French Wine and Quality Language Learning Posted by Malachi Rempen on Mar 9, 2015 in Archived Posts
Everyone knows the French love their wine. When I lived in Lyon back in 2011, I was constantly surprised by the incredible care that even the tiniest corner store took to stock their shelves full to burst with the widest possible wine selection. In some places, I’d be willing to bet my baguette that over…
When are Language-Learning Products Worth the Investment? Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 4, 2015 in Archived Posts
As a language-learning company, we at Transparent Language interact with language learners from all walks of life. Sometimes, we meet at conferences. Other times, we communicate on social media websites. Every now and then we also meet a school instructor or librarian with a passion for language learning in our daily jaunts travelling back and…
Hacking Pronunciation in Any Language with the IPA, Part 2: Vowels Posted by Transparent Language on Mar 2, 2015 in Archived Posts
Jakob Gibbons writes about language and travel on his blog Globalect. He often shares his experiences with learning languages on the road, and teaching and learning new speech sounds is his specialty. Learning words and how to put them into sentences is certainly the first step in learning a new language. But once you’re ready to…
How to Teach Grammar Through Technology [Webinar] Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 25, 2015 in For Educators
At Transparent Language, we don’t just support learners of a foreign language, we support teachers, too! That’s why we started our Education Webinar series earlier this year. We’ve received so much positive feedback from attendees—and requests from educators unable to attend—that we’re repeating the series in early 2015! Up next: how to teach grammar through…
A Flurry of Snow Day Language Thoughts Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 23, 2015 in Archived Posts
You’ve probably heard the old claim that “Eskimos have dozens (or hundreds) of words for snow”… it was on my mind this morning as I looked out at the white stuff threatening to bury my driveway. Never having studied Inuit, Yupik, or any other Native Alaskan language, I’m not going to wade into that particular…
Transforming the Economics of Language Learning (Part 3) Posted by Transparent Language on Feb 18, 2015 in Archived Posts
In Part 2 we discussed how technology can transform the economics of language learning, but only if it’s the right technology. Now, let’s look at implementing the right technology in the right way. You’ve seen those clickbait web ads for “One Silly Trick…” to lose weight, relieve pain or whatever. There’s not usually much value after the…
Singing the Tongue-Song: Accents and Cadence Posted by Malachi Rempen on Feb 16, 2015 in Archived Posts
I wonder sometimes whether skill with accents can be learned or if it’s just innate—you have it or you don’t, like the ability to keep a beat. If I were to guess, I’d say it has to do with a totally different part of the brain than grammar or vocabulary. Maybe the same part of…