I think there must have been something strange in my tea yesterday! Mandarin is NOT, repeat NOT, a language that easily allow for sentences without subjects. In this respect it's like English. Apologies. I'm really sorry to have misposted. (And believe it or not I studied Mandarin for two years.)
Speaking of yesterday, did anyone catch the first sentence: "I'm sorry to disappoint"? It's missing an argument. Who am I sorry to disappoint? And how do you feel about the use of 'represent' without a direct object: "The rapper was representing"?
While I'm here, I want to send thanks to John in Thailand for his vote against sentences like "Are you coming with?"
Well, I just wanted to get the apology out quickly. I still can't believe I wrote that.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
Tuesday, October 21, 2008
Oops!
I must have made a mistake in inserting a link in the last posting. Here is the link to Suzy's suggested Cantonese video.
Pet Peeves
Losing Arguments
Sorry to disappoint. If you were looking for a discussion of debating styles, that’s not what you’ll find here. What I’ll be writing about is linguistic arguments. No, not discussions of theory but rather arguments that go with verbs. (If you’re interested in a brief theoretical discussion, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb_argument has a good one.) I’m going to keep it simple by saying that an argument is a noun or pronoun that is necessary to completing the meaning of a verb phrase. For example, if I say ‘is reading’ you don’t get the full meaning. Who am I talking about? I have to have a subject: ‘Mary is reading.’ ‘Mary hit’ again leaves out essential information. Who or what did she hit? ‘Mary gave money’ does not tell us to whom or what she gave it. (More on this later.) In traditional grammar, the first utterance – ‘is reading’ – is missing a subject; ‘Mary hit’ is missing a direct object; ‘Mary gave money’ lacks an indirect object. Okay enough of that terminology! I don’t want you to think you’re back in school.
Let’s consider ‘Mary gave money’ again. It actually sounds like a pretty good sentence AS LONG AS WE KNOW THE CONTEXT. If we’re talking about donations to a charity or gifts at a party, it’s quite easy to fill in the missing argument. ‘Mary gave money to the church’; ‘Mary gave the new couple money.’ English often allows the indirect object argument to be deleted if it is clear from context. However, subject arguments can almost never be deleted in English. Almost every sentence must have a subject even if it is obvious from context. In case you think this is not even worth talking about, it is. There are many languages – Mandarin and Korean come to mind – where the subject is regularly omitted if it’s obvious from context.
So, where am I going with this? One of the things that I find upsetting – sorry I know this is an inappropriate emotional reaction – is when people lose arguments in their speech. The example that comes to mind – and it’s the only one for now – occurs in snippets of conversation like the following: ‘We’re going to the mall. Do you want to come with?’ I just have to say ‘come with us.’ However, on many occasions, I’ve heard people lose the argument in this situation. What do you think? Do you find this acceptable? Do you have other examples?
Descriptive versus Prescriptive
My academic background is in linguistics. I was originally taught that when we analyze a language we should describe it as it is, not as we think it should be. For the most part, I agree with this perspective. However, as I’ve shown in the previous section, that is not always the case.
The Past Contrary to Fact Conditional
Now that’s a mouthful! But it’s very important to me. In fact it’s probably a greater pet peeve than losing arguments. Here’s an example:
As I’m sure all of you will attest, what we often hear or read are sentences like the following:
Yuck! For me. Every time I hear or even read utterances like the last one I get really upset. I’ve even been thinking of starting a society for the preservation of the past contrary to fact conditional! I may write more about how I find them system-destroying in a later blog. However, for now I’ll just ask what you think.
Language Fun
There are a lot of resources out there to help you get into the language you’ve chosen to study. Suzy in Thailand has sent me an example for Cantonese. She calls it “a funny and bizarre little language lesson.” In a follow-up communication, she says, “i wasn't 100% sure what was going on but it was funny and engaging.” Yes, it was, Suzy. UTube is a great source for material which shows you your language actually being used. Don’t worry about whether you understand everything. Just listen to the “music.” It will help. I promise.
Well, now I have to get on with the rest of my day. See you next time!
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Sorry to disappoint. If you were looking for a discussion of debating styles, that’s not what you’ll find here. What I’ll be writing about is linguistic arguments. No, not discussions of theory but rather arguments that go with verbs. (If you’re interested in a brief theoretical discussion, Wikipedia http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Verb_argument has a good one.) I’m going to keep it simple by saying that an argument is a noun or pronoun that is necessary to completing the meaning of a verb phrase. For example, if I say ‘is reading’ you don’t get the full meaning. Who am I talking about? I have to have a subject: ‘Mary is reading.’ ‘Mary hit’ again leaves out essential information. Who or what did she hit? ‘Mary gave money’ does not tell us to whom or what she gave it. (More on this later.) In traditional grammar, the first utterance – ‘is reading’ – is missing a subject; ‘Mary hit’ is missing a direct object; ‘Mary gave money’ lacks an indirect object. Okay enough of that terminology! I don’t want you to think you’re back in school.
Let’s consider ‘Mary gave money’ again. It actually sounds like a pretty good sentence AS LONG AS WE KNOW THE CONTEXT. If we’re talking about donations to a charity or gifts at a party, it’s quite easy to fill in the missing argument. ‘Mary gave money to the church’; ‘Mary gave the new couple money.’ English often allows the indirect object argument to be deleted if it is clear from context. However, subject arguments can almost never be deleted in English. Almost every sentence must have a subject even if it is obvious from context. In case you think this is not even worth talking about, it is. There are many languages – Mandarin and Korean come to mind – where the subject is regularly omitted if it’s obvious from context.
