Bilingual conversation

Hello!

In Valencia it's not that uncommon to see a conversation where one person speaks Spanish and the other speaks Valencian, without any of them changing her/his language.

Does something similar exist in other bilingual areas?

I was particularly thinking of Montreal where a large part of the population is bilingual.
There, for example, is it normal to see/hear a dialogue where one person speaks French and the other English consistently throughout the conversation?

Thank you!


Ian

It happens in America in hispanic families. The adults speak Spanish to the children who reply in English.

Then they don't understand what their own children say.

Bonsoir, Ian,

Ce que tu expliques de Valence peut se dire de tout le territoire de langue catalane.

Je suis Majorquain et je parle très rarement l'espagnol. Je n'en ai pas besoin. Bien sûr, si, me trouvant dans des zones touristiques, un touriste espagnol me demande des renseignements, je lui parle sa langue sans aucun problème. La même chose pour les touristes français, allemands, italiens, portugais, etc.

Mais, avec des espagnols immigrés depuis un certain temps lesquels, presque sans exception, comprennent le catalan, je parle toujours ma langue. Il arrive normalement que, se cette personne-là reste à Majorque, au bout d'un certain temps c'est elle qui passe au catalan. Il s'agit, ne pas d'imposer, mais de "séduire".

Il fonctionne, ici, et sous le patronnage du Gouvernement, le système des "couples linguistiques". Consiste à mettre en contact une personne récemment immigrée (espagnole ou magrébine, de l'Europe de l'Est, sud-américaines... qui veut apprendre le catalan) avec des "volontaires de la langue". Ces couples passent un certain temps ensemble, presque toujours finissent par se lier d'amitié et, d'une façon efficace et simple, l'interessé apprend la langue. Moi même, la semaine prochaine, j'ai rendez-vous avec une personne (dont je ne sais rien encore) intéressée à s'intégrer au pays. On ira ensemble au bar, au restaurant, on fera des excursions, on causera longuement, on sera invité chez chacun. Avec cela, cette personne se sent acceptée et, sans perdre sa personnalité d'origine, rentre dans le tissu du pays, avec quoi on évite le danger qu'elle reste enfermée dans des ghettos de gens de son pays d'origine.

Je vous en tiendrai au courant.

P.S.: Je lis dans un journal de demain cette nouvelle: depuis peu, le grand guitariste espagnol Paco de Lucía s'est installé à Majorque, près d'un village du sud. Il dit se sentir très tranquille chez nous, sans personne qui aille le déranger chez lui.

Sa femme déclare dans ce journal que leur fille, qui va à l'école du village, parle déjà le catalan, à cause du système scolaire mais, surtout, par les rapports avec ses nouvelles amies.

Creo que es demencial hablar dos idiomas a la vez. ¿Qué será del mundo si continuamos así?

It isn't strange. Some couples from different language backgrounds do this. It's easier, frankly, and fair. Each person can express his or her thoughts freely. As long as the other person understands the language, this is not really odd.

">It happens in America in hispanic families. The adults speak Spanish to the children who reply in English.<"

Yes. It occurs in America, naturally so. However I see this as facilitating (lazyness to some extent) the conversation or response with the parents, because quite frankly the other - son or daughter- speaker FEELS more confident in that other tongue whether for political, social or nurture reasons.

I think bilinguism should be promoted in America, as well as promote distinction between English & Spanish or what have you. It'll naturally make the person a lot more acute to society & academics. Another factor is that when one obtains his or hers bachelor or masters' degree here in America he is required to know at least 1 or 2 other languages; what better way to promote it ad ovo.

Another factor is that when one obtains his or hers bachelor or masters' degree here in America he is required to know at least 1 or 2 other languages; what better way to promote it ad ovo._Domine

Uh, you mean foreign students in the USA, right?

I disagree with you if you mean homegrown speakers of English.

I don't know if it is fair to promote bilingualism. Spanish is common in Southern California, but not everywhere. Even though there are Spanish speakers here, there are also Chinese and other groups in my community. I speak Spanish well enough to get out of trouble and interpret on occasion, but I'm getting the sense that in my community what is needed is ESL for all groups instead of promoting one group to the English-speaking community and suggesting that more money is needed for bilingualism.

Lest I be considered some "bad" person for these views, I will say that I DO work with refugees and immigrants and I think I have a balanced view.
I don't shun them and I try to learn their languages when I'm not reading Antimoon...

>"Uh, you mean foreign students in the USA, right?<"

Yes, to a degree.

">I disagree with you if you mean homegrown speakers of English.<"

Why should they be excluded? If it's there, they should try to embrace it. Whether a basic or academic level of spanish or chinese. I find it awkward that in Europe and parts in the Middle-east and elsewhere people know at least 3 or more languages, meanwhile many Americans only know 1.

=D

I'm not excluding anyone. I just don't see it happening. I actually think it would be great if everyone studied three languages. Then, they'd see how easy it is to get a fourth, etc. Most grads don't really have a basic or academic level of Spanish imo, but I don't know what "basic" means to you. Would that be something around 1,500 words? Sadly, I have known MANY language majors who were not functional in the foreign languages they studied.

We just don't NEED to know foreign languages on a daily basis in the USA. Of course SOME people do, and I use languages regularly, but I could just as easily decide to work in an English only environment.

Europeans?
Some groups seem to know two or more languages, other groups don't. Believe me, people "talk their heads off" when they learn I speak their languages. People want to SEEM "international", but how many have really made the effort? How many will endured countless, painful cross-cultural experiences on their way to even an intermediate level in a language?

How many will "endure"...

<<Believe me, people "talk their heads off" when they learn I speak their languages.>>

What do you mean?

To "talk one's head off" is to speak a lot, to engage in a lengthy and animated conversation. The term sometimes implies that the conversation is rather one-sided (i.e., that the person talking his/her head off is doing almost all the talking), but sometimes it doesn't.

- Kef

Thanks, Kef. That's a good definition.