Verbal Messages
Are they even speaking English?
Take this quiz at the Dictionary of American Regional English website. It will likely take a few tries before you find the answers...
Take this quiz at the Dictionary of American Regional English website. It will likely take a few tries before you find the answers...
Language and globalization
Disney doesn't dub or subtitle their musicals. They re-wrote and re-cast Frozen in 41 different languages!
Here's the story: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-frozen-how-disney-makes-a-musical-in-41-languages-20140124,0,6457210.story#axzz2sBMrXDd0
and a video:
Here's the story: http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/movies/moviesnow/la-et-mn-frozen-how-disney-makes-a-musical-in-41-languages-20140124,0,6457210.story#axzz2sBMrXDd0
and a video:
Chinese numbers are shorter than ours!
Click here to read an awesome NPR article that may help you understand why English speakers have more difficulty learning math than people who speak Chinese.
Radio Lab Segment
Language constructs reality. Listen to this remarkable RadioLab segment (from 11:50 on but the whole segment is also fascinating) to see how a group of Austrailians share a language that gives them human GPS. According to Dr. Lera Boroditsky about 1/3 of the world's languages share this feature that is not part of the English language.
Language constructs reality. Listen to this remarkable RadioLab segment (from 11:50 on but the whole segment is also fascinating) to see how a group of Austrailians share a language that gives them human GPS. According to Dr. Lera Boroditsky about 1/3 of the world's languages share this feature that is not part of the English language.
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Link to video and interactive transcript: http://www.ted.com/talks/jay_walker_on_the_world_s_english_mania.html
Link to video and interactive transcript: http://www.ted.com/talks/chimamanda_adichie_the_danger_of_a_single_story.html
Take a quiz to find your dialect!!! http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have
Take a quiz to find your dialect!!! http://www.gotoquiz.com/what_american_accent_do_you_have
More cool language stuff!
Below are links to some fun articles from Matador Abroad that demystify some of the processes of learning a new language:
9 easy languages for English speakers to learn
9 hard languages for English speakers to learn
Get motivated to learn a new language
5 metaphors for language learning
How NOT to be that annoying student in language class
4 strategies to make the most of language school classes
What to do when you hit a plateau in your language studies
8 free online resources for learning a new language
20 awesomely untranslatable words from around the world
20 more awesomely untranslatable words from around the world
Slang and idioms from around the world
How Important are slang and idioms in language learning?
8 essential tips for learning Spanish
10 essential tips for learning Japanese
8 essential tips for learning Thai
7 tips for learning a foreign language on the road
9 easy languages for English speakers to learn
9 hard languages for English speakers to learn
Get motivated to learn a new language
5 metaphors for language learning
How NOT to be that annoying student in language class
4 strategies to make the most of language school classes
What to do when you hit a plateau in your language studies
8 free online resources for learning a new language
20 awesomely untranslatable words from around the world
20 more awesomely untranslatable words from around the world
Slang and idioms from around the world
How Important are slang and idioms in language learning?
8 essential tips for learning Spanish
10 essential tips for learning Japanese
8 essential tips for learning Thai
7 tips for learning a foreign language on the road