ANLE to provide Spanish language column for print outlets

Posted by Elena del Valle on May 4, 2011

Gerardo Piña-Rosales, president, ANLE

Photo: North American Academy of the Spanish Language (ANLE)

Only 9 percent of Latinos in the United States are monolingual Spanish speakers and 22 percent are monolingual English speakers, according to United States Census estimates. The rest of the population, about 70 percent, speak both languages with varying degrees of proficiency.

The North American Academy of the Spanish Language (ANLE) believes there are as many as 45 million Spanish speakers in the United States. Academy leaders want Spanish speakers in the United States to maintain and improve their Spanish language skills. To that end the organization began placing segments on Univision Channel 41 and on stations in Texas and California in 2010. Now the organization has teamed up with five impreMedia print publications to continue its outreach efforts.

“I am delighted to know that our language tips are appearing little by little in the most important Hispanic newspapers in the country,” said Gerardo Piña-Rosales, president, ANLE. “One of our basic missions is to disseminate Spanish, and with the collaboration of the media, I am sure that they, too, will benefit from our advice. Together we will assure that Hispanics increasingly use an international Spanish that, although born in Castilla, has become firmly rooted in the Americas.”

Academy volunteers write the columns, one per day, and provide slightly different materials for the broadcast media outlets. The Academy receives no outside funding for the work nor does it remunerate its volunteers financially, according to a representative of the organization who replied to questions by email.

“Just when the Hispanic population surpasses 50 million, it is of vital importance to establish a bridge between the Academy and the press to better serve the language and our cultures,” said Jorge Ignacio Covarrubias, secretary of the board of ANLE and chair of the information committee.

Beginning last month, five impreMedia Spanish language newspapers will carry advice columns on the Spanish language prepared by the North American Academy of the Spanish Language. The papers publishing the language tips are El Diario-La Prensa in New York, La Opinion in Los Angeles, La Prensa in Orlando, La Raza in Chicago and Rumbo in Houston.

“One of the basic functions of a news organization is to educate our communities,” said Pedro Rojas, executive editor, La Opinion. “I am sure that these columns will be the perfect tool to help us improve our command of Spanish. What better way than with the guidance and collaboration of the ANLE.”

According to promotional materials impreMedia owns nine print publications and eleven on-line news services via mobile phones. Founded in 1973, the Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española is the youngest of 22 national academies that make up the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, an international association of Spanish language academies. Last year ANLE published a book (see New York organization provides Spanish language tips, advice for North Americans) with Spanish language tips for Spanish speakers in the United States.

New York organization provides Spanish language tips, advice for North Americans

Posted by Elena del Valle on April 2, 2010

The Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (North American Academy of the Spanish Language) wants Spanish speakers in North America to maintain good Spanish language standards. Toward that goal the New York based nonprofit organization published, Hablando bien se entiende la gente consejos idiomáticos de la Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (Santillana USA Publishing Company, $14.99), a 188-page softcover book with Spanish language tips and advice.

“Hablando bien se entiende la gente has been very well received. I think that a plus of the book is its tone. We tried to avoid a professorial, academic tone, in favor of a lighter approach,” said Gerardo Piña-Rosales, president of ANLE, by email. “ANLE does not condemn any variety of Spanish spoken in the U.S.; we merely wish to remind people that, like any other language, Spanish has its own rules, and they should be followed. An additional problem is the influence of English on Spanish.”

The book, published in Spanish this year, was edited by Piña-Rosales, Jorge I. Covarrubias, Joaquín Segura who are members of the organization’s board of directors; and Daniel Fernández. It includes 45 illustrations by Héctor Cuenca. Eight men: Joaquín Badajoz, Emilio Bernal Labrada, Antonio Culebras, Fernando A. Navarro, Antonio Pamies, Luis Pérez Botero, Luis Ríos, and Mordecai Rubín; and one woman, Vanessa Lago Barros are listed as contributors.

The book is divided into the following six sections: Las apariencias engañan, Las cosas claras y el chocolate espeso, A nadie le viene mal aprender a conjugar verbos como el verbo amar, ¡Aplique bien las reglas de la gramática!, ¡Escríbalo y pronunciélo bien!, y ¡Conozca su idioma!

Gerardo Piña-Rosales, president, ANLE

“Our goal is not to police language usage but to help language users use Spanish so that it can be understood by all our Spanish-speakers,” said Piña-Rosales in a press release. “We hope that these ‘language capsules’ will help people who have doubts and want to use Spanish correctly. No one can dictate how people speak, but we can help those who write or work in communications fields use Spanish in ways that reflect universal usage.”

Founded in 1973, the Academia Norteamericana de la Lengua Española (ANLE) is the youngest of 22 national academies that make up the Asociación de Academias de la Lengua Española, an association of Spanish language academies across international borders.

Click here to buy Hablando (bien) se entiende la gente