Johnny in Topeka can’t read, but Janne in Helsinki is effortlessly finishing his storybooks. Such a disparity may be expected by now, but the reason might come as a surprise: It probably has much less to do with teaching style and quality than with language. Simply put, written English is great for puns but terrible for learning to read or write. It’s like making children from around the world complete an obstacle course to fully participate in society but requiring the English-speaking participants to wear blindfolds.
Dirty Little Secrets for Translators
09
Feb
Feb
The “rule” against splitting infinitives appeared in the 1800s, but it wasn’t initially put forth as a rule. See what was on Henry Alford’s mind when he advised against the construction.
Splitting infinitives is a grammar topic, but the “rule” you may have learned against splitting infinitives isn’t as hard-and-fast as you might imagine.
06
Feb
Feb
Source: Guardian
Words define the shape and scope of our understanding. Learn a word such as “aglet”, the little plastic end to a shoelace, and you’ll be better able to recognise and enjoy something familiar and unremarkable. Learn the word “tarantism”, a disorder characterised by the uncontrollable urge to dance, and you’ll gain the ability to recognise and describe a trait in yourself or a friend. And, of course, words such as these are simply fun to know.
Learning vocab can, however, be tricky. If we don’t know the best way to retain new words, we can forget what we’ve learned.
05
Feb
Feb
Some argue we need one gender for socially progressive reasons. Others simply want one to perfect their writing. But so far more than a hundred attempts have failed.
Language, like life, feels easier to deal with if we arrange it into binaries: Wrong/right; Gay/straight; Labour/Conservative. Terms lurking between the two poles are often unfairly maligned. We’re often wary of anything that is neither one nor the other: Justifiable homicide; Bisexual; The Liberal Democrats.
The same goes for him/her. We seem far more comfortable when people are either men or women. The reality is different. There are people who self-define as neither, as gender-nonbinary. To those who see gender as a construct, this makes perfect sense. But the English language fails to reflect it.
04
Feb
Feb
Ο Τομέας Γλωσσολογίας του Τμήματος Φιλολογίας του Αριστοτελείου Πανεπιστημίου Θεσσαλονίκης διοργανώνει την 36η Συνάντηση Εργασίας στις 24-25 Απριλίου 2015, με αντικείμενο την Ελληνική Διαλεκτολογία. Οι θεµατικοί άξονες του συνεδρίου θα είναι: (α) Αρχαίες ελληνικές διάλεκτοι, (β) Μεσαιωνικές και νέες ελληνικές διάλεκτοι, (γ) Διάλεκτοι και γλωσσολογική θεωρία, (δ) Βαλκανική διάσταση των νεοελληνικών διαλέκτων, (ε) Κοινωνικές διάλεκτοι της νέας ελληνικής, (στ) Διάλεκτοι και εκπαίδευση.
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