Archive for 'Archived Posts'
Biting Off More Than You Can Chew Posted by Malachi Rempen on Aug 8, 2016 in Archived Posts
Sometimes we’re nervous about learning a new language. Sometimes we’re intimidated. But sometimes we just plow right in, not fully aware of what exactly we’ve gotten ourselves into… The comic above is a true story, from a trip to China long ago. I was a teenager, and along with a high school friend of mine…
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…
Do you know “Which is English?” Posted by Transparent Language on Jul 27, 2016 in Archived Posts
Do you remember Which is English?, our fast and fun English proficiency game for both learners and native speakers alike? Last year, we challenged you to play the game and compare your score to your fellow competitors. To celebrate the release of our newest version of the game, we pulled together the following list of…
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…
Globalization, Brexit, and Linguistic Diversity Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Jul 13, 2016 in Archived Posts
It’s been a short two weeks since the Brits portmanteau’d their way out of the EU with the shocking Brexit vote. But while economists, investors, and world leaders scramble to do damage control, language lovers around the world have different concerns. Whether the UK is or isn’t part of the EU, whether students are electing to learn…
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…