So, where am I going with this? One of the things that I find upsetting – sorry I know this is an inappropriate emotional reaction – is when people lose arguments in their speech. The example that comes to mind – and it’s the only one for now – occurs in snippets of conversation like the following: ‘We’re going to the mall. Do you want to come with?’ I just have to say ‘come with us.’ However, on many occasions, I’ve heard people lose the argument in this situation. What do you think? Do you find this acceptable? Do you have other examples?
Descriptive versus Prescriptive
My academic background is in linguistics. I was originally taught that when we analyze a language we should describe it as it is, not as we think it should be. For the most part, I agree with this perspective. However, as I’ve shown in the previous section, that is not always the case.
The Past Contrary to Fact Conditional
Now that’s a mouthful! But it’s very important to me. In fact it’s probably a greater pet peeve than losing arguments. Here’s an example:
If Obama had not raised so much money, he might not have won the primaries.
As I’m sure all of you will attest, what we often hear or read are sentences like the following:
If Obama did not raise so much money, he might not have won the primaries.
Yuck! For me. Every time I hear or even read utterances like the last one I get really upset. I’ve even been thinking of starting a society for the preservation of the past contrary to fact conditional! I may write more about how I find them system-destroying in a later blog. However, for now I’ll just ask what you think.
Language Fun
There are a lot of resources out there to help you get into the language you’ve chosen to study. Suzy in Thailand has sent me an example for Cantonese. She calls it “a funny and bizarre little language lesson.” In a follow-up communication, she says, “i wasn't 100% sure what was going on but it was funny and engaging.” Yes, it was, Suzy. UTube is a great source for material which shows you your language actually being used. Don’t worry about whether you understand everything. Just listen to the “music.” It will help. I promise.
Well, now I have to get on with the rest of my day. See you next time!
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Thursday, October 16, 2008
Worth a Look
Studying Your Language
Remembering Definitions
This brings me back to coaching you in studying your chosen language (or teaching it). As I wrote above, what was good about the definition of ‘incognito’ was that it incorporated the following:
- Repetition
- Examples
- Visual Support
You can use these when you study vocabulary. Repeat the word several times; think of more than one example of how you could use it; draw a picture to illustrate it or get one or more from the Internet (or a magazine). Use whichever of these techniques appeals to your learning style(s) and I guarantee that you will retain the words you study.
Study – Finally – Oh no!
It’s time to start actually studying your language formally. If you haven’t got a book yet, get one or find lessons on the Internet. Remember that you’ve committed to a certain amount of time every day. (You can take off on your Sabbath if you wish.) Start at the beginning: Chapter or Lesson 1. (You need not do the whole chapter at once. If it’s broken up into segments, start with the first one.) Read it through to get an overview.
Now, hone in on the details. Most books start off with the verb ‘to be’ or its absence. (In many languages, sentences such as ‘The dog is brown’ do not contain a verb.) Read through the examples that are given. You can copy them, say them, make flash cards, act them out, …. Use any or all of these techniques. Now comes the fun. Language involves communication. Unless you have easy access to a native speaker or fellow-student, you’re going to have to pretend. Write a letter to the object of your affection (real or imagined), a family member, a friend, a politician, or anyone else you’d like to communicate with. What? You don’t know what words to use in the language? That’s what dictionaries are for! You can even use online translators. Horrible and funny though their results sometimes are, Babelfish and Google’s translator are useful for first approximations, particularly at the beginning level. The idea is to use the language creatively from the very first. Don’t worry about mistakes; just express yourself. If you watched last night’s presidential debate, you must have a lot to say to your candidate, his opponent, or even the moderator. Go for it! And have fun.
Word for the Year
The word ‘copasetic’ has been haunting me! I chose it as the Word for the Day in a previous blog and commented that it seemed to be used more frequently by people of a certain age. Sure enough, while watching an episode of Mad Men, which is set in the 1960’s, I heard it from the mouth of someone’s father. But then I heard it used by a young person (no older than 35) that I was talking to. Hmm. I know that once you learn a new word you seem to keep hearing it when you did not before, but this is a bit eerie.
Don't forget to write comments about your experiences with studying your language or with words. I look forward to reading them.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Sunday, October 5, 2008
Moving on with Your Language
This will be a short entry. I’ve had a busy week, but I want to get you started on actually studying the language you’ve chosen.
I really appreciate a recent comment on how I make language study simple. It really can be. Just don’t get hung up on how you think things should be done, which is probably based on how you were taught or taught to teach. Thanks again to tellmealgo.
Okay, by now you’ve probably found out what your preferred learning style is. How does this compare to the way you were taught – or have taught – a foreign language? What insights has this given you into your past successes or difficulties?
Now, here are some suggestions for study activities that will utilize different learning styles.
Visual: Use flashcards for vocabulary and some grammar points. Cut out, copy or create pictures that illustrate the word or sentence you want to practice.
Aural: Play a language-learning CD at home or in your car. Use a CD or tape while you exercise at the gym.
Kinesthetic: Write the words or sentences in your journal. Make movements that illustrate the word or sentence as you say it. (Be as creative here as you like. No one’s watching.) For example, act out verbs or demonstrate nouns. Just think what you can do with the word that means flower, or beautiful.
I’m sure you can think of more activities for each learning style. And, of course, you can combine them or try one that is not at the top of your list.
