicación pública en dichos idiomas (traducción de leyes, educación, servicios públicos, etc.). Esta norma permitirá/obligará a desarrollar un modelo de gestión de la justicia directa en idiomas indígenas, antes limitado a la traducción judicial mediante intérpretes.

A la semana de este decreto se expidió otra norma reconociendo al Chalchiteko entre los idiomas mayas, con lo cual ahora suman 22 (antes sólo reconocía 21).

Nota: Se trata de un documento público (facilitado por la Academia de las Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala a través de Víctor Ferrigno) .

Puesto en línea por Alertanet: junio 2003.

http://alertanet.org/guate-idiomas.htm

TRANSLATION:

National Language Act formalizes the use of indigenous languages in Guatemala /

Bill recognizing the official use of indigenous languages in Guatemala

Comment: The Decree No. 19-2003 was published in Guatemala on May 26, 2003. Constitutes a very important step forward in recognizing the use of indigenous languages in Guatemala both in public and private spheres, forcing the public communication in these languages (translation of laws, education, utilities, etc.).. This standard will allow / require to develop a management model of justice in indigenous languages directly, so far limited to the translation by court interpreters.

A week of this decree was issued another rule recognizing Chalchiteko among Mayan languages, which now total 22 (previously only acknowledged 21).

Note: This is a public document (provided by the Academy of Mayan Languages of Guatemala through Victor Ferrigno).
Che Castro   Sat Jan 24, 2009 7:41 am GMT
Crystal   Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:58 am GMT
French is indeed very popular in Eastern Europe thanks to Education that are extremely popular. Spanish is unknown and unheard there.
vISITOR   Sat Jan 24, 2009 8:59 am GMT
Spanish is a stinking and rotting shit.
Spanish fragmentation   Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:25 am GMT
^ Ha! You LOCOteurs are funny in your desperation. I love it. That "french decline" site was obviously just recently started by a hispanic fanatic on this forum because they didn't like this site -http://spanish-decline.blogspot.com/ - which has a reference about the decline of fragmentation of the Spanish in the hispanic world written and admitted by hispanic writers.

The "1" article on this BRAND NEW spanish decline site was posted on the latter part of 2008 and the references for it are from merely blogs. Hahahaha! What a joke. Can't you Hispanic fanatics find any new material? Sorry but Spanish is fragmented just like its mom LATIN, LATINos as discussed on these article

The hispanic desperation here is hilarious!

Here are those links about the Spanish Fragmenttation a la Latin:
http://opinionlandia.blogspot.com/2007/12/el-idioma-espaol-en-peligro-de-extincin.html

http://notasmoleskine.blogspot.com/2006/10/espaol-en-peligro.html

http://es.wikipedia.org/wiki/Castellano_neutral

http://www.tulane.edu/~howard/Pubs/LALangPol.html

http://www.stanford.edu/group/wais/Language/language_mexandothers41501.html

You cannot escape the reality that Spanish will become either a Macro-Language just like Chinese or Neo-Spanishes.

Examples of differences in Spanish in this words:
1. Españoles/Ehpañoleh/Ezpañolez/Españoles/Eshpañolesh/Ethpañoleth/Ezhpañolezh/Epañole
2. durce for dulce
3. puelta for puerta
4. to'o for todo (I heard this from Colombians whose Spanish is considered the purest in Hispanic America)
5. agents for agentes

You can hear these and other corrupted words not just from illiterates but also from educated hispanics who insist on using them as a sign of national identity. Result is an new evolved language.

This reminds of Afrikaan corruption of Dutch words:
1. skouer for schouder (shoulder)
2. nes for nest
3. saal for zadel (sadel)
4. nag for nacht (night)
5. 'n Bietjie for Een beetje (Een beetje)

Sorry, but the birth of Afrikaans started on corrupting the words which evolved into a distinct languages. Spanish variants are on the same path towards new languages.

In 2050, Spanish language is a SHATTERED GLASS or BROKEN MIRROR.

All it can say to the original language is "Adios y no hasta la vista!"

Bwahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
Fidel Guevarra   Sat Jan 24, 2009 2:24 pm GMT
Indian Languages and effects on radio broadcasting

LANGUAGE AND RADIO IN PERU AND BOLIVIA

To put the Guatemalan sociolinguistic situation and its manifestation in radio broadcasting in perspective, I feel it is useful to briefly examine Peru and Bolivia, two other Latin American countries with large Indian populations. Peru has about three-and-a-half million Quechua speakers out of a total population of seventeen million. In addition there are about half-a-million Aymara speakers. Although their numbers are small, compared to the total population, the Indians are concentrated in five southern mountain departments, where they make up as much as ninety percent of the population. Over half of Bolivia's 5.2 million population are Indians, about equally divided between Quechuas and Aymaras. As in Guatemala, the Indians of Peru and Bolivia were subdued by the Spanish and then relegated to the roles of peasants at the bottom end of society.

However, there is a major difference between Guatemala, on the one hand, and Peru and Bolivia on the other hand. Both of the latter countries have had governments which have taken a positive approach to bilingual education and language planning. The Indians and peasants of Bolivia began receiving a more active role in the government since that country's 1952 revolution. In Peru, serious attention was given to the peasants after a leftwing military coup in 1969. Although other governments have come and gone in the interim in both cases, what was started could not be stopped.

Bilingual education has been at the forefront of both countries' policies. In recent years "there has been a tradition of positive government policy towards bilingual education programmes in Andean Latin America" (Minaya-Rowe,1986, 468), and moreover, the aim of these programs "as officially stated, is not to produce a nation of monolingual Spanish speakers, but rather one of bilingual Spanish-Quechua speakers" (Minaya- Rowe, 1986, 475). Bolivia's education system uses "a bilingual approach which will educate its adult population, allowing them to retain their own
languages and cultures, while at the same time providing the opportunity to learn Spanish (Stark, 1985, p541). Peru designed its bilingual education program "to draw the indigenous groups into the Peruvian mainstream efficiently and with respect shown to their language and culture" (Hornberger, 1987, 206).

Both countries have even gone a step further. IN 1975, QUECHUA WAS MADE AN OFFICIAL LANGUAGE OF PERU (ESCOBAR 1981, HORNBERGER 1987), WHICH EVEN INCLUDED THE TEACHING OF QUECHUA TO SPANISH SPEAKERS. SIMILARLY, BOTH QUECHUA AND AYMARA WERE MADE OFFICIAL LANGUAGES, COEQUAL TO SPANISH, IN BOLIVIA (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986). ONE OF THE MANIFESTATIONS OF GIVING OFFICIAL STATUS WAS "THE USE OF BOTH QUECHUA OR AYMARA AND SPANISH ON (THE) RADIO" (MINAYA-ROWE, 1986).There are, in fact, some great differances between these countries and Guatemala in regards to the use of Indian languages in radio broadcasting.

Both countries, like Guatemala, have Catholic and Protestant stations that use Indian languages (Ballon, 1987; Fontenelle, 1985; Gavilan, 1983; Moore, 1985; Oros, 1987; Perry, 1982; Povrzenic, 1987b, 1987c). But what about privately owned commercial stations? In the Andean highlands of southern and central Peru, there are at least several commercial stations known to broadcast in Quechua and/or Aymara, in addition to Spanish (Hirahara & Inoue, 1984a, 1984b; Llorens and Tamayo, 1987; Povrzenic, 1987a, 1987b). These include at least one member of the Cadena de Emisoras Cruz, one of Peru's largest radio networks (Hirahara & Inoue, 1984a). In addition, Peru's most powerful commercial radio broadcaster, Radio Union in Lima, has an hour long program in Quechua every morning (Hirahara, 1981; Montoya, 1987). Likewise, in Bolivia commercial broadcasters are known to broadcast in indigenous languages (Gwyn, 1983; La Defensa, 1986; Povrzenic, 1983).

