Language Articles

Culture and Society » Language | By Heather Hansen @ Wednesday, 8th August 2007 @ 6:30 PM

Yes and No. Yes, if you are a non-native speaker speaking to a native English speaker (classified as English speakers from the UK, Australia, New Zealand and North America). No, if you are a non-native English speaker speaking to another non-native speaker (classified as... everybody else). Let me explain. English language teaching theory has traditionally been based on native English forms, more specifically British and American English varieties. In today's in... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Stephanie Ciccarelli @ Tuesday, 24th July 2007 @ 5:25 PM

When you think of the French or French as a language, images of elegance, couture, Amelie and Ratatouille may pop into your head. French is not only the language of love, it's also a very useful and universal language that has found its way into many lands, whether through conquest or substantial settling by French immigrants and emigres to the New World as is the case with speakers in North America representing French Canadians, Acadians, and Cajuns. The American state of Lou... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Stephanie Ciccarelli @ Tuesday, 24th July 2007 @ 5:24 PM

China Rising is the name of a documentary released within the last couple of years, indicating that China, in both trade and voice, is becoming a super power on the world stage, a power that will have the attention of the entire world thrust upon them as they host the Beijing 2008 Olympic Games. China, while an economic power, is also a linguistic power with millions of people around the world learning how to speak Mandarin and Cantonese in order to keep up with the fast paced growth bein... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Stephanie Ciccarelli @ Friday, 20th July 2007 @ 9:11 PM

It's no secret that the Spanish market is booming in the United States, particularly the Hispanic market. After several generations of people from Latin America and South America establishing roots as American citizens in the southern states and the west coast of the US predominantly, the time has come for society to recognize the rich contributions, cultural and otherwise, that our Spanish speaking brothers and sisters have introduced to North Americans, including the beautiful Roma... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Jim Brown @ Thursday, 19th July 2007 @ 8:27 PM

When our age was identified as the "information age" people thought that meant the ability to use computers and data would be the power that ran the world. In some ways that's true. However, it's more than data mines and software development that makes our economic world turn on its axis. The foundation of our information age isn't bytes, it's words. Words are the building blocks of our ability to manage information and comprehend its meaning. The right words ... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 18th July 2007 @ 12:33 AM

Imagine yourself in a beautiful foreign country, where everything is new to you. You walk along the beautiful streets, and you dine at one of its restaurants. The only thing that is bothering you is that you just cannot understand what the locals are talking about. Baffling isn't it? Despite the wonderful sites of a place, when you do not understand the people around you, you can't help but feel a little lost. This is why you should start learning a foreign language, maybe just the bas... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Jason Kamara @ Thursday, 12th July 2007 @ 2:35 PM

If you watch CNN at all, or follow world news, you have no doubt heard about the growing wealth and influence of China. It is the most populous country and it is the world's fourth largest economy. According to The Federation of International Trade Associations (FITA) it has grown faster than any other economy with an average GDP growth of 10% from 1990 - 2006. Chinese is the most widely spoken language in the world. It is the third most spoken language in Canada and the United State... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 11th July 2007 @ 12:31 AM

Italy is a very beautiful country with a lot of historical sites and amazing locations. It is no wonder that a lot of people flock to the country every day of the year. With the magnificence of a country also comes a magnificent language, which is considered as among the most romantic and rich languages of the world. The Italian language is used in famous musical pieces and operas, some well known Broadway shows are also written in the language. The richness of Italy is one of the most convincin... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 11th July 2007 @ 12:30 AM

Learning the German language goes way back to the First World War. During this time, the language was taught in the United States and was known as an important dialect. Currently, the native tongue of Germany is not considered as a foreign language as it has been included in the history and culture of America. Aside from this, the German language is also included in most instruction courses for different languages. This is because higher levels of education include studying work of German poets ... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 4th July 2007 @ 1:02 AM

There are several reasons why people would want to learn another language, besides their own native tongue. This is a notion which has been considered by a lot of people recently. One of most popular and easy to learn languages is French. Aside from the fact that it is considered as a romantic language, it is also easy to learn. From French cuisine, to French movies and French people every aspect is exciting! Improve Your Language by Learning a Foreign Language Learning a foreign l... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 4th July 2007 @ 12:59 AM

