Comments on: Speaking Spanish where the buffalo roam http://spanish-podcast.com/2008/10/13/speaking-spanish-where-the-buffalo-roam/ A bilingual blog and conversational Spanish podcast. Mon, 06 Sep 2010 15:21:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: eleena http://spanish-podcast.com/2008/10/13/speaking-spanish-where-the-buffalo-roam/#comment-1646 eleena Wed, 15 Oct 2008 20:50:40 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=442#comment-1646 @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. @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.

]]> By: Graham http://spanish-podcast.com/2008/10/13/speaking-spanish-where-the-buffalo-roam/#comment-1645 Graham Wed, 15 Oct 2008 19:55:15 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=442#comment-1645 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 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

]]> By: Freddy Rivers http://spanish-podcast.com/2008/10/13/speaking-spanish-where-the-buffalo-roam/#comment-1644 Freddy Rivers Tue, 14 Oct 2008 18:28:40 +0000 http://spanish-podcast.com/?p=442#comment-1644 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. 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.

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