Get your feet wet with the language you want to study. Choose one or two of the above activities and do it for the amount of time you’ve committed to studying. Keep a record of your reactions and results in your journal. I’d love to hear about some of these. You can post a comment on this blog or write to me at either Pres@PrinceLanguage.com or seileenprince@gmail.com
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Monday, September 29, 2008
On Your Own
Today, I want to get you started on studying a language on your own. I will also begin a section for teachers, which I will include from time to time. Thanks to reader Feh for this suggestion.
Self-study
As I wrote last time, many of you want to study another language but just don’t have time to take a course. I’m going to help you at least get started studying on your own. (And, of course, if you need a coach to help hold you accountable -- coaching jargon for helping to make sure you do what you say you will to further your goal -- just contact me.) First, you need to answer a few questions for yourself:
Get a notebook or journal and write your answers to these questions in it. If you’re like me, choose a journal that represents you or that you otherwise find attractive. (One of my recent choices has Wonder Woman on the cover and some of the pages. Another has a peacock ;-) What else can I say?)
Your first task is to find out how you learn. Go to your favorite search engine and search for learning style inventories. I’ve thought about recommending some but honestly there are quite a few out there that will serve just fine. Choose one or two (or three) that give you free feedback online and take it/them. Write the results in your journal.
That’s all on this topic for now. More next time.
For Teachers
I’ve been told that some of my readers are language teachers who would appreciate a focus on ideas that might be useful to them in their teaching. So, from time to time I will include a section just for them. If you’re not a language teacher, feel free to skip it, but it might be interesting in any case.
OK teachers: Having your students commit to a certain amount of time for studying your subject each day will probably prove useful. When working with adults, I suggest the kitchen table (which has been famous by our politicians for discussing how awful we're doing in this economy). I suggest getting all materials together, putting them on the table and then setting the microwave or other alarm for the specified amount of time. Music is allowed, but no other TV or radio. Of course, you should make sure your homework assignments are do-able in a fairly short time and useful/meaningful.
Finding out how your students best learn may be an eye-opener for you and for them. Therefore, having them do a learning styles inventory is something I strongly suggest. If you have good Internet resources at your school, have them go online to do one that you have chosen. If not, print out a short one and have them do it the old-fashioned way. Then you can either collect them or have them score them themselves. Keep a record of the results. (By the way, I’m writing this section for language teachers, but these ideas should be useful to everyone involved in education.)
Word for the Day
I’m probably dating myself with this choice. After I recently used this word with a client whose hair is griseous or close to it, she told me that when she used it with younger people they had no idea what it meant. (Hmm. Although my Word editor’s thesaurus did not have any synonyms for ‘griseous’ it did not indicate that it is not a word either. Maybe ‘griseous’ can be saved from the Collins shredder. Please, start using it now!)
Here’s the word for today:
It means that everything is good, going well, ….
The etymology of this word is not clear. It could come from Hebrew, Chinook, French or another source. For an interesting discussion, see http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-cop1.htm.
Well, I have a pretty full schedule for the rest of today, so to steal a line from Porky Pig: "Th-th-th-that's all folks!"
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Self-study
As I wrote last time, many of you want to study another language but just don’t have time to take a course. I’m going to help you at least get started studying on your own. (And, of course, if you need a coach to help hold you accountable -- coaching jargon for helping to make sure you do what you say you will to further your goal -- just contact me.) First, you need to answer a few questions for yourself:
- What language do you want to study?
- Why do you want to study this language? (Make your answer as full as possible.)
- What resources are available for this language (books, CD’s and DVD’s, native speakers, movies and TV programs, …)?
- How much time will you commit each day to studying? (Figure this out on a daily basis. Ten minutes a day every day is better than two hours a week once a week.)
Get a notebook or journal and write your answers to these questions in it. If you’re like me, choose a journal that represents you or that you otherwise find attractive. (One of my recent choices has Wonder Woman on the cover and some of the pages. Another has a peacock ;-) What else can I say?)
Your first task is to find out how you learn. Go to your favorite search engine and search for learning style inventories. I’ve thought about recommending some but honestly there are quite a few out there that will serve just fine. Choose one or two (or three) that give you free feedback online and take it/them. Write the results in your journal.
That’s all on this topic for now. More next time.
For Teachers
I’ve been told that some of my readers are language teachers who would appreciate a focus on ideas that might be useful to them in their teaching. So, from time to time I will include a section just for them. If you’re not a language teacher, feel free to skip it, but it might be interesting in any case.
OK teachers: Having your students commit to a certain amount of time for studying your subject each day will probably prove useful. When working with adults, I suggest the kitchen table (which has been famous by our politicians for discussing how awful we're doing in this economy). I suggest getting all materials together, putting them on the table and then setting the microwave or other alarm for the specified amount of time. Music is allowed, but no other TV or radio. Of course, you should make sure your homework assignments are do-able in a fairly short time and useful/meaningful.
Finding out how your students best learn may be an eye-opener for you and for them. Therefore, having them do a learning styles inventory is something I strongly suggest. If you have good Internet resources at your school, have them go online to do one that you have chosen. If not, print out a short one and have them do it the old-fashioned way. Then you can either collect them or have them score them themselves. Keep a record of the results. (By the way, I’m writing this section for language teachers, but these ideas should be useful to everyone involved in education.)
Word for the Day
I’m probably dating myself with this choice. After I recently used this word with a client whose hair is griseous or close to it, she told me that when she used it with younger people they had no idea what it meant. (Hmm. Although my Word editor’s thesaurus did not have any synonyms for ‘griseous’ it did not indicate that it is not a word either. Maybe ‘griseous’ can be saved from the Collins shredder. Please, start using it now!)
Here’s the word for today:
copasetic
It means that everything is good, going well, ….
