by: Mike McDougall
Despite Castilian (Or Espa?ol) being the main language of Spain there are also a number of other languages spoken throughout Spain ? many are now recognised officially by the government and regulated by governing bodies to ensure that they remain a part of Spain?s history and diversity.
Euskara Batua (unified Basque)
Definitely the most interesting language in Spain, Euskara is widely spoken throughout the Basque region of Northern Spain. The majority of Basque speakers live in Spain with a smaller percentage living over the border in Pyrenean France. The Basques are a fiercely proud people and have an extremely developed sense of regional identity. Despite having a large amount of political and cultural autonomy, there is still a strong movement for complete independence from Spain and the terrorist group ETA have been terrorising the nation for 30 years in the hunt for complete self rule for the Basque country. The language itself has 600,000 speakers on both sides of the Franco-Spanish border with about 75% of those hailing from the Spanish side. The language has always proved to be something of a mystery to linguists as it has not been proven to be related to any other language. Euskara bears no relationship to the indo-European family of languages which includes all of the other languages of Europe. Some linguists have started to propagate the theory that the language bears a similarity to the Georgian language from the Caucasus region but conclusive proof has yet to be uncovered. The language itself has been standardised over the past couple of decades ? being mainly a rural language, Euskara is subject to several regional variations, however a standardised version, Euskara Batua, has been established for use in the media and in schools.
Catalan
A romance language, Catalan is spoken not only in Spain but also in parts of Andorra (where it is the national language), and also in isolated areas of France and Sardinia. There are roughly 4 million speakers worldwide who use it as their first language and probably about the same amount who use it as a second language. As a language it is often said to resemble a cross between French and Spanish, although linguists point out that the language bears more in common with Italian in terms of grammar and syntax. Obviously spoken throughout Catalonia there are also several other dialects of Catalan, most notably Valencian. Many in the ?Pai Valencia? still claim it is a separate language and this has been the source of much political and linguistic debate over recent years.
Galician
Lying in the extreme north western tip of Spain, Galicia is one of Spain?s more isolated regions. Yet to be penetrated by mass tourism, the region is subject to some of Spain?s worst weather and is also home to its third largest language. Galician is spoken by 3 million Spaniards in Galicia itself and also in the neighbouring regions of Asturias and Castille-L?on. The language bears strong similarities to Portuguese, a factor that is explained by the close proximity of the region to Portugal. The Portuguese language did in fact develop originally in Galicia and Northern Portugal, before a political split in the 14th century separated the two areas allowing the languages to develop and grow independently of each other. The native Galician will be able to understand most Portuguese - similar vocabulary and word order can be seen across both languages and there is fierce debate once more as to whether they are languages in their own right, or dialects of the same language. Again much of it has to do with the perceived independence of the region that is, in many ways, symbolised by its language. Like Catalan and Euskara, Galician now has an official status and is taught in schools adding weight to the strong social movement to protect and preserve the language.
About The Author
Mike McDougall has five years experience working as a travel writer and marketeer. He is currenlty working to provide additional content for http://www.babylon-idiomas.com/, a Spanish language school with an excellent presence in Spain and Latin America. This work is licensed by a creative commons licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/2.0/uk/
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iPod Wireless Speakers and Headphones
iPod Wireless Speakers and Headphones
by: Dale Ewans
The iPod seems to have induced a certain trend in the consumer electronics industry as many companies on the market rushed to manufacture accessories for the little device that allows you to take music with you wherever you go. Speakers and headphones were among the first choices as iPod accessories for consumer electronics companies. The next step was wireless speakers and headphones to allow more freedom of movement. We'll try to discuss the pros and cons of wireless peripherals for the iPod as well as the models that each wireless component works with.
Logitech
Logitech began marketing in 2005 a wireless headphone unit that works with any model of iPod that has a dock connector on the base. This feature is standard on all new models and is available on older models as well. The headphones use Bluetooth technology to connect to the iPod through an adapter that transmits the signal...
iPod Wireless Speakers and Headphones
Speakers > iPod Wireless Speakers and Headphones
7 Public Speaking Survival Tips
7 Public Speaking Survival Tips
by: Mark Tyrrell
I used to be terrified of public speaking - now it?s natural and fun.
Dry mouth, fast heart, sweaty palms, blank mind - yeah I?ve been there! It?s easy to fear public speaking. But I was never just content with overcoming fear. I wanted to be a great speaker. What I needed was a way of calming down and applying simple techniques and strategies to talk like a pro.
When I?d learned to relax (more of that later) I learned and applied the following four steps.
