To dub or not to dub?
As a British-born Chinese citizen, I adore old Hong-Kong martial arts films. By the time Jackie Chan had made his Hollywood debut, I had seen a number of his critically acclaimed films such as Project A, Wheels on Meals (set and filmed in Barcelona) and Armour of God (where he almost died after a stunt went wrong).
One particular film that stood out was City Hunter, where Jackie Chan plays a bumbling detective caught in the middle of a raid on a cruise ship. The film was quite special as it featured Eastern and Western martial artists with speaking parts – something that I had rarely seen at the time.
I first watched it with all the dialogue in English (even that of the Asian actors) when I was around 10 years old and found it hilarious, but I watched it again several years later only to find all the dialogue was in Chinese, and I didn’t find it so funny. There was a time in the 1980s when martial art films became almost ‘cultish’ with TV audiences, particularly in America. The reason? Whenever they were shown on TV – usually on a weekend when kids were home and could mimic the moves – you had a really bad dialogue (loosely translated from the original script) and terrible lip sync.
Animated films are fortunate enough to not be so heavily affected by dubbing, but when you compare a dubbed live-action with one in its original language, you have to wonder if dubbing is really necessary. Sure, the inclusion of English in any media will make it more accessible than leaving it in languages such as Arabic, Chinese or Spanish, but I would like the idea of all the characters speaking in their own language and providing subtitles where necessary. A colleague pointed out that Inglourious Basterds by Quentin Tarantino is an example of this and it is this feature that explains why it is one of my current-favourite films. All the characters speak their native language or speak the language relevant to the scene with subtitles appearing only when they’re needed.
Dubbing allows the audience to hear a piece of dialogue in a way that is culturally relevant to them and it’s often seen as an alternative to subtitling because the idea of reading during a film can put people off. But this also robs the film of something that’s significant to the nationality of the speaker, lessening the impact of any colloquial phrase.
Are you pro-dubbing or against it? Do you see the need to read subtitling?
Katie
What’s the hardest language to learn?
I remember the first day of my Hispanic Studies degree, when our head of department brought us all down to earth by reminding us that Spanish is one of the easiest languages to learn. Having all worked pretty hard to get there, we were quite offended, but looking back now, I have to admit he may have been right… Spanish follows relatively simple grammatical rules, and once you know the different sounds, you can look at any word, and even if you’ve never seen it before you’ll know how to pronounce it. Of course there are areas of difficulty, like the age-old ‘ser or estar’ debate and (every linguist’s favourite) the subjunctive, but on the whole it isn’t a nightmare to get to grips with.
So that got me thinking: what is the hardest language to learn? Obvious answers that spring to mind are languages like Arabic, Mandarin, Cantonese and Japanese, which use a completely different writing system to English and, in the case of the Chinese languages, rely heavily on tone of voice. Changing the way you say a word even fractionally can completely change its meaning – which makes learning the language seem pretty daunting.
Other languages that I’ve been told are really difficult to learn include Finnish and Hungarian, in this case because of their complicated grammar systems.
Of course this is all from an English speaker’s point of view. If I’d been brought up speaking another language then my ideas about which are most difficult would probably be totally different. I’m sure I’d find English quite hard if I weren’t a native speaker.
What do you think? Have you ever learnt a language that was particularly challenging?
Liz
Is it OK to be Monolingual?
When England’s GCSE results came out at the end of August the British press were quick to report on the declining numbers of students taking the qualification in a foreign language: 12% fewer students than in 2010 sat the exam, and this is part of a continuing downward trend over the last few years. The vast majority took their GCSE in French, followed at some distance by Spanish and then German. Even the modest numbers taking Mandarin Chinese and Arabic have tailed off.
So, does this mean that we are well and truly on the road to become a nation of monolinguals, at ease communicating with the world in English, and more than happy to leave our dirty work to translators, interpreters and other specialists in the field? And does it matter?
A reason many UK experts state for learning a foreign language – the utilitarian one – suggests that having a language is good for business. However, I doubt that this has really had much of a detrimental effect on the bottom line of UK plc over the years and it is certainly not a motivating factor in persuading a 13 year old to learn Spanish. Although many employers prize a language qualification, the fact is that most jobs don’t require one.
So what about the appreciation of a country’s culture? Do you really need a knowledge of Italian to appreciate Renaissance art? Or of Chinese to understand the triumphs of the Ming Dynasty? It is entirely possible to promote awareness of these subjects in English.
I do think there are powerful reasons why young people should learn a language and the factors of interest to teenagers – the social ones, the sheer fun of it, the intrinsic joy of reaching into another world – are well set out at www.whystudylanguages.ac.uk. The question is: should all children be forced to take a language up to the age of 16?