The etymology of this word is not clear. It could come from Hebrew, Chinook, French or another source. For an interesting discussion, see http://www.worldwidewords.org/weirdwords/ww-cop1.htm.
Well, I have a pretty full schedule for the rest of today, so to steal a line from Porky Pig: "Th-th-th-that's all folks!"
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Thursday, September 25, 2008
Belated Happy Holiday
Language for Profit
Drat! I missed it. Yesterday, September 24, was National Punctuation Day. It must be pretty popular because whenever I’ve tried to go to the site – NationalPunctuationDay.com – I get an error message I’ve never seen before: "Bandwidth Length Exceeded." So, let me be the first to wish you a "Belated Happy National Punctuation Day!"
I found a link to another blog that discusses the holiday a bit. The blogger has something to say about the importance of correct punctuation in resumes -- and I would guess cover letters -- and particularly disparages the hated usage of “it’s” as a possessive. The URL is http://paulbuckley14059.wordpress.com/2008/09/23/national-punctuation-day/
I’ll be checking back on the official blog from time to time and will let you know what other insights it provides. For now, just remember that punctuation DOES count, particularly in making a good first impression on a prospective employer.
To check on where you may need to bone up, see
http://grammar.ccc.commnet.edu/GRAMMAR/cgi-shl/quiz.pl/punct_quiz.htm?cgi_quiz_form=1
It gives great feedback.
A New Service
I haven’t mentioned my company, Prince Language Associates Incorporated, before, but now I want to let everyone know that I will be providing a new service which may interest you. Do you want to study a foreign language? Do you have enough time to take a class? Are you motivated to study on your own? If you answered the first question in the affirmative, the second with a ‘no,’ and the third with a ‘maybe,’ then I can help you. In addition to being an experienced language acquisition expert (I blush), I’m also a trained co-active coach. Because I’ve discovered that many people who want to study a foreign language just can’t take a course, I’m now offering
Coaching for Language Self-study
If you’d like more information on this service, please contact me at either seileenprince@gmail.com or Pres@PrinceLanguage.com
Word for the Day
I hope you’ve been voting on which words should be saved from being turned into recrement by the Collins shredder. (BTW, my Word editor has indicated that ‘recrement’ is a misspelling or just not a word. Check it out on the site I mentioned yesterday.) It’s also been said that using these words may preserve them in the dictionary. I don’t know if this is really true, but I’ll be doing my bit.
Here’s a word that’s not in danger so far but perhaps not known or used by many people nowadays:
galivant
(Hmm. My Word editor didn’t accept either spelling this word: ‘galivant’ or ‘galavant.’ However, I was able to find it online.)
I like the definition from the American Heritage Dictionary that I found at http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/galavant:
- To roam about in search of pleasure or amusement. See Synonyms at wander.
- To play around amorously; flirt.
Spanish Vocabulary
I’ve already written that a good thing to say when introduced to someone who speaks Spanish is "¡Mucho gusto!" Now, here’s how to respond in case someone says this to you:
¡El gusto es mio!
This means “The pleasure is mine,” always a nice thing to say.
Well, it’s been my pleasure to write today’s blog. I hope I'll have the pleasure of reading your comments soon.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Wednesday, September 24, 2008
How to be a Do-gooder
Language for Profit
Have you ever heard of or gone to FreeRice.com? The profit here is mostly for others -- the hungry -- but you will also get something out of it: improving your vocabulary, checking your grammar, testing your foreign language vocabulary and learning more, …. Try it when you have a few spare minutes. It beats veging (Do you spell this word with one ‘g’ or two?) with computer solitaire! For each correct answer that you click on, 20 grains of rice will be donated to the UN World Food Program.
Words for the Day
Like many people who live in an area where the public transportation options are not great, I get a lot of my news and other information from listening to National Public Radio (NPR) on the radio in my car. I think it was a couple of days ago that I was listening to NPR’s broadcast of the BBC when I heard about an interesting project that the Collins Dictionary has undertaken: eliminating 24 rarely-used words from their dictionary. To many this may seem like a big deal, but to those of us who love language it is. If you’d like to see the list and choose which words you’d like to preserve, please go to http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/09/vote-to-save-a.html to cast your vote. It’s also been said that using the words may help to grant them a stay of execution. I’ve chosen my words but I have to admit that I did not recognize any of the words, though I was able to guess at least partial meanings for a few. Please check it out and write a comment.
Commercial Interlude
There are some interesting ads in the upper right quadrant of this page. Since you’ve shown an interest in language by coming here, please check out some of the services they offer when you have a chance.
Well that wasn’t actually an interlude since I’m going to sign off now. Thanks for coming!
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Have you ever heard of or gone to FreeRice.com? The profit here is mostly for others -- the hungry -- but you will also get something out of it: improving your vocabulary, checking your grammar, testing your foreign language vocabulary and learning more, …. Try it when you have a few spare minutes. It beats veging (Do you spell this word with one ‘g’ or two?) with computer solitaire! For each correct answer that you click on, 20 grains of rice will be donated to the UN World Food Program.
Words for the Day
Like many people who live in an area where the public transportation options are not great, I get a lot of my news and other information from listening to National Public Radio (NPR) on the radio in my car. I think it was a couple of days ago that I was listening to NPR’s broadcast of the BBC when I heard about an interesting project that the Collins Dictionary has undertaken: eliminating 24 rarely-used words from their dictionary. To many this may seem like a big deal, but to those of us who love language it is. If you’d like to see the list and choose which words you’d like to preserve, please go to http://timesonline.typepad.com/comment/2008/09/vote-to-save-a.html to cast your vote. It’s also been said that using the words may help to grant them a stay of execution. I’ve chosen my words but I have to admit that I did not recognize any of the words, though I was able to guess at least partial meanings for a few. Please check it out and write a comment.
