Did you know that your mind operates in a default language, and that this language can change? I noticed it when I travelled to the United States. My mind, usually operating in German, switched over to English as default language, to that extend that I had a hard time expressing everyday things in German since the English expression came to my mind first, and I literally needed to translate it before speaking. Although there were still situations where I suddenly talked German to someone who didn't know German, usually right after waking up whenever my last dream had been in German, English became my mind's number one language to turn to.
Even after a few days back in Germany, I still notice that my mind wants to give me the English version of a sentence first, and then reluctantly translates it for me. It went so far that I told my dad something in English, and realised it after the fact...or that I want to say something, and an English word or two slips out in between, and I have to pause and think about it before starting the sentence anew completely in German.
Since I know my mind can reset its default language to the more prevalent language, I'm just waiting for it to happen again; however, I'm curious to see how long it will take me this time. It happened pretty fast when I switched from German to English at the beginning of my stay.
Even the notes I take are mostly in English (usually, they are a wild mix of both languages). I still write dates the American way (month/day/year), which may well cause irritation and confusion among other Germans, so I really try to remind myself to use the German layout whenever I date something others might have to read. It's really weird right now, but I guess that's what you get for being bilingual and travelling between two countries....
Have you had similar, or completely different, experiences? I would love to hear all about it! You can use the comments function, or if you like, you can send me an email and maybe we can set you up for a guest blog post with your opinion.
Language ... the bridge of communication, the magic creator of worlds, the brush and paint of authors. Language is magic. It gives us power. It is something you just have to love.
Wednesday 30 November 2011
Tuesday 29 November 2011
Travelling and Stuff
First of all: I am very sorry that I didn't write this post yesterday, as I should have!
Please let me explain the reasons:
I had planned on writing and scheduling this week's blog posts on the weekend. However, on Saturday, I got news which required me to fly back to Germany on Sunday--with less than 24 hours notice! By the time I arrived at the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Monday morning, I had already been up for over 32 hours, and travelling for over 20 hours. I then took the train--or should I say trains--to northern Germany, which took about 9 hours and required me to change trains 5 (in words: five!) times. In the morning when I bought the ticket, I joked about that fact and called it a "city trip", but by the time I finally arrived at the final station, I was simply glad it was over. I read through two thirds of a book during the day, simply to keep myself from falling asleep. (The book is really great, though, and I intended to read it anyway!)
After over 30 hours of travelling and almost two full days without sleep, you will forgive me that I did not plug in my laptop and write Monday's post in time but went straight to bed instead.
Here's a huge thankyou to the stewardesses on my flight who managed to make it an agreeable flight, although the circumstances that led to my travelling were less than agreeable. They were really nice and went out of their way to make me feel better; they were my Advent angels.
I will resume my regular posting schedule tomorrow with my take on how our minds seem to be set in a default language, and are able to switch this default language.
Please let me explain the reasons:
I had planned on writing and scheduling this week's blog posts on the weekend. However, on Saturday, I got news which required me to fly back to Germany on Sunday--with less than 24 hours notice! By the time I arrived at the airport in Düsseldorf, Germany, on Monday morning, I had already been up for over 32 hours, and travelling for over 20 hours. I then took the train--or should I say trains--to northern Germany, which took about 9 hours and required me to change trains 5 (in words: five!) times. In the morning when I bought the ticket, I joked about that fact and called it a "city trip", but by the time I finally arrived at the final station, I was simply glad it was over. I read through two thirds of a book during the day, simply to keep myself from falling asleep. (The book is really great, though, and I intended to read it anyway!)
After over 30 hours of travelling and almost two full days without sleep, you will forgive me that I did not plug in my laptop and write Monday's post in time but went straight to bed instead.
Here's a huge thankyou to the stewardesses on my flight who managed to make it an agreeable flight, although the circumstances that led to my travelling were less than agreeable. They were really nice and went out of their way to make me feel better; they were my Advent angels.
I will resume my regular posting schedule tomorrow with my take on how our minds seem to be set in a default language, and are able to switch this default language.
Saturday 26 November 2011
My Two Cents ... XXVII
Today's phrase is
"in the nick of time"
What does it mean?
If something happens in the nick of time, it happens in exactly the right moment.
Where does it come from?
