Archive by Author
Stereotype It Up! Posted by Malachi Rempen on Aug 1, 2016 in Archived Posts
When speaking a foreign language, especially a “famous” one like French, German or even English, it may feel patronizing to really lay on a thick local accent. But if you don’t, you might not be understood at all… My brother lives in Bangkok, Thailand, where he works as an English teacher. He often finds himself telling his…
Thinking Outside the Box Posted by Malachi Rempen on Jul 20, 2016 in Archived Posts
The farther from home you roam, the more you realize your perspective on the world is a very small and limited one. You just didn’t notice, since at home you’re surrounded by people, ideas and perspectives more or less the same as yours. And there’s nothing quite like language learning to throw you in that particular…
Silencing The Auto-Correct in Your Head Posted by Malachi Rempen on Jul 11, 2016 in Archived Posts
Do you ever feel like your brain is getting in the way of your language learning? You’re not the only one. “Overthinking it” is one of the major obstacles, in my opinion, to learning a language. It’s probably one of the major obstacles to learning anything. Sometimes it just feels like the more you know, the…
Devils, Seasons and Queens: What’s in an Italian Pizza Name? (Corrected!) Posted by Malachi Rempen on Jul 4, 2016 in Archived Posts
There’s pizza, and then there’s la pizza. From the simple margherita to the robust quattro stagioni, there’s more than meets the eye – or taste buds – in the names of Italy’s favorite children. Update: I’ve been schooled! Our resident Italian bloggers, Geoff and Serena, read this post and have a few choice corrections to make. I’ve updated this…
Of Polyglots and Multilinguals Posted by Malachi Rempen on Jun 29, 2016 in Archived Posts
You’ve heard this word “polyglot,” no doubt, being thrown around a lot. What the heck does it mean? And what’s the difference between polyglots and multilinguals? And is a “dodecalingual” really a thing? “Polyglot” is kind of a funny word. It sounds more like some kind of insect larva (“after metamorphosis, the squirming polyglot will transform into…
Whose Language Are You Learning? Posted by Malachi Rempen on Jun 20, 2016 in Archived Posts
When learning a new language, it will at some point become important to know which language you’re learning. What? Here’s the thing. There’s no such thing as a single language; meaning, there’s no objective object we can point to as “the German language,” or any language for that matter. It’s all in our collective heads. It’s not…
Learn a Bit Before You Go Posted by Malachi Rempen on Jun 13, 2016 in Archived Posts
When I travel to a country with a culture that’s different from my own by a considerable margin, I like to learn a bit of the language before going. I should do it with everywhere I travel, but I don’t. I just got back from a week in Madrid and Lisbon, but I just didn’t feel…