Hey guys, some of you may have noticed that my blog posts haven't been as regular as usual recently. I am really sorry about it. Part of the reason is my non-existent new internet service (the provider somehow screwed me...still working on a long-term solution). The other part of the reason is that my head has been so full with other stuff--work, my sweetheart, planning for new projects--that I didn't think of new posts early enough to get them scheduled ahead of time.
Language Love will continue to be your resource of useful, interesting, funny, serious, and [insert suitable adjective here] blog posts about language-related topics. I also want to keep up the schedule of Monday, Wednesday, and Saturday posts.
If you want to help me out, or want some exposure, and think you have something interesting to say about language, don't hesitate to contact me about guest blogging! Right away, I am not able to pay for guest posts, but I will put your byline and links up and will link to your guest post on Facebook and Twitter. If you would like me to guest blog for your blog in return, I would be happy to consider it.
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.
Saturday 31 March 2012
Wednesday 28 March 2012
Learning German in Germany
by my sweetheart
I've been learning German with only brief review before traveling, which has given me the exciting opportunity (a phrase with many meanings) of touring a new place without really speaking the local language. The task before me is daunting but enticing.
I've gotten some practice learning definitions from an English-German book that classifies things into categories (shopping, cooking, anatomy); I've also been soaking up music and television with mixed success, and spying in on conversations that occur around me. I manage to get the gist of what they're saying sometimes, though I'm not always sure how I know (the power of body language, partly). The ability to do that makes me a little proud, and the evening that I gave three or four topical replies in a row is my proudest moment thus far.
Saoirse has given me a lesson on numbers, about which I now feel rather competent – not fast, but accurate. It's a good feeling to feel some kind of mastery over an area, rather than taking potshots at words that I've heard several times (though that has its place as well).
I tend to badger her with questions about what this sign says, or what that advertisement said, or some word I've heard spoken aloud several times. I've quickly found that while hearing it is important, I learn best when I have it spelled; something I feel a little guilty about it, since my constant interruptions require her to rattle off the lettering of each word. At some point, I really should pick up a German-English dictionary.
Pronunciation is going to be … 'entertaining'. When I ask Saoirse what some word means, she often gives me a quizzical look – often I have to show her the text I'm looking at before she knows what I'm trying to say. It's an irksome subject, since even after being corrected, it doesn't sound like I'm that far off. (to his ears, at least ~Saoirse)
Playing Heroes with her has been an entertaining exercise – very time-consuming at first since all the words were new, but I don't have to arrest her attention as frequently now that my exposure to new words in the game has leveled off. It is to my advantage that I've played similar games before, and I am presently to the point where I can decipher much of a new spell's use even if can't read it precisely.
I look forward to trying Neverwinter Nights when we've run out of steam for Heroes, and in parallel learning, perhaps I'll try to find some list of particularly common German words, or come up with groups of words I want to learn (they, we, you (singular/plural), it, right/wrong, left/right, etcetera).
I've been learning German with only brief review before traveling, which has given me the exciting opportunity (a phrase with many meanings) of touring a new place without really speaking the local language. The task before me is daunting but enticing.
I've gotten some practice learning definitions from an English-German book that classifies things into categories (shopping, cooking, anatomy); I've also been soaking up music and television with mixed success, and spying in on conversations that occur around me. I manage to get the gist of what they're saying sometimes, though I'm not always sure how I know (the power of body language, partly). The ability to do that makes me a little proud, and the evening that I gave three or four topical replies in a row is my proudest moment thus far.
Saoirse has given me a lesson on numbers, about which I now feel rather competent – not fast, but accurate. It's a good feeling to feel some kind of mastery over an area, rather than taking potshots at words that I've heard several times (though that has its place as well).
I tend to badger her with questions about what this sign says, or what that advertisement said, or some word I've heard spoken aloud several times. I've quickly found that while hearing it is important, I learn best when I have it spelled; something I feel a little guilty about it, since my constant interruptions require her to rattle off the lettering of each word. At some point, I really should pick up a German-English dictionary.
Pronunciation is going to be … 'entertaining'. When I ask Saoirse what some word means, she often gives me a quizzical look – often I have to show her the text I'm looking at before she knows what I'm trying to say. It's an irksome subject, since even after being corrected, it doesn't sound like I'm that far off. (to his ears, at least ~Saoirse)
Playing Heroes with her has been an entertaining exercise – very time-consuming at first since all the words were new, but I don't have to arrest her attention as frequently now that my exposure to new words in the game has leveled off. It is to my advantage that I've played similar games before, and I am presently to the point where I can decipher much of a new spell's use even if can't read it precisely.