Apparently, "nick" in this phrase means a notch which was used as a marker in former centuries; thus, something that is "in the nick" is exactly where it should be. The oldest record of this phrase is from the 1640s, although the meaning seems to be several decades older.
My two cents:
I like this phrase a lot better than the more common phrase "just in time", which has a similar meaning. This is definitely another phrase which will be saved in my memory for future use.
"in the nick of time"
What does it mean?
If something happens in the nick of time, it happens in exactly the right moment.
Where does it come from?
Apparently, "nick" in this phrase means a notch which was used as a marker in former centuries; thus, something that is "in the nick" is exactly where it should be. The oldest record of this phrase is from the 1640s, although the meaning seems to be several decades older.
My two cents:
I like this phrase a lot better than the more common phrase "just in time", which has a similar meaning. This is definitely another phrase which will be saved in my memory for future use.
Wednesday 23 November 2011
Learning Vocabulary
Whenever you learn a new language, you also need to learn new vocabulary. Whether you learn the second language in school, in evening classes or on your own, the more words you know, the greater your possibilities. But how can you learn new vocabulary the most effectively?
Cluster Learning
New words stick best if you learn them in connection to something. For example, make a word cluster with words that have to do with holidays, or with school. Then, learn the whole cluster.
Three Times Ten
Instead of learning new words for a long period of time every day, dedicate three times ten minutes per day to new words. The human brain is not able to "save" new input for longer periods of time; instead of remembering everything, it will concentrate on the first and last things you learnt. If, however, you split the time to shorter intervals, your brain can actually save everything more easily.
15 Words
Every time you learn new words, limit the amount of words to about 15 and repeat those 15 words a few times in random order.
Rinse and Repeat
New words need some time and several repetitions in order to be saved in your long-term memory. Repeat new words every day for three or four days, and then go over older sets of words every week until you feel you really know them.
Make it a Game
Learning vocabulary can be very tedious. If you manage to make it fun, though, the task doesn't only become more pleasant, the words will also be easier to remember. Try to make the longest word chain (start each new word with the last letter of the previous word) you can think of, or grab some friends who learn the same language and try to come up with words from different categories which start with the same letter (for example nouns, verbs and adjectives which begin with an a).
If you have other tricks to learn new vocabulary, I would appreciate it if you shared them with us. Thanks!
Cluster Learning
New words stick best if you learn them in connection to something. For example, make a word cluster with words that have to do with holidays, or with school. Then, learn the whole cluster.
Three Times Ten
Instead of learning new words for a long period of time every day, dedicate three times ten minutes per day to new words. The human brain is not able to "save" new input for longer periods of time; instead of remembering everything, it will concentrate on the first and last things you learnt. If, however, you split the time to shorter intervals, your brain can actually save everything more easily.
15 Words
Every time you learn new words, limit the amount of words to about 15 and repeat those 15 words a few times in random order.
Rinse and Repeat
New words need some time and several repetitions in order to be saved in your long-term memory. Repeat new words every day for three or four days, and then go over older sets of words every week until you feel you really know them.
Make it a Game
Learning vocabulary can be very tedious. If you manage to make it fun, though, the task doesn't only become more pleasant, the words will also be easier to remember. Try to make the longest word chain (start each new word with the last letter of the previous word) you can think of, or grab some friends who learn the same language and try to come up with words from different categories which start with the same letter (for example nouns, verbs and adjectives which begin with an a).
If you have other tricks to learn new vocabulary, I would appreciate it if you shared them with us. Thanks!
Monday 21 November 2011
British English versus American English
Since I was taught British English back at school, and am now exposed to American English on a daily basis, I thought I would give you a short breakdown of the basic differences between those two variants of the English language. Actually, this subject came up last week between my boyfriend and me, which is what made me think about it again. So, here is what I remember:
Spelling:
ou versus o
humour/humor, armour/armor, behaviour/behavior
re versus er
centre/center, theatre/theater
l versus ll
fulfil/fulfill, but: fulfilling/fulfilling
sc versus sk
sceptical/skeptical
s versus z
scrutinise/scrutinize, realise/realize
c versus s
licence/license, defence/defense
y versus i/a
tyre/tire, pyjamas/pajamas
ae versus e
paediatrician/pediatrician, encyclopaedia/encyclopedia
Pronunciation:
[a:] versus [ae]
dance, can't
Vocabulary:
pavement/sidewalk
lift/elevator
lorry/truck
marks/grades
tuition/tutoring
flat/apartment
torch/flashlight
jumper/sweater
Can anyone think of other examples? I would love to collect more examples of differences, either in spelling, pronunciation or vocabulary. Simply put your examples int he comments, please! Thanks!
