Fired due to historical issues and her accent??

[Barney]

Hello all.
As probably you don't know, I'm from Spain, and recently I could read in one of the biggest spanish newspaper that a spanish teacher was fired few days ago from Pittsburgh University.
She had taught Spanish in that University for more than ten years. As probably you know, Spanish accent is totally different to Mexican and south american ones, we difference in a lot of expresions also, as American and British English do.
She proclaims that she had begun to suffer bullying after a new department head was elected. The new chief is a Bolivian woman, and in words of the spanish teacher, "She calls to Spanish (iberican) people oppresors and only wants latinoamerican teachers in her department".
What do you think about? Discovery of America occurred more than 500 years ago. We as spanish recognize that our ancestors didn't do things well, but there's no reason for this kind for vengeance, 500 years later. Nevertheless, I have always thought that European tecnology and advances were brought to South America by spanish conquerors.


http://independentfilmnewsandmedia.com/pitt-spanish-prof-fired-accent/

http://www.pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib/news/breaking/s_764961.html

 

[porterjack]

Same with smug pompous Brits lording it over US use of language

 

[Zorak]

Same with smug pompous Brits lording it over US use of language

Not really becaus it's not a matter of language.

You can't hold people responsible for what their ancestors did. I think maybe the current generation has a responsibility towards those wronged, but in the case of Spain and Latin America, most Latin Americans are spanisrds anyway. Most of the Indians were wiped out.

 

[Tuffdisc]

Same with smug pompous Brits lording it over US use of language

Huh? When the constitution was made, it was English that was elected to be the "native" language over German

 

[porterjack]

you must admit a lot of Brits, will correct what they pereceive to be mis-spelled words
color, for example

does this not infer a sense of ownership of the language

 

[Tuffdisc]

you must admit a lot of Brits, will correct what they pereceive to be mis-spelled words
color, for example

does this not infer a sense of ownership of the language

I never do that, only to British people who couldn't spell for toffees

 

[porterjack]

I never do that, only to British people who couldn't spell for toffees

how about the oft challenged use of the word football

 

[Tuffdisc]

how about the oft challenged use of the word football

Soccer is an abbreviation of AsSOCiation Football, I just hate the word soccer

 

[Kyle B]

This sounds like the political BS you have to deal with if you choose to get a job in the world of academia.

 

[Dana]

you must admit a lot of Brits, will correct what they pereceive to be mis-spelled words
color, for example

does this not infer a sense of ownership of the language

:humm: Sounds familiar.... :24:

 

[Panacea]

I definitely think it's unfair. I've been learning Spanish in my scarce free time, and I definitely have realized there are a lot of prejudices surrounding the diversity of the language.

 

[Barney]

Not really becaus it's not a matter of language.

Most of the Indians were wiped out.

I think that's the reason why she was fired, I don't know the Bolivian woman who manages the Spanish Deparment, but I bet my salary that she's indigenous.

does this not infer a sense of ownership of the language

Without talking in ownership terms, and from my total unknowledge, Is there any organism that moderates the use of English? I think so, thereby Spanish is regulated by RAE (Real Academa Española, Spanish Real Academy), so the rules of use of Spanish are spreaded from Spain.

 

[darkcgi]

I have a brit background boss and she is very particular about grammar.

 

[porterjack]

Without talking in ownership terms, and from my total unknowledge, Is there any organism that moderates the use of English? I think so, thereby Spanish is regulated by RAE (Real Academa Española, Spanish Real Academy), so the rules of use of Spanish are spreaded from Spain.

i know of none in the US

i believe the French have/had such a group to protect their curlture and language from erosion by the increase of anglicisms into their language

for example le hamburger, the French do like to protect their culture

 

[hart]

I haven't read the article but if she has been teaching for 10 years it's ridiculous!

 

[Siphorous]

To use online gaming parlance, I guess what certain Brits (and indeed others!) may fear is a devolution of the use of English to the extent that it goes from:

"I say old chap, I've emerged victorious from my competitive exchange with you."

to:

"Pwn3d!"

Subtle differences in use via aural or written form aren't really that bad (colour/color or pronunciation of things like 'buoy') - even if sometimes Brits do moan about it.

 

[darkcgi]

i wonder what the real truth was
cause the media lies all all all the time
I know it first hand more than twice