Archive for October, 2016
Looks Aren’t Everything in Language Learning Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 31, 2016 in Archived Posts
When visiting or living in a foreign country and speaking a foreign language, if you don’t look like a local, fluency can have its downsides. It can also have some great upsides. My brother lives in Bangkok, Thailand. He contributes to Itchy Feet by writing comics on an expat’s Asian perspective – he’s lived in…
Bridging the Digital Language Divide Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Oct 26, 2016 in Archived Posts
Technology and access to information are making the world a better place for many, but what good is that information if you can’t read it? Caught in the struggle between globalization and linguistic diversity, speakers of endangered and minority languages are struggling to bridge the digital language divide and reap the benefits of the Internet…
Language “Tourists” vs Language “Travelers” Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 24, 2016 in Archived Posts
When traveling, you try to stay off the beaten path. When language learning, you try to find it. Or do you? I love travel, and I love learning languages. Luckily the two are quite intertwined, so I often get to indulge in one while working on the other. But there’s one key way in which travel…
Does English Have Tones? Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 19, 2016 in Archived Posts
In tonal languages like Thai, Vietnamese and Mandarin, a different tone can often completely change a word. But don’t we also have tones in English? Now, full disclosure: I do not speak a tonal language. This must have been immediately apparent to my readers, who pointed out that intonation in English or other western languages is not exactly…
Talking Baseball: A Crash Course on the American Pastime Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 17, 2016 in For Learners, For Libraries
Are you ready for the World Series? Baseball is often referred to as “America’s Pastime”, the quintessential sport of the United States. While football may now be more popular, baseball has remained an indelible part of our culture. The drama, joy, and heartbreak generations have experienced as they followed their beloved teams has transcended the…
Picking Your Language Learning Battles Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 10, 2016 in Archived Posts
You can’t do everything all at once, even if you’d like to. Better to choose one route and stick to it. This particular comic has a special place in my heart, because it inflamed the passions of people on both sides of this situation. I had commenters saying, “Yeah! This comic is so true. Tourists get…
Where to Find OERs for Your Language Classes Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 5, 2016 in For Educators
A recent higher education survey lamented that many educators do not make use of Open Educational Resources (OERs). Surprising to me, however, were the main barriers cited by teachers: 48% of those polled noted they had “difficulty located the resources needed” and 49% said there were “not enough resources for [their] subject”. I hope that…