Realia - the essential ingredient

Oct 14 • Posts

Have we talked about 'realia'? Realia is whatever it is that you're talking about.

For example, imagine we're both standing in front of a painting and talking about it. You could comment, such as, I like the colors. Or you could ask me something, like, what do you think of the colors?

No matter if it's statements or questions, the painting is the realia.

Realia is the most essential ingredient in communication. Without the painting, if you said to me out of nowhere, what do you think of the colors? I'd say, what colors?

Many language learning exercises lack realia entirely. For example, fill in the blank: "I ___ the colors." Should it be 'I like', or 'I likes' the colors? 'I like'! Great job, you filled in the blanks correctly.

My question would be ... what colors? What realia?

Nevermind the realia, they say, you got the mechanics of the sentence right.

Nevermind the mechanics of the sentence, I'd say ... what about the mechanics of communication? Don't you want to know what I think of the colors?

No, they say. It's enough that you got the grammar right.

But it's not enough. It's only real if I can actually tell you something. Hence, realia.

The view from a balcony is great realia. What do you see? What's out there?

¿Qué hay? ¿Qué puedes ver desde el balcón? ¿Hay una piscina? ¿Árboles? ¿Las luces de la ciudad a lo lejos?

5 comments