What’s New in Transparent Language 2.0 Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 7, 2016 in Archived Posts
Learning a language is hard—making the most of your language learning tools shouldn’t be. Transparent Language Online 2.0 is all about making your life easier, so you can spend less time clicking around and more time learning. We know that trying to remember words and phrases in a new language is hard enough – why…
Transparent Language Online User Spotlight: Kevin Barr, USMC Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 2, 2016 in For Learners, For Libraries
The winner of last month’s Library Card Sign-up Month photo contest is… Kevin Barr! Kevin’s photo submissions came all the way from Iwakuni, Japan, where he is stationed with the US Marine Corps. We were curious to see a Marine like Kevin is learning Indonesian with us, so we exchanged a few emails to find…
Looks Aren’t Everything in Language Learning Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 31, 2016 in Archived Posts
When visiting or living in a foreign country and speaking a foreign language, if you don’t look like a local, fluency can have its downsides. It can also have some great upsides. My brother lives in Bangkok, Thailand. He contributes to Itchy Feet by writing comics on an expat’s Asian perspective – he’s lived in…
Bridging the Digital Language Divide Posted by Jakob Gibbons on Oct 26, 2016 in Archived Posts
Technology and access to information are making the world a better place for many, but what good is that information if you can’t read it? Caught in the struggle between globalization and linguistic diversity, speakers of endangered and minority languages are struggling to bridge the digital language divide and reap the benefits of the Internet…
Language “Tourists” vs Language “Travelers” Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 24, 2016 in Archived Posts
When traveling, you try to stay off the beaten path. When language learning, you try to find it. Or do you? I love travel, and I love learning languages. Luckily the two are quite intertwined, so I often get to indulge in one while working on the other. But there’s one key way in which travel…
Does English Have Tones? Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 19, 2016 in Archived Posts
In tonal languages like Thai, Vietnamese and Mandarin, a different tone can often completely change a word. But don’t we also have tones in English? Now, full disclosure: I do not speak a tonal language. This must have been immediately apparent to my readers, who pointed out that intonation in English or other western languages is not exactly…
Talking Baseball: A Crash Course on the American Pastime Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 17, 2016 in For Learners, For Libraries
Are you ready for the World Series? Baseball is often referred to as “America’s Pastime”, the quintessential sport of the United States. While football may now be more popular, baseball has remained an indelible part of our culture. The drama, joy, and heartbreak generations have experienced as they followed their beloved teams has transcended the…