Archive for 'Archived Posts'
Parental Advisory: How Language Parents Help You Learn Like a Kid Again Posted by Jakob Gibbons on May 18, 2016 in Archived Posts
I’m a big believer in learning a language on your own. But even learning a language independently, you can’t do it all by yourself: all of us can benefit from some on-the-fly coaching from those who’ve been in the game for years and know it well. Entrepreneur and language coach Chris Lonsdale argues that one of…
Ain’t Not Nothing: Double Negatives Posted by Malachi Rempen on May 16, 2016 in Archived Posts
The comic above is essentially a recreation of a true story, one which occurred in the 1950s at Colombia University. Renowned philosopher J.L. Austin was giving a lecture, and explained exactly what my coffee bean-shaped friend above explains: that in many languages, double negatives create positives, and in some, double negatives create negatives; but in…
In Defense of Fearlessly Making Things Up Posted by Malachi Rempen on May 9, 2016 in Archived Posts
Speaking a language is about communication, and communication is about successfully conveying a message. Ergo hence therefore (yes, I may have taken Logic 101 in college), speaking a language, foreign or not, is generally about finding the easiest way to deliver a message. Words in a language are specifically designed to be mutually comprehensible – the…
Twist Your Tongue in 17 Languages Posted by Malachi Rempen on May 2, 2016 in Archived Posts
Lots of people have asked me for translations for the tongue twisters in the above comic, so before we continue, here they are, including transliterations so you can twist your tongues yourselves (remember to say them five times fast!): 1. French: Les chaussettes de l’archi-duchesse, sont-elles sèches ou archi-sèches? (The socks of the arch-duchess, are they dry…
Why Language Matters for the U.S. Military Posted by Transparent Language on Apr 27, 2016 in Archived Posts
The U.S. is notoriously less language-capable than our allies and adversaries. This gap in training—which can’t adequately be filled by contract interpreters or machine translation—results in unacceptable risk and limited opportunities. In an era of persistent conflict and powerful cooperation, the U.S. military is recognizing the need for better language capabilities across the spectrum. A…
Staying Positive While Learning a Language Posted by Malachi Rempen on Apr 25, 2016 in Archived Posts
There are lots of reasons to be negative when learning a new language. It takes too long, it’s too hard, other people are better than you, none of the software or products or apps or methods you’ve bought are working, nobody wants to talk to you, the language is hard to pronounce, nobody understands you…
Let a Poet Be Your Language Teacher Posted by Gary Locke on Apr 20, 2016 in Archived Posts
April is National Poetry Month in the United States. Since 1996, National Poetry Month has become the world’s largest, and most sustained, literary celebration. Throughout April schools, publishers, libraries, booksellers, and poets honor poetry’s vital place in culture. While it celebrates and honors English language poetry specifically, poetry is found in every country. This seems…