Can Facebook and YouTube Save Languages?
Facebook, YouTube and even texting will be the salvation of many of the world’s endangered languages, scientists believe. Of the 7,000 or so languages spoken on Earth today, about half are expected to be extinct by the century’s end. Globalisation is usually blamed, but some elements of the “modern world”, especially digital technology, are pushing [...]
Click here to continue readingQuelle horreur! Britain Right at the Bottom of European Table for Learning Foreign Languages
Schoolchildren in Britain are less likely to learn multiple foreign languages than those in any other EU member state, an international study has revealed. Youngsters from countries such as Poland, Slovakia, Bulgaria, Latvia, Lithuania and Slovenia are all more likely to learn additional languages than their peers in the UK. In only ten years the country has [...]
Click here to continue readingFewer Pupils Taking Up Foreign Languages
The number of pupils studying modern foreign languages continued to slump this year, the latest A-level results have shown. French exam entries have gone down by 4.7%, with the number of those studying German decreasing by 6.9%. Entries for Spanish decreased by 0.2%, bringing an end to successive year-on-year increases since 2002. In total, the [...]
Click here to continue readingWhy It’s Smart to be Bilingual
On a sweltering August morning, in a classroom overlooking New York’s Hudson River, a group of 3-year-olds are rolling sticky rice balls in chocolate sprinkles, as a teacher guides them completely in Mandarin. This is just one toddler learning game at the total–immersion language summer camp run by the primary school Bilingual Buds, which offers a year-round [...]
Click here to continue readingMultilingual Tot Speaks French, Polish, Italian and Spanish!
One-year-old Alice Di Giovanni asks for “banane,” not banana, when she’s in the mood for one. She’ll bid you farewell with a “ciao.” And if she wants more, she says “mas.” The Miami toddler is one of an increasing number of Americans living in homes where a language other than English is spoken, and her [...]
Click here to continue readingSiblings’ Rivalry Leads to Speaking Different Languages
Sibling rivalry runs deep with brother and sister Joseph and Ellen Hoffman. This summer, the duo from Concord has taken their competitive streak overseas, where both enrolled in language immersion programs that fueled their loves of culture. Ellen, a junior at UNC Charlotte was bound for Germany. The 26-year-old spent four weeks in an intensive [...]
Click here to continue readingThe Holy Qu’ran’s French & German Translator
Muhammad Hamidullah, the world famed scholar who knew 24 languages and wrote 170 books in 22 languages, lived in France for about 50 years. His greatest contribution is the translation of the Holy Qur’an into three languages — English, French and German. He was an authority on Islamic and international law, which he taught at [...]
Click here to continue readingA Look at the Origins of the French Language
For much of its history, French was divided into the two branches that scholars call Langue d’oïl of the north and Langue d’oc in the south. The odd words oïl and oc were words for “yes.” “Oïl” (ancestor of modern French “oui”) was a corruption of the Latin “hoc ille,” meaning “that’s it,” and “oc” [...]
Click here to continue readingThe School Where Pupils Speak 44 Languages
For a child with a passion for languages, you could say it’s the ideal learning environment. A primary school in Surrey is believed to have claimed the record for the largest number of foreign languages – with an incredible 44 spoken by its pupils. The list includes Afrikaans, Aramaic, Filipino, Ga, Kikuyu, Kissii, Kannada, Telugu, [...]
Click here to continue readingCelebrities Who Speak Foreign Languages
Brits and Americans are often accused of not making an effort when it comes to foreign languages. There are actually many public figures from these countries who are proficient in other languages though, and who therefore serve as great ambassadors for language learning. The majority are actors and sports stars, and like most language learners, [...]
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