Perhaps not all of them, if it depends on our current examination system and the knowledge it equips them with. That said, there are changes afoot in the secondary syllabus, and alternative language programs are also being pioneered in the UK. One of these works like music, on the basis of awarding progress through a step-by-step grades system.
And if formal education fails, many people find ways of acquiring language skills later in life, when they have a clearer idea of what they need to learn and why.
Steve
Innovative Language Learning Initiative for Haiti
Guest post by Sheri Colas-Gervais, Vice-President of the Le Flambeau Foundation
The launch of two new sets of language learning CD-ROMs has many excited. The new products are the result of a unique relationship between Le Flambeau Foundation – a U.S. non-profit organization providing educational programming and scholarships to youth in Haiti, and London-based EuroTalk. The new language learning CD offerings include the American English language learning set, which features special Haitian Creole help, and the Haitian Creole language learning set. Each set has five CD-ROMs. These are part of an innovative fundraising initiative designed to assist young people in Haiti to earn sustainable educational assets that will prepare them for the effective rebuilding of Haiti.
These CD sets are unique in a number of ways. The special feature of having the help guides for the English language learning CDs spoken in Haitian Creole offers a significant advantage to the many youth in Haiti who speak Creole but are not fluent in French. By reducing the number of steps, students are able to accelerate their English learning… and have fun doing it via the highly entertaining and engaging EuroTalk format. For young people in Haiti looking for jobs and for those aiming to attend higher learning institutions in the U.S., this advantage is invaluable. It opens the door to a whole new world. The Haitian Creole learning CDs offer similar advantages to a U.S. audience (and other countries) aiming to become fluent before visiting Haiti and making sustainable contributions. We are pleased to be working with the EuroTalk team on this initiative and applaud the commitment. Sending the next student to school on scholarship, resulting from the funds being raised via this initiative, is already within reach. The future is bright!
The Le Flambeau Foundation assists Haiti via Intellectual Infrastructure Development – the provision of a solid education foundation for the brightest youth and future leaders of Haiti. The Foundation serves as a portal providing the youth of Haiti with educational opportunities, such as college scholarships and preparatory programming, that will prepare them to rebuild and lead the country’s transition from poverty to prosperity, with dignity. Le Flambeau Foundation scholars have a track record of graduating in the top tier of their class, including a scholar who is now attending graduate school at Harvard University. The Torch is lit. We carry it forward and pass it on!
The special CD sets are available to youth groups in Haiti and in the U.S. and serve as vehicles for meeting educational and funding needs. For more information on getting involved or on purchasing these special CD sets, please contact Le Flambeau Foundation Inc. (www.leflambeau-foundation.org) at scg@le-flambeau-foundation.org, or call (001) 305.596.2819. EuroTalk is making a donation to the Le Flambeau Foundation for every CD purchased from this special collection. This is innovation in its best form, as the wheels are in motion for making a significant sustainable difference for the people of Haiti. Rebuilding moves forward.
Example of a successful language exchange partnership which resulted in a student in Haiti receiving a scholarship. Both students remain involved and are excited about the new CDs, as these will increase access and accelerate the learning benefits.
There’s something different about this one…
I see myself as a moderately well-travelled person, having visited most of Europe, Hong Kong, Japan and the southern states in the USA. Many memories are made on each trip, whether they are about trying strange food, meeting friendly locals or even having the odd moment of hilarity – but one thing I always find is that confusion crops up about my ethnic appearance. I’m not even sure if it’s in a good or bad way.
I’m a British Born Chinese, speak English fluently and studied Spanish at university, so I am pretty comfortable with visiting most parts of the world. I don’t have any qualms about learning even more languages, if it helps me get by. But my appearance seems to evoke different…. responses.
For instance, a short conversation while getting coffee at a gas-stop in New Mexico left a cashier confused when she said I (apparently) spoke like the Queen. Flip side to this: during a night out in Acuña, Mexico, a bartender was surprised to be able to talk to me in great detail about how film director Robert Rodriguez used his tavern to film a part of his feature Desperado, as I was the only one who could speak and understand Spanish – something that also helped make a complaint about a dirty and unmade hotel room in Las Vegas.
A weird occurrence was when a tourist wanted a picture taken with me during a visit with friends to the Carlsberg Museum in Copenhagen. The reason? He had never seen a Chinese person before.
Multiculturalism is growing everyday and so more people are becoming accustomed to different ways of life. But there are parts of the world that are not so used to ethnic diversity, and particularly given Asians’ distinctive appearance, seeing someone different walk through the door will always have that element of surprise. Even more so if that person can talk and understand you – that always raises a smile… or perhaps a furrowed brow.
Do you find yourself surprising people on your travels with your linguistic abilities? Or have you met someone who catches you unawares by conversing in your native tongue?
Katie
