Religion
CBS Italian Translator Reacts to Pope Leo XIV Switching Between Italian and Spanish
Play videoCBS Chicago coverage of newly-elected Pope Leo XIV delivering his first speech in Italian, briefly switching to Spanish to address his Peruvian congregation. The Italian translator providing consecutive interpretation into English for CBS also seems to know Spanish, but skips translating the beginning of the Spanish portion of the speech at the 8:42 mark in the video and instead just announces to the English-speaking audience that the speech has switched into Spanish. The translator's reaction reminded me of Chan (2022)'s notion of languagising introduced in the article we read on Cantonese-English code-switching in Hong Kong, wherein a speaker drawing from multiple named languages designates boundaries between elements from different repertoires. In this case, though, it's not the speaker doing the languagising - the Pope switched languages without remark - but rather the listener. I think the translator also says "Oof!" right when the Pope switches into Spanish but I'm not certain.
Attention to speech style switching in "Bones" (TV show)
Play videoClips are taken from S05E04. The full episode is available for streaming on Hulu. The character Arastoo, who is Muslim, typically speaks with an Arab accent. During an emotional outburst, he shifts into his L1 standard American English. This shocks everyone in the lab, who assumed that his Arab accent was his L1. In reality, he was born and raised in the U.S., and shifted into the Arab accent so as not be constantly questioned about his religious beliefs.
CW: the clip features Islamophobic behavior from a number of the characters
"Baby Fundie" Voice
Play videoThis video compares the natural speaking voice of Senator Katie Britt with her noticeably changed tone during a political speech, commonly referred to online as "fundie baby voice." “Fundie baby” voice is a style of speech adopted by women in fundamentalist Christian environments, where they speak childlike and submissively on purpose to highlight their femininity. The video is a comparison between the normal voice and the voice that highlights femininity and submission particularly in the conservative/religious context. The change can be seen in the pitch of her voice, the breathiness, as well as loudness. She is speaking a lot more calmly however the information she is delivering is a lot more disturbing. This is a good example of style shifting between these her two identities – as a senator and as a religious woman. Here is also a link that goes more in depth about some religious factors and other situations that occur: https://www.huffpost.com/entry/fundie-baby-voice_l_65eb6b2fe4b05ec1ccd9e9b9. There is also an SNL skit with Scarlett Johansson recreating Katie Britts voice.
Ladino: Judeo-Espanol
Play videoWhen we think about how judaism and Hebrew has interacted with American English in the Benor reading, I'm also thinking about how it shows up in languages around the globe! This is a video of a professor speaking ladino and speaking about the origins of Ladino. Hebrew snuck its way into sooooo many languages and cultures. There are many kinds of yiddish, and there is also ladino. The language was spoken mostly in the 16th century, which is why the modern day variety it is most similar to is Mexican English! That's when the spanish conquered what is now Mexico and forced their language upon them.
India’s Hindu nationalists changing Muslim town names
This article discusses the language ideology of a political party in India. The BJP (Bharatiya Janata Party) is making an effort to change names of towns that have had connections to Muslims in Uttar Pradesh, India to Hindu association names. The latest attempt is of the town of Agra where the Taj Mahal stands, which is trying to be changed to something of Hindu association due to it being the capital of the Mughal Empire for many years in the 17th Century. The language ideology of the BJP nationalist party is that names deriving from Arabic, Persian, or those of Muslim association are anti-Indian and should be restored to Hindu names. [Published on 01-15-2019]
Diglossia- How Pope Francis Relates
Play videoPope Francis’ native language is Spanish; however, he primarily speaks Italian when he is around other members of the Vatican and in smaller public appearances. The Pope uses High Code of Diglossia while speaking to the public during mass announcements and church mass service; he does this by speaking traditional Latin (as well as Hebrew and Greek) as did those before him. This diglossia of language will remain until further notice, as this has been stated as a stable tradition of the Vatican and Catholic Church. Diversity of language allows Pope Francis the ability to be broadened with those of whom he is addressing at the moment of speaking publicly and in private.
John Oliver interviews the Dalai Lama
Play video“Last Week Tonight” host John Oliver interviewed the Dalai Lama, a Nobel Peace laureate and Tibet’s spiritual and political exiled leader. With a hint of investigative journalism, Oliver used his gift of humor to engage the Dalai Lama in broad discussions from conflicts with the Chinese Government to claims that drinking horse milk will cure alcoholism. The interview demonstrated a self-reflective Dalai Lama laughing at labels from the Chinese Government. This televised comedy show provoked the Chinese government so much that they proclaimed the interview to be politically motivated and propaganda for an anti-China separatist movement.
The New York Jewish Accent
Play videoThe idea of the Jewish-American accent highlights the ways in which language associates with a specific group of people and can sometimes be used as a way to stereotype a group of people. Generally, the Jewish accent is tied with the Brooklyn/New York accent, as the boroughs of New York are a big place for Jewish populations. Especially in mainstream media, like “Seinfeld” and “Curb Your Enthusiasm,” have perpetuated the idea of the New Yorker Jew. The idea of code-switching and mixing languages is also prominent in the accent, as Jewish people are more likely to use Yiddish words in their everyday language. In the first media, Larry David amps up his Jewish slang and emphasizes his accent/Yiddish knowledge even more to make the other man know that he is Jewish. In the second video about Bernie Sanders, his accent is in part tied to his Judaism, as well as his hometown. Certain words and phrases, along with the accent, are sometimes tied almost to a learned part of language in Jewish families, especially in more religious households. (For another video of interest, see https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=waeXBCUkuL8 [from 3:06])
"I'm sorry, Pope Francis, this America and we speak English!"
Discussion of Pope Franics's use of language prior to his visit to the United States. The Pope chose to use Spanish for the majority of his visit, which some say was his taking on a political stance on the US policy on immigration and an 'English only' country. [Published on 09-18-2015]
Obama's Eulogy of Reverend Pinckney
Play videoThis is an excerpt of the eulogy for Reverend Clementa Pinckney delivered by President Obama after the Charleston shooting at the Emanuel AME Church. He makes strategic use of preaching style to establish a rapport and sense of belonging with a black audience in a religious setting.
NPR: New Testament translated into Gullah
A 2006 NPR story on the translation of the New Testament into Gullah.
Landover Baptist Children's Hospital Homosexual Reparative Ward
Landover Baptist Church's post that promotes the stigmatization of how some gay men speak.