1.0 GLOBALIZATION AND BRAZILIAN LANGUAGE.
Globalization has brought to Brazil a large number of English words that have been absorbed by our vocabulary. It is true that even before we become part of a globalized world we had already used terms from other languages, especially in English. But the globalization brought an increase in this expressions and its use.
We are familiar with many these expressions. There are those we learned at school, as: good morning, bye, brother, etc. And there are other ones we have almost forgotten that are from another language, as: ok, diet, fast-food, lan house, shopping center, etc.
In Brazilians daily lives there is a lot of English words that were incorporated in the native vocabulary. This fact has caused some concerns.
When we think about the English words we use daily, we notice that there are really many, and they are so familiar to us that we use them without realizing it. But is it normal? Are there consequences of excessive use?
2.0 ‘ESTRANGEIRISMO’
Using foreign expressions is not necessarily wrong or bad, the problem is the excessive or unnecessary use. In Brazilian vocabulary there are any words from foreign languages, as: pizza(Italian), guitars(Spanish) football (Anglican), chocolate (English), curriculum (Latin), and many linguistics think that it enriches the language.
In my classes of linguistic I learned that there are not poor languages. All of them are enough to native people communicate, and when an unknown situation or thing arise, they will find in their own language a word to describe or express it.
According to Luis Imbira, all languages received more or less influence by the others. (IMBIRA, 20?)
But in Brazil there is a phenomenon called ‘estrangeirismo’.
In English, the only expression I found to describe this term was: foreign, but in this text I prefer to use the term in Portuguese language: estrangeirismo.
In the Portuguese dictionary, estrangeirismo is: “word, phrase or foreign syntactic construction.” (FERREIRA, 1993)
In grammar, it represents a language fossilization that can be morphologic or syntactic.
We have already mentioned examples of morphologic fossilization, but there are many others, as: 1 abajur, quadrilha, batismo, bis, samba. Would you be able to identify where these expressions are from?
The syntatic fossilization occurs when we change the order of the grammar category on phrase. In Portuguese, for example, we use the adjective after the noun, like this: Hotel wonderful. If we write wonderful hotel, we are practicing estrangeirismo, because this structure, adjective before noun, is characteristic of English structure.
3.0 ENGLISH EXPRESSIONS USED IN BRAZIL
As it was described there are many words that are used by Brazilians people that are from another culture, however, there is a specific language, whose words have been used over excessive, according some people, in Brazil. It is the English language.
In fact, Brazilians use English expressions in many areas of their daily life. In cafeteria, that can be Mac Donald’s, the menu offers: hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dog. And you will ask for ketchup, of course!
We can imagine that this cafeteria was in a shopping center, where you met your personal trainer to a happy hour, ultimately, you wanted to escape of hora do rush, and after the last drink, that you decided to take to relax, you will go home by ferry boat.
The story above was inspired by the music of Zeca Baleiro, a famous Brazilian compositor, which wrote a song about the subject that is being addressed, called Samba do Approach.
We also can try to sort these expressions by specific categories. In business there are: in cash, workshop, coffee-break, personal banking, feedback, brainstorm, ranking, holding.
Regard computer there are: link, web, download, scrap, search, e-mail, input, CD, DVD, TV (Did you remember that these three last words are not Portuguese?)
According to Carlos Pimentel Mendes, cited by Imbira (20?), the Portuguese language has 300 thousand words and in one year 3 thousand foreign words were incorporated in dictionaries. It represents 1% from total, and all this words are, in fact, used currently by Brazilians.
4.0 CONCERN ABOUT ESTRANGEIRISMO.
There is no problem about the use of foreign expressions in the native vocabulary, in really the correct use “gives force and enriches the languages”. The concern is about the excessive use, that in the most part of the time is influenced by TV’s programs and advertising. (ALVÃO Jr, 2007)
It is common to see in billboards expressions as delivery, cyber café, grill, trash, style, Halloween, etc.
Some authors agree that the only mistake of estangeirismo is the use of English expressions where it would be possible use Portuguese with the same meaning.
There is no need a shops, for example, to use the expression 50% off, if it is possible to use desconto and it will be understood for all people.
According to Rajagopalan (2003) just linguists are be able to discuss questions about linguistic expressions and only these specialists could be involved in it, but in Brazil, because the excessive use of estrangeirismo, this subject has been discussed by politicians and common people since Aldo Rebelo created the project of law that proposes to restrict the use of foreign language in Brazil. He intends that the Portuguese language is regarded as the Brazilian cultural heritage.
