quinta-feira, 16 de junho de 2011
Filhos são do mundo - José Saramago
Devemos criar os filhos para o mundo. Torná-los autônomos, libertos, até de nossas ordens. A partir de certa idade, só valem conselhos..
Especialistas ensinaram-nos a acreditar que só esta postura torna adulto aquele bebê que um dia levamos na barriga. E a maioria de nós pais acredita e tenta fazer isso. O que não nos impede de sofrer quando fazem escolhas diferentes daquelas que gostaríamos ou quando eles próprios sofrem pelas escolhas que recomendamos.
Então, filho é um ser que nos emprestaram para um curso intensivo de como amar alguém além de nós mesmos, de como mudar nossos piores defeitos para darmos os melhores exemplos e de aprendermos a ter coragem. Isto mesmo!
Ser pai ou mãe é o maior ato de coragem que alguém pode ter, porque é se expor a todo tipo de dor, principalmente da incerteza de estar agindo corretamente e do medo de perder algo tão amado. Perder? Como? Não é nosso, recordam-se? Foi apenas um empréstimo! Então, de quem são nossos filhos?
Eu acredito que são de Deus, mas com respeito aos ateus digamos que são deles próprios, donos de suas vidas, porém, um tempo precisaram ser dependentes dos pais para crescerem, biológica, sociológica, psicológica e emocionalmente. E o meu sentimento, a minha dedicação, o meu investimento? Não deveriam retornar em sorrisos, orgulho, netos e amparo na velhice? Pensar assim é entender os filhos como nossos e eles, não se esqueçam, são do mundo! Volto para casa ao fim do plantão, início de férias, mais tempo para os fllhos, olho meus pequenos pimpolhos e penso como seria bom se não fossem apenas empréstimo! Mas é.
Eles são do mundo. O problema é que meu coração já é deles. Santo anjo do Senhor... É a mais concreta realidade. Só resta a nós, mães e pais, rezar e aproveitar todos os momentos possíveis ao lado das nossas 'crias', que mesmo sendo 'emprestadas' são a maior parte de nós !!! "A vida é breve, mas cabe nela muito mais do que somos capazes de viver "
José Saramago
Amor de mãe e Filho
"Filho é um ser que nos emprestaram para um curso intensivo de como amar alguém além de nós mesmos, de como mudar nossos piores defeitos para darmos os melhores exemplos e de aprendermos a ter coragem."
(José Saramago - Filhos são do mundo)
(José Saramago - Filhos são do mundo)
segunda-feira, 13 de junho de 2011
Para quem está encalhada (o) : Simpatias de Sto. Antonio.
-SIMPATIAS A STO. ANTÓNIO
(nasceu a 15/08/1195 em Lisboa, faleceu a 13/06/1231 em Pádua
Santo António:
Santo casamentiro e padroeiro dos namorados.
É igualmente o protector dos feirantes
FESTA: 13 de Junho. Comemora-se todo o dia 13.
DIA DA SEMANA: terça-feira.
CORES: castanho (para pedidos especiais), verde (para pedidos sobre questões financeiras), laranja (para pedidos sobre casamentos).
Santo Antônio, o ‘Santo Casamenteiro’, é reverenciado no dia 13 de Junho, e a ele são dedicadas a maioria das simpatias realizadas nesse mês.
Sua especialidade: arranjar maridos.
Lenda de Santo António:
Duas moças não tinham dinheiro para o dote, e portanto não arranjar marido para casar. Santo Antônio teria jogado um saquinho de moedas pela chaminé das duas moças desamparadas. Este episódio teria dado origem à sua fama de ajudar as moças a encontrarem marido.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para arranjar namorado.
Comprar uma pequena imagem de Santo António. Virar o Santo Antônio de cabeça para baixo, dentro de um copo com água, dizendo que o porá de pé quando tiver arranjado namorado.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para arranjar namorado.
Pegue na imagem do Santo António, e fale com ele. Diga-lhe que enquanto ele não lhe arranjar um namorado ficará no frigorifico, se demorar que irá para o congelador. Retire-o de lá quando o seu amor lhe bater á porta.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para arranjar namorado.
Logo na manhã do dia 12 de Junho, véspera de Santo Antonio, compre um metro de fita azul, de qualquer largura, e escreva nela o nome completo da pessoa amada. Guarde a fita junto ao seu coraçao. À noite, conte 7 estrelas no céu, e enquanto conta faça um pedido ao santo, para que ele ajude você a conquistar o coração dessa pessoa. No dia seguinte, amarre a fita nos pés da imagem de Santo Antonio e deixe lá, até conseguir namorar com ele ou com outro de seu agrado.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para arranjar namorado.