What is most significant, though, is that in both cases the official government stations have added Indian language broadcasts. Peru's Radio Nacional broadcasts in both Quechua and Aymara (Povrzenic, 1987a), as does Bolivia's Radio Illimani (Moore, 1985). IN FACT, THE PERUVIAN GOVERNMENT WENT A STEP FURTHER IN 1988 WHEN THEY RENAMED RADIO NACIONAL WITH THE QUECHUA NAME RADIO PACHICUTEC (KLEMETZ, 1989).

In summary, the sociolinguistic situation in Peru and Bolivia is markedly different from that in Guatemala, although all three share Spanish as a dominant language over various native languages. The difference, though is that in Peru and Bolivia, efforts have been made not only to preserve, but to give status to the native languages. Furthermore, the status of native languages in the two countries is reflected in their use by all levels of radio broadcasting in each country; private, religious, and governmental.

http://aymara.org/listarchives/archivo2001/msg00322.html

================================================

Ley de Idiomas Nacionales que oficializa el uso de idiomas indígenas en Guatemala/

Bill recognizing the official use of indigenous languages in Guatemala

Comentario: El Decreto Número 19-2003 fue publicado en Guatemala el 26 de mayo de 2003. Constituye un avance muy importante en el reconocimiento del uso de los idiomas indígenas en Guatemala tanto en esferas públicas como privadas, obligando a la comunicación pública en dichos idiomas (traducción de leyes, educación, servicios públicos, etc.). Esta norma permitirá/obligará a desarrollar un modelo de gestión de la justicia directa en idiomas indígenas, antes limitado a la traducción judicial mediante intérpretes.

A la semana de este decreto se expidió otra norma reconociendo al Chalchiteko entre los idiomas mayas, con lo cual ahora suman 22 (antes sólo reconocía 21).

Nota: Se trata de un documento público (facilitado por la Academia de las Lenguas Mayas de Guatemala a través de Víctor Ferrigno) .

Puesto en línea por Alertanet: junio 2003.

http://alertanet.org/guate-idiomas.htm

TRANSLATION:

National Language Act formalizes the use of indigenous languages in Guatemala /

Bill recognizing the official use of indigenous languages in Guatemala

Comment: The Decree No. 19-2003 was published in Guatemala on May 26, 2003. Constitutes a very important step forward in recognizing the use of indigenous languages in Guatemala both in public and private spheres, forcing the public communication in these languages (translation of laws, education, utilities, etc.).. This standard will allow / require to develop a management model of justice in indigenous languages directly, so far limited to the translation by court interpreters.

A week of this decree was issued another rule recognizing Chalchiteko among Mayan languages, which now total 22 (previously only acknowledged 21).

Note: This is a public document (provided by the Academy of Mayan Languages of Guatemala through Victor Ferrigno).
Atecina   Sat Jan 24, 2009 9:26 pm GMT
Today Spanish spoken--> 322 million people (only as a first language) Ranking: 2 (native)- 3 (total)
Today French spoken-->128 milion people (both as first or second). Ranking: 18

In the USa and the whole American continent: Spanish is more useful and expanding more than French.
In Europe: both languages are in the official institutions, however French seems to be more popular. I would not say it's expanding though.

It really depends where you are. But hey guys, so what? I don't think that a thread about Spanish and French whatever deserves too much hate. they are just languages like others... and their final aim is communication.
Atecine   Sun Jan 25, 2009 2:31 am GMT
Today French spoken--> 115 milion people as first language - Ranking: 8; 250 milion people as second language - Ranking:: 1; 150 milion people as foreign language - Ranking: 2

Today Spanish spoken--> 322 million people (only as a first language) Ranking: 4 (native)- 6 (total)

In the whole African continent: French is more useful and expanding more but Spanish is dying.

In the USA and the whole American continent: Spanish is more useful and expanding more than French.

In Europe: both languages are in the official institutions, however French seems to be more popular. I would not say it's expanding though.

It really depends where you are. But hey guys, so what? I don't think that a thread about French abd Spanish whatever deserves too much hate. they are just languages like others... and their final aim is communication.