I daily brainwash myself to convince me that I can continue in this class

          Originally this word was used in an article by Edward Hunter (1902-1978) during the Korean War. Hunter was a CIA propaganda operator who worked undercover as a journalist. The article was titled "Brain-Washing' Tactics Force Chinese into Ranks of Communist Party"; literally taken from the chinese word his-nao that means"to cleanse the mind".
         Later in 1956, Edward Hunter wrote a book titled "Brain-Washing: The Story of the Men Defied It". This book reveals how the coercive system used by the Maoist regimen caused a lot of damage and destruction to the physical and mental health of the prisoners. Finally, Edward Hunter was supported by Robert Lifton and Edgar Schein who made two studies about the Korean War. They concluded that "brainwashing had a transient effect when used on prisoners of war". However, there are other people such as forensic psychologist Dick Anthony who affirmed that the CIA invented the concept of "brainwashing" in order to justify the real reason why "American POWs in Korea expressed sympathy for communism".
          As time passed, this word was used to express other concepts, situations and cultural behaviors. For example, it is currently used to describe the effect that meadia, propaganda, and fashion have on people. Critics argue that advertisement and cartoons for children contain subliminal messages that "brainwash" adults and children in order to sell their products. Peoople also use this word to express their feelings against some religious and sects that brainwash people to convince them to change their beliefs and credos. According to Lifton and other researchers, "certain religious groups use mind control techniques to unethically recruit and maintain members".
          Simultaneously to English that calqued the word "brainwashing" from the chinese word hi-nao, Spanish calqued one saying from English; we say "lavar el cerebro" that is, "brainwashing". That's the reason I chose this word.
         

Abstract

Globish: How the English Language Became the World’s Language

Author: Robert McCrum

Globish is a book that follows the history and development of the English language step by step. Robert McCrum collected enough information about the origin of this language that as McCrum says, “has travelled and changed through time and space throws up many examples of contemporary craziness”. The author recreates historical events that were relevant to the English language development. The colonization of the British Island by Romans, Anglo-Saxons, the Vikings, and finally Normans, brought many changes to the English culture and language. Therefore, McCrum took these events into consideration and made a clear and complete explanation of the effects they caused in the English culture and language. Ironically, the English language survived all those violent irruptions and became stronger. Latter Globish will be considered as the most relevant language in the world.

            The book also tells us about the global economic, politics and industrialization where the English language plays an important role. America is cited by the author as a powerful country where technology, television and cinematography world “have made of globish the worldwide dialect of the third millennium” (McCrum).

            According to McCrum the English language has a history of violence since its origin. It was exposed to many changes that it acquired from other cultures such as Romans, Anglo-Saxons, Vikings and Normans. However, those cultures also have left other important legacies that enriched the English language. Romans for example introduced Latin into the educational system. As McCrum says, during the invasion of Anglo-Saxon, “there was an important cross-fertilization that still makes a powerful contribution to contemporary English culture”. The strong sense of national identity was a legacy of the Vikings.

English was brought to America by the British during the period of colonization. America became a powerful nation that transformed the world through its cinematographic industry, television and advertising. Similar to the English language, Spanish has many characteristics that come from other cultures and languages such as Celtics, Greek, Romans and Arabs. Those were the result of continuous invasions. New words were incorporated to the original language that was based in Vulgar Latin.  Words such as “escuela” (school) or “Huerfano” (orphan) all belong to the Greek tradition. Arabs also left an important lexical legacy that has been incorporated into the Spanish language. Like English language, Spanish language was brought to America by conquers who converted the American territory in colonies that belonged to the old world. Therefore, similar to English language, Spanish language spread throughout the American Continent.

Globish is a book that has a great among of information that could answer many questions about learning a new language. Reading Globish we can understand that language has an intimate relationship with the history of a culture. In other words, language is part of our identity and history. “The sea did more than just define the English; it inspired them to become sailors, merchants, explorers and empire builders. Language and culture reflected this experience and gave English its highly interactive character,” (McCrum).

Reading # 2

In the Beginning

            After reading this chapter I realized that the history of English language is very similar to the history of other languages such as Spanish, German, Russian and French. All those languages confronted many changes because of the invasion of other cultures. They also have a history of violence since their origins.

            In this chapter McCrum cites the Roman historian Tacitus who wrote about the German tribes. He argued that even though those tribes lived simple and uncomplicated lives, they also used to practice certain savage rituals that made others consider them as violent people. For example, they sacrificed slaves, drowning them in a lake in honoring of Nerthus, the goddess Mother Earth. One of those ‘barbarous tribes was ‘the Anglii’, better known to history as the Angles”.( McCrum).

            Little by little McCrum introduced the readers into the story by telling anecdotes that make them understand the process that English language suffered in order to become the world’s language. All those anecdotes were related to the fact that English was influenced by its conquerors who contributed with the development of English culture and language. However, “English was slightly different, by virtue of its location”. English inherited “an European Latin tradition from Roma; an independent vernacular culture from Anglo-Saxons and a strong sense of national identity from the Vikings”.(McCrum).

            Another reason for the English culture and language development was its location. The sea was very important because it gave islanders the opportunity to become “sailors, merchants, explorers and empire builders.”                        

How to pronounce my name, “Luz”

            For a linguistic: My first name is only one syllable, “Luz”. Its basic structure is (CVC), a closed syllable. It has the onset of a voiced alveolar liquid [l], with a rhyme of a high back vowel, [u], and the coda of a voiced alveolar fricative [z]; “Luz”.  Transcript to /IPA/, / luz/.

Description to the locals: You start by putting your tongue at the front of the upper of your mouth; just behind your upper teeth. Then let the air comes out through your throat. To pronounce the “u” put your tongue at the back of your mouth and close your lips a little bit as if you want to kiss someone lightly on the cheek. Finally, close your mouth letting your lips separated and let the air comes out between your teeth making friction “z”.