1 Reassure your audience - they need to know you know your stuff and you are human! 2 Hook them by being interesting and relevant. Tell them why what you are saying is relevant to them. 3 Inspire them by giving them information and ways of seeing that are new and applicable.
4 Leave them on a high by telling a story them encapsulates your central message . How do you become confident enough to apply the four steps?
...
7 Public Speaking Survival Tips
Speakers > 7 Public Speaking Survival Tips
Speakers and Trainers - The Internet is Your Biggest Megaphone
Speakers and Trainers - The Internet is Your Biggest Megaphone
by: Dr. Lynella Grant
Speak to an Audience that Reaches across the Globe
As a professional at home on the platform, you?ve spent years polishing a compelling message. The presentations you make are honed to perfection. Your delivery style draws raves and repeat bookings. So why don?t you deliver a taste of your best stuff to the whole world?
Easily done! Send articles that provide a sample of your message and speaking personality to numerous Internet directories and ezines. The biggest auditorium couldn?t contain all the people exposed to a single article widely posted online. While the cost is minimal (mainly your time), the impact from articles can be gigantic! Consider the benefits. http://www.promotewitharticles.com/benefits.html
Internet Exposure is Crucial for Name Recognition
A spokesman...
Speakers and Trainers - The Internet is Your Biggest Megaphone
Speakers > Speakers and Trainers - The Internet is Your Biggest Megaphone
What is Home Theater?
What is Home Theater?
by: Mitchell Medford
Home theater is the term used to describe the recent evolution of audio and video systems that offer exceptional quality and superior performance - in essence, it is like having a movie theater in your own living room.
The recreation obtained by the combination of audio and visual components creates the experience of a professional movie theater. The set-up may be as simple as a DVD player fed through a stereo system and a larger television set, or as elaborate as an entire room professionally wired with multiple speakers and a projection screen. A home theater system may even include theater-style chairs and an elevated floor for optimal viewing.
The knowledge of how a professional movie theater is designed is helpful to learn more about the working of a Home theater system. Amplifier units are located to the left, right and center of an expansive movie screen, there are also several satellite...
What is Home Theater?
Speakers > What is Home Theater?
Public Speaking: 9 Characteristics Of The Greats
Public Speaking: 9 Characteristics Of The Greats
by: Paul Evans
There's more to speaking than sharing a few words. Here are the top nine characteristics of public speakers that you can use too
1. Solid Content. Even a person lacking charismatic gifts can develop solid content. Always share something the audience finds valuable to their lives.
2. Humorous. It's hard to hate someone you laugh with. The best speakers find a way to get people smiling early in the program. It opens hearts and makes the group receptive. You don't have to be hilarious, just humorous.
3. Organized. There's no excuse for rambling through a presentation. Have your notes structured in way that keeps you on pace and on target. Listeners should feel they received a message that made sense and was easy to remember.
4. Approachable. Some speakers try to get in and get out as fast as possible, but the audience likes to know the speaker is available an approachable....
Public Speaking: 9 Characteristics Of The Greats
Speakers > Public Speaking: 9 Characteristics Of The Greats
The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
by: Avish Parashar
"Watchability." Both my spell checker and an online dictionary
tell me that "watchability" is not a real word. However, I will
continue to use it because, in my opinion, the ability to be
watchable may be the single most important trait a speaker can
have.
This summer, I attended the annual convention of the National
Speakers Association. I thought that the kickoff speaker was
amazing. However, if you break down his style in purely technical
terms, he was awful. He kept moving around the stage, he stepped
out of the light and into the audience, he checked his watch
while speaking, etc. Despite all that, he had watchability.
Something about his delivery and style kept me grossly engaged.
Others must have thought so as well - you don't get to open a
national speakers convention if people think you're no good.
So what is watchability?...
The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
Speakers > The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
by: Avish Parashar
"Watchability." Both my spell checker and an online dictionary
tell me that "watchability" is not a real word. However, I will
continue to use it because, in my opinion, the ability to be
watchable may be the single most important trait a speaker can
have.
This summer, I attended the annual convention of the National
Speakers Association. I thought that the kickoff speaker was
amazing. However, if you break down his style in purely technical
terms, he was awful. He kept moving around the stage, he stepped
out of the light and into the audience, he checked his watch
while speaking, etc. Despite all that, he had watchability.
Something about his delivery and style kept me grossly engaged.
Others must have thought so as well - you don't get to open a
national speakers convention if people think you're no good.
So what is watchability?...
The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers
Speakers > The Secrets of ?Watchability? for Speakers