Because of this law, some buildings will have to change their names, as: Churchill, Forest Hill, Graça Residence, Mansão Wildenmberg, etc. Other point is that there will be no more children called Washington, Karen, or Michael.
Rajagopalan (2003) believes that the situation reached this point because the linguists had never studied about the political character of the language, despite knowing that it is frequently used as political flags. He mentions situations where the language was used with political interests. For him, it explains why many common people agree with Aldo Rebelo, and think that they have to protect the Portuguese language of estangeirismo and believe that is a question of national sovereignty.
Alberto Redrag (2006) analizes the estrangeirismo even more severely. He thinks that it is a strategy to weaken the national identity.
In fact, the native language is very important to identity for the nation. It defines borders and consolidates politics and has to be protected. (RAMOS, 20?)
On the other hand, in a globalized world where the English language predominates, there is no way to prohibit the use of the English expressions.
Knowing English language is a prerequisite for almost all professions in Brazil and the knowledge about English expressions became essential in some areas as technology, business, advertisements, etc.
5.0 CONCLUSION
All languages are influenced by others. In the context of Brazil, beyond the influence of other languages, there is the influence of American culture, which the Brazilian people have been bombed with daily. Brazil is a consumer of TV‘s programs, movies, music and food from the American culture for a long time. Since initial grades the student begins to learn the English language. The job market requires knowledge about English as a differential.
According to Rajagopalan (2003), “one foreign language always represented prestige”. Then besides the all reasons presented to people want to speak in English there is also the personal satisfaction of to be admired as a cult person.
Then, despite all attempts to eliminate the English expressions to Brazilian vocabulary it will be very difficult to happen.
The Brazilian people have been trained to use this language, and nowadays there is other strong reason to use it: globalization.
Although the big part of population does not have enough knowledge about the English language, its expressions are used, and make the people that use them feel themselves as an updated person.
In the future, the English expressions may be forgotten only to be substituted by others, it will depend on the ways that globalization will take. But the influence that the languages carry one on the other it will always exist, because all languages is change over time, and many of these changes occur from contact with other cultures.
Globalization has brought to Brazil a large number of English words that have been absorbed by our vocabulary. It is true that even before we become part of a globalized world we had already used terms from other languages, especially in English. But the globalization brought an increase in this expressions and its use.We are familiar with many these expressions. There are those we learned at school, as: good morning, bye, brother, etc. And there are other ones we have almost forgotten that are from another language, as: ok, diet, fast-food, lan house, shopping center, etc.
In Brazilians daily lives there is a lot of English words that were incorporated in the native vocabulary. This fact has caused some concerns.
When we think about the English words we use daily, we notice that there are really many, and they are so familiar to us that we use them without realizing it. But is it normal? Are there consequences of excessive use?
2.0 ‘ESTRANGEIRISMO’
Using foreign expressions is not necessarily wrong or bad, the problem is the excessive or unnecessary use. In Brazilian vocabulary there are any words from foreign languages, as: pizza(Italian), guitars(Spanish) football (Anglican), chocolate (English), curriculum (Latin), and many linguistics think that it enriches the language.
In my classes of linguistic I learned that there are not poor languages. All of them are enough to native people communicate, and when an unknown situation or thing arise, they will find in their own language a word to describe or express it.
According to Luis Imbira, all languages received more or less influence by the others. (IMBIRA, 20?)
But in Brazil there is a phenomenon called ‘estrangeirismo’.
In English, the only expression I found to describe this term was: foreign, but in this text I prefer to use the term in Portuguese language: estrangeirismo.
In the Portuguese dictionary, estrangeirismo is: “word, phrase or foreign syntactic construction.” (FERREIRA, 1993)
In grammar, it represents a language fossilization that can be morphologic or syntactic.
We have already mentioned examples of morphologic fossilization, but there are many others, as: 1 abajur, quadrilha, batismo, bis, samba. Would you be able to identify where these expressions are from?
The syntatic fossilization occurs when we change the order of the grammar category on phrase. In Portuguese, for example, we use the adjective after the noun, like this: Hotel wonderful. If we write wonderful hotel, we are practicing estrangeirismo, because this structure, adjective before noun, is characteristic of English structure.