Commercial Interlude
There are some interesting ads in the upper right quadrant of this page. Since you’ve shown an interest in language by coming here, please check out some of the services they offer when you have a chance.
Well that wasn’t actually an interlude since I’m going to sign off now. Thanks for coming!
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Thursday, September 18, 2008
"New" Words
Hi, all.
This will be a short posting, mostly to let you know why I haven't posted lately. I'm a grandmother again! My newest granddaughter was born in New York on September 12. I thought I would have time to post in spite of this wonderful event but, unlike her mother, who texted an announcement less than two hours after the birth, I just can't focus on too many things at once. And of course I had to travel to New York to greet the new baby, so I hope you'll forgive me.
"Text" as a verb brings to mind the redefined words that our new techonology has caused to develop. Perhaps the most common one is "mouse." This may be old-hat to most of us, but just the other day a friend asked me what I thought the plural was. Since most of us generally use only one computer at a time, perhaps the chance to use a plural for the clicking device doesn't come up much. But just imagine someone in the receiving department asking where that box of mice/mouses is. (My friend jokingly returned to cartoonland and came up with "meeses," by the way.) I prefer "mouses." What's your choice?
Another not so new word is "broadcast." As a verb, the past of "cast" is simply "cast." However, I'm really confused about whether I want to use "broadcast" or "broadcasted" when talking about the TV or radio news yesterday. Again, I'd love to hear your choice.
Well, I'm going to sign off for now. Please come back soon, when I've resumed more complete postings.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
This will be a short posting, mostly to let you know why I haven't posted lately. I'm a grandmother again! My newest granddaughter was born in New York on September 12. I thought I would have time to post in spite of this wonderful event but, unlike her mother, who texted an announcement less than two hours after the birth, I just can't focus on too many things at once. And of course I had to travel to New York to greet the new baby, so I hope you'll forgive me.
"Text" as a verb brings to mind the redefined words that our new techonology has caused to develop. Perhaps the most common one is "mouse." This may be old-hat to most of us, but just the other day a friend asked me what I thought the plural was. Since most of us generally use only one computer at a time, perhaps the chance to use a plural for the clicking device doesn't come up much. But just imagine someone in the receiving department asking where that box of mice/mouses is. (My friend jokingly returned to cartoonland and came up with "meeses," by the way.) I prefer "mouses." What's your choice?
Another not so new word is "broadcast." As a verb, the past of "cast" is simply "cast." However, I'm really confused about whether I want to use "broadcast" or "broadcasted" when talking about the TV or radio news yesterday. Again, I'd love to hear your choice.
Well, I'm going to sign off for now. Please come back soon, when I've resumed more complete postings.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Monday, September 8, 2008
False Friends
Old Business
Reminder: There is still a prize -- either a one-hour online beginning Spanish class or editing and comments on a two-page document in English -- for the person who posts about the earliest starting date for kids' school (K-12).
My Responses: For some reason, all of my responses to your postings are labeled as being from How My Interests Developed. I've tried to change it but just can't. If you see this tag, please be assured that the comment is from me.
Ads: I've signed up for Google AdSense. Sometimes ads appear on the blog and sometimes they don't. And, if you use Internet Explorer as your browser, there is a space that seems to be part of a 'can't find server' message. I apologize for this but have been unable to get it fixed so far.
Spanish Vocabulary
Speaking of old business, I've been neglecting the snippets of foreign languages that I promised. I'm starting up again with more Spanish. Knowing what to say when you're introduced to someone can do a lot to create a favorable impression even if you don't really speak their language. I figure you'll catch the person's name even if you don't understand much else, so all you need to do is reply. Here's a short, easy phrase:
Reminder: There is still a prize -- either a one-hour online beginning Spanish class or editing and comments on a two-page document in English -- for the person who posts about the earliest starting date for kids' school (K-12).
My Responses: For some reason, all of my responses to your postings are labeled as being from How My Interests Developed. I've tried to change it but just can't. If you see this tag, please be assured that the comment is from me.
Ads: I've signed up for Google AdSense. Sometimes ads appear on the blog and sometimes they don't. And, if you use Internet Explorer as your browser, there is a space that seems to be part of a 'can't find server' message. I apologize for this but have been unable to get it fixed so far.
Spanish Vocabulary
Speaking of old business, I've been neglecting the snippets of foreign languages that I promised. I'm starting up again with more Spanish. Knowing what to say when you're introduced to someone can do a lot to create a favorable impression even if you don't really speak their language. I figure you'll catch the person's name even if you don't understand much else, so all you need to do is reply. Here's a short, easy phrase:
¡Mucho gusto!
It means 'much pleasure' as in 'It gives me much pleasure to meet you' -- short, simple and to the point.
Did you notice the upside-down exclamation mark at the beginning of the phrase? Spanish requires this and also an upside-down question mark at the beginning of a question.
Language Fun
Cognates are words that look and sound pretty similar in different languages and mean more or less the same thing. They also have a common origin historically, but that probably isn't important to most people studying a foreign language. For example, Spanish 'azul' means 'blue,' similar to English 'azure.'
Cognates are useful in foreign-language learning, but false friends are more fun if you don't let them confuse you. False friends are words that look and sound similar in different languages but mean something quite different in each one. You can find some examples from Spanish in an article called "Cognate" on about.com. You can also find some from many languages in a book called The Meaning of Tingo, by Adam Jacot de Boinod. One of my favorites comes from
Aukan, a language spoken in Suriname, where the word 'lawman' means 'crazy person.' I recommend both the book and the blog for lots of interesting language and cultural fun.
