Cabo beauty in language, culture

Maria Quinones

There is an inner beauty to Cabo San Lucas, Mexico, that is unseen

and unspoken -- the language and culture of the people. The warm

sand, calm waters and beautiful rocks of Cabo bring to life a

visitor’s desire to relax and enjoy these pleasures. The variety of

music and food must also be included in this gratification.

As an adjunct professor at National University teaching “The

Cultural Foundations of Linguistics” courses, traveling to nearby

Cabo reinforces how the English language learned in our schools needs

to be promoted extensively at an early age throughout the educational

system. Recognizing individual backgrounds of language use can only

be a benefit, not a hindrance, in developing skills in the use of

standard English in reading and writing.

As stated by poignant author Nancy Bonvillian in her book

“Language, Culture and Communication,” “language is a marker of the

pervasive social hierarchy.”

The residents of Cabo San Lucas insist on learning to speak

English for the purpose of employment. They also want to communicate

with visitors at various levels, other than the basic use of English.

Elaine Chaika explains in her book “Language, The Social Mirror”

how “English is the official language of the land for all purposes

and if one wishes to enter into mainstream society, one must learn

it.” This is the goal of the educational system in the United States.

However, in Cabo San Lucas, visitors enjoy the beauty of the culture,

the friendliness of the people and educate themselves in the language

of the country.

The next visit to Cabo San Lucas will provide an understanding of

how learning a new language is not easy, whether one is a visitor in

another country or living in a new country developing language

skills.

* MARIA QUINONES is a resident of Corona del Mar