Your Excellency Mercedes Alonso Frayle, Ambassador of the Kingdom of Spain to Singapore,
Your Excellency Victor Hugo Rojas González, Ambassador of the Republic of Costa Rica to Singapore,
Distinguished guests,
Ladies and gentlemen,
Introduction
1. Good afternoon, buenas tardes.
2. I am pleased to join you in celebrating the Spanish language and Hispanophone cultures at the opening ceremony of the Second Spanish Language Week.
3. I would like to begin by sharing a Spanish word that I rather appreciate. That word is "sobremesa". It refers to the Spanish tradition of spending time relaxing at the table after a meal. You chat freely with your family or friends and enjoy each other's company, without the need to rush elsewhere. Sometimes, the sobremesa can even last as long as the meal itself. What a beautiful idea!
4. Interestingly, this word, "sobremesa", has no equivalent English word. Indeed, when we learn another language, we take on new perspectives and experiences that we may not otherwise have. This stems from the opportunities we gain to engage with a different culture and connect with others. We also get to explore new ways of expressing ourselves, and understand others and ourselves better in the process.
5. Learning another language also reinforces the value of diversity, a tenet vital to a multi-cultural Singapore. The Spanish language plays an important role in this, as one of the Third Languages offered by the Ministry of Education Language Centre.
New Experiences and Perspectives
6. One who learns the Spanish language is thus well-placed to broaden and deepen one's worldview, as he or she savours the cultural delights from the many Spanish-speaking countries.
7. With literature written in Spanish, for example, these literary works can change how we see the world. Let us consider Don Quixote, Miguel de Cervantes' 15th century masterpiece, that is often referred to as the first modern novel. When we read it, we gain insight into how literature as it is today has been shaped by the novel. We also learn that expressions which we may think to be unique to the English language, like "the pot calling the kettle black", in fact originate from the novel, it being one of the most translated books of all time!
8. There are of course many other aspects of Hispanophone cultures that enrich the lives of people everywhere, and which we may come to understand even better when learning the Spanish language. How many generations have been inspired to play football after watching Pelé or Lionel Messi play the beautiful game? How many have been entranced by the surrealistic art of Salvador Dali or the provocative paintings of Picasso? How many – and this I am sure many in this room would agree with me – have longed to recreate the burst of flavours in paella from their own kitchens? These offerings from Hispanophone cultures are akin to a tapas of delicacies that are ripe for tasting, leaving us for the better from it.
Connecting People
9. When we learn another language, we are also better poised to build connections that transcend borders.
10. In fact, learning another language is perhaps not unlike how one might do the tango, a gift from Argentina and Uruguay to the world. Allow me to invite you to imagine two dancers standing apart from each other. Each gazes silently at the other – a connection is made even before the dance begins. Then, one nods at the other, a cue for them to enter into an embrace. The music begins, and both start finding their way to dance in harmony with each other. With every step, the dancers forge an intimate dialogue and connection between themselves.
11. Learning another language may be challenging at first, just like how a pair of tango dancers may need to carefully figure out each other's styles at the start. But just as tango brings its dancers together so closely, learning the Spanish language and immersing oneself in the cultures of Spanish-speaking countries give one access to a bridge to understanding and collaboration.
12. In particular, learning the Spanish language can open doors to the Spanish and Latin American markets. Singapore and Latin America enjoy excellent economic ties, with trade in goods between Latin America and Singapore amounting to almost US$25 billion in 2022. There are also about 100 Singapore companies operating in Argentina, Brazil, Paraguay and Uruguay – a group known by the Spanish acronym Mercosur. These companies are involved in vibrant sectors like energy, agri-commodities, and digital solutions. There is also a strong push for collaboration between Singapore and Latin American businesses, with the launch of the Latin America-Singapore Connect platform in 2023.
13. Singapore and Spain share similarly robust ties too, having signed the landmark EU-Singapore Free Trade Agreement in 2018. Singapore is also home to one of the largest concentrations of Spanish businesses in the region.
14. Importantly, Singapore and Spain are committed to collaborating on language learning that can take such ties further, with the Memorandum of Understanding that was signed by Singapore's Ministry of Education and Spain's Ministry of Education and Vocational Talent last year.
Singapore and Spain will develop and strengthen programmes to improve linguistic competencies in Spanish and English in their respective education systems. Indeed, as more of us in Singapore become fluent in the Spanish language and well-versed in Hispanophone cultures, we hope to forge closer partnerships with various Spanish-speaking stakeholders.
Connecting Cultures
15. On a larger scale, learning another language can also bring cultures together and help us appreciate our shared humanity. In today's globalised yet at times divisive world, this is more important than ever.
16. Indeed, the students in our midst may have been pleasantly surprised by the similarities Singapore shares with Hispanophone cultures, in their learning of the Spanish language.
17. Both cultures revere food, for example, and see it as going beyond mere sustenance. Earlier on, I mentioned the Spanish tradition, "sobremesa", that emphasises the social value of food. Likewise, in Singapore, food is so important to us that it even finds its way into how we interact with each other. For instance, instead of saying "How are you?" as a greeting, some of us might more commonly say "Jiak Ba Buay?", "Dah makan?", or "Saaptiya?" which means "Have you eaten?" in the Hokkien dialect, Malay, and Tamil, respectively.
18. Besides food, one may also discover through learning the Spanish language, that family is just as central to Hispanophone cultures as it is to Singapore. Multi-generation households and enjoying close ties with one's extended family are common in Latin America, for example. Similarly, Singapore is grounded by Confucian values like filial piety, and it is a familiar phenomenon here for families to live together with elderly parents or for grandparents to look after their grandchildren.
19. It is a powerful feeling to recognise the parallels our culture may share with another. We gain more empathy and even feel a sense of kinship between each other, despite the geographical distance between our countries. We are reminded of our common world and the importance of fostering harmony through understanding.
Conclusion
20. As we can see, learning another language is not merely a skill, but a way to better understand the world and the different communities around us.
21. In concluding, I would thus like to thank the embassies, educators, and artists present for their efforts to promote the Spanish language. I would also like to applaud the students for embarking on this journey in learning the Spanish language.
22. I would also like to invite everyone to deepen your exploration of the Spanish language and Hispanophone cultures, whether you are a novice or native to the language. Within the walls of this very building, you will find a treasure trove of Spanish literature and resources that will serve you on your way. Indeed, as the Argentinian writer Jorge Luis Borges put it, "I have always imagined that Paradise will be a kind of library."
23. Thank you, and I hope you have a fruitful time at this year's Spanish Language Week.