The linguistic Original Sin

As David Crystal put it in an article in 1966 "...the findamental role language plays in the practical understanding , expresion , presentation and furtherance of any set of religious beliefs..."

How fundamental is this role?
If we think about a language as a science that can be studied, you´ll undoubtedly think about linguistics. For the past 150 years, the main interest of this science was the study of language in relation to its context, organization and its external functon(i.e. the connection to reality). As is decribed by Crystal: "Language must be studied in its corect social perspective as the most flexible and potentially subtle form of communication"
For him, the uniqueness of human communication and the power of discourse are particular important when it comes to the analysis of speech.

There are other principles though, for instance that all language implies intellibility. An intelligible message is one clear enough to be understood. There are simple strategies to make your discourse more or less intelligible, the use of simple or complex lexis is one of them. Secondly, The influence of context. It´s usually said thet there are as many interpretations as people who read the message. And this statement is true since backgroud knowledge,the ideas and preconceptions in their minds are different.

Having said this, you might be wondering: what all this has to do with religion?
Well, let me tell you that the discrepancies in intelligibility are most often trivial in everyday speaking but when more presicion is needed and personal and emotional associations arise, as in the case of religion, these connotations can "prove fatal to constructive discussion" (David Crystal).


(to be continued)

Wine- Fashion or taste?

In recent years, it has been discovered that the history of wine spans thouthands of years and that its production is closely related to the most ancient civilizations known. Why is it then that nowadays people gather in clubs and meetings to dicuss the qualities and characteristics of this peculiar drink?



Historical evidence proves that in ancient Egypt, grapes were cultivated and wine was used in religious ceremonies. More recent in time, during the Roman empire, the cultivation of grapes and drinking of wine was not only popular in Europe but also spread to every corner of the empire. The Romans played a key role in wine production, they were the first to create a wine press and to store it in barrels. Not to mention the fact than they also cultivated different types of grapes which paved the way to the enormous variety of wines available today.



Although the decline of the Roman empire affected wine producton.In Europe, the catholic church adopted wine to celebrete the holy mass.(163) By the fifteenth century,the popularity and production of this drink had outlived a devastating pest (Phylloxera: a Fly that affects grapevines) and its production bloomed all around the world.



Along with the Spanish and Portuguese colonies came the wine and the wheat. These two elements were needed to provide the natives with the Holy Eucharist (A christian sacrament, representing the last supper) . So, in what later came to be known as Latin America, only two countries, Chile and Argentina, were apt to cultivate grapes and thus produce their own wines.(220)



In Argentina. Malbec is considered the embematic grape. And Malbec wines produced in this country are exported around the globe because of its quality and similar features it shares with the French.



In the end, are we really intersted in wine? In it´s complexity of flavours and aromas ? Or Are we guided by fashion? The truth is we can´t deny the fact that people knows much more about wines nowadays then they used to. And all that knolwdge available make us even more curious. (



Fashion is always about change. As a consequence, wine is far from fashion, since now we know its been around for at least 4.500 years.

The Ushuaia Rabbit

This Short Story has been written by Fernando Sorrentino. I found it interesting mainly due to the fact that its author is Argentinian. I don´t know you girls, but since I was a girl I ´ve known short stories as an "English Genre". Well, this story is certanly not a common one. It describes a bone created between a man, appatently a scientist, who comes accross an extint animal. The funny thing is however that this creature,which is in theory a patagonic animal, is found in the middle of the city. No forest or woods or cold weather but Buenos Aires. There is also an aura of mistery in this story, thanks to a weird girlfrind. But, trust me, have a go with the Ushuaia Rabbit. It takes no more than fifteen minutes to read. And I can assure you that You´ll find something to remember from this very well written but still peculiar story.

My personal findings are:

"You can´t expect blood from a turnip", Which is an idiom I personally wasn´t acquainted with.

Well,
Hope you read the story and let me know what you think.
This is the link( just in case)
www.short-stories.co.uk/

Great language lesson last moday. I loved the topic of oriental culture and realizing the may be more than one way to view things. I kept wondering...and reading. I found out that Since 1995 in China there is a five-day education system.It used to be six day. That teachers and Students were very much in favour but parents weren´t since the were worried about their chilcren being "behind" in their education...