Abra a porta da frente da casa para que Santo Antônio permita a entrada de alguém especial na sua vida, dizendo: "Santo Antônio, protetor dos namorados, faça chegar até a mim aquele que anda sozinho e que em minha companhia será feliz."Você pode ainda acender uma vela rosa de qualquer tamanho em um pires com mel e pedir a Arcanjo Haniel a verdadeira realização afectiva.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para arranjar namorado.
Precisará de: 3 três penas de qualquer passarinho,3 pétalas de rosas, de qualquer cor, 1 medalha de Santo Antonio
No dia de Santo Antonio: embrulhe tudo num paninho branco e leve o consigo no bolso. Ao trocar de roupa, também troque o embrulhinho de bolso. Faça isso por 10 dias e depois jogue num gramado as penas e as pétalas, mas conserve o a medalha em algum lugar entre suas coisas.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para arranjar namorado
Pegue em 7 rosas e coloque-as num vaso bonito. Enquanto faz isso reze para Santo Antônio. Depois que elas secarem, leve as pétalas até uma igreja onde aconteçam muitos casamentos.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para arranjar namorado
Colocar um quartzo rosa dentro de um copo transparente, com água filtrada, e deixar no relento, na véspera do dia de Santo Antonio, peça tudo o que deseja a nivel de realização afectiva tipo (felicidade, harmonia, romantismo, companheirismo, cumplicidade, afecto, dedicação, carinho, amor, compreensão, etc...)
No dia seguinte, passar a água: nos pulsos, para se articular sempre com equilíbrio; nos joelhos, para ter flexibilidade e respeitar o outro; no coração, para amar com sinceridade, e que o amor seja pleno e digno.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para arranjar namorado
No dia de Santo Antônio, olhe para o céu e escolha uma estrela . Fixe nela seu olhar e faça seu desejo com fervor. Abra os braços e agradeça ao Universo a chegada do amor.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para conquistar alguém de seu pensamento
Na noite do dia 12 de Junho, pegue uma vela branca nova e escreva na vela, com um palito de dente, o seu nome completo e o nome da pessoa em questão. Passe a vela no mel e depois acenda-a sobre um pires branco. Depois de alguns dias, essa pessoa especial virá ter com você.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para encontrar a alma gémea
Ponha a imagem do Santo Antonio debaixo de sua cama, durante três noites seguidas. Antes de dormir, imagine o seu corpo rodeado por uma luz rosada. Na manhã do quarto dia, prepare um banho de casca de maçã com uma colherada de mel. Conhecerá rapidamente uma pessoa especial.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber o nome do futuro marido
No dia de Santo Antonio em uma festa junina coloque água na boca e comece a rodar em volta da fogueira O primeiro nome que você ouvir alguém chamando ou gritando Será o nome do seu futuro marido.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber o nome do futuro marido
Deve comprar um facão e, à meia-noite do dia 12 de junho, cravá-lo numa bananeira. O líquido que escorrer da planta deve formará a letra do nome do futuro amor.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber o nome do futuro marido
Uma das mais antigas tradições diz que, para descobrir o quem seráo futuro marido, é preciso escrever os nomes dos “candidatos” em vários papéis. Um dos papeis deve ser deixado em branco. À meia-noite do dia 12 de junho, eles devem ser colocados em cima de um prato com água, que passará a madrugada ao relento. No dia seguinte, o que estiver mais aberto indicará o escolhido.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber o futuro marido é jovem ou mais velho
Arranje um ramo de pimenteira. Feche os olhos e escolha uma das pimenteiras. Se a escolhida for verde, ele será jovem. Caso contrário, o casamento acontecerá com alguém de mais idade.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar
Compre uma imagem de Santo Antonio feito de madeira de guiné, e no dia de Santo Antonio você separa o menino Jesus dele e peça: " Santo Antonio, Santo Antoninho Faça .... ( fulano) se casar comigo que devolvo o teu menino." Manter o menino jesus separado do Santo Antonio e só lho devolver quando casar.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar
Deve ir a um casamento e dar de presente aos noivos uma imagem de Santo Antônio, á qual terá retirado o Menino Jesus. Aquando do casamento, pedir no altar para se casar com alguém, seja conhecido ou não. Assim que a graça for alcançada, deve voltar áquela igreja e lá depositar a imagem do Menino Jesus.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar
Quando ouvir tocar o sino de qualquer igreja, vá até lá, entre e faça um pedido a Santo António, o santo casamenteiro, para que lhe arranje um bom marido, amoroso e fiel.... Quando tiver o seu desejo atendido, volte à igreja para agradecer a Santo António.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar com o namorado
A pessoa deve amarrar um fio do seu cabelo a um fio do seu namorado. Esses 2 fios amarrados devem ser colocados aos pés do santo, que resolverá a questão.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar com o namorado
Precisará de: 1 lenço dele, 1 lenço seu.