Language for Profit
Today I just want to ask a question in this section: How much extra (in currency or percentages) do you think someone who is bilingual should be paid? You can specify the language, the job, both or neither. I'm eager to hear your answers.
Word for the Day
Language Fun
Cognates are words that look and sound pretty similar in different languages and mean more or less the same thing. They also have a common origin historically, but that probably isn't important to most people studying a foreign language. For example, Spanish 'azul' means 'blue,' similar to English 'azure.'
Cognates are useful in foreign-language learning, but false friends are more fun if you don't let them confuse you. False friends are words that look and sound similar in different languages but mean something quite different in each one. You can find some examples from Spanish in an article called "Cognate" on about.com. You can also find some from many languages in a book called The Meaning of Tingo, by Adam Jacot de Boinod. One of my favorites comes from
Aukan, a language spoken in Suriname, where the word 'lawman' means 'crazy person.' I recommend both the book and the blog for lots of interesting language and cultural fun.
Language for Profit
Today I just want to ask a question in this section: How much extra (in currency or percentages) do you think someone who is bilingual should be paid? You can specify the language, the job, both or neither. I'm eager to hear your answers.
Word for the Day
boondoggle
When I checked the definition of this word to see if I had it right, I was surprised to find a secondary definition, which indicates its origin.
I use 'boondoggle' to refer to a project that is unnecessary or wasteful, often government-funded. (Think of the bridge to nowhere.) It also refers to a braided cord made by the
Scouts for decoration.
Well, it's now time for me to sign off. I hope to see you here again soon.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
When I checked the definition of this word to see if I had it right, I was surprised to find a secondary definition, which indicates its origin.
I use 'boondoggle' to refer to a project that is unnecessary or wasteful, often government-funded. (Think of the bridge to nowhere.) It also refers to a braided cord made by the
Scouts for decoration.
Well, it's now time for me to sign off. I hope to see you here again soon.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Saturday, September 6, 2008
Salmon, Tuna, Sea Bass ...?
What could the title of today's blog mean? You'll find out in the following section, Language Fun.
Language Fun
What do these letters spell in English sounds?
Language Fun
What do these letters spell in English sounds?
ghoti
George Bernard Shaw, famous for his plays, including Pygmalion, which was the basis for My Fair Lady, is supposed to have said this is one way to spell 'fish.' (Actually, he may have gotten this particular "word" from elsewhere, but Shaw was certainly a leader for English spelling reform.) This "word" is supposed to illustrate how ridiculous spelling can be in English. Here's how it works:
Language for Profit
In a previous posting, I mentioned different ways to study a foreign language. One of these of course is CD's, and I've found some truly complete programs for three languages that are worth studying: Mandarin, Japanese, and Arabic. You can find them at
http://www.encomium.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=13&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
If you're interested in one of these languages, please read the description and let me know what you think.
Like me, you may have heard about the great need for Arabic translators. If you want to join the United States military, knowing Arabic would be a real plus. For jobs in the United States, I've found that the salary range is quite wide. However, a six-figure salary is possible. Here are a couple of places where you can check out the facts: PayScale and Indeed.
Word for the Day
- 'gh' is pronounced 'f,' as in cough
- 'o' is pronounced like the short 'i' sound in women'
- 'ti' is pronounced 'sh' like the 'ti' in nation
Language for Profit
In a previous posting, I mentioned different ways to study a foreign language. One of these of course is CD's, and I've found some truly complete programs for three languages that are worth studying: Mandarin, Japanese, and Arabic. You can find them at
http://www.encomium.com/index.php?page=shop.browse&category_id=13&option=com_virtuemart&Itemid=1
If you're interested in one of these languages, please read the description and let me know what you think.
Like me, you may have heard about the great need for Arabic translators. If you want to join the United States military, knowing Arabic would be a real plus. For jobs in the United States, I've found that the salary range is quite wide. However, a six-figure salary is possible. Here are a couple of places where you can check out the facts: PayScale and Indeed.
Word for the Day
mellifluous
Let the honey flow! This word comes from two Latin roots: mel, meaning 'honey,' and fluere, 'to flow.' Although it can be used to refer to being filled with something sweet like honey, its most common usage is to describe a smooth, richly flowing voice. Have you been watching the political conventions or snippets from them? Does 'mellifluous' describe any of the voices? ;-)
Tuesday, September 2, 2008
New Beginnings
Hmmm.... Speaking of language, the phrase I've just used as my title always puzzles me. Aren't all beginnings new by definition? Another pet peeve of mine is calling someone a "personal friend." What's an impersonal friend? Aren't all friends personal? What do you think?
Whatever you call this time of year, in the United States and many other countries in the northern hemisphere the period a bit before or after Labor Day (a United States holiday) marks the start of the school year. I know that some places start school in August, and I'm offering a prize! The first person to post the earliest date that the school year starts in the northern hemisphere will win either a free one-hour online beginning Spanish lesson or editing and comments on up to two pages of a document written in English. So start posting those dates!
I've titled this posting (New) Beginnings to encourage you to think about beginning something new with language. It could be selecting an online or CD program or a book to start studying a language you've always wanted to learn. It could also be signing up for an online writing tutorial with me or taking a course at my company's location in Framingham, Massachusetts. It could be starting to focus on learning more vocabulary in your native language. What's your plan?
