New census data gives insight into Canada’s immigrant population, including how English language proficiency can impact wages. Here, a group of new Canadians take part in a citizenship ceremony in Ottawa in September.
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New census data provides a chance to understand why immigrants earn lower wages than Canadians who have been here for many generations. Whether immigrants speak English at home may be a clue.
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The way we talk about this problem is working against us.
The benefits of language-learning go far beyond being able to translate.
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Does the upcoming launch of wireless headphones by Google that feature real-time language translation mean we don’t need to study other languages anymore?
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New research reveals a universal tone of voice adopted when we speak to babies.
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Evolutionary biologists ask very similar questions about species to those asked by linguists about languages.
Everyone sees them all, but we don’t all give them the same distinct names.
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People across the globe all see millions of distinct colors. But the terms we use to describe them vary across cultures. New cognitive science research suggests it’s about what we want to communicate.
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New research gives weight to Noam Chomsky’s idea of a universal language ability.
More bad news.
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Language can change the way we think – and not always for the best.
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The way we talk about cyberspace may make us more vulnerable to hacking.
A photo of Stoney Squ-w Mountain in Banff by the Bow River.
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The word Squ-w has an innocent origin, but its use in English has long been derogatory and racist. Place names which use this word should be changed.
Making language lessons count.
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Young children have little time set aside to learn a foreign language. They must make the most of it.
Words are more than their dictionary definition.
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Extremists haven’t always been associated with violence, or religious views.
In Lower Fungom, Cameroon men sing while working, highlighting the local culture.
Duylinh Nguyen
To understand the full scale of the world’s linguistic diversity, we should be thinking about languages and how speakers relate to them.
It’s not all about English.
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Why language diversity should be celebrated in schools.
‘Now, did you understand all that?’
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‘If we can’t understand our rights, we have no rights.’ But efforts are being made to rebalance the inequalities.
No-one leaves this room until we get this sorted.
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Careful how you talk about Brexit. People are making assumptions as soon as you’ve said the word.
No, Donald, that’s French.
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Donald Trump has put translators and interpreters the world over in an ethical quandary. Sad!
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Humans behave like atoms when viewed from a distance.
Far fewer Americans speak a second language than in most other developed countries – and the problem starts in the classroom.
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Whether it’s due to native language loss or unsupported high school curricula, the lack of bilingualism in the US is notable. Why can’t more Americans speak another language? How should that change?
Here’s cheers: Australians have developed a lot of slang phases for alcohol and drinking.
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Our drinking culture has brought some colourful phrases into the Australian vernacular.