Monthly Archives: January 2012
Inventing a Word for a Facebook Relationship
Whichever language any of us speak, we have rarely shied away from coming up with new words. Now of course, unnamed new things surround us every day—especially new things on the internet. We forget that only in the recent past, … Continue reading
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Fear of Foreign Languages, Hospital English, and Garifuna Music
Some US Presidential candidates seem embarrassed by their ability to speak a foreign language. Both Mitt Romney and Newt Gingrich speak at least some French. Romney picked his up while on Mormon mission in France. Gingrich acquired his as a … Continue reading
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Up Close With Language Super Learners
More in the podcast this week with Michael Erard about his new book, Babel No More: The Search for the World’s Most Extraordinary Language Learners. This is the second half of my conversation with Erard. Part One is here. Erard … Continue reading
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The Road to Hyperpolyglottery with Michael Erard
Language writer Michael Erard’s new book is about people who appear to have a special gift. You, perhaps, and I (and Erard for that matter) struggle to learn one or two languages to a basic conversational level. Hyperpolyglots aren’t like … Continue reading
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