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
3 comments:
Hi Eileen! I had to register, so here is my stab at the earliest date a school opens...July 12..good luck on your blog. Very well written and informative. judy
Thank you so much for the kind comments, Judy.
I was unclear in my question. I meant the earliest date that kids' (grades K-12) opens for the school year. But you'll get a prize in any case.
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