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:

1. What language do you want to study?
2. Why do you want to study this language? (Make your answer as full as possible.)
   
3. What resources are available for this language (books, CD’s and DVD’s, native speakers, movies and TV programs, …)?
4. 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

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:

1. To roam about in search of pleasure or amusement. See Synonyms at wander.
2. 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

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

"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

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:

¡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

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

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?

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:

1. 'gh' is pronounced 'f,' as in cough
2. 'o' is pronounced like the short 'i' sound in women'
3. 'ti' is pronounced 'sh' like the 'ti' in nation

Put these sounds together and you get the word 'fish.' As today's title says, Salmon, Tuna, Sea Bass...?


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? ;-)

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

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