Spelling:
ou versus o
humour/humor, armour/armor, behaviour/behavior
re versus er
centre/center, theatre/theater
l versus ll
fulfil/fulfill, but: fulfilling/fulfilling
sc versus sk
sceptical/skeptical
s versus z
scrutinise/scrutinize, realise/realize
c versus s
licence/license, defence/defense
y versus i/a
tyre/tire, pyjamas/pajamas
ae versus e
paediatrician/pediatrician, encyclopaedia/encyclopedia
Pronunciation:
[a:] versus [ae]
dance, can't
Vocabulary:
pavement/sidewalk
lift/elevator
lorry/truck
marks/grades
tuition/tutoring
flat/apartment
torch/flashlight
jumper/sweater
Can anyone think of other examples? I would love to collect more examples of differences, either in spelling, pronunciation or vocabulary. Simply put your examples int he comments, please! Thanks!
Saturday 19 November 2011
My Two Cents ... XXVI
This week, we'll have a look at an idiom I came across in a Youtube video:
"fill yer boots"
What does it mean?
It is used in the sense of "go ahead" or "help yourself".
Where does it come from?
I found two possible origins of this phrase, both of which date some centuries back in English history.
The first possible origin claims that this idiom comes from the English sailors who had a leather cup called a "boot" and who were told to "Fill yer boot!" when things were good and they could go ahead and get another rum ration. This meaning is first mentioned in a book published in 1818.
The other possible origin claims it goes back even further, back into the 17th century. In that time, cavaliers used to drink and, according to the source, just peed into their boots instead of getting up, thus the meaning of "go ahead, just do it".
My two cents:
I definitely like the story about the sailors better, and I tend to believe that one since I found a book quote supporting this origin. However, it might be possible that the phrase was first used during cavalier times and later adapted by sailors.
"fill yer boots"
What does it mean?
It is used in the sense of "go ahead" or "help yourself".
Where does it come from?
I found two possible origins of this phrase, both of which date some centuries back in English history.
The first possible origin claims that this idiom comes from the English sailors who had a leather cup called a "boot" and who were told to "Fill yer boot!" when things were good and they could go ahead and get another rum ration. This meaning is first mentioned in a book published in 1818.
The other possible origin claims it goes back even further, back into the 17th century. In that time, cavaliers used to drink and, according to the source, just peed into their boots instead of getting up, thus the meaning of "go ahead, just do it".
My two cents:
I definitely like the story about the sailors better, and I tend to believe that one since I found a book quote supporting this origin. However, it might be possible that the phrase was first used during cavalier times and later adapted by sailors.
Wednesday 16 November 2011
Accents
Yesterday, I found a Youtube video from a guy imitating 32 different English accents. It was, quite frankly, impressive. How did I find it? Well, it all started with me and my boyfriend watching some random videos and stumbling upon one about a prank call a young girl did with a Dublin-based demolishion company. The accent struck me as interesting, so I wanted to see if that was really a Dublin accent. Thus, the Youtube search.
What struck me as interesting was the following: We started listening to the prank call, and I somehow was reminded of how Dutch sounds to me, a German native, just that the language was English. It was not really English spoken with a Dutch accent, though. I was intrigued. The Youtube video with the 32 different accents revealed that apparently, most of the Irish accents remind me of Dutch. I can't really explain this, but I definitely like their accent (and I like the sound of Dutch too).
On another note, I was thinking about different accents in various languages recently and I noticed that it often seems to be the southern part of the country which has a very distinct accent or dialect. It's like this in Germany, in the United States, in France, and certainly in Italy too. I would be interested in hearing about other countries too, so if any of you know about other countries and their various accents, I would really appreciate your insight.
It makes me wonder, though, why accents develop in the way they do. It certainly has to do with the influences from other languages, but is that really all? I mean, those countries I mentioned above have more than one shared border with other countries, not only on their south side. Germany, for example, is surrounded by seven different countries, whereas the two southern countries even speak German (Austria and Switzerland). France shares borders with Spain in the south, and with several other countries in the north and north-east. Italy has no shared border at all in the south.
