1. There are many perspectives on the different accents found across the U.S., and the documentary, “American Tongues”, reveals just how many there are. Everything from the taste of home one gets when a familiar dialect pierces the drone of “normal speech” heard day in and day out, or the enticing words of a Southern Belle attracting anyone within earshot, to the struggles one must endure to modify, or cover up, their native tongue and the harsh stereotypes given to people after speaking only a simple phrase. So what are the ups and downs of “talkin’ funny”? Many people, when asked, will tell you that there are things that can make you feel safe. Whether it’s the crisp smell of oranges reminding you of the orchards back home, or the warmth
…show more content…
I am reminded of a recent visit to San Antonio, where it was common to hear people talking “spanglish”. My brother, who I was visiting, explained that a majority of his friends spoke Spanish fluently, and started picking up certain words. He simply found it easier to explain things using the Spanish words when he could, while filling in the rest with English. This can be seen as a combination of relocation and hierarchical diffusion and has both benefits and drawbacks. For the reasons my brother speaks this way, it’s helpful, but for others it can be confusing and …show more content…
Since its early beginnings, baseball has captivated audiences of every walk of life; which is why it isn’t hard to see why it has spread over the globe. The diffusion of baseball is evident in the numbers of players coming from countries all around the world. I decided to take a look at the last 29 years, and I noticed a few things. The first thing that caught my eye was the lack of players from SE Asia. Baseball was introduced to the area by missionaries in the late 1800s, and even though amateur baseball quickly became popular throughout South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China, the first professional leagues weren’t established until the 1980s. So wouldn’t you think there would be at least one player to join from the most densely populated area on Earth? And like that, I answered my own question. What is one way you become densely populated? How about nobody leaves. The lack of emigration from these areas along with some other major cultural differences led to professional players from these countries, to stay and play in those countries. Instead of the competitive sport that it had become here, baseball was more of a fun way to exercise for them. In Japan, group harmony plays an important role in the game. Conversely, American baseball has a more individualistic style of
I am reminded of a recent visit to San Antonio, where it was common to hear people talking “spanglish”. My brother, who I was visiting, explained that a majority of his friends spoke Spanish fluently, and started picking up certain words. He simply found it easier to explain things using the Spanish words when he could, while filling in the rest with English. This can be seen as a combination of relocation and hierarchical diffusion and has both benefits and drawbacks. For the reasons my brother speaks this way, it’s helpful, but for others it can be confusing and …show more content…
Since its early beginnings, baseball has captivated audiences of every walk of life; which is why it isn’t hard to see why it has spread over the globe. The diffusion of baseball is evident in the numbers of players coming from countries all around the world. I decided to take a look at the last 29 years, and I noticed a few things. The first thing that caught my eye was the lack of players from SE Asia. Baseball was introduced to the area by missionaries in the late 1800s, and even though amateur baseball quickly became popular throughout South Korea, Taiwan, Japan and China, the first professional leagues weren’t established until the 1980s. So wouldn’t you think there would be at least one player to join from the most densely populated area on Earth? And like that, I answered my own question. What is one way you become densely populated? How about nobody leaves. The lack of emigration from these areas along with some other major cultural differences led to professional players from these countries, to stay and play in those countries. Instead of the competitive sport that it had become here, baseball was more of a fun way to exercise for them. In Japan, group harmony plays an important role in the game. Conversely, American baseball has a more individualistic style of