Congress of the language: Ni "José Luis" Borges nor "the first"

The language is new. From yesterday, we can all witness what is happening in Cordoba, the VIIIth Congress of the Spanish language.

Writers, intellectuals, teachers and the general public came to participate in the inauguration led by the King of Spain and President Mauricio Macri. Both had the honor to speak in his kingdom. When it comes to public speaking, what we are going to say is important, but it is equally important to know where we are and who we are talking to. The King and the President have not had the easy task: an auditorium of specialists eager to listen to the home.

You must be wary of speeches written by others and read them carefully five minutes before pronouncing them.

Shortly after the end of the inauguration, two moments of two speeches occupied a privileged place in another kingdom, that of social networks: the furcios. The king and the president made mistakes that were captured and exposed in a hurry. Errare humanum isin this we agree; but you must know where to go wrong.

King's speech

Felipe VI called Jorge Luis Borges "José Luis". I read his speech. Distraction, ignorance, confusion? The cause does not matter. The interesting thing about this furcio is to observe how we feel when the king has missed the name of one of the greatest writers of the Spanish language. More serious was when we heard the appointment that he chose to evoke. Borges enjoyed it language beyond communication, as a tradition to which we all belong. While baduring how important it was for us to meet over there to talk about the language, the speaker confused the name of our / your great writer.

Communication is much more than words. This is to a large extent the effect it causes in the auditorium. The "king's speech" was to convince us that he was interested, committed to what he said. This error was the key to disenchant us. It is hard to think of anyone who, in such a context, but in Spain, would be encouraged to call Cervantes "Pedro" instead of "Miguel". I do not know if that is the case, but as teaching, it works: you have to be wary of speeches written by others and read them carefully five minutes before pronouncing them. This precaution greatly reduces the margin of error and increases the chances of convincing the public.

The first round

President Mauricio Macri did not read the speech. He chose to say a few words while watching the audience. He made an error that will undoubtedly correct quickly. Many times you will have to say "the first round" before October. It's a very common fury, perhaps the most repeated by communicators. Thousands of times we hear "the first question is …" when an interview begins. When an error spreads so much, it is inadvertently validated. That's the risk.

Yesterday, the president said the first return (the asterisk is used to indicate the wrong meaning) in reference to Magellan's trip around the world. This is a very common mistake and very easy to solve. The female adjective "first" can not be apocoped. The abbreviated form "primer" is only used with male names: the first trip, the first speech. If it is feminine, it is always the first: the first question, the first couple, the first round. What you need to remember is that "the" and "first" can never go together. The same goes for the third and third.

I'm glad the language is new. I am excited to see a growing interest in caring for her. It is a powerful tool, the only one we have to express and reflect our identity.

(*) Silvana Stabielli holds a Bachelor of Arts (UBA) and a Diploma in Sociology of Culture (UNSAM).