Leísmo and the Use of Le in Spanish

Do you always follow the rules of proper English in your speaking and writing? Probably not. So it probably would be too much to ask native Spanish speakers to do the same. And thats especially true when it comes to using pronouns such as le and lo. When it comes to breaking the rules of Spanish — or at least of varying from standard Spanish — there are probably no rules that are broken more often than those involving third-person object pronouns. The rules are broken so often that there are three common names for variations from whats considered normal, and the Spanish Royal Academy (the official arbiter of what is proper Spanish) accepts the most common variation from the norm but not others. As a Spanish student, youre normally best off learning, knowing and using standard Spanish; but you should be aware of variations so they dont confuse you and, ultimately, so you know when its OK to deviate from what you learn in class. Standard Spanish and Objective Pronouns The chart below shows the third-person objective pronouns that are recommended by the Academy and are understood by Spanish speakers everywhere. Number and gender Direct object Indirect oject singular masculine ("him" or "it") lo (Lo veo. I see him or I see it.) le (Le escribo la carta. I am writing him the letter.) singular feminine ("her" or "it") la (La veo. I see her or I see it.) le (Le escribo la carta. I am writing her the letter.) plural masculine ("them") los (Los veo. I see them.) les (Les escribo la carta. I am writing them the letter.) plural feminine ("them") las (Las veo. I see them.) les (Les escribo la carta. I am writing them the letter.) In addition, the Academy allows the use of le as a singular direct object when referring to a male person (but not a thing). Thus I see him could correctly be translated as either lo veo or le veo. Substituting le for lo is known as leà ­smo, and this recognized substitution is extremely common and even preferred in parts of Spain. Other Types of Leà ­smo While the Academy recognizes le as a singular direct object when referring to a male person, that isnt the only type of leà ­smo you may hear. While the use of les as a direct object when referring to multiple persons is less common, it also is frequently used and is listed as a regional variation in some grammar texts despite what the Academy may say. Thus you may hear les veo (I see them) when referring to males (or a mixed male/female group) even though the Academy would recognize only los veo. Although less common than either of the above variations, in some regions le also can be used as a direct object instead of la to refer to females. Thus, le veo might be said for either I see him or I see her. But in many other areas, such a construction might be misunderstood or create ambiguity, and you should probably avoid using it if youre learning Spanish. In some areas, le may be used to denote respect when used as a direct object, especially when speaking to the person le refers to. Thus, one might say quiero verle a usted (I want to see you) but quiero verlo a Roberto (I want to see Robert), although -lo would technically be correct in both instances. In areas where le can substitute for lo (or even la), it frequently sounds more personal than the alternative. Finally, in some literature and older texts, you may see le used to refer to an object, thus le veo for I see it. Today, however, this usage is considered substandard. Loà ­smo and Laà ­smo In some areas, parts of Central America and Colombia in particular, you may hear lo and la used as indirect objects instead of le. However, this usage is frowned on elsewhere and is probably best not imitated by people learning Spanish. More About on Objects The distinction between direct and indirect objects isnt quite the same in Spanish as it is in English, and thus the pronouns that represent them are sometimes called accusative and dative pronouns, respectively. Although a full listing of the differences between English and Spanish objects is beyond the scope of this article, it should be noted that some verbs use dative (indirect object) pronouns where the English would use a direct object. One common such verb is gustar (to please). Thus we correctly say le gusta el carro (the car pleases him), even though the English translation uses a direct object. Such usage of le is not a violation of the formal rules of Spanish or a true example of leà ­smo, but rather shows a different understanding of how some verbs function.

Foreign Language As A Foreign Country - 1729 Words

The first word that comes out from one’s mouth decided what his or her native language is. Although if one can be born and raised in the United States, but if his or her first word was Korean, then that would be his or her native language. Today, many countries try to advocate their students to be a bilingual;fluent in the native language as well as a foreign language. Without being able to go abroad with a natural learning environment that can help one to practice his or her language skills, would it be effective to learn a foreign language in a foreign country? In fact, not everyone is given the opportunity to learn a foreign language abroad, but to learn it in a classroom. In a language school, the lessons is focused on writing and speaking. Since there are many learning styles such as visual, auditory, and tactile, what is the best way to pick up a foreign language? 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Migrants to the Coast Free Essays

Migrants to the Coasts Overview and Discussion There are three goals Eder presents in his fieldwork. They were to ; (1) â€Å"understand fishing and the fishing peoples†(Eder 5), how they lived and how their resources affected their day to day lives,(2) The Palawan’s culture had become diverse and he thought it was important he showed appreciation for what it had become. (3) Last, but not least, he wanted to be more involved with research issues such as â€Å"environmental crisis, economic difficulty, and social well-being†(Eder 5). We will write a custom essay sample on Migrants to the Coast or any similar topic only for you Order Now Eder explains these motives throughout the text. In the second chapter Eder explains how the marine wildlife , full of sea grasses and coral reef play a vital role in the food chains for the animals inhabiting it. The author further explains that the â€Å"coastal zone† occupies the coastal plains as well as the water itself. He explains that there is a local distinction between the four types vegetative cover. Eder was able to get both the fishing peoples and the government official’s perspective of the coastal zone, and how they can preserve the area. In San Vicente there are ten communities with a total population of just fewer than 22,000. Here, Eder selects four of the communities in which he studies the people living within them. He provides a clear understanding of his fieldwork in which he works directly with the people of San Vicente. In order to truly understand their culture, Eder listened to their stories in addition to exploring the history of the people and the place itself. To investigate Eder’s motive of engaging in economic research, he looked into many different prominent industries of the region. One of these industries is fishing. As a reader I could easily envision the beautiful coast and its waters used for fishing. The fishing peoples used the resources of the coast in a way to build their economic culture. I think the author could have focused on fewer topics and covered them more in depth, opposed to going over so many. Altogether, the lives of the people and the visuals of their surrounding were enchanting. How Global Forces Impact Local Lives in San Vicente The Philippines is abundant in natural resources, but the people are among the poorest in Southeast Asia. Problems arise when these resources are no longer abundant and taken advantage of. When the logging industry in the 1960s became a top exporter, the license agreements were very corrupt. Instead of using the money to fund programs for the people, the president would distribute the revenue to his own inner circle. The mining industry brought in more money for the wealthy, but at a cost. The businesses were privatized so the profit stayed within. Environmental care was not seen as an issue, and dump mine wastes ruined bays and once plentiful farmlands. The poor essentially became even poorer. Illegal commercial fishing is also a problem among the coastal areas. Fishing for trawler fish is legal at open sea, â€Å"but the national law reserves water within 15 kilometers of the coast†(49). Fish are a major resource and illegal fishing has led the fish population into a downward spiral. Commercial fishing and blast fisherman have severely limited the opportunities to the local people who depend on it. Much of the coastal people make their living by fishing on a small scale. Competition between the people and the market is created due to the vast amount of fishermen in the area. Fishing practices and economic stability differed among the fishing peoples. For example, one man could be struggling to support his family, even by fishing every day, while another is making a considerable living fishing and doesn’t nearly work as often. Because of the privatized companies and the recourses they had, difficulties arose for small time fisherman and led them into poverty. Global forces seemed to restrict the fishing peoples in many ways. They did not open opportunities to the coastal people. The coastal people then had make a living the best way they knew how. With extreme completion, fish prices became inflated, making the people even poorer. The Philippine government needs to intervene, not by shutting down illegal fishing, but by forming programs to help its people. How to cite Migrants to the Coast, Papers