False False Friends in German Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 9, 2017 in Archived Posts
Germans have a habit of stealing English slang and using it incorrectly. Is that a False Friend? Or something else entirely? Germans are funny. They are proud of their language and culture, but also proud of their ability to speak other languages – mostly English, and to a lesser but still significant degree, French. Quite…
5 Ways to Fight Off Forgetting When Learning Languages Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 4, 2017 in Archived Posts
The forgetting curve is steep, but we can get you over that hump. This article on Edutopia defined forgetting as the “nemesis of memory.” This rings especially true for serious language learners, who are never really “finished” learning. The article goes on to explain Hermann Ebbinghaus’s “forgetting curve”, a measurement of how much (or perhaps…
Why You Should Be Annoying on Social Media Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 2, 2017 in Archived Posts
Nobody likes a social media show-off. But are you learning languages so you can be LIKED, huh?! We’ve all got that friend or family member, don’t we? The one who’s learning more languages than you are, or who is further along in the language you’re learning, and boy are they excited to tell EVERYONE…
The State of Foreign Language Use in the United States Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 27, 2017 in Archived Posts
Each year, the U.S. Census Bureau releases data from the American Community Survey (ACS), an ongoing survey that gathers vital data about our country and the people who live in it. The ACS gathers data on employment, education, migration, poverty, and other demographics—including languages—to be used by “public officials, planners, and entrepreneurs use this information…
Why French Numbers Are the Worst, Part 456 Posted by Malachi Rempen on Sep 25, 2017 in Archived Posts
French numbers are hard to write, and weird to understand. And we’re all just going to have to live with that. I love to complain about French numbers. Well, I love to complain, period, but among all the things out there to complain about, French numbers is perhaps one of the lowest-hanging fruits. I…
Inmates Seize the Opportunity to Learn Languages in Prison Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 20, 2017 in Company News
In 2016, we announced our partnership with Edovo, an edtech start-up devoted to providing meaningful learning opportunities for the incarcerated population. Incarcerated Americans spend more time watching TV than anything else. Most of it’s a huge waste of their time and potential—and the $74 billion spent on corrections annually. If the goal of incarceration is…
An American in Madagascar: Language and the Land of Contrasts Posted by Transparent Language on Sep 13, 2017 in Archived Posts
The team at Transparent Language is always on the move, meeting with librarians, educators, and language program administrators around the country. As you might expect from language buffs, we also do a good bit of personal travel abroad. Today’s post is from Janet, our technical writer and perhaps most intrepid traveler. A few years back…