Peça um lenço ao seu namorado, mas antes limpe os lábios dele com ele. Depois guarde o lenço dele com o seu lenço, atados por um nó bem forte. Guarde entre seus objetos pessoais. Evite encontrá-lo durante 3 dias. Depois deste tempo desfaça o nó e morda as quatro pontas do lenço dele. Devolva o lenço no primeiro encontro após ter feito isso. Quanto ao seu lenço deixe-o na igreja aos pés de santo Antonio.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar com quem deseja
Pegue um pedaço de papel branco e coloque-o sobre um prato. Desenhe um coração do tamanho do fundo do prato. Depois, recorte o desenho. Nas 3 primeiras linhas escreva o nome do homem que você quer. Nas 3 linhas seguintes escreva o seu. Coloque o desenho do coração no fundo do prato, derrame um pouco de mel sobre ele, bem como algumas pétalas de rosa branca. Acenda uma vela branca no meio do prato, deixando-a queimar totalmente. Quando a vela acabar de queimar, firme o pensamento no homem desejado. Reze a Oração de Santo Antonio. Guarde o prato por sete dias. Depois, lave as pétalas e coloque-as na igreja do Santo. O prato com o coração deve ser deixado num jardim.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para conseguir casar-se
No dia de Santo Antonio deve pegar um ramo de manjericão. Faça um chá com um pedaço do ramo e tome-o antes de dormir. O outro pedaço deve ser colocado num copo com água e deixado na janela do quarto.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para se casar
Plante um pé de cravo branco em um vaso bem bonito. Faça deste plantio um momento de devoção ao santo. Cuide deles com carinho e quando as flores nascerem, pegue uma e ofereça a Santo Antônio.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para se casar
Retire 3 espinhos de uma rosa vermelha e coloque dentro do perfume que você usa e que a pessoa gosta. Peça para Santo Antônio remover os obstáculos “se for para a felicidade de ambos”. Use o perfume sempre que estiver com a pessoa.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para se casar ou apressar o casamento
Precisará de: 1 bolo pequeno; 3 velas com a figura de Santo Antônio; 1 essência flor de laranjeira (flor tradicional dos casamentos).
No dia 13 de Junho de manhã, tome um banho com a essência de flor de laranjeira. Acenda as 3 velas de Santo Antônio. Corte o bolo e reserve o primeiro pedaço, e seguidamente distribua o bolo para 3 mulheres casadas. O primeiro pedaço do bolo deverá ser colocado na porta de uma igreja que realize casamentos.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para ser pedida em casamento
Pegue uma fita vermelha e use-a no sutiã, entre os seios, por sete dias. Após esse prazo, coloque-a dentro de um envelope, lacre-o e coloque-o no altar de Santo Antônio. Reze ao santo pedindo que realize seu desejo, depois acenda uma vela de sete dias.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber se o casamento está proximo
No dia 12 de Junho á meia-noite, quebre um ovo dentro de um copo com água e coloque-o no sereno. No dia seguinte, veja e interprete o desenho que se formou. Se aparecer algo semelhante a um vestido de noiva, véu ou grinalda, o casamento está próximo.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber se o casamento está proximo
Para descobrir se falta muitos anos para casar, no dia 12 de Junho á meia-noite (na véspera do dia de Santo António) amarre uma aliança – que pode ser de qualquer parente – numa linha ou num fio. Coloque um copo sobre a mesa e segure o fio de modo que a aliança esteja dentro do copo. O fio com a aliança funcionará como um pêndulo.
Pergunte, então a Santo António, quantos anos faltam para você se casar. O número de batidas no copo, informa quantos anos ainda faltam para o grande dia.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para saber se o casamento está proximo
No dia de Santo António, a 13 de Junho, coloque 2 agulhas iguaizinhas dentro de uma bacia com água,com 2 colheres de açucar. No dia seguinte veja com estão as agulhas. Se estiverem juntas é porque o casamento está proximo.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para saber se irá casar-se
Na véspera do dia de Santo Antônio, compre um copo branco e, à meia noite, coloque água dentro. Quebre um ovo galado dentro do copo, não arrebentando a gema. Deixe ao relento toda a noite. No outro dia, antes do sol nascer, pegue no copo e observe-o. Se estiver coberto por uma névoa branca você se casará antes do dia de Santo Antônio do próximo ano.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para o casamento trazer felicidade.
