Constructed Languages Galore Posted by Malachi Rempen on Nov 4, 2015 in Archived Posts
The great thing about human beings is that we like to make stuff. We build, we construct, we create. That’s pretty much the major difference, aside from feeling sorry for ourselves, which separates us from the animal/plant/fungal kingdoms, and look how far it’s gotten us? I’m writing this, and you’re reading this, on a thing that a walking ape made with…
Never Send a Teacher to do a Machine’s Job Posted by Transparent Language on Nov 2, 2015 in Archived Posts
There’s a line from the Matrix that goes something like “never send a human to do a machine’s job.” Who knew that a dystopian sci-fi trilogy could so accurately summarize the evolution of technology in education? This train of thought was inspired by an article in the Washington Post about Yong Zhao’s news book 5…
Phone Me Maybe: Language Change Right Against Our Ears Posted by janet on Oct 28, 2015 in Archived Posts
Here’s a language question for you to ponder, the next time you’re waiting for enough bars to make a call: Have you ever, at any time, referred to your cell phone as a “telephone”? I don’t think I ever have. In fact, it would actually sound weird to me if someone were to do so……
Three Terrifying Things About Language Learning Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 26, 2015 in Archived Posts
It’s that time of year – the days are shorter, the evenings are chillier, and the leaves are dying in droves of yellow and brown, their shriveled, bone-dry corpses falling unceremoniously to the ground where they will wither and decay, shattering into a gory, crunchy mess under the feet of children everywhere. Yes, it’s a…
Free Online Spanish Lesson: El Día de los Muertos Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 21, 2015 in For Learners, Learning Material Updates
El Día de los Muertos (more commonly called “Dia de Muertos” in Mexico, or the “Day of the Dead” in English) might sound like a frightful holiday, but don’t mistake it as the Mexican version of Halloween. The holiday, originating in Mexico and observed to some extent throughout much of the Spanish-speaking world, is actually…
Be Delighted by Your Chosen Language Posted by Malachi Rempen on Oct 19, 2015 in Archived Posts
It’s easy to be hard on German. It’s a fun language to complain about. It sounds needlessly harsh to untrained ears, it’s got a bewildering system of declensions that serve no conceivable purpose (I’ve heard Russian is worse, which is enough for me to keep a safe distance from that language), and something about German history and the…
Maintain Your Language with the Learned Vocab Refresh System Posted by Transparent Language on Oct 14, 2015 in For Learners, For Libraries, Learning + Usage Tips, Learning Feature Updates
The only way to maintain language proficiency is to regularly interact with the language, but how do you do so when you’re not in school or not living among people who speak the language? Learned Vocab Refresh System The Learned Vocab refresh system in the CL-150 and Transparent Language Online removes the burden of tracking…