Can anyone of you shed some light on this phenomenon?
What struck me as interesting was the following: We started listening to the prank call, and I somehow was reminded of how Dutch sounds to me, a German native, just that the language was English. It was not really English spoken with a Dutch accent, though. I was intrigued. The Youtube video with the 32 different accents revealed that apparently, most of the Irish accents remind me of Dutch. I can't really explain this, but I definitely like their accent (and I like the sound of Dutch too).
On another note, I was thinking about different accents in various languages recently and I noticed that it often seems to be the southern part of the country which has a very distinct accent or dialect. It's like this in Germany, in the United States, in France, and certainly in Italy too. I would be interested in hearing about other countries too, so if any of you know about other countries and their various accents, I would really appreciate your insight.
It makes me wonder, though, why accents develop in the way they do. It certainly has to do with the influences from other languages, but is that really all? I mean, those countries I mentioned above have more than one shared border with other countries, not only on their south side. Germany, for example, is surrounded by seven different countries, whereas the two southern countries even speak German (Austria and Switzerland). France shares borders with Spain in the south, and with several other countries in the north and north-east. Italy has no shared border at all in the south.
Can anyone of you shed some light on this phenomenon?
Monday 14 November 2011
English--Language of Variety
The English language has an extremely wide range of words for us to use. It is estimated that the current English vocabulary sums up to about 500,000 - 600,000 words. German comes close, but French, for example, only knows about 300,000 words. Now what does that mean?
One reason for this huge difference might be the way words are built. Where English or German may create one new word, French uses several existing words to name the same thing. On the other hand, English is a language full of synonyms and words with a similar yet slightly different meaning. In short, English is a paradise for writers because we have a huge variety of words at our fingertips. By choosing one word over another, similar word, we can express nuances of meaning which would otherwise be difficult to describe.
Example:
She looked at him./She stared at him.
Both verbs describe the same activity, but in the second sentence you get the impression that she is intensely looking at him, maybe in shock or surprise, whereas the first sentence could mean anything from a fleeting look over turning her head towards him in surprise because he spoke to watching him in his sleep. "Look" doesn't tell us the quality of the activity; "stare" conveys more information in a single word.
Synonyms can help to make a text varied since we don't need to use the same word over and over again.
Some examples:
eventually--finally--in the end--at last--ultimately
luckily--fortunately
however--though--but--yet
Depending on which word/word group we use, our sentence structure might also vary, which will ultimately make out text less monotonous and thus less boring to read.
If we know our vocabulary, it is so much easier to create images with our writing, and to make a text interesting to read, which should be our ultimate goals as writers (even the best story will suffer from bad writing, but with a good writing voice, even the most boring content can gain appeal).
One reason for this huge difference might be the way words are built. Where English or German may create one new word, French uses several existing words to name the same thing. On the other hand, English is a language full of synonyms and words with a similar yet slightly different meaning. In short, English is a paradise for writers because we have a huge variety of words at our fingertips. By choosing one word over another, similar word, we can express nuances of meaning which would otherwise be difficult to describe.
Example:
She looked at him./She stared at him.
Both verbs describe the same activity, but in the second sentence you get the impression that she is intensely looking at him, maybe in shock or surprise, whereas the first sentence could mean anything from a fleeting look over turning her head towards him in surprise because he spoke to watching him in his sleep. "Look" doesn't tell us the quality of the activity; "stare" conveys more information in a single word.
Synonyms can help to make a text varied since we don't need to use the same word over and over again.
Some examples:
eventually--finally--in the end--at last--ultimately
luckily--fortunately
however--though--but--yet
Depending on which word/word group we use, our sentence structure might also vary, which will ultimately make out text less monotonous and thus less boring to read.
If we know our vocabulary, it is so much easier to create images with our writing, and to make a text interesting to read, which should be our ultimate goals as writers (even the best story will suffer from bad writing, but with a good writing voice, even the most boring content can gain appeal).
Saturday 12 November 2011
Word of the Week ... XX
Every writer should know what this word means, so I thought it would make an awesome word of the week for us:
"thesaurus"
Meaning: a synonym for a given word, or at least another word with a similar meaning
Example: If you search for a thesaurus of the verb "to ask", you might come up with other verbs like "to demand", "to inquire", or "to request".