Se você está para casar, faça o seguinte se quiser encontrar felicidade nas núpcias: um dia antes das bodas, faça uma oração fervorosa para Santo Antônio a Nossa Senhora da Conceição, pedindo que essas divindades lhe dêem muita felicidade na vida de casada(o).
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para o namorado voltar
Amarre 7 fitas coloridas numa estatua de Sto. Antônio, guarde-a no seu guarda-roupa, de cabeça para baixo. Prometa que quando tudo estiver bem, você liberta o Santo.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: Para o seu amor voltar
Escreva num pedaço de papel vermelho o nome da pessoa que você ama e quer que volte. Pegue uma foto dessa pessoa e cole-a no papel. Enrole o papel com a foto colada e amarre-o com uma fita vermelha.
Num vaso transparente, coloque meio litro de água benta e sete botões de rosa vermelha. Vá até uma igreja que tenha a imagem de Santo Antônio, coloque o vaso no altar.
Em sua casa, acenda sete velas brancas, perto do seu papel enrolado e amarado com a fita vermelha, ofereça-as ao Santo António e peça-lhe a volta do seu amor.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para os casais fazerem as pazes
Basta um cravo e uma rosa. Amarre juntos os 2 talos das flores com uma fita verde. Dê 13 nós na fita. Enquanto estiver a dar os nós pense em Santo António, e peça-lhe para vos unir em amor, como os talos das flores.
SIMPATIA SANTO ANTONIO: para nunca perder a pessoa amada
Pegue numa fotografia sua e numa da pessoa amada, de preferência de corpo inteiro, passe cola nas faces das duas e coloque-as uma de frente para a outra, enrolando um retrós de linha vermelha, em cruz, até o final. Cole-as, em seguida, no verso do quadro com a imagem de Santo Antônio, colocando-o na parede do seu quarto, acima da cabeceira de sua cama.
Todas as manhãs, quando se levantar, e à noite, quando for se deitar, olhe para os olhos do Santo e mentalize seu amor e você, unidos para sempre pela influência de Santo Antônio.
domingo, 12 de junho de 2011
Diferença do macho e o muito macho
É morte na certa. Rsrsrs
Todos ouvimos falar em alguém ser macho ou muito macho.
Mas você sabe realmente a diferença entre ambos?
***
Macho
É chegar em casa tarde da noite, após uma festa com os amigos, e ser
recebido por sua mulher segurando uma vassoura, e ter coragem de
perguntar: "Ainda está limpando a casa, ou vai voar para algum lugar?"
***
Muito macho
É chegar tarde da noite em casa, após uma festa com os amigos,
cheirando a perfume e cerveja, batom no colarinho, e ter coragem de
dar um tapa na bunda da sua mulher e dizer....
"Você é a próxima, gordinha!"
Todos ouvimos falar em alguém ser macho ou muito macho.
Mas você sabe realmente a diferença entre ambos?
***
Macho
É chegar em casa tarde da noite, após uma festa com os amigos, e ser
recebido por sua mulher segurando uma vassoura, e ter coragem de
perguntar: "Ainda está limpando a casa, ou vai voar para algum lugar?"
***
Muito macho
É chegar tarde da noite em casa, após uma festa com os amigos,
cheirando a perfume e cerveja, batom no colarinho, e ter coragem de
dar um tapa na bunda da sua mulher e dizer....
"Você é a próxima, gordinha!"
quinta-feira, 9 de junho de 2011
sexta-feira, 3 de junho de 2011
quinta-feira, 2 de junho de 2011
CORDEL DESENCANTADO
Se falo certo,
Tô errado,
Se falo errado,
Tô diplomado,
Porque nesse Brasil,
O bom é ser analfabetizado...
Se sou hetero,
tô errado,
Se sou gay,
Tô valorizado,
Porque nesse Brasil,
Anda tudo meio afrescalhado...
Se elogio uma mulher,
É assédio, tô errado,
Mas, se ignoro, coitado
Tô lascado, me chamam de viado
Porque nesse Brasil,
Anda tudo muito politizado...
Se faço brincadeira na escola,
Tô errado,
Se não faço, fazem comigo
Tô lascado,
Porque nesse Brasil,
Anda tudo bullynguizado...
Já não sei o que fazer,
Se posso me virar ou me mexer,
Se devo andar de frente ou de lado,
Êta paisinho de merda danado!
Autor desconhecido, mas muito criativo...
Tô errado,
Se falo errado,
Tô diplomado,
Porque nesse Brasil,
O bom é ser analfabetizado...
Se sou hetero,
tô errado,
Se sou gay,
Tô valorizado,
Porque nesse Brasil,
Anda tudo meio afrescalhado...
