THIS IS THE TOPIC THAT MY DISCUSSION IS ABOUT….
Topic #3: Los Hispanos y el Español
· Briefly explain the terms Latino and Hispanic. Describe how two people who are of Spanish-speaking heritage could be similar and how they could be different.
· What are some equivalent terms that you could use to describe people from more than one English-speaking country? If you had to invent a term to refer to all English-speaking people and cultures, what term would you create?
· What are some English words that are used where you live that are not necessarily used in other parts of the country?
· What different accents of native speakers of English from the United States can you distinguish and easily identify? What different accents of native speakers of English from outside the United States can you distinguish and easily identify?
· If you were to visit another English-speaking country, how much difficulty would you have communicating with the people that live there? Why?
· How will your awareness of the diversity of the Spanish language and culture throughout the world influence your approach to studying the language and trying to communicate in the language?
Respond to Peers: Review your classmates’ posts, and respond to at least two of your peers. For one of your responses, choose someone who posted on a topic different from what you selected. Share alternate views, provide personal experiences as they relate to the topic, expand upon ideas, or provide questions to encourage further elaboration of the topic. Each response should be a minimum of 75 words.
#1 LaShondra Kelly
MondayFeb 5 at 8:18am
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Topic #1: ¿Cόmo Se Saluda la Gente?
How do people in the Spanish-speaking world greet each other?
After reading this section of the text, I found that most Spanish-speaking people greet each other with by asking how they are doing. Men usually shake hands and if they are close friends, they may greet each other with a hug or abrazo. Female friends usually greet each other with a little kiss on the cheek and a gentle hug. This type of greeting is called a besito. The text explains that depending on the country, the women will kiss on one or both cheeks. The text finalizes the interpretation of Spanish-speaking greeting by explaining that men and women greet each other based on how familiar they are with each other, what country they are in, and how well they know each other. This greeting usually consists of a hand shake and/or a besito.
How do your male friends generally greet each other? And your female friends?
My male friends usually greet each other with a hand shake and sometimes a one armed hug. This is considered manly. My female friends will greet each other with a hug.
How do greetings reflect a culture?
Greetings are a reflection of the culture in which one is derived. Handshakes, hugs, kisses, etc. are reflection of their culture. Some greetings are reserved for those in higher classes. For instance, many Orientals bow as a proper greeting. In America, it is customary to shake hands with people when meeting for the first time. Friends may hug or offer greetings such as “Hello” or “What’s Up”. Greetings can vary from culture to culture.
What does how you greet someone say about you?
I believe that the way you greet a person reveals your comfort level with them or your willingness to get to know them.
In general, how much distance is there between you and the person(s) with whom you are speaking?
It depends on the setting. Personally, I do not like a person directly in my face when we are talking. I prefer to stand side by side while talking if we are in a crowded place. If it is an intimate setting, I do not mind a little contact while speaking. If it is in a relaxed setting, I would prefer to have ample space. We could be sitting across the table from each other or across the room.
What does personal space look like around the world?
Personal space can be determined differently depending on who you ask. Some people may say that personal space is the area around them within arm’s reach. Others may define personal space as the space that they own or have reserved such as their home or bedroom. In different countries, personal space can be defined differently. Cultural differences could result in misconceived rudeness when it comes to personal space. You may visit another country and they may think that being close to you is their way of being friendly. You may take it as an invasion of your space.
What factors contribute to personal space boundaries?
The factors that I feel contribute to personal space boundaries depend on how well you know the individual with whom you are sharing this space. Is this individual of the same sex? Do you have a personal relationship with this person? Is your relationship romantic? Is your relationship professional? These are all factors to take into consideration when you think about personal space boundaries.
What do your personal space preferences say about you?
My personal space boundaries say that I am not one who likes to have my space invaded by strangers. I am a friendly person, but I reserve the right to step back or put my guard up when I feel that my space is being invaded. I do not like for people to breathe on me when they talk and I try to give the same respect. All in all, I guess my personal space says that I am a private person.
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MondayFeb 5 at 10:11am
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Topic #3: Los Hispanos y el Español
Often times when referring to Spanish-speaking individuals, society will use words like Hispanic and Latino, but society will not have a proper understanding of what these words actually mean. Simply, the word Hispanic is used on all individuals who come from any Spanish-speaking country or background. However, the word Latino is only implied on people from Latin America, which includes Central and South America. Something to remember with these two definitions is that Latino can be implied on any individual from Latin America, even if they are not Spanish-speaking. For example, Brazilians speak Portuguese, so they would be considered Latino, but not Hispanic. Also, Spaniards would be considered Hispanic because they speak Spanish, but would never be considered Latino. (Fernandez, 2013). One obvious way two people who are of Spanish-speaking heritage could be similar and how they could be different is how they use Spanish language. For example, someone from Spain and someone from Puerto Rico both speak the Spanish language, making them similar in that sense, but in Spain the word vosotros would be used to express “you all.” In Puerto Rico they might use the word ustedes.
When referring to English-speaking individuals, society does not usually use generic words like Hispanic or Latino. Most of the time when referring to English-speaking individuals, society will just use the country they come from, or use their accent to determine which word to use. For example, an English speaker from America usually receives the name “American,” whereas someone from the United Kingdom will usually receive the name “British.” America breaks this idea down even more by calling individuals with a very northern accent a “northerner” and someone with a very southern accent a “southerner.” One word that can be created to refer to all English-speaking people could be “Saxons.” Since the original English language, or Old English, was referred as Anglo-Saxon, the word “Saxons” can be implied to any individual speaking the English language, even if the English is vastly different. (Merriam, 2018).
Being from Wisconsin, there are a few words that we use exclusively. For example, when referring to a drinking fountain, a Wisconsinite will always use the word “bubbler.” Some more words that other parts of the country might not use are “Yooper”, or someone from upper Michigan, “cripes”, which is a nice way to say the swear word “Sh*t”, and finally “ope”, which has no real meaning, but someone from Wisconsin will always say it if you bump into them.
English accents are not always easily distinguishable, but there are a few that are very easy to identify. For example, someone from Mississippi or Georgia, usually will have a very thick southern accent, and it will almost sound like they are talking very slowly. Other southern states have a little less thick southern accent, but it is easy to identify that they are more likely from South Carolina than they are from Minnesota. Outside of the United States, it is usually easy to identify someone from Britain or Australia because their accents are very different from American accents.
If I were to visit another English-speaking country I believe it would be easy to communicate with the people that live there. The reason I believe this is because English is usually pretty easy to translate when you already speak English. For example, I spent a few weeks in England, and even though a few words were either exclusive to our form of English or we used different words to describe the same thing, it was easy to understand what the other individual was referencing. I believe living or visiting another English-speaking country might be confusing at times, but it should not be too difficult to communicate.
After reading the first Chapter, I will take a much different approach to learning the Spanish language. Since most of the individuals that I interact with are Mexican, I will try and learn more of the Mexican ways of speaking the language. However, if I were to interact with someone from Spain, I will want to know exactly how to interact with them so I am careful not to offend any individual. I believe it is extremely important to know exactly who you are talking to because this will help you avoid any awkward or disrespectful situations.
References
Fernandez, S. (2013). Hispanic vs. Latino: what’s the difference? Retrieved February 5, 2018, from http://hispanichouston.com/hispanic-vs-latino-whats-the-difference/
Merriam-webster. (2018). What are the origins of the English Language? Retrieved February 5, 2018, from https://www.merriam-webster.com/help/faq-history
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