Check out this post, and the subsequent Catherine Tate video. Osman talks about the differences in the tonality and expression of other languages as highlighted in the video. So what does English sound like to other people? Where are the videos making fun of English accents for non-English speakers? If anyone’s seen one, let me know, I’d be curious to see it.
To immerse or not to immerse
Here’s an article claiming immersing students in Mandarin might not have the same success as Spanish immersion programmes. My favourite part is the first comment saying that it seems to work pretty well in China; Chinese children seem to pick up Mandarin like it’s their native language or something!
Speaking of text speak
I see that New Zealand have started to let students use text speak in exams where they are not required to demonstrate their use of the language. Have we already started down the slippery slope? Will linguists take a vow of silence? Stay tuned as the future unfolds before us.
Language evolution, the never ending debate
Things change, languages change, is it good or bad? This article discusses the arrival of Instant Messaging speak in schools. Students today are using it more as a form of note taking and it’s creeping into some assignments as well. Generally, this article is positive in that the students know when IM speak is appropriate and when they need to use formal English. The question I have is should our language be evolving and are people simply resistant to change?
Language has always evolved to meet the needs of the people. English was the language of the streets in England while ‘the educated’ used Latin. Shakespeare started writing in English and we saw an evolution to Shakespearian English. Eventually this evolved again into Modern English as we know today. Could you imagine needing to talk in the long winded Shakespearian English today?
So maybe it is time for English to evolve again? Isn’t it better to be able to write briefly? ‘You’ and ‘u’ sound exactly the same, so why do we need to write the extra letters? ‘Be’ and ‘b’, ‘before’ and ‘b4’ even? Why can’t we write things how they sound, like Spanish? ‘Night’ and ‘nite’, ‘Thames’ and ‘Tems’? Do we really need to worry about the vowels? For an interesting look at how you read your language, check this out.
Where is our language heading? Wht wll b th rslt?
Only one more benefit, I promise
A Welsh study is currently looking into the ability of bilingual people to concentrate better. They propose that because of the need to suppress one language while speaking, this ability can pass over to other aspects of life. Bilingual people have the ability to suppress the small things and focus on the relevant so to speak.
How’s your memory?
I love languages, but I have to at least try to be unbiased. So here’s an article on first language attrition. The unfortunate problem when your new language pushes the native one out of your brain. It happens. I’ve even noticed it in the short time I’ve been living in Spain. I’m sure it’ll only get worse but it hasn’t worried me so far. If you ask me, for all the benefits you get with a new language, it’s really a small price to…now what was that word again?
So you want to learn a language?
Immersion is the best path to take. Here’s an interesting article on one person’s experiences and their thoughts on immersing yourself in the language. From personal experience, I have to agree. I struggled through four hours of Spanish classes a week for a year before I came here and it’s no comparison to what I learnt in just the first month. If I did it again, I’d spend a month or two doing intensive classes from the first word.
So you can’t just jet set off to a foreign country for a few months? Well, can I suggest a native speaking roommate? This helped me enormously as well. I helped him with English while he helped me with Spanish. In a month, my Spanish was so much better it was incredible. Once you start trying to form your own sentences, that’s when you really start learning a language.
The things we do for love
What language are these women from Thailand learning? Guess. Wrong. Wrong again. Never in a million years. The answer: Danish. They all have boyfriends in Finland and are learning the language to communicate better with their partners.
So, if you want to learn Danish, but don’t fancy the colder weather…Thailand may be your answer.
To swear or not to swear
Is banning swearing the answer to stopping violent incidents? Shanghai’s city council thinks so. In addition, to cleaning up its rude reputation, they hope this will be another benefit to banning swearing in public places. So, how does this get policed? Surely, if someone is around to stop people swearing, they should be able to stop the fighting too?
I believe that by saying words are bad you only attach more meaning to them and give them more power. A word only has the meaning that you attach to it personally. Others may try to use them on you to evoke a particular emotion but if you free yourself from that emotion, then aren’t you better off?
Invest in your children’s future
Learning a second language is becoming more important in the international economy of today and the future. In the next decade, five of the top ten projected growth industries (government, leisure and hospitality, manufacturing, trade and natural resources and mining), all have a need for bilingual and culturally aware team members. With increases in exporting and greater access to the Internet and ecommerce, there is no doubt that tomorrow’s economy will be even more global.
Several research projects reveal other benefits of learning a second language such as performing certain cognitive tasks more accurately, better scores in verbal intelligence, conceptualisation, global thinking, and original approaches to problem solving. It also improves the child’s understanding of their native language.
The best time for a child to start learning is before the age of seven. So give your child the advantage they deserve, enrol them in a language school now!
This has been an unpaid advertisement for learning a second language. If you’d like to pay me for it, I won’t complain either.