Tugoluokf/Shutterstock
Analysing the words used to place blame or give evidence can change how we see a situation.
Arthimedes/Shutterstock
Probably the most famous ‘Welsh’ word, ‘cwtch’ is the perfect example of a dialect term.
Say what?
Shutterstock
Be sceptical when it’s claimed that a language has ‘no word for X’ or ‘50 words for Y’.
Roi and Roi/Shutterstock.com
The international aid sector’s use of languages needs to change if it is serious about dealing with the issues raised by recent scandals.
French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot demonstrating hypnosis on a ‘hysterical’ patient.
André Brouillet/Wikimedia Commons
Split personality, neurotic, hysterical … these terms aren’t used by mainstream psychologists.
Mama_Po/Shutterstock.com
The difference between freedom and bananas helps explain.
Interpreter Marina Gross at work in Helsinki.
EPA/Alexey Nikolsky/Sputnik/Kremlin
Interpreters’ notes are used as a short-term memory aid, not a full record of a discussion.
The culture war isn’t just playing out on the streets. It’s also a struggle over the dominant understanding of certain words.
AP Photo/John Minchillo
Aristotle coined the term “enthymeme” to refer to arguments, words and ideas that are broadly accepted among the people of a nation. So what happens when enthymemes start to disappear?
Hobart’s Mount Wellington is now also known by its palawa kani name, kunanyi.
Shutterstock
Tasmania’s Aboriginal languages were decimated during the state’s colonial violence. But members of the original community have reconstructed a language, palawa kani, which is now being used more widely.
It is important to encourage children to learn English as long as they already master their mother tongue.
www.shutterstock.com
Early exposure to a second (foreign) language will not disturb the children’s language development. Some myths have been explained.
Choosing which languages to teach children in a multilingual family is a tough question.
Chz_mhOng/Shutterstock
Parents of autistic children are often encouraged to stick with one language at home - even if they speak several. But should they?
In their early years, children have the ability to accurately produce all sounds of all languages, to mimic a near-perfect accent, which makes it an optimal time for learning a second language.
Shutterstock
Learning languages early makes multilingualism “normal” in classrooms and playgrounds, and builds curiosity and even modest mastery.
French President Emmanuel Macron scolded a teenager for calling him by his nickname, ‘Manu’.
Charles Platiau/EPA/AAP
Could an Aussie high schooler say to our prime minister, “How’s it goin’, Mal?”, and get away with it? Probably.
Shutterstock
Being bilingual is not just about learning two languages, it’s about absorbing meaning, negotiating and being flexible when it comes to language.
Second-generation migrants are usually dominant in English, and third generation are usually monolingual in English.
Michael Crosling/AAP
Concerns about non-English-speaking migrant populations leading to “parallel communities” are not well founded. Third-generation migrants are typically monolingual in English.
Time to talk.
How Hwee Young
Kim Jong-un may be able to “chat” in English. That’s not enough to understand Donald Trump.
“Aitch” or “Haitch”? It’s long been a point of contestation among English speakers.
Felicity Burke/The Conversastion with apologies to Dr. Suess
An unspoken class war has long been waged around the pronounciation of the letter “h” - is it haitch or aitch? Despite a snobbish leaning to the latter, haitch makes more sense.
IMG.
Chinese language learning offers singular opportunities for cultural capital.
shutterstock.
Can you become fluent with just a language app? Here’s what the research says.
Where did our written numbers come from?
Nikita Rogul/shutterstock.com
Linguistic clues show how people around the world first developed mathematical thought.