“… a language is not just a body of vocabulary or a set of grammatical rules. A language is a flash of the human spirit. It’s a vehicle through which the soul of each particular culture comes into the material world. Every language is an old-growth forest of the mind, a watershed, a thought, an ecosystem of spiritual possibilities.” -Wade Davis
Pirahã
Let’s travel to South America, specifically to the indigenous tribe called the Hi’aiti’ihi, who speak the Pirahã language deep within the Amazonian jungle. This tribe has been the source of much controversy and discussion among linguistics … Continue reading Pirahã
Atlantean & Basque
My initial encounter with the Basque language (Euskara) was a bit of a shock, particularly since I was in Spain and, well, expected Spanish/ Castellano to be the default. I was hiking across the northern … Continue reading Atlantean & Basque
A Serious Rabbit Hole: Language & The Brain
Introduction It all began with a couch. If it hadn’t been for that blue couch, I don’t know what would have happened. You see, when I was small, I used to love to lay upside … Continue reading A Serious Rabbit Hole: Language & The Brain
The Moken
The Moken If people without numbers are not enough for you today, the Moken Tribe–living near Thailand and Burma–will fix that. They do not have a word for “want” in their language. Likewise, “worry” is not … Continue reading The Moken
Study: Japanese and Mandarin
To continue with the theme of grammatical and syntactical differences between languages, and whether or not that could possibly determine if language shapes or influences how we think, we travel to the far east. Now, … Continue reading Study: Japanese and Mandarin
Aymara & Quechua
About Time Aymara and Quechua are spoken in the Andes mountains and highlands of South America. While many fewer people speak Aymara compared to Quechua (2.4 million to 8-12 million, respectively), both are relatively unknown … Continue reading Aymara & Quechua
Colors In Other Languages
When it comes to colors, it is easy to assume that the associations we were once taught in art class–blue is paired with sadness, yellow with happiness, red with love, etc.–are true for everyone the … Continue reading Colors In Other Languages
Linguistic Development
Before Birth “About 3 months before birth, while still in their mother’s womb, babies start to hear. Consequently, every day of the last few months before birth, the baby can hear people speaking – this is the first … Continue reading Linguistic Development
Rate of Speech & Spaced Repetition
Rate of Speech “The trick to get children to listen to really hear and comprehend, whether they’re toddlers or high school students, isn’t speaking up, Hull says. It’s slowing down. According to Hull, the average adult speaks … Continue reading Rate of Speech & Spaced Repetition
Syntax & The Un-Translatable
If you are reading this and a language enthusiast like yours truly, it is likely that you have established some sort of language-learning routine. Now, the race has truly begun. I would like to point … Continue reading Syntax & The Un-Translatable
Translation & Interpretation
Learning a language–and mastering it!–allows for countless job opportunities and possibilities when entering the workforce. An obvious career is language teacher, but there is so much more available if teaching doesn’t suit or excite you. … Continue reading Translation & Interpretation
Music- Foreign Alphabets
Have you ever wondered what music in other languages sounds like? Have you ever been stumped by how to Google search in a language you don’t speak or look up something in an alphabet you … Continue reading Music- Foreign Alphabets
Despacito and Dr. Seuss
Nowadays, the song Despacito is probably as well known as Dr. Seuss. What you might not think about are the translation jobs that allow this information to circulate worldwide. People dedicate their lives to adapting and translating … Continue reading Despacito and Dr. Seuss
Translations Gone Wrong
Recently, students have been talking about translation (written) and interpretation (spoken) in Spanish class. This week, they focused more on translation, after taking a moment to differentiate the two. You see, translation and interpretation are … Continue reading Translations Gone Wrong
Wukchumni
There is an endangered language in the US called Wukchumni, that only has one living speaker remaining. Intent on preserving her language for future generations and documenting it for linguists, Marie Wilcox is working on writing a dictionary to compile all … Continue reading Wukchumni
Endangered Languages
“An endangered language, or moribund language, is a language that is at risk of falling out of use as its speakers die out or shift to speaking another language. Language loss occurs when the language has no … Continue reading Endangered Languages
Tech/Education
Technology Tech Gets A Time-Out Silicon Valley Parents Are Raising Their Kids Tech Free This Panda is Dancing – Time Well Spent The Digital Language Divide I Used to Be a Human Being (Andrew Sullivan) … Continue reading Tech/Education
Multiple Languages
“The hyperpolyglot is someone who is both a gifted and massive language accumulator. They possess a particular neurology that’s well-suited for learning languages very quickly and being able to use them” (Michael Erard*). Multiple Languages & Hyperpolyglots … Continue reading Multiple Languages
TEDx
“In order to attain the impossible, one must attempt the absurd.” -Miguel de Cervantes TEDx- Direct Links How to Find a Wonderful Idea (OK Go) Gorgeous Portraits of the World’s Vanishing People (Jimmy Nelson) How … Continue reading TEDx
Linguistics
Linguistics is the scientific study of language and its structure, including the study of morphology, syntax, phonetics, and semantics. Linguistics The World Atlas of Language Structures History of the Word “Tea” Do Goats Have Accents? … Continue reading Linguistics
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