Dutch is a language which is spoken by an estimated sixteen million citizens of Denmark and six million citizens of Flanders. The language is also used by people in some regions of various European countries. Among the other languages of the European Union, Dutch ranks as the sixth among the widely spoken languages. When you learn the language, you will be able to understand the dialect of the people if you were to visit countries in Europe like Belgium or Netherlands. Why Should You Lear... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 27th June 2007 @ 12:33 AM

Spanish is one of the most romantic languages in the world and it is also one of the most commonly spoken by quite a large number of people. The Spanish language is so prevalent in almost all the parts of the globe that most of the languages worldwide have some kind of Spanish influence in them. In the United States alone, there are 43.1 million people who speak the language. This makes the US as the 4th country with the largest Spanish speaking population in the world. Learning Spanish ... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 27th June 2007 @ 12:31 AM

From Chinese movies to Chinese foods and to Chinese people all over the globe, China has surely expanded in importance. Aside from being a country with rich history, China also has beautiful and scenic spots and sumptuous foods. Everywhere you go, you see a lot of Chinese people, Chinese stores, Chinese restaurants and even Chinese schools. When you hear them talk and you do not understand their language, you may think that it sounds like gibberish. However, once you get to learn their native to... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 20th June 2007 @ 1:15 AM

Even if it seems like Russian is already a dying language because the interest in this once great country has waned, there are still people who would like to learn the language. This tiny spark of interest that remains could be attributed to the fact that Russia still plays a crucial role in politics worldwide. This makes the demand for people who speak the language as a constant everywhere. Aside from this, the world of economy still needs people who speak Russian. There are also people who... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 20th June 2007 @ 1:13 AM

There is so much that can be gained when you learn the Japanese language. You just have to consider that while Japan has the second largest economy in the world and has 120 million people, not many of them know how to speak English. Even if the Japanese have studied a mandatory 6 years of English classes in their public schools, there are still many of them who do not speak the international language of trade at all. Start Learning Japanese Now So, it is best that you start learn... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Jim Brown @ Monday, 18th June 2007 @ 12:41 AM

Learning a foreign language can be such a pleasure especially if you are that dedicated and motivated to learn. Not all of us have the luxury of time to learn a new language and there are methods to make learning faster to get the most out of the time, effort and money we may have invested. There is wide array of materials in the market to help you in learning a foreign language. The many available choices and option may get us confused on which one to use that will work best with us. Mos... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Thursday, 14th June 2007 @ 11:50 AM

The culture and tradition of Portugal is so rich giving you reason enough to learn Portuguese. Portuguese is spoken by an estimated 200 million all over the world, making it the world's sixth most commonly spoken language. Overcoming the Language Barrier Learning Portuguese is very important when it comes to breaking language barriers, especially if you want to learn more and understand the Portuguese people and their culture. Aside from this, there are many countries, aside ... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Jim Brown @ Thursday, 14th June 2007 @ 1:36 AM

In today's modern era, education has been stressed as a very important factor that will enable us to succeed in whatever we do. With the stiff competition, people are aware that they have to constantly improve themselves every single day through learning but factors like having a busy or chaotic work schedule, striking a balance between family and work, taking several jobs at one time just to make ends meet and time constraints have discouraged many from doing so. It is for such reasons tha... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By James Dunn @ Wednesday, 13th June 2007 @ 2:51 AM

There are so many people now who are venturing into learning languages. While there are those who don't understand the necessity of this, there are many others who believe that to learn a new language will bring more self-improvement. One language that is gaining attention is the Korean language. Why Korean? Aside from the continued spread of many Korean movies and TV series, there are many reasons why people want to learn the Korean language. One of the most noted reasons i... more...

Culture and Society » Language | By Jim Brown @ Tuesday, 12th June 2007 @ 12:00 PM

In the international arena, translation is very much necessary but when it comes to simple daily tasks involving writing emails or documents, reading, etc it would be impractical, expensive and talk about time consuming to hire a human translator's services. A practical way to translate and break barriers when it comes to different languages would be translation software. In this manner, you will be able to communicate effectively with foreigners, expand your client base and even bro... more...