Se elogio uma mulher,
É assédio, tô errado,
Mas, se ignoro, coitado
Tô lascado, me chamam de viado
Porque nesse Brasil,
Anda tudo muito politizado...
Se faço brincadeira na escola,
Tô errado,
Se não faço, fazem comigo
Tô lascado,
Porque nesse Brasil,
Anda tudo bullynguizado...
Já não sei o que fazer,
Se posso me virar ou me mexer,
Se devo andar de frente ou de lado,
Êta paisinho de merda danado!
Autor desconhecido, mas muito criativo...
One can become bilingual at any time.
Some people believe you cannot be a "real" bilingual if you have not acquired your two languages in infancy or at least as a young child. It's true that there is something magical about a toddler who speaks one language to her father and another to her mother. But in fact, one can become bilingual at any time during one's life - as a child, as an adolescent, or as an adult.
Children who acquire two languages simultaneously have been the object of many studies and books. Their parents often adopt an approach that allows them to receive two language inputs but they are in fact rarer than children who acquire their languages successively.
The majority of child bilinguals start monolingually. They first acquire a home language and then, usually when they start going to school, they learn a second language, most often the majority language. Literally millions of children throughout the world have become bilingual in this manner. Then, depending on the country they live in, they may start learning a third (and even a fourth) language as a school subject.
Older children and young adolescents may also become bilingual. This will happen when they move to another linguistic region or to another country and start to be schooled in their new language. (This was my case when I was eight). Writer Eva Hoffman relates vividly in Lost in Translation how at age 13 she arrived in Canada from Poland and was immersed in a new language and culture.
Can one become bilingual later on? There is no upper age limit for acquiring a new language and then continuing one's life with two or more languages. Nor is there any limit in the fluency that one can attain in the new language with the exception of pronunciation skills. Acclaimed novelist Agota Kristoff fled Hungary at age 21 during the events of 1956 and came to the French-speaking part of Switzerland. She acquired French from scratch and many years later published her first novel.... in French!
The main factor that leads to the acquisition and development of a language is the need for that language - the need to interact with others, to study or work, to take part in social activities and so on. If the need for a language is present, then language acquisition will usually take place. This is true of children as it is of adults.
Other factors must also be present: enough language input and use; the help of family, friends, colleagues, and the community in general; formal language learning for some; and positive attitudes towards the language and culture in question, as well as towards bilingualism.
Some might ask: Isn't it better to start becoming bilingual as early as possible? This really depends. For example, as concerns need, a second language may not be needed early in life, hence the fact that bilingualism may develop later on only. If the need for a language is not present, or no longer present, then the language may not be acquired or may become dormant.
There is also the question of language fluency. Some researchers have downplayed the "earlier you start the more fluent you become" argument. It is true that for native-like pronunciation, the "sensitive period" range is shorter but even then I have known bilinguals who have acquired their second language at age 15 and have no accent in it. As for other skills, the window is not as clearly marked and acquisition can take place at any time.
Admittedly, some underlying listening and speaking mechanisms may not be the same as those of early bilinguals but this does not usually impede communication.Life as a Bilingual
The reality of living with two (or more) languages.
by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. Becoming bilingual
Published on November 10, 2010 by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. in Life as a Bilingual
François Grosjean's website: www.francoisgrosjean.ch
Children who acquire two languages simultaneously have been the object of many studies and books. Their parents often adopt an approach that allows them to receive two language inputs but they are in fact rarer than children who acquire their languages successively.
The majority of child bilinguals start monolingually. They first acquire a home language and then, usually when they start going to school, they learn a second language, most often the majority language. Literally millions of children throughout the world have become bilingual in this manner. Then, depending on the country they live in, they may start learning a third (and even a fourth) language as a school subject.
Older children and young adolescents may also become bilingual. This will happen when they move to another linguistic region or to another country and start to be schooled in their new language. (This was my case when I was eight). Writer Eva Hoffman relates vividly in Lost in Translation how at age 13 she arrived in Canada from Poland and was immersed in a new language and culture.
Can one become bilingual later on? There is no upper age limit for acquiring a new language and then continuing one's life with two or more languages. Nor is there any limit in the fluency that one can attain in the new language with the exception of pronunciation skills. Acclaimed novelist Agota Kristoff fled Hungary at age 21 during the events of 1956 and came to the French-speaking part of Switzerland. She acquired French from scratch and many years later published her first novel.... in French!
The main factor that leads to the acquisition and development of a language is the need for that language - the need to interact with others, to study or work, to take part in social activities and so on. If the need for a language is present, then language acquisition will usually take place. This is true of children as it is of adults.