I look forward to trying Neverwinter Nights when we've run out of steam for Heroes, and in parallel learning, perhaps I'll try to find some list of particularly common German words, or come up with groups of words I want to learn (they, we, you (singular/plural), it, right/wrong, left/right, etcetera).
Wednesday 21 March 2012
Why Vampires Shouldn't Be Fearsome or Sexy
Today's post is to be taken with a grain of salt, I guess. My roommate gave me the idea for this post, and I thought it was too much fun to pass on.
Have you ever thought about how vampires speak? I mean, honestly, their long and sharp teeth must be annoying. Just think of it: If they are not careful enough, they will pierce their own lips, which would probably lead to them sucking out their own blood (that is, if they still have blood running through their body, which I assume, since they would look really wrinkly and sunk in otherwise).
However, if they indeed speak very carefully, they probably talk rather slowly. Imagine then trying to frighten someone, but voicing every single syllable with utmost care. Before they have finished their sentence, you've likely passed them without noticing.
Another consideration is how they pronounce words. Someone with such huge and dangerous front teeth who needs to be so very careful would likely have difficulty with pronunciation too, probably speaking with a lisp.
Now, ladies, seriously: How could such a being be fearsome or sexy?
Have you ever thought about how vampires speak? I mean, honestly, their long and sharp teeth must be annoying. Just think of it: If they are not careful enough, they will pierce their own lips, which would probably lead to them sucking out their own blood (that is, if they still have blood running through their body, which I assume, since they would look really wrinkly and sunk in otherwise).
However, if they indeed speak very carefully, they probably talk rather slowly. Imagine then trying to frighten someone, but voicing every single syllable with utmost care. Before they have finished their sentence, you've likely passed them without noticing.
Another consideration is how they pronounce words. Someone with such huge and dangerous front teeth who needs to be so very careful would likely have difficulty with pronunciation too, probably speaking with a lisp.
Now, ladies, seriously: How could such a being be fearsome or sexy?
Monday 19 March 2012
Teaching German through Gaming
You know, one of the easiest ways to help a gamer learn a foreign language is to...right, game. Since my sweetheart wants to learn German and also loves videogames, I have come up with a nice idea to help him: play a great role-playing videogame with lots of dialogue together--in German. I will be there to help him and to translate for him if necessary, but through repetition, he will still expand his vocabulary (and likely his grammar skills). Granted, he won't really learn the right set of words to talk to my parents next month, but his language learning is definitely a nice excuse for me to play more videogames again.
After just a few days of gaming, he is already able to figure out many texts without help. Of course, there is always the odd word he asks me about, or a short text I have to translate for him, but overall, he is doing really well.
So far, we have been playing a round-based game (Heroes of Might and Magic V). This has two great advantages: First, he is able to take his time with any German he comes across, and second, I can use his turns to get some work done. It is fun, and he automatically picks up things like sentence structures and grammar rules--apart from the obvious vocabulary--without having to struggle with it.
At some point, we want to play Neverwinter Nights together, which will require a certain level of German since he can't take as much time as he wants anymore. However, it will teach him more words and language skills due to a larger amount of dialogue compared to mostly short explanatory texts in the game we play at the moment.
Anyway, isn't it just awesome to learn a language by doing something you love?
After just a few days of gaming, he is already able to figure out many texts without help. Of course, there is always the odd word he asks me about, or a short text I have to translate for him, but overall, he is doing really well.
So far, we have been playing a round-based game (Heroes of Might and Magic V). This has two great advantages: First, he is able to take his time with any German he comes across, and second, I can use his turns to get some work done. It is fun, and he automatically picks up things like sentence structures and grammar rules--apart from the obvious vocabulary--without having to struggle with it.
At some point, we want to play Neverwinter Nights together, which will require a certain level of German since he can't take as much time as he wants anymore. However, it will teach him more words and language skills due to a larger amount of dialogue compared to mostly short explanatory texts in the game we play at the moment.
Anyway, isn't it just awesome to learn a language by doing something you love?
Saturday 17 March 2012
Learning Tips ... IV
If you don't understand a certain problem, draw a picture. No need to be accurate, just jot down what you understand of it and try to find a connection. Visualising a problem like this often helps us to view it from a different angle, and can be surprisingly effective in helping us find a solution.
Wednesday 14 March 2012
Writing for Children
Some people think writing for children is easy since the stories are usually a lot shorter and often simpler than stories for adults. Is that true? Is children's literature the "light" version of writing?
I will ask you a few questions first:
What are the topics young children care about?
How long may a story for first readers be so that they can read it without losing concentration nor interest?
How simple or complex should a story for advanced readers be? About what kind of topics, and how long?
