Create a Communicative Language Classroom eBook Posted by Transparent Language on May 25, 2016 in For Educators
The communicative classroom, as you may have guessed, revolves around communication. Why focus on a communicative classroom? Teachers using this approach strive to simulate real-life situations that motivate and prepare students to communicate meaningfully in a new language. But it takes time and creativity to create a successful communicative classroom, particularly to design a variety…
Ich bin ein Hamburger (and Other Delicious German Demonyms) Posted by Malachi Rempen on May 23, 2016 in Archived Posts
As you probably know, the English word “hamburger” has long caused confusion among children and the geographically impaired. After all, there’s no ham in a hamburger – it’s made of beef! How does that make sense? And what about wieners and franks? Why do hot dogs have so many odd names? The answer is both in…
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…
Practice Activities in Transparent Language Online Posted by Transparent Language on May 11, 2016 in For Educators, For Learners, For Libraries, Learning Feature Updates
There are four parts to the language puzzle: listening, speaking, reading, and writing. All of the courses and vocabulary lists in Transparent Language Online include a mix of activities to build all four skills. But what if you’ve mastered writing (or typing) a set of words and phrases, but you want to practice saying them?…
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…
Survival Spanish for Librarians Course Posted by Transparent Language on May 4, 2016 in For Libraries
In our increasingly diverse population, languages are critical to almost every public service industry. First responders are learning Spanish in St. Louis and Mandarin in New York City to better serve non-native English speakers in the midst of a crisis. Public schools offer night classes to parents of ESL students to keep them informed and…