Whistling in La Gomera
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Whistling in La Gomera Read the questions first. Identify the correct answer. Check your answers in the key. 1 An ancient language of whistles that enabled long-distance communication long before the invention of the mobile phone will be saved from extinction on a volcanic island off the west coast of Africa. The island is part of the Canary Islands and is called La Gomera. The language, Silbo Gomero, which sounds like birdsong, was used by the people on the island to communicate up to three kilometres across the deep valleys that radiate from La Gomera’s central volcanic peak. 6 With the opening of the island to tourism and the arrival of the telephone, Silbo Gomero had started to die out. Luckily, the island authorities realised what they were losing before it was too late and, since 1999, Silbo Gomero has been part of the school curriculum for children up to the age of 14. About 3,000 students spend 25 minutes a week learning it, which is enough to understand the basics. The name, Silbo Gomero, comes from the Spanish verb ‘silbar’ meaning to whistle and ‘Gomero’ meaning ‘coming from the island of La Gomera’. 11 The language is made up of four vowels and four consonants, which can be whistled to make more than 4,000 words. In the past, children learnt it from their parents but as fewer and fewer adults were teaching their children, it became necessary for the government to take over. According to Eugenio Darias, a teacher of Silbo Gomero and director of the island’s Silbo programme,’There are few really good silbadores, fluent whistlers of the language, so far, but lots of students are learning to use it and understand it. We’ve been very pleased with the results.’ 16 An important step towards saving the language was the First International Congress of Whistled Languages, which was held in La Gomera in 2003. Silbo-like whistling has been found in parts of Greece, Turkey, China and Mexico, but none is as developed as Silbo Gomero. Research will now be carried out in Venezuela, Cuba and Texas – all places to which Gomerans have traditionally emigrated and where traces of the language still survive. 20 Dr Francisco Rivero is a researcher at La Laguna University in Santa Cruz de Tenerife. ‘Historically, from the earliest settlers up until quite recently, the Silbo Gomero language was the mobile phone of the period. It allowed people to communicate across great distances because its frequency allowed the sound to be transmitted.’ Although Silbo probably originated in the Atlas Mountains of North Africa 2,500 years ago, it was adapted to La Gomera by adopting Spanish speech patterns. ‘It relies on vowels rather than consonants,’ explains Dr Rivero. ‘These are whistled at different frequencies, using Spanish grammar. If we spoke English, we’d use an English structure for whistling. It’s not just disjointed words – it flows, and you can quite easily have a proper conversation with someone.’ 27 ‘Silbo Gomero is the most important pre-Hispanic cultural heritage we have. It is unique and has many values – historical, linguistic, anthropological and aesthetic,’ says Moises Plasencia, Director of the Canary Islands’ Historical Heritage department. Señor Plasencia has begun working to persuade UNESCO to support La Gomera’s efforts to save the island’s language. 1 1. Lines 1-5: Silbo Gomero is A a face-to-face language B disappearing C the official language of the Canary Islands D an extinct language 2. Lines 1-5: The inhabitants of La Gomera used to communicate over long distances by A shouting B whistling C mobile phone D an ancient language 3. Lines 6-9: Find out a synonym of ‘disappear’ A die out B losing C too late D ‘silbar’ 4. Lines 6-8: Silbo Gomero has begun to disappear A when the island was opened to tourism B with the introduction of modern technology C when tourists arrived D in 1999 5. Lines 6-9: Today, Silbo Gomero is learnt A from father to son B spontaneously by Gomerans C as a school subject D by adults 6. Lines 8-9: Schoolchildren in La Gomera study Silbo Gomero A daily B weekly C monthly D bimonthly 7. Lines 9-10: The name Silbo Gomero is A Spanish B English C a local dialect D a hybrid of Spanish and English 8. Lines 11-13: «fewer and fewer adults were teaching their children.» This idea is repeated in A before it was too late (l. 7) B Silbo Gomero has been part of the school curriculum (l. 8) C Silbo Gomero had started to die out (l. 6-7) D the opening of the island to tourism (l. 6) 9. Lines 13-15: Find out a reference to the notion that “the government took over” A We’ve been pleased with the results B the island’s Silbo programme C ’There are few good silbadores D fluent whistlers of the language 10. Lines 13-15: Darias is the best teacher of Silbo Gomero on the island A not given B uncertain C false D true 11. Lines 16-17: Silbo Gomero is the only existing whistled language A true B false C uncertain D not given 12. Lines 18-19: Silbo Gomero may be found in other parts of the world A true B false C uncertain D not given 13. Lines 20-22: A metaphor for Silbo Gomero A its frequency B great distances C mobile phone D transmitted 14. Lines 22-24: Silbo Gomero originated A in Spain B from Spanish C from African languages D on the continent 15. Lines 24-26: A Silbo could be adapted to English B Silbo can be adapted to Spanish but not to English C It would be impossible to adapt Silbo to English D It was impossible to adapt Silbo to Spanish 16. Lines 27-30: A Silbo began to be used before the Spanish rule B Silbo began to be used after the Spanish rule was established C Silbo has been saved by UNESCO D Silbo has been saved by Señor Plasencia’s efforts 17. Lines 6-10: Which term means “the most important facts”? A started B basics C curriculum D arrival 18. Lines 10-11: Which phrase means “consists of”? A can be whistled B to take over C is made up of D to use it 19. Lines 20-26: Which phrase means “depends on”? A be transmitted B are whistled C it flows D relies on 20. Lines 27-30: Mr Plasencia is trying to win the UNESCO support in favour of La Gomera’s A economy B tourism C ancient way of communication D social development 2 KEY: 1. B 2. B 3. A 4. B 5. C 6. B 7. A 8. C 9. B 10. A 11. B 12. A 13. C 14. D 15. A 16. A 17. B 18. C 19. D 20. C 3 .