Did you know that Microsoft Word, for example, has a built in thesaurus function?
"thesaurus"
Meaning: a synonym for a given word, or at least another word with a similar meaning
Example: If you search for a thesaurus of the verb "to ask", you might come up with other verbs like "to demand", "to inquire", or "to request".
Did you know that Microsoft Word, for example, has a built in thesaurus function?
Wednesday 9 November 2011
Watching Films Bilingually
Have you ever tried to watch a film in one language and set the subtitles to another language you know? It can be confusing. Or, more exactly, it is confusing.
Did you know that most languages don't share the same syntax structures? I experienced total confusion when I tried to follow my favourite Disney film, Mulan, in Spanish while catching the meaning with help of the English subtitles. Almost every longer sentence was twisted. If the Spanish sentence began with the main clause, the English sentence ended with the main clause; if the Spanish sentence began with the subordinate clause, the English sentence ended with the subordinate clause. You would think the translators working on the subtitles would watch out for this phenomenon and try to avoid it where possible....
On another note, if you have ever followed subtitles and audio in the same language, you might have discovered that they differ from each other. The meaning is (almost always) the same, but the wording may well be different (and no, the subtitles are not always the easier wording, as one might think since they are usually used by people to help them understand the spoken words).
Well, back to our bilingual problem.... I have noticed that I am unable to follow both the spoken and the written words. If I put on a film in a language where I want to train my listening skills, and they don't have subtitles in the same language, I often don't use any subtitles (and might watch the film a second time in one of my main languages to get what I missed in the other language). It just doesn't work out for me. I tend to follow the subtitles to catch the meaning, and completely miss what is said. If, however, I force myself to concentrate on the audio, I don't need to use subtitles in a different language since I won't be able to read them while listening. My brain seems to be incapable of following two languages at the same time (yet, thinking in two languages at the same time is possible...my brain is really weird!).
What are your experiences with subtitled films?
Did you know that most languages don't share the same syntax structures? I experienced total confusion when I tried to follow my favourite Disney film, Mulan, in Spanish while catching the meaning with help of the English subtitles. Almost every longer sentence was twisted. If the Spanish sentence began with the main clause, the English sentence ended with the main clause; if the Spanish sentence began with the subordinate clause, the English sentence ended with the subordinate clause. You would think the translators working on the subtitles would watch out for this phenomenon and try to avoid it where possible....
On another note, if you have ever followed subtitles and audio in the same language, you might have discovered that they differ from each other. The meaning is (almost always) the same, but the wording may well be different (and no, the subtitles are not always the easier wording, as one might think since they are usually used by people to help them understand the spoken words).
Well, back to our bilingual problem.... I have noticed that I am unable to follow both the spoken and the written words. If I put on a film in a language where I want to train my listening skills, and they don't have subtitles in the same language, I often don't use any subtitles (and might watch the film a second time in one of my main languages to get what I missed in the other language). It just doesn't work out for me. I tend to follow the subtitles to catch the meaning, and completely miss what is said. If, however, I force myself to concentrate on the audio, I don't need to use subtitles in a different language since I won't be able to read them while listening. My brain seems to be incapable of following two languages at the same time (yet, thinking in two languages at the same time is possible...my brain is really weird!).
What are your experiences with subtitled films?
Monday 7 November 2011
Reasons for Choosing the Second Language You Chose to Learn
All right, today, I want to talk about all the different reasons to choose exactly the language you chose to learn as second language (and I would love to hear about your very own personal reasons in the comments!!!). All reasons given are in no particular order, and are just based on my own thoughts.
Part of your heritage is from a foreign country and you want to learn the language your ancestors spoke.
You like the sound of the language (you have heard it in a film, song or on holiday).
Your significant other speaks a different native language.
You want to travel or move to a foreign country where they speak a different language.
It was the only foreign language offered at your high school or college.
You want to read your favourite author in the original language instead of reading the translations of his books.
The language you chose is believed to be especially easy to learn.
The language you chose is believed to be especially difficult to learn. (Yes, there are people who want the challenge....)
You think the second language will give you an advantage in the job market.
Your boss told you to learn that language if you want to keep your job.
You are particularly interested in a certain country and want to be able to read information about it in its official language.
Your parents thought that language would be best for you to learn.
