I know I have blogged several posts on Spain and Catalonia and this ongoing political battle they have had many a times. I try not to be biased with my posts as I'm not only partly Spanish but I am partly Catalan too. But what I do want to post about is the ignorance parents are teaching their children.
As a teacher I have noticed the different types of students I have and what beliefs they also have been taught to have.
I teach English at a language school and the other day I was teaching my group of 8 year olds. I told one of the kids that he spelt the days of the week wrong, (he spelt all the days ending in I instead of y, mondai)
I told the student, in English you write the words ending in Y and the student replied to me, but i'm Catalan and this is how we write.
I was rather surprised with that comment considering this is an 8 year old kid who doesn't know about politics but knows that Catalonia should be seperate from Spain and that Catalan is more important to him that Spanish and English put together. The only people that can be teaching this kid, which is one of many kids is either their parents or teachers at school.
I don't want to go against anyones thoughts on politics but I don't agree with brainwashing kids either. Isn't a child that can speak Spanish and Catalan a lot richer in knowledge than a Kid that only speaks one language like Catalan which is only spoken in one part of Spain? Isn't Spanish far more important to learn considering it is one of the most spoken languages? Shouldn't we be teaching our kids it is better to have knowledge and culture from different backgrounds?
I don't want to go against people ethics and beliefs but I do believe people shoul stop being si ignorant and teaching their children a one sided view of politics. Spain is a beautiful country full of culture, the South and North of Spain are completely different just like the North and South of the UK, or Italy or any other country.
Why not teach your kids to appreciate the two languages this country has to offer? I understand we who live in Catalonia should speak Catalan but parents need to stop limiting their children with speaking only Catalan, this is not a way of keeping the culture and language alive, it is a way of dumbing down your kids and being facist to other people across Spain.
I don't want to generalize but I really can't understand the obsession.
We know Catalans suffered a lot and believe they will be better independent but until that day arises it's time to embrace your neighbours, being Spanish, Portugues, Morroccon or from wherever and opening your mind to everyone.
When I first moved here I ended up detesting Catalan because people were forcing me to speak the language, I never learnt it properly. I have had several experiences like this, I also went to my local GP and got a telling off for not speaking in Catalan, I thought, why should I if I can communicate better in Spanish. I went to Italy and in two months I was speaking Italian because no one was forcing me. Just the way Franco forced out the Catalans and Jews back in the day, it seems like the Catalans are still angry but they shouldn't. Everyone makes mistakes and if you want people to embrace this culture there is no need to be forceful.
Catalans should be proud of their roots but they shouldn't reject the rest of Spain. People say Catalonia is not Spain, Catalonia is Spain for now and it isn't changing yet, so stop the hating and brainwashing and respect everyone. If I speak Spanish let me, If I speak Catalan let me too. Just let me feel free to speak what I feel comfortable in and don't dictate to anyone what they should speak as we left a dictatorship over 30 years ago.
I have been brought up English, Scotish, Spanish and Catalan and I don't ever think I am just one nationality, instead I feel a big part of this Earth, a citizen of Earth.
As a teacher I have noticed the different types of students I have and what beliefs they also have been taught to have.
I teach English at a language school and the other day I was teaching my group of 8 year olds. I told one of the kids that he spelt the days of the week wrong, (he spelt all the days ending in I instead of y, mondai)
I told the student, in English you write the words ending in Y and the student replied to me, but i'm Catalan and this is how we write.
I was rather surprised with that comment considering this is an 8 year old kid who doesn't know about politics but knows that Catalonia should be seperate from Spain and that Catalan is more important to him that Spanish and English put together. The only people that can be teaching this kid, which is one of many kids is either their parents or teachers at school.
I don't want to go against anyones thoughts on politics but I don't agree with brainwashing kids either. Isn't a child that can speak Spanish and Catalan a lot richer in knowledge than a Kid that only speaks one language like Catalan which is only spoken in one part of Spain? Isn't Spanish far more important to learn considering it is one of the most spoken languages? Shouldn't we be teaching our kids it is better to have knowledge and culture from different backgrounds?
I don't want to go against people ethics and beliefs but I do believe people shoul stop being si ignorant and teaching their children a one sided view of politics. Spain is a beautiful country full of culture, the South and North of Spain are completely different just like the North and South of the UK, or Italy or any other country.
Why not teach your kids to appreciate the two languages this country has to offer? I understand we who live in Catalonia should speak Catalan but parents need to stop limiting their children with speaking only Catalan, this is not a way of keeping the culture and language alive, it is a way of dumbing down your kids and being facist to other people across Spain.
I don't want to generalize but I really can't understand the obsession.
We know Catalans suffered a lot and believe they will be better independent but until that day arises it's time to embrace your neighbours, being Spanish, Portugues, Morroccon or from wherever and opening your mind to everyone.
When I first moved here I ended up detesting Catalan because people were forcing me to speak the language, I never learnt it properly. I have had several experiences like this, I also went to my local GP and got a telling off for not speaking in Catalan, I thought, why should I if I can communicate better in Spanish. I went to Italy and in two months I was speaking Italian because no one was forcing me. Just the way Franco forced out the Catalans and Jews back in the day, it seems like the Catalans are still angry but they shouldn't. Everyone makes mistakes and if you want people to embrace this culture there is no need to be forceful.
Catalans should be proud of their roots but they shouldn't reject the rest of Spain. People say Catalonia is not Spain, Catalonia is Spain for now and it isn't changing yet, so stop the hating and brainwashing and respect everyone. If I speak Spanish let me, If I speak Catalan let me too. Just let me feel free to speak what I feel comfortable in and don't dictate to anyone what they should speak as we left a dictatorship over 30 years ago.
I have been brought up English, Scotish, Spanish and Catalan and I don't ever think I am just one nationality, instead I feel a big part of this Earth, a citizen of Earth.
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