Other factors must also be present: enough language input and use; the help of family, friends, colleagues, and the community in general; formal language learning for some; and positive attitudes towards the language and culture in question, as well as towards bilingualism.
Some might ask: Isn't it better to start becoming bilingual as early as possible? This really depends. For example, as concerns need, a second language may not be needed early in life, hence the fact that bilingualism may develop later on only. If the need for a language is not present, or no longer present, then the language may not be acquired or may become dormant.
There is also the question of language fluency. Some researchers have downplayed the "earlier you start the more fluent you become" argument. It is true that for native-like pronunciation, the "sensitive period" range is shorter but even then I have known bilinguals who have acquired their second language at age 15 and have no accent in it. As for other skills, the window is not as clearly marked and acquisition can take place at any time.
Admittedly, some underlying listening and speaking mechanisms may not be the same as those of early bilinguals but this does not usually impede communication.Life as a Bilingual
The reality of living with two (or more) languages.
by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. Becoming bilingual
Published on November 10, 2010 by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. in Life as a Bilingual
François Grosjean's website: www.francoisgrosjean.ch
The vagaries of life may lead to dormant bilingualism.
I have often been asked the following question: If bilinguals are those who use two or more languages (or dialects) in their everyday lives, what do you call people who now live their lives with just one language, even though they know several other languages and used them before? My reply is that they are dormant bilinguals.
It is not rare for bilinguals to go from being active, regular bilinguals, interacting with the world around them using their different languages, to being single language users. This can happen at any time and is usually due to a major life change such as immigration, the loss of a close family member, a separation, a change of jobs, or simply growing up and leaving one's language community. If this situation extends over time, then the language no longer being used on a regular basis will start to be forgotten. (I will cover language loss in a future post).
President Barack Obama is a fine example of a dormant bilingual. He spent four years in Indonesia between the ages of six and ten. He attended local schools and spoke Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) quite fluently. He stopped using it with others though when he moved to Hawaii with the exception of his half sister and when on trips back to Indonesia.
This said, he can still hold a general conversation in Indonesian and it was interesting to hear him say a few words in his other language when he addressed students at the University of Indonesia on November 10 of this year. (His speech).
Each time he switched over to Indonesian - "Selamat pagi" (Good morning), "Pulang kampung nih" (Back to/in my hometown) and so on - his audience applauded loudly. He also made them laugh mimicking the calls of street vendors. He finished with a much longer sentence in Indonesian, clearly showing that he retained a lot of the language.
Even though one may feel shy speaking a language one no longer uses (this is my case when I say a few words in Italian), it can be a real pleasure to realize that people understand you nevertheless. Clearly President Obama was relishing such moments when he switched over to Indonesian. And when he stated, "Indonesia bagian dari didi saya" (Indonesia is part of me), he was clearly touched as was his audience.
By living those four years in a country, "made up of thousands of islands, and hundreds of languages, and people from scores of regions and ethnic groups", as he states in his speech, President Obama experienced bi- and multilingualism first hand. This was reinforced later by his years in Hawaii with its two state languages (English and Hawaiian) and its many other languages.
It is no surprise therefore that President Obama defends bilingualism. When he was a candidate, in the summer of 2008, he stated at a rally, "You should be thinking about .... how can your child become bilingual. We should have every child speaking more than one language".
When uttering those words, he may have been thinking of himself when he was a bilingual child in Indonesia. He shared some of those happy memories with his audience during his November 10 speech, "I learned to love Indonesia while flying kites and running along the paddy fields and catching dragonflies.....I remember the people, the old men and women who welcomed us with smiles; the children who made a foreign child feel like a neighbor and a friend; and the teachers who helped me learn about this country."
Note: President Obama's speech in Indonesia can be found on the American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank site: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speechbank.htm
Life as a Bilingual
The reality of living with two (or more) languages.
by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. Dormant bilinguals and President Obama. The vagaries of life may lead to dormant bilingualism.
Published on November 19, 2010 by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. in Life as a Bilingual
François Grosjean's website: www.francoisgrosjean.ch
It is not rare for bilinguals to go from being active, regular bilinguals, interacting with the world around them using their different languages, to being single language users. This can happen at any time and is usually due to a major life change such as immigration, the loss of a close family member, a separation, a change of jobs, or simply growing up and leaving one's language community. If this situation extends over time, then the language no longer being used on a regular basis will start to be forgotten. (I will cover language loss in a future post).
President Barack Obama is a fine example of a dormant bilingual. He spent four years in Indonesia between the ages of six and ten. He attended local schools and spoke Indonesian (Bahasa Indonesia) quite fluently. He stopped using it with others though when he moved to Hawaii with the exception of his half sister and when on trips back to Indonesia.