You came across a dictionary/text book/other language learning resource for that language as a gift.
Your best friend wants to take a class in that language but doesn't want to go alone.
A cute woman/hot guy is in that class and you want to get to know her/him.
The class is taught by a cute/hot teacher.
Okay, and here are my personal reasons for the languages I started learning (and the ones I still want to learn):
English--It was the first mandatory language to learn in school; apart from that, I simply love this language.
French--My second foreign language I took at school. The other alternative was Latin (one of them was mandatory), and I didn't want to learn a "dead" language.
Spanish--It was offered as one of the subjects to choose from in 9th year, and since I like languages, I took up the opportunity to learn yet another one.
Italian--The first language I started learning outside of school, at about the same time I started Spanish classes. I simply liked the language, and came across an Italian course (textbook and audio CDs) on sale.
Chinese (Mandarin)--My vocational school offered a ten-week-class, and one of my best friends wanted to take it. She persuaded me to take the class too, because she thought it would be fun to do it together (she was absolutely right!).
Dutch--I like the Dutch mentality and think the language sounds cute (maybe because it sounds similar to German, yet not quite the same).
Irish--I like Celtic lore, which was alive the longest in Ireland and thus is connected to the Irish language.
Danish--We were on family holiday in Denmark, and my mom was taking Danish classes, so I asked her to teach me a bit while we were there.
Swedish--I wanted to learn a Scandinavian language, and since my mom was already learning Danish, I decided to go with a different Scandinavian language. Also, I grew up with some of the Swedish children's book classics.
Japanese--I haven't yet started to learn Japanese, but it interests me (maybe because I watched a lot of anime when I was younger) and I like the sound of the Japanese language.
Arabic--I haven't yet started on Arabic either, but I feel challenged by the fact that Arabic is seen as the most difficult language to learn for a German native.
Russian--Another language on my wish list. Maybe it's the different alphabet....
Turkish--Since Turkish people are one of the greatest immigrant groups in Germany, I came into contact with several Turkish people and their culture when growing up.
Now here are my reasons, what are yours?
Part of your heritage is from a foreign country and you want to learn the language your ancestors spoke.
You like the sound of the language (you have heard it in a film, song or on holiday).
Your significant other speaks a different native language.
You want to travel or move to a foreign country where they speak a different language.
It was the only foreign language offered at your high school or college.
You want to read your favourite author in the original language instead of reading the translations of his books.
The language you chose is believed to be especially easy to learn.
The language you chose is believed to be especially difficult to learn. (Yes, there are people who want the challenge....)
You think the second language will give you an advantage in the job market.
Your boss told you to learn that language if you want to keep your job.
You are particularly interested in a certain country and want to be able to read information about it in its official language.
Your parents thought that language would be best for you to learn.
You came across a dictionary/text book/other language learning resource for that language as a gift.
Your best friend wants to take a class in that language but doesn't want to go alone.
A cute woman/hot guy is in that class and you want to get to know her/him.
The class is taught by a cute/hot teacher.
Okay, and here are my personal reasons for the languages I started learning (and the ones I still want to learn):
English--It was the first mandatory language to learn in school; apart from that, I simply love this language.
French--My second foreign language I took at school. The other alternative was Latin (one of them was mandatory), and I didn't want to learn a "dead" language.
Spanish--It was offered as one of the subjects to choose from in 9th year, and since I like languages, I took up the opportunity to learn yet another one.
Italian--The first language I started learning outside of school, at about the same time I started Spanish classes. I simply liked the language, and came across an Italian course (textbook and audio CDs) on sale.
Chinese (Mandarin)--My vocational school offered a ten-week-class, and one of my best friends wanted to take it. She persuaded me to take the class too, because she thought it would be fun to do it together (she was absolutely right!).
Dutch--I like the Dutch mentality and think the language sounds cute (maybe because it sounds similar to German, yet not quite the same).
Irish--I like Celtic lore, which was alive the longest in Ireland and thus is connected to the Irish language.
Danish--We were on family holiday in Denmark, and my mom was taking Danish classes, so I asked her to teach me a bit while we were there.
Swedish--I wanted to learn a Scandinavian language, and since my mom was already learning Danish, I decided to go with a different Scandinavian language. Also, I grew up with some of the Swedish children's book classics.
