Tag Archives: France
Mademoiselle in Song, and Translating Jargon
The French government has turned its back on Mademoiselle, eliminating the title from official forms. Mademoiselle roughly equates to Miss. Though it means unmarried woman, it also implies that said woman is young—25 or younger. And that just doesn’t fit … Continue reading
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What’s Assyrian for Canuck?
After a global effort lasting nearly a century, the University of Chicago is publishing an Assyrian dictionary. We hear from one scholar at the British Museum who dedicated three years of his career to the Chicago Assyrian Dictionary Project. In … Continue reading
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Explaining Japan’s disaster to kids and Russian beer to Americans
Japan has a whole lexicon of earthquake and tsunami-related phrases, many of which are collected in the Japan Times by cultural commentator Kaori Shoji. There is bōsai zukin (防災頭巾), meaning the protective safety hood that Tokyo children carry with them … Continue reading
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Language-learning in France and Ireland, and free speech in Tunisia
In France, the government is proposing that children start learning English at age three. It’s high time, they argue, that French educators face up to the fact that learning English gives you — and your country — an edge. Good … Continue reading
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Birds, urls and Glaswegians
For the latest newsy pod, Carol Hills and Clark Boyd from the Big Show help me pick our top five language-related stories from the past month: 5. Some birds develop distinct dialects based on the decibel levels of their habitats. … Continue reading
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Trying to teach English in France, Sri Lanka’s language gap and potato-ness
Here’s what’s in the latest podcast: When Laurel Zuckerman tried to become an English teacher in France, she assumed that being a native English speaker would be an advantage. The book she wrote about her experience caused a sensation in … Continue reading
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