Can borrowing words from other languages unlock new thoughts and feelings? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 13, 2017 in Archived Posts
Guest Post by Sean Fitzsimons – linguistics graduate, writer and researcher. Every language has its limits. Languages cannot simply stretch their semantic fields to describe what others can in remarkable detail. By learning new languages, we can not only enrich our communication skills and cultural understanding, but also tap into thoughts which we previously had no…
Your Unique Language Learning Journey Posted by Malachi Rempen on Mar 8, 2017 in Archived Posts
Life isn’t fair, and neither is language learning. In a lot of life’s pursuits, your cultural background doesn’t matter. Sports, for example – it’s not important where you’re from. All that matters is that you’re faster, stronger, more accurate. While culture of course influences art, it doesn’t necessarily affect your drawing, photography or singing skills. It also…
The Best Part of Flipping My Classroom Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 6, 2017 in For Educators
Guest Post by Heather Witten, a Spanish teacher at Elizabeth High School in Colorado, where she has been on the CCFLT (Colorado Congress of Foreign Language) Board for the last 4 years. She has been flipping her Spanish class for the last 7 years and has written a chapter in the book “Flipping 2.0” describing…
Can Tech Enable Schools to Start Offering Languages Earlier? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 1, 2017 in Archived Posts
Educators and researchers agree: children should start learning languages as early as possible. Children Are Uniquely Suited to Learn Languages Recent research indicates that our “capacity to learn a language diminishes gradually” over time. At younger ages, children’s brains are more open to new sounds and patterns: “Simply, the younger the learner, the better they…
No app will make you fluent in a language! Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 27, 2017 in Archived Posts
Consider yourself warned: no app or online program will make you fluent in a language. Companies need to stop selling services based on false promises. Don’t get us wrong, we truly believe that great tech can transform the economics of language learning. But the language-learning industry still seems mired in too many false promises and…
Finding Your Language Learning Motivation in Passion Projects Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Feb 22, 2017 in Archived Posts
Motivation makes all the difference between the person who studies a language for a few weeks for fun and someone who really acquires the skill of speaking it. To help keep your motivation up and learn language naturally, carve out a place for passion projects in your learning routine. What do you love doing? Taking…
Choosing the Right Tool for the Job Posted by Malachi Rempen on Feb 20, 2017 in Archived Posts
When you go camping, you’ve got to bring the right gear for the trip. And language learning is no different. Always pack the right gear for the trip you’re taking. You don’t want to go on a camping trip with your TV, and you don’t want to go to a European campground with anything but…