Nation and Language

1)What happens when one language comes into contact with another one?
The dominat language may imposed over the other, creating language change throughout pidgins and creoles; or language shift, that is occured when the language being dominated is completely replaced by the dominat one.

2) What do you understand by decolonization?
The process throughout which a culture or state being dominated by another, becomes independent. E.g.: Chile's independence from Spain in XVIII century.


3) What is said to be the painful effects of the forcible displacement of Irish (the language)?
The lost of its literature, as Irish writers are required to express themselves in English.

Speaking Activity

We will based our speaking activity on Jargon and Argot, language and culture, and language and identity, as we represent the contact between European culture, illustrated throughout two English tourists, and rural one represented by an huaso. They met and exchange different perspectives about how should life stile be like, discriminating the tourists in a very despective way how does the huaso live. The huaso uses certain words which are characteristic on its argot, while tourists pronounce in a too sophisticated and exaggerated way, which show us the contrast between both cultures. This argot provides identity to our language and culture.

Nursery Rhyme: Humpty Dumpty

Humpty Dumpty sat on a wall
Humpty Dumpty had a great fall
All the king’s horses and all the king’s men
Couldn’t put Humpty together again!

Gary Garnishee stalled in his liabilities
Gary Garnishee had lost stability
All the king’s attorneys and all the king’s collectors
Sequester all Gary Garnishee’s assets from his shelter!

Written Task: Chimerism

Chimerism

Chimerism is a genetical phenomenon suffered by an organism that is composed of two or more different populations of genetically distinct cells, being called chimera or chimaera. Chimeras are forms from different parent cells but emerged from the same zygote, previously combined with another; then, two independent sperms fertilize two different ovules. This condition is either acquired through transplantation or transfusion, or genetical heritage, and allows chimeras to be male, female or hermaphroditic. Chimeras’ phenotypes differences are expressed through skin pigmentation, differential hair growth in opposite sides of the body or eyes of different colours, for instance. However, most of chimeras do not notice they genetically modified condition. Chimerism is presented mostly in animals, even there are plant cases studied separately. 

Hybridism and chimerism are not the same phenomenon: hybrids are formed from the fusion of gametes (a horse sperm and a donkey ovule, for instance) from two different species, which form a single zygote; in contrast, chimeras are produced as two different zygotes are mixed (such as, horse and donkey zygotes).

Marmosets, which share their DNA with the fraternal twins they always give birth to, are an example of chimeras naturally presented. This specific kind of chimerism is called germline chimerism, and is occurred when the germ cells of an organism are not identical to its own. On the other hand, microchimerism is presented through a small number of cells genetically different to its host, as they are originated from another individual. During mammals’ pregnancy, this phenomenon is characterized by a two-way traffic of immune cells trough placenta. Another kind of chimerism is provided by male anglerfishes, which become hermaphroditic as they attach to female individuals, behaving just like a parasite. Male anglerfishes’ body is consumed then by the female’s, developing large testicles. This phenomenon is known as parasitic chimerism.

The audience of this text are people whose biological knowledge is advanced; that is why the text type is scientific report.

Language and Knowledge

Hispanic language evolution

Spain flag and shield

Mister Carlos Salas is the oldest Spanish teacher of The Mackay School; he has been teaching there for more than thirty years, becoming one of the most beloved and distinguishing characters of our school. He received us in his classroom on July the 1st, anxious on telling us everything he knew about his field, as he manifested when we made the appointment. He sat down behind his desk and answered to all our questions, laughing calmly. The next interview was translated and adapted, as it was done in Spanish in a very first beginning.

1)How is Spanish related with the cultural of its speakers?

Spanish is related directly with the cultural identity of its speakers, as we proceed from Hispanic roots which do not transmit us just their language but their religion, traditions and beliefs.

Froggy Mary

“Froggy Mary’s green face was just as yours when you are drinking sour milk, which was under the sun during weeks: her toothless mouth was always open and let its tongue to escape, catching flies of every sizes; her glassy eyes were like tennis balls and stared at you as if you were an especially succulent insect, about to be eaten by her; there were membranes between her fingers; and do you think that is all? No way! She was bold! Just like a frog, a bold frog! She lived in a hut next to a muddy swamp with her froggy parents and froggy brothers and sisters, who seemed also like toothless, glassy-eyed, webbed-fingered, bold frogs. Even though Froggy Mary’s appearance was disgusting, her depths were golden, just like the crown she would wear afterwards: she took care of her little froggy brothers and sisters, grinded flies to feed them, and defend them against cruel children croaking at them «¡Let my little frogs alone, you pretty jerks!» Froggy Mary helped her froggy dad to sweep the swamp mud and her froggy mother to make false hair to hide their boldness. But Froggy Mary did not even suspect what future had arranged for her”.  

The effect caused by the use of different sentences: simple, compound and complex, and its moods, makes reading more attractive as words are structured depending on what they are trying to communicate: a description in this specific case. Then that is why declarative sentences are essential, to introduce facts about Froggy Mary’s appearance and family. Sentences moods may show doubt or be rhetoric devices, such as interrogative ones; express surprise or give a command, as exclamatory and imperative sentences do, respectively. These are not effects achieved using just words, it is necessary also to use the graphical marks inherent to each of those.