Language Fun
As in Lake Wobegone, where all the children are above average, my kids were linguistically precocious. My first daughter, between the ages of 2 and 3, used a wonderful word, "firstable," to emphasize the importance of what she was going to say. Naturally I was proud of her creative use of language. Imagine my shock years later when I actually found this written in an ESL (English as a second language) student's composition. Well, some researchers who study language acquisition and learning tell us that second-language learners go through some of the same stages as children learning their first language, but this was really striking to me. (For a quick overview of different ideas about child and adult language acquisition, take a look at the following: http://members.tripod.com/~chris1066/theories.html. Don't let the abbreviations scare you. FL means "foreign language," FLL means "foreign language learning," L1 is the person's native language, L2 is the language someone is learning.)
Now, let me throw another concept at you. I promise to finish up with an anecdote related to it. The concept is hypercorrection. With respect to language, it means over-correcting in an effort to speak or write correctly. One pet peeve (there's that phrase again!) of school teachers is the use of 'me' for 'I,' as in "Mary and me studied together." Students are constantly corrected when they make this error. This leads many of them to hypercorrect 'me' to 'I' after 'and,' as in "between you and I" rather than the grammatically correct "between you and me." Well, my second daughter used this process quite early, again before the age of 3. (You can see how pushy I was about language back then!) I used to model correct forms for them when they didn't use them. One of these was the use of 'were' in the subjunctive, as in "If I were a rich woman, I would ...." My second daughter caught on to this all too well. After saying something like "Mommy, I was in the bathroom" she immediately hypercorrected, saying "I mean 'I were in the bathroom.'" I swear I wasn't a linguistic tyrant, just pushy, as I said before.
Language for Profit
One of the services my company, Prince Language Associates Incorporated, provides is ESL classes at the workplace. Many of our clients are hotels, which often employ a large number of workers for whom English is a great challenge. I almost always do the evaluations to determine levels of English for our clients, and I sometimes teach the classes. I bond with the participants and am very sympathetic to their situations. However, when I am at a hotel as a guest something changes. I maintain my sympathy for the most part, but if there is a problem or I need something like extra towels I get upset when the person I'm talking to doesn't understand me. And I'm someone who, as I said, is generally sympathetic. I keep it in, but I will write it in the evaluation that I do for my stay. And I may even tell others. I wonder how sensitive business owners and managers are to this type of situation. I know that guest ratings are considered by the corporation the hotel belongs to, but I also think that negative experiences with being understood get around through word of mouth. Please post your opinions and/or experiences with this.
Word for the Day
Whatever you call this time of year, in the United States and many other countries in the northern hemisphere the period a bit before or after Labor Day (a United States holiday) marks the start of the school year. I know that some places start school in August, and I'm offering a prize! The first person to post the earliest date that the school year starts in the northern hemisphere will win either a free one-hour online beginning Spanish lesson or editing and comments on up to two pages of a document written in English. So start posting those dates!
I've titled this posting (New) Beginnings to encourage you to think about beginning something new with language. It could be selecting an online or CD program or a book to start studying a language you've always wanted to learn. It could also be signing up for an online writing tutorial with me or taking a course at my company's location in Framingham, Massachusetts. It could be starting to focus on learning more vocabulary in your native language. What's your plan?
Language Fun
As in Lake Wobegone, where all the children are above average, my kids were linguistically precocious. My first daughter, between the ages of 2 and 3, used a wonderful word, "firstable," to emphasize the importance of what she was going to say. Naturally I was proud of her creative use of language. Imagine my shock years later when I actually found this written in an ESL (English as a second language) student's composition. Well, some researchers who study language acquisition and learning tell us that second-language learners go through some of the same stages as children learning their first language, but this was really striking to me. (For a quick overview of different ideas about child and adult language acquisition, take a look at the following: http://members.tripod.com/~chris1066/theories.html. Don't let the abbreviations scare you. FL means "foreign language," FLL means "foreign language learning," L1 is the person's native language, L2 is the language someone is learning.)
Now, let me throw another concept at you. I promise to finish up with an anecdote related to it. The concept is hypercorrection. With respect to language, it means over-correcting in an effort to speak or write correctly. One pet peeve (there's that phrase again!) of school teachers is the use of 'me' for 'I,' as in "Mary and me studied together." Students are constantly corrected when they make this error. This leads many of them to hypercorrect 'me' to 'I' after 'and,' as in "between you and I" rather than the grammatically correct "between you and me." Well, my second daughter used this process quite early, again before the age of 3. (You can see how pushy I was about language back then!) I used to model correct forms for them when they didn't use them. One of these was the use of 'were' in the subjunctive, as in "If I were a rich woman, I would ...." My second daughter caught on to this all too well. After saying something like "Mommy, I was in the bathroom" she immediately hypercorrected, saying "I mean 'I were in the bathroom.'" I swear I wasn't a linguistic tyrant, just pushy, as I said before.
Language for Profit
One of the services my company, Prince Language Associates Incorporated, provides is ESL classes at the workplace. Many of our clients are hotels, which often employ a large number of workers for whom English is a great challenge. I almost always do the evaluations to determine levels of English for our clients, and I sometimes teach the classes. I bond with the participants and am very sympathetic to their situations. However, when I am at a hotel as a guest something changes. I maintain my sympathy for the most part, but if there is a problem or I need something like extra towels I get upset when the person I'm talking to doesn't understand me. And I'm someone who, as I said, is generally sympathetic. I keep it in, but I will write it in the evaluation that I do for my stay. And I may even tell others. I wonder how sensitive business owners and managers are to this type of situation. I know that guest ratings are considered by the corporation the hotel belongs to, but I also think that negative experiences with being understood get around through word of mouth. Please post your opinions and/or experiences with this.
