George W Bush...
George W Bush vetoed several Congress Proposals: among those proposals there were projects related with health and education. Among the education projects, there was an initiative to put the Portuguese Language as a second language in school. This was a great opportunity to people in US to learn a language with more than 200 million speakers in the whole world and to know more about the culture of the Portuguese Speaking Countries.
Unfortunately GWB vetoed this project. A lost opportunity, I think.
The following text is taken from Critical Languages Center/University of Alabama:
Portuguese Language in the World
Between 170 and 210 million people speak Portuguese throughout the world today. Portuguese ranks eighth among the most spoken languages in the world (third among the western languages, after English and Castilian) and is the official language of eight countries: Angola (10.3 million inhabitants), Brazil (151 million), Cabo Verde (346,000), Guinea-Bissau (1 million), Mozambique (15.3 million), Portugal (9.9 million), and São Tomé and Príncipe islands (126,000) and East Timor.
In 1986, Portuguese became an official language in the European Union (EU), formerly the European Economic Community, when Portugal was admitted to the organization. As a result of the Mercosul agreements that created the Southern Latin American Common Market, who includes Brazil, Portuguese is being taught as a foreign language in the other member countries. In 1996, was created the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP in Portuguese). The purpose of this community is to increase cooperation and cultural exchanges among the member countries, to create a uniform Portuguese standard and to spread the language.
In the vast noncontiguous areas of the world where Portuguese is spoken there are differences and variations in the pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary (this is the case with every living language). Though we cannot deny these differences, they are not sufficient to challenge the basic structure of the language. Despite its history, Portuguese continues to maintain its considerable cohesion among its many variations.
When we study the forms which the Portuguese language has assumed in Africa, Asia and Oceania, we must distinguish two varieties, the Creole ones and the non-Creole ones. The Creole varieties were the result of contacts established beginning in the 15th century with indigenous languages. The Creoles, more than dialects, must be considered as languages derived from Portuguese because of the important differences between them and the Portuguese mother tongue.
And there were so much more to say about one of the most beautiful western languages in the world!
Well... in alternative, GWB gave more money to the Pentagon. Priorities...
Dome (feeling sad)
Unfortunately GWB vetoed this project. A lost opportunity, I think.
The following text is taken from Critical Languages Center/University of Alabama:
Portuguese Language in the World
Between 170 and 210 million people speak Portuguese throughout the world today. Portuguese ranks eighth among the most spoken languages in the world (third among the western languages, after English and Castilian) and is the official language of eight countries: Angola (10.3 million inhabitants), Brazil (151 million), Cabo Verde (346,000), Guinea-Bissau (1 million), Mozambique (15.3 million), Portugal (9.9 million), and São Tomé and Príncipe islands (126,000) and East Timor.
In 1986, Portuguese became an official language in the European Union (EU), formerly the European Economic Community, when Portugal was admitted to the organization. As a result of the Mercosul agreements that created the Southern Latin American Common Market, who includes Brazil, Portuguese is being taught as a foreign language in the other member countries. In 1996, was created the Community of Portuguese-speaking Countries (CPLP in Portuguese). The purpose of this community is to increase cooperation and cultural exchanges among the member countries, to create a uniform Portuguese standard and to spread the language.
In the vast noncontiguous areas of the world where Portuguese is spoken there are differences and variations in the pronunciation, grammar and vocabulary (this is the case with every living language). Though we cannot deny these differences, they are not sufficient to challenge the basic structure of the language. Despite its history, Portuguese continues to maintain its considerable cohesion among its many variations.
When we study the forms which the Portuguese language has assumed in Africa, Asia and Oceania, we must distinguish two varieties, the Creole ones and the non-Creole ones. The Creole varieties were the result of contacts established beginning in the 15th century with indigenous languages. The Creoles, more than dialects, must be considered as languages derived from Portuguese because of the important differences between them and the Portuguese mother tongue.
And there were so much more to say about one of the most beautiful western languages in the world!
Well... in alternative, GWB gave more money to the Pentagon. Priorities...
Dome (feeling sad)