Discussion on Javier and Francisco accent

[InLove_with_Chloe]

Originally posted by Ballawjordan23
How do you know the TV producers are lazy? Do you actually know them? They do all these special effects which take much more time than subtitles and they are lazy? If they did not want to subtitles for some reason then they did not want to?

Well, because they're lazy, that's why. Of course it's just my theory, but at least it's better than nothing...

[TampaVille]

I'd still very much like to hear more from bookworm about the supposed outlawing of foreign languages going on in several states. I suspect s/he is confused; I believe employers may be requiring their employees to speak only English at the workplace. When the majority of the workers there speak English, it would be difficult for some members to interract with others if they didn't speak English also. The reason this is not a bigger issue is not because Spanish speaking channels are warning him/her... it's because it's simply not a problem. It's also not a problem when employers in Miami or other areas with large Spanish speaking populations REQUIRE that their employees speak Spanish. As long as it has to do with their ability to perform, no problem. If employers were discriminating based on nation of origin or preferred language and it DID NOT otherwise interfere with their ability on the job, that would violate several equal opportunity and anti-discrimination laws put in place to protect minorities. So again, I would very much like to see the sources of the information he proposed.


More on the topic of Javier/Francisco, I agree that this is getting blown way out of proportion. There are several good in-show reasons why they'd be speaking English. There are several good out-of-show reasons why they would have been cast as English speakers and the dialogue would be in English. There are also good reasons in the opposite direction. The show's producers believed the reasons for English outweighed the ones for Spanish. I tend to disagree, but I see where they're coming from.

[smallvillerocks45]

I didn't really mind that Javier and Fransisco spoke perfect English. I could buy that they learned it from watching tv (especially if they started out young), but what bothered me was that their Spanish was awful - okay, grammatically it was fine, but they didn't even sound like native speakers. I'm half Mexican, and I would hope that I sound a least semi-fluent when I speak Spanish; I even know non-native speakers who speak better Spanish than they did. Javier and Fransisco, on the other hand, sounded like they learned their Spanish from tv, IMO.

However, I will will say this, I do recognize that everyone is different, everyone learns differently, and there are myriad factors that could have lead to their accents or lack there of. I know it's just a tv show, and that at the end of the day, I really enjoyed this episode...in hindsight it's not such a big deal, but what's a discussion board if not to post our questions, suggetions, or comments, right? So, here's my two cents.

[bookworm1999]

Oh goodness, I did not think my post would cause a political discussion, this is smallville, not the forum for political issues as someone already said, but since I am being asked to back the information I put out there, here are two links. There are a lot more out there, and as to how they plan on enforcing it, I think its mainly public places, like school, work, etc. And like I said in my original post, this is something statewide and maybe citywide, not national.

http://www.us-english.org/inc/

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/English-only_movement

Sorry for any inconveniences, didn't mean to sound political.

[Kat_Halliwell]

Originally posted by smallvillerocks45
I didn't really mind that Javier and Fransisco spoke perfect English. I could buy that they learned it from watching tv (especially if they started out young), but what bothered me was that their Spanish was awful - okay, grammatically it was fine, but they didn't even sound like native speakers.

Exactly. If you want, I'm a good example that you can learn english from watching tv.
But would it have killed them to speak spanish a bit better? To me, they sounded more like americans who also speak spanish rather than spanish people who speak english.

But bottom line, it's not that biggy

[Another-One]

Guys, you gotta look at it like a Comic Book.

In comic books, most the time people speak another language it's printed in English for the reader.

On this episode they were in fact speaking spanish, BUT we heard it in English.

[thedarknight]

Its not that at all. You do know majority of the population speak English as their first language? This by having foreigner's speak English allows the viewer to connect to the character. Its not being racist or anything its just a way to make the characters more appealing.

[smallvillerocks45]

LoL, that's funny Another-One!

...and Kat_Halliwell, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who thought their Spanish sounded, (for lack of a better phrase), not so native...

[maryjanewatson]

Originally posted by smallvillerocks45
LoL, that's funny Another-One!

...and Kat_Halliwell, I'm glad to see that I'm not the only one who thought their Spanish sounded, (for lack of a better phrase), not so native...

I thought so too! my post on the previous page tell all my feelings about their gringo-spanish and perfect english.

[Kat_Halliwell]

Javier's mom was a different thing tho. She did have a spanish accent even tho she was speaking english.
I think she was a lot more beliavable than the boys.

[Muse25]

Originally posted by Kat_Halliwell
Javier's mom was a different thing tho. She did have a spanish accent even tho she was speaking english.
I think she was a lot more beliavable than the boys.

Exactly! It didn't bother me they spoke English but why not with an accent especially according to the show they'd only been here a week. I can't believe that Javier picked up the English accent as well from watching tv (of course I could be wrong and I don't mean to sound insensitive as my post sounds).

[kirbylink]

This episode was awesome, if you just ignore the little inconsistencies with the spanish, you see it as it was meant to be seen. IMO this was supposed to be Clark (finally) finding something to fight for not just defend. Although, the episode could have begun Clarks aptitude to languages. I mean, c'mon, Superman speaks all sorts of languages, we could at least see the beginnings of that here.

[Kat_Halliwell]

Oh, I know. Despite some details here and there, I liked this epi I liked the fact that Clark got more screentime this time, and the fact that he did a lot by himself. Not super-hacker Chloe needed. That was cool.

Originally posted by Muse25
I can't believe that Javier picked up the English accent as well from watching tv (of course I could be wrong and I don't mean to sound insensitive as my post sounds).

I don't think you sounded insensitive
Like I said before, you can learn english from watching tv, I know that's mostly how I learned it. But not in a week, I've been watching american shows since I was a kid and it took me 10 years to get a good accent.

[smallvillerocks45]

Certainly, all accents aside, I really enjoyed this episode too. kirbylink, you make an interesting point...I thought Superman spoke other languages too. Hopefully, he keeps in touch with Javier and learns some Spanish, so he can use it next time he happens to interact with a Spanish speaker.

[Muse25]

Originally posted by Kat_Halliwell
Oh, I know. Despite some details here and there, I liked this epi I liked the fact that Clark got more screentime this time, and the fact that he did a lot by himself. Not super-hacker Chloe needed. That was cool.


I don't think you sounded insensitive
Like I said before, you can learn english from watching tv, I know that's mostly how I learned it. But not in a week, I've been watching american shows since I was a kid and it took me 10 years to get a good accent.

Thank you. I do believe one can learn English by watching tv but the accent...

Overall the episode wasn't bad just that little accent thing.