Word for the Day
pontificate
I had another word picked out for today, but someone sent me this one. (She included a photo of a family member pontificating, but of course I'm not going to publish that.) Anyhow, the word means to speak pompously or self-importantly, especially when you're not qualified to. (Yes, it's now okay to end a sentence with a preposition!) The word 'Pontiff" refers to the Pope of the Roman Catholic Church, so you may think of pontificating as speaking as if you had the qualifications of the Pope when you don't.
I'm going to sign off for today. I hope to hear from you on this blog soon! BTW, a couple of readers have told me that they've had trouble posting. If you have any difficulty, just sent me an email that contains what you want to say and I will post it for you.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
I'm going to sign off for today. I hope to hear from you on this blog soon! BTW, a couple of readers have told me that they've had trouble posting. If you have any difficulty, just sent me an email that contains what you want to say and I will post it for you.
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Sunday, August 31, 2008
Welcome!
Welcome to my new blog, Language for Fun and Profit! Unless you got here by accident, you're probably interested in how you can get fun and/or profit from know more about language, whether it's English or another one. Every day that I post there will be a section on each: fun and profit. I look forward to reading your responses.
There will also be other "tidbits" on this blog. For instance, each posting will contain a word for the day: an English word to improve your vocabulary or amuse or entertain you with its etymology. There may also be an extra linguistic factoid. There will also be one or more words selected from a foreign language and translated. I'm starting out with Spanish, but please let me know what other languages you'd like to see.
One of the best predictors of success in learning a language or improving the one you already speak is motivation. I can't stress this too much. Wanting to learn, for whatever reason, is the key. We will share stories about great language-learning experiences as well as horror stories about what sucked the air out of our motivation and left us unable to really learn. One great motivator for many of us is wanting to keep our mind working well. Studying a language, just like learning to play a musical instrument, has been shown to preserve cognitive ability and perhaps even reverse memory loss.
Language Fun
Once I was tutoring an Israeli student in English. He was visiting the United States and all of his relatives, no matter how distant, wanted to see him. A big party was organized and he was complaining to me about having to go to it. He said: "It's like they're having a pestival." I knew that /p/ and /f/ are not completely distinct sounds in Hebrew but I still enjoyed the new word he had created -- pestival -- a party given by people you really don't want to spend much time with: pests. Have you every been compelled to attend a pestival?
Language for Profit
Learning another language can boost your earning-power. The following AOL article gives statistics showing that this is true at even the highest levels:
http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/why-it-pays-to-be-bilingual/20050808184809990055
Please let us know if you have observed this in the workplace.
Word for the Day
There will also be other "tidbits" on this blog. For instance, each posting will contain a word for the day: an English word to improve your vocabulary or amuse or entertain you with its etymology. There may also be an extra linguistic factoid. There will also be one or more words selected from a foreign language and translated. I'm starting out with Spanish, but please let me know what other languages you'd like to see.
One of the best predictors of success in learning a language or improving the one you already speak is motivation. I can't stress this too much. Wanting to learn, for whatever reason, is the key. We will share stories about great language-learning experiences as well as horror stories about what sucked the air out of our motivation and left us unable to really learn. One great motivator for many of us is wanting to keep our mind working well. Studying a language, just like learning to play a musical instrument, has been shown to preserve cognitive ability and perhaps even reverse memory loss.
Language Fun
Once I was tutoring an Israeli student in English. He was visiting the United States and all of his relatives, no matter how distant, wanted to see him. A big party was organized and he was complaining to me about having to go to it. He said: "It's like they're having a pestival." I knew that /p/ and /f/ are not completely distinct sounds in Hebrew but I still enjoyed the new word he had created -- pestival -- a party given by people you really don't want to spend much time with: pests. Have you every been compelled to attend a pestival?
Language for Profit
Learning another language can boost your earning-power. The following AOL article gives statistics showing that this is true at even the highest levels:
http://jobs.aol.com/article/_a/why-it-pays-to-be-bilingual/20050808184809990055
Please let us know if you have observed this in the workplace.
Word for the Day
acumen
If you remember your high school geometry, you may know that an acute angle is one of less than 90% -- a sharp angle. A person with acumen is sharp, insightful, shrewd, quick to perceive. The word is often used to describe someone who has these qualities with respect to business: business acumen. Although the traditional pronunciation of acumen had the stress on the second syllable, a great majority of people now pronounce it with the stress on the first syllable.
Linguistic Factoid
Chinese has the greatest number of native speakers in the world. However, English, with fewer native speakers, has about a billion second language speakers who use it for business, air traffic control, and many other functions. It is truly a lingua franca.
Spanish Vocabulary
Linguistic Factoid
Chinese has the greatest number of native speakers in the world. However, English, with fewer native speakers, has about a billion second language speakers who use it for business, air traffic control, and many other functions. It is truly a lingua franca.
Spanish Vocabulary
Me gusta este blog. I like this blog.
Now you can make statements in Spanish about the different things you like. Just start with Me gusta and follow with the thing you like. Don't worry about the grammar. Just go for it!
Conclusion -- for Now
I'm going to sign off for today by asking you to share your great language-learning experiences and horror stories. Believe me, I have some, but I'd really like to hear yours!
Ciao for now,
Eileen
Conclusion -- for Now
I'm going to sign off for today by asking you to share your great language-learning experiences and horror stories. Believe me, I have some, but I'd really like to hear yours!
Ciao for now,
Eileen
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