3.0 ENGLISH EXPRESSIONS USED IN BRAZIL
As it was described there are many words that are used by Brazilians people that are from another culture, however, there is a specific language, whose words have been used over excessive, according some people, in Brazil. It is the English language.
In fact, Brazilians use English expressions in many areas of their daily life. In cafeteria, that can be Mac Donald’s, the menu offers: hamburger, cheeseburger, hot dog. And you will ask for ketchup, of course!
We can imagine that this cafeteria was in a shopping center, where you met your personal trainer to a happy hour, ultimately, you wanted to escape of hora do rush, and after the last drink, that you decided to take to relax, you will go home by ferry boat.
The story above was inspired by the music of Zeca Baleiro, a famous Brazilian compositor, which wrote a song about the subject that is being addressed, called Samba do Approach.
We also can try to sort these expressions by specific categories. In business there are: in cash, workshop, coffee-break, personal banking, feedback, brainstorm, ranking, holding.
Regard computer there are: link, web, download, scrap, search, e-mail, input, CD, DVD, TV (Did you remember that these three last words are not Portuguese?)
According to Carlos Pimentel Mendes, cited by Imbira (20?), the Portuguese language has 300 thousand words and in one year 3 thousand foreign words were incorporated in dictionaries. It represents 1% from total, and all this words are, in fact, used currently by Brazilians.
4.0 CONCERN ABOUT ESTRANGEIRISMO.
There is no problem about the use of foreign expressions in the native vocabulary, in really the correct use “gives force and enriches the languages”. The concern is about the excessive use, that in the most part of the time is influenced by TV’s programs and advertising. (ALVÃO Jr, 2007)
It is common to see in billboards expressions as delivery, cyber café, grill, trash, style, Halloween, etc.
Some authors agree that the only mistake of estangeirismo is the use of English expressions where it would be possible use Portuguese with the same meaning.
There is no need a shops, for example, to use the expression 50% off, if it is possible to use desconto and it will be understood for all people.
According to Rajagopalan (2003) just linguists are be able to discuss questions about linguistic expressions and only these specialists could be involved in it, but in Brazil, because the excessive use of estrangeirismo, this subject has been discussed by politicians and common people since Aldo Rebelo created the project of law that proposes to restrict the use of foreign language in Brazil. He intends that the Portuguese language is regarded as the Brazilian cultural heritage.
Because of this law, some buildings will have to change their names, as: Churchill, Forest Hill, Graça Residence, Mansão Wildenmberg, etc. Other point is that there will be no more children called Washington, Karen, or Michael.
Rajagopalan (2003) believes that the situation reached this point because the linguists had never studied about the political character of the language, despite knowing that it is frequently used as political flags. He mentions situations where the language was used with political interests. For him, it explains why many common people agree with Aldo Rebelo, and think that they have to protect the Portuguese language of estangeirismo and believe that is a question of national sovereignty.
Alberto Redrag (2006) analizes the estrangeirismo even more severely. He thinks that it is a strategy to weaken the national identity.
In fact, the native language is very important to identity for the nation. It defines borders and consolidates politics and has to be protected. (RAMOS, 20?)
On the other hand, in a globalized world where the English language predominates, there is no way to prohibit the use of the English expressions.
Knowing English language is a prerequisite for almost all professions in Brazil and the knowledge about English expressions became essential in some areas as technology, business, advertisements, etc.
5.0 CONCLUSION
All languages are influenced by others. In the context of Brazil, beyond the influence of other languages, there is the influence of American culture, which the Brazilian people have been bombed with daily. Brazil is a consumer of TV‘s programs, movies, music and food from the American culture for a long time. Since initial grades the student begins to learn the English language. The job market requires knowledge about English as a differential.
According to Rajagopalan (2003), “one foreign language always represented prestige”. Then besides the all reasons presented to people want to speak in English there is also the personal satisfaction of to be admired as a cult person.
Then, despite all attempts to eliminate the English expressions to Brazilian vocabulary it will be very difficult to happen.
The Brazilian people have been trained to use this language, and nowadays there is other strong reason to use it: globalization.
Although the big part of population does not have enough knowledge about the English language, its expressions are used, and make the people that use them feel themselves as an updated person.
In the future, the English expressions may be forgotten only to be substituted by others, it will depend on the ways that globalization will take. But the influence that the languages carry one on the other it will always exist, because all languages is change over time, and many of these changes occur from contact with other cultures.
1 – Abajur (French), quadrilha (Spanish), batismo (Greek), bis (Latin) samba (African)
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