This said, he can still hold a general conversation in Indonesian and it was interesting to hear him say a few words in his other language when he addressed students at the University of Indonesia on November 10 of this year. (His speech).
Each time he switched over to Indonesian - "Selamat pagi" (Good morning), "Pulang kampung nih" (Back to/in my hometown) and so on - his audience applauded loudly. He also made them laugh mimicking the calls of street vendors. He finished with a much longer sentence in Indonesian, clearly showing that he retained a lot of the language.
Even though one may feel shy speaking a language one no longer uses (this is my case when I say a few words in Italian), it can be a real pleasure to realize that people understand you nevertheless. Clearly President Obama was relishing such moments when he switched over to Indonesian. And when he stated, "Indonesia bagian dari didi saya" (Indonesia is part of me), he was clearly touched as was his audience.
By living those four years in a country, "made up of thousands of islands, and hundreds of languages, and people from scores of regions and ethnic groups", as he states in his speech, President Obama experienced bi- and multilingualism first hand. This was reinforced later by his years in Hawaii with its two state languages (English and Hawaiian) and its many other languages.
It is no surprise therefore that President Obama defends bilingualism. When he was a candidate, in the summer of 2008, he stated at a rally, "You should be thinking about .... how can your child become bilingual. We should have every child speaking more than one language".
When uttering those words, he may have been thinking of himself when he was a bilingual child in Indonesia. He shared some of those happy memories with his audience during his November 10 speech, "I learned to love Indonesia while flying kites and running along the paddy fields and catching dragonflies.....I remember the people, the old men and women who welcomed us with smiles; the children who made a foreign child feel like a neighbor and a friend; and the teachers who helped me learn about this country."
Note: President Obama's speech in Indonesia can be found on the American Rhetoric Online Speech Bank site: http://www.americanrhetoric.com/speechbank.htm
Life as a Bilingual
The reality of living with two (or more) languages.
by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. Dormant bilinguals and President Obama. The vagaries of life may lead to dormant bilingualism.
Published on November 19, 2010 by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. in Life as a Bilingual
François Grosjean's website: www.francoisgrosjean.ch
Bilinguals Refusing to speak one of their languages
Life as a Bilingual
The reality of living with two (or more) languages.
by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. Refusing to speak a languageThe reasons a language may be rejected
Published on June 2, 2011 by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. in Life as a Bilingual
We saw in an earlier post on dormant bilinguals that a major life change such as immigration, the loss of a close family member, a separation, a change of jobs, or simply growing up and leaving one's community may lead some bilinguals to no longer use a language. Since it is no longer needed, it is put aside. This is a normal consequence of the wax and wane of languages in bilinguals.
But there are also instances where a decision is made not to use a language any longer. The reasons vary and cover both adults and children. For example, members of stigmatized minorities may opt to no longer use the language of the majority when they are able to do so. Thus, many German Jews during World War II refused to continue using German in their new countries. This was also true of some members of the resistance movement. For example, Austrian born historian and author, Gerda Lerner, joined the resistance in her home country. When she arrived in the United States in 1939, she rejected German even though it was her first language. It was only many years later that she reconciled herself with her native language.
Strong negative attitudes towards a minority language will also lead speakers of that language to refuse to speak it in public. This was the case for many speakers of regional languages in nation-states in Europe in the 19th and 20th Centuries. And it is true of certain recent immigrant languages among the second and third generations today.
To these political and social reasons should be added individual linguistic reasons. Some bilinguals, for example, fear that a particular language will taint their other language too strongly and so they decide to no longer use it (or use it on very rare occasions). A well-known example is the surrealist writer and poet, André Breton, who spent some time in the United States during World War II. He is said to have refused to speak and write English because he didn't want his native-language to be affected by it!
And, of course, there are those (I am one of them) who know a language so badly that they simply decide to no longer speak it. Of course, they still understand it to some extent but if they start using it, their interlocutor might think they know it better than they do and miscommunication will take place. It is simply easier, and safer, to close it down, often with regret though.
Children are also well-known for their decision at times not to use a language. We have seen in an earlier post on the person-language bond that very young bilingual children have an agreed upon language they use with the adults they know well. If someone uses the wrong language with them, they may become quite upset in addition to simply refusing to answer back in that language.
Older bilingual children and adolescents who become conscious of which language their peers speak may well reject a language (usually the home language) so as not to be different from them. An Arabic-English bilingual once wrote to me that as an adolescent he pretended he did not know Arabic. He continued: "I did this because I wanted very badly not to be different from the rest of my friends."
