We have already talked about cartoons with sign language, and many times in the blog the theme of the original version on television has come up as a means of learning or consolidating languages. Now, the general director of cinema of the Ministry of Culture of Spain has indicated that he defends that the children see cartoons in original version with subtitles.
Carlos Cuadros has stated in an interview that, although he is not in favor of eliminating dubbing, he is one of the greatest defenders of the original version, and that he firmly believes that to achieve a better culture of the little ones, cartoons should be in original version, and they are already working on it.
At the moment, specialized channels for DTT children offer the majority of their broadcasts in V.O.S. For bilingual children it is a great idea (say, English and Spanish, although I imagine we would also have cartoons in Japanese, French ...), as they consolidate both languages as they grow and listen to them in their family environment.
But if children only know the mother tongue, let's not think that when they are little they will learn the original language. Sometimes we have commented on it, with such fashionable drawings that combine Spanish with English words and phrases (Dora the Explorer, Manny Manitas ...), they do little more than confuse young children who do not know English. In fact, they are drawings designed for the American public of Hispanic origin, which are originally in English and introduce those phrases and words in Spanish.
Only if the children are older and already have notions of the other language, can they acquire greater knowledge and get used to the expressions, pronunciation ... of a second language. It is what happens in other countries, which bet not only on cartoons, but for all cinema and series in original version.
As most of the productions that come to us are of Anglo-Saxon origin, English would undoubtedly be the most "favored" language. Young and old (those of us who keep the knowledge of the institute) would be much more competent in the English language.
For all this I bet by this measure of watch and listen to cartoons in original version, provided that the option is offered for the little ones to see the folded drawings, and not only in Spanish but also in the rest of the official languages of the country. I think I ask too much ...