Japanese--I haven't yet started to learn Japanese, but it interests me (maybe because I watched a lot of anime when I was younger) and I like the sound of the Japanese language.
Arabic--I haven't yet started on Arabic either, but I feel challenged by the fact that Arabic is seen as the most difficult language to learn for a German native.
Russian--Another language on my wish list. Maybe it's the different alphabet....
Turkish--Since Turkish people are one of the greatest immigrant groups in Germany, I came into contact with several Turkish people and their culture when growing up.
Now here are my reasons, what are yours?
Saturday 5 November 2011
Remember, Remember, the Fifth of November...
Why is it that many people still remember phrases like the above from their school days and actually remember what happened at the date in question? And why do we forget so much of the other stuff we learnt at school?
In order to help us remember things, we need to connect them to emotions. Most likely, rhyming phrases appeal to some area in our brain, maybe the one responsible for having fun, and are recognised as 'Oh, funny, save for later'.
I still remember a poem by heart which we learnt in ninth year at school. Our German teacher made us memorise it and say it as fast as we could. He would stop the time and make a competition out of it. Although the poem itself is really nice, I doubt I'd remember much of it, let alone all three stanzas, without that competition.
So, since it is Saturday, I'll just give you my two cents about this phenomenon:
I think it's really cool that there are phrases like the above for many historical dates. I like history, but it's not one of my main areas of interest, so I often forget things I've read or heard. Those catchy phrases, however, stick to my mind much more likely, and with the phrase, some of the other information about that particular event in history might be brought back from the abyss of deleted memories in my brain.
In order to help us remember things, we need to connect them to emotions. Most likely, rhyming phrases appeal to some area in our brain, maybe the one responsible for having fun, and are recognised as 'Oh, funny, save for later'.
I still remember a poem by heart which we learnt in ninth year at school. Our German teacher made us memorise it and say it as fast as we could. He would stop the time and make a competition out of it. Although the poem itself is really nice, I doubt I'd remember much of it, let alone all three stanzas, without that competition.
So, since it is Saturday, I'll just give you my two cents about this phenomenon:
I think it's really cool that there are phrases like the above for many historical dates. I like history, but it's not one of my main areas of interest, so I often forget things I've read or heard. Those catchy phrases, however, stick to my mind much more likely, and with the phrase, some of the other information about that particular event in history might be brought back from the abyss of deleted memories in my brain.
Wednesday 2 November 2011
When all Words Fail...
Sometimes, you reach a situation where you are at a loss for words. It may be for good reasons, or bad reasons, but the result is the same: You feel as if no words are powerful enough to express what you feel right now. They would sound awkward or hollow, maybe even make a bad situation worse or spoil a good one. Now, if you still want to express yourself in such a situation, what can you do?
In a bad situation, for example if someone is crying, you may want to comfort the person. If you know each other well, you might just do best by hugging her and offering your shoulder to cry on. If, on the other hand, you don't know each other well enough for a hug, maybe just squeezing her hand or gently touching her arm or shoulder can convey some comfort.
Good situations are usually different. Someone tells you incredibly good news and you can't think of something to say which would express your joy and happiness. Maybe you know this from your own behaviour, but some situations just ask for squealing, jumping around and doing the happy dance. Other situations, like when a good friend tells you good news, you just instinctively hug your friend (or whoever bears the good news; it might be the postman, if the news he brings are good enough). Another common way to convey happiness is a broad smile that lits up your eyes too.
Even without words, we can make people feel better and share happiness. It's easy; all you have to do is to listen to your heart and soul, and you will know what to do.
In a bad situation, for example if someone is crying, you may want to comfort the person. If you know each other well, you might just do best by hugging her and offering your shoulder to cry on. If, on the other hand, you don't know each other well enough for a hug, maybe just squeezing her hand or gently touching her arm or shoulder can convey some comfort.
Good situations are usually different. Someone tells you incredibly good news and you can't think of something to say which would express your joy and happiness. Maybe you know this from your own behaviour, but some situations just ask for squealing, jumping around and doing the happy dance. Other situations, like when a good friend tells you good news, you just instinctively hug your friend (or whoever bears the good news; it might be the postman, if the news he brings are good enough). Another common way to convey happiness is a broad smile that lits up your eyes too.
Even without words, we can make people feel better and share happiness. It's easy; all you have to do is to listen to your heart and soul, and you will know what to do.
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