Researchers Stephen Caldas and Suzanne Caron-Caldas tracked language use in their English-French bilingual children over a six year period in Louisiana and in Quebec in the summer. The perception of peer pressure outside the home was such that the children were basically English monolinguals in Louisiana and French monolinguals in Quebec. In a revealing anecdote included in the study, the father, who spoke French to his children in Louisiana, was with his twelve-year-old daughter, Stéphanie, at a football game. He was getting ready to say hi to one of her friends when Stéphanie hissed to him, "Don't speak French to her." The authors tell us that the father did so anyway!
Parents often have to find creative ways of encouraging the use of the rejected language in order to ensure the development of active bilingualism in their children. It is no mean feat as their testimonies show!
References
Caldas, S. and Caron-Caldas, S. (2002). A sociolinguistic analysis of the language preferences of adolescent bilinguals: Shifting allegiances and developing identities. Applied Linguistics 23, 490-514.
Grosjean, F. Family strategies and support. Chapter 17 of Grosjean, François (2010). Bilingual: Language and Reality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
François Grosjean's website: http://www.francoisgrosjean.ch/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201106/refusing-speak-language
The reality of living with two (or more) languages.
by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. Refusing to speak a languageThe reasons a language may be rejected
Published on June 2, 2011 by Francois Grosjean, Ph.D. in Life as a Bilingual
We saw in an earlier post on dormant bilinguals that a major life change such as immigration, the loss of a close family member, a separation, a change of jobs, or simply growing up and leaving one's community may lead some bilinguals to no longer use a language. Since it is no longer needed, it is put aside. This is a normal consequence of the wax and wane of languages in bilinguals.
But there are also instances where a decision is made not to use a language any longer. The reasons vary and cover both adults and children. For example, members of stigmatized minorities may opt to no longer use the language of the majority when they are able to do so. Thus, many German Jews during World War II refused to continue using German in their new countries. This was also true of some members of the resistance movement. For example, Austrian born historian and author, Gerda Lerner, joined the resistance in her home country. When she arrived in the United States in 1939, she rejected German even though it was her first language. It was only many years later that she reconciled herself with her native language.
Strong negative attitudes towards a minority language will also lead speakers of that language to refuse to speak it in public. This was the case for many speakers of regional languages in nation-states in Europe in the 19th and 20th Centuries. And it is true of certain recent immigrant languages among the second and third generations today.
To these political and social reasons should be added individual linguistic reasons. Some bilinguals, for example, fear that a particular language will taint their other language too strongly and so they decide to no longer use it (or use it on very rare occasions). A well-known example is the surrealist writer and poet, André Breton, who spent some time in the United States during World War II. He is said to have refused to speak and write English because he didn't want his native-language to be affected by it!
And, of course, there are those (I am one of them) who know a language so badly that they simply decide to no longer speak it. Of course, they still understand it to some extent but if they start using it, their interlocutor might think they know it better than they do and miscommunication will take place. It is simply easier, and safer, to close it down, often with regret though.
Children are also well-known for their decision at times not to use a language. We have seen in an earlier post on the person-language bond that very young bilingual children have an agreed upon language they use with the adults they know well. If someone uses the wrong language with them, they may become quite upset in addition to simply refusing to answer back in that language.
Older bilingual children and adolescents who become conscious of which language their peers speak may well reject a language (usually the home language) so as not to be different from them. An Arabic-English bilingual once wrote to me that as an adolescent he pretended he did not know Arabic. He continued: "I did this because I wanted very badly not to be different from the rest of my friends."
Researchers Stephen Caldas and Suzanne Caron-Caldas tracked language use in their English-French bilingual children over a six year period in Louisiana and in Quebec in the summer. The perception of peer pressure outside the home was such that the children were basically English monolinguals in Louisiana and French monolinguals in Quebec. In a revealing anecdote included in the study, the father, who spoke French to his children in Louisiana, was with his twelve-year-old daughter, Stéphanie, at a football game. He was getting ready to say hi to one of her friends when Stéphanie hissed to him, "Don't speak French to her." The authors tell us that the father did so anyway!
Parents often have to find creative ways of encouraging the use of the rejected language in order to ensure the development of active bilingualism in their children. It is no mean feat as their testimonies show!
References
Caldas, S. and Caron-Caldas, S. (2002). A sociolinguistic analysis of the language preferences of adolescent bilinguals: Shifting allegiances and developing identities. Applied Linguistics 23, 490-514.
Grosjean, F. Family strategies and support. Chapter 17 of Grosjean, François (2010). Bilingual: Language and Reality. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press.
François Grosjean's website: http://www.francoisgrosjean.ch/
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/life-bilingual/201106/refusing-speak-language
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