Santiago from my study program's point of view

Hi there, today I'm going to write about Santiago considering the perspectives related to my study program. I studied English literature and linguistics and, to be honest, I cannot find many references regarding English literature in our city. However, there is a small neighborhood downtown where the streets, squares and corners are similar to the ones we find in some old English books (Sherlok Holmes, for example). That place is known as "París-Londres". It is a bit similar to those places, but in a sort of cliché way. Also, there are some bars around that are inspired by English pubs (Irish pubs too) and that's all. Nevertheless, I think that Valparaíso is more related to the English culture and literature because of the sailors that came from England in the old days, the architecture you see in the middle of the city near the port and even some bars and restaurant have an English inspiration. I'm thinking of Liverpool or Manchester, maybe, but I could be wrong.

In terms of liguistics, there is a lot to say about Santiago and the English language. First of all, I can say that not many people speak a second language here in Chile (not because they are not able to do it, by the way) and English seems to be a real issue for some people. This can be related to their experience at school. This may be eplained because of the way they were exposed to the English language, the system we have to face and the teachers and professors who did not know how to motivate their students or help them in the learning process (I remember spending months and years learning the verb to be). Also, some people think it's not necessary to learn a second language because we are surrounded by Spanish speaking countries and we don't need another language to communicate (again, I think this is part of our education politics and the system they represent).

Anyhow, I'd like to say more things but I want to know what you see in Santiago from the point of view of your study program or the field that you are studying.

I can't wait to read your post!

Cheers!

Lucas