Oct
13
Speaking Spanish where the buffalo roam
Time for a pop quiz: In the year 2050, which country will have the largest number of Spanish speakers?
A). Brazil
B). Mexico
C). United States
D). None of the above
If you answered C, the United States, you’d be right. According to the Instituto Cervantes, the U.S. will be home to at least 132 million Spanish speakers by the year 2050, which will be more people than the current population of Mexico. This estimate is just one of the many bits of information in the new Enciclopedia del español en los Estados Unidos, released today by the Instituto Cervantes in Madrid.
I’m going to be totally honest. I haven’t seen the book in person but if the press release and marketing materials are any indication, the Enciclopedia has all the makings of being a tocho. Measuring 1,200 pages in length with 80 articles written by 40 academics, el Instituto Cervantes has set out to present a definitive work, covering all angles of the language usage, from sociological, cultural, demographic, media and economic perspectives. Whew, that was a mouthful. But here’s the problem: The topic area is so vast and potentially infinite why cram it into one solo volume? Also, it’s unclear exactly who is the book’s target audience. Linguists? Casual students of the language? Hardcore academics? One thing is for sure…it’s only for people who read Spanish fluently. All others, keep out.
Call me a heretic, but I think an encyclopedia about the state of Spanish in the United States should also be published in English. Seems weird and contradictory coming from a blogger who extols the beauty of the Spanish language, but let me tell you why.
There’s a surprising paradox in the U.S. when it comes to the Spanish language. It’s the most popular foreign language studied by anglos in high school and college. But it’s also the most politicized language in the U.S., with some politicians and businesses pushing an “English-only” agenda. Meanwhile, because of the desire to assimilate, Spanish-speaking immigrants to the U.S. gradually let the language recede into the background the longer they live in the U.S. According to an extensive study by the Pew Hispanic Center, 23% of Spanish-speaking immigrants say that they speak English. That percentage climbs to 88% for their children, the second generation, and 94% for their grandchildren, the third generation.
The end result? Many people in the U.S. who speak or understand Spanish are not necessarily comfortable reading and writing in Spanish. Their primary source of info is English-language media: TV, newspapers, magazines. Approximately a quarter of New York City’s population is Spanish speaking, roughly 2 million souls, and yet there is only one Spanish-language bookstore in Manhattan. One. One Spanish-language bookstore that had become a local landmark back in the 60s, 70s and 80s, shut down last year. Meanwhile some colleges and other organizations are offering Spanish classes for Spanish speakers. Why? Because many U.S. Hispanics grow up hearing/speaking Spanish in the home but never learn how to read and write it at the same level since they are educated in English-language schools.
Add all these factors up and it’s clear that this encyclopedia is going to miss reaching a large group of prospective readers who would potentially be most interested in reading what it has to say. After all, it’s their heritage, their language, their culture.
What do you think? Have I missed the mark or do you agree that a comprehensive resource like this should also be published in English?
Nice post! No, you haven’t missed the mark at all. Of course it should be published in English. Not just because many of the people it’s about would be able to read it that way, as you suggest, but because it might serve as a warning to complacent native speakers of English about the shape of things to come. Things aren’t so bad in the States, where there are plenty of people studying Spanish, but in the UK, it’s just depressing to see the low numbers of people studying languages. However, don’t expect the Cervantes to publish anything in English anytime soon. On principle, they don’t really agree with Englishy type things. We sent them a note asking them to publish a link on our our new language-learning website (Spanish for English speakers) and were rejected: “nos gustaría comentarle que en las páginas se anuncian aquellas actividades y publicaciones vinculadas a profesores, departamentos y centros universitarios o de educación superior especializados en temas hispánicos o hispanoamericanos de cualquier país del mundo”. So if you’re an example of private enterprise – say a publisher wanting to publish the “Enciclopedia” in English – and not an official institution, then as far as the Cervantes is concerned, you can forget it! It’s a real shame, as you say, that such a valuable document will probably – let’s hope not – be available only in Spanish.
They have also recently released the “Enciclopedia del español en el mundo”, which is available online as a number of articles in PDF format.
http://cvc.cervantes.es/lengua/anuario/anuario_06-07/default.htm
@Freddy, based on what you wrote, it sounds as though the Instituto Cervantes is still stuck in late 19th/early 20th-century, concerned with protocol, hierarchy, title, being a gatekeeper, etc. Unfortunately, the Instituto Cervantes is going to get left behind if it keeps using that same mentality. Don’t get me wrong, it always will be considered a distinguished and respected source of all things related to the Spanish language, but not necessarily as THE source because of its inability to be flexible and responsive to the current environment.
You see this happening on a dramatic scale with newspapers. Once considered the only source of news, many of them, even the big ones, are scrambling to maintain their relevancy and clout in a world where any intelligent, well-sourced guy or gal sitting at home, in their pajamas, can crank out scoops and news analysis that put the established mainstream media to shame.
The direction in which the publishing industry is headed is all about openness, direct and immediate access. Down with the gatekeepers!
@Graham, thanks for the link.