See? Writing for children has its own set of difficulties. Since stories can be very short, every single word counds a lot more than a word in an adult novel. Young readers have their own needs and expectations, and children are not simply children. As a children's writer, you need to know exactly for what group of children you are writing. How old are they? How much reading experienve do they have? What topics hold their interest? What is age-appropriate language?
Whereas some people seem to have a natural talent to write for children, other writers lack the ability to adapt their writing to this unique audience.
Children's literature is more than just another fiction genre; it is a whole different category with its own genres. So no, writing for children is not just writing a shorter story with younger protagonists. It may be easy for some writers but out of reach for others, just like any other kind of writing.
I will ask you a few questions first:
What are the topics young children care about?
How long may a story for first readers be so that they can read it without losing concentration nor interest?
How simple or complex should a story for advanced readers be? About what kind of topics, and how long?
See? Writing for children has its own set of difficulties. Since stories can be very short, every single word counds a lot more than a word in an adult novel. Young readers have their own needs and expectations, and children are not simply children. As a children's writer, you need to know exactly for what group of children you are writing. How old are they? How much reading experienve do they have? What topics hold their interest? What is age-appropriate language?
Whereas some people seem to have a natural talent to write for children, other writers lack the ability to adapt their writing to this unique audience.
Children's literature is more than just another fiction genre; it is a whole different category with its own genres. So no, writing for children is not just writing a shorter story with younger protagonists. It may be easy for some writers but out of reach for others, just like any other kind of writing.
Monday 12 March 2012
Playing the Interpreter
Before I get into today's topic, I have to apologise. I know I forgot to post on Wednesday, and I feel bad about it. I had the post written in my notebook and had planned to type and schedule it on the weekend. Well, my weekend got kind of messed up due to nervousness, and by the time my boyfriend arrived here on Tuesday, I still hadn't managed to put it up. As you can guess now, I didn't find the time to post it afterwards....
Which brings me to today's topic: playing the interpreter. So far, I haven't worked as interpreter. My main tool was always the written word, whereas interpreters work with the spoken word. At the moment, however, I need to play the interpreter for my boyfriend, who is visiting me in Germany. He doesn't yet know much German, and not everyone around here knows English, so I need to switch back and forth between English and German during conversations. It is interesting for sure, and I think it is a great training for me. However, I have noticed that I am at a loss for words every now and then, even though I am certain I know that word...I simply can't remember at that moment.
Another phenomenon that I noticed is that I actually catch myself using the wrong words in a conversation. I mean, my boyfriend still knows what I mean, but it's annoying, really. And it works both ways.... My guess is that the constant changes back and forth between two languages are hard to process so quickly in my brain, and that I basically talk faster than my brain can think and "proofthink" what I am going to say. I really hope this will get better with time (although, since my boyfriend is learning German, I might not have the opportunity for long enough) and that my mind will learn to process the language changes more quickly. It would be neat to be able to interpret without problems at some point, but I doubt I'll reach that stage of skill soon enough before my boyfriend is able to keep up conversations in German. There is a reason I highly respect interpreters, and I totally understand why their professional training lasts for several years.... While translating is difficult, interpreting is the real mastery of language skills.
Which brings me to today's topic: playing the interpreter. So far, I haven't worked as interpreter. My main tool was always the written word, whereas interpreters work with the spoken word. At the moment, however, I need to play the interpreter for my boyfriend, who is visiting me in Germany. He doesn't yet know much German, and not everyone around here knows English, so I need to switch back and forth between English and German during conversations. It is interesting for sure, and I think it is a great training for me. However, I have noticed that I am at a loss for words every now and then, even though I am certain I know that word...I simply can't remember at that moment.
Another phenomenon that I noticed is that I actually catch myself using the wrong words in a conversation. I mean, my boyfriend still knows what I mean, but it's annoying, really. And it works both ways.... My guess is that the constant changes back and forth between two languages are hard to process so quickly in my brain, and that I basically talk faster than my brain can think and "proofthink" what I am going to say. I really hope this will get better with time (although, since my boyfriend is learning German, I might not have the opportunity for long enough) and that my mind will learn to process the language changes more quickly. It would be neat to be able to interpret without problems at some point, but I doubt I'll reach that stage of skill soon enough before my boyfriend is able to keep up conversations in German. There is a reason I highly respect interpreters, and I totally understand why their professional training lasts for several years.... While translating is difficult, interpreting is the real mastery of language skills.
Saturday 10 March 2012
Learning Tips ... III
Write summaries of important topics (for example lists of pronouns, mind maps with words of a certain word field) on big sheets of paper and stick them to places at which you often look. Good places are the wall behind your desk, the bathroom door, the walls around your kitchen table, and the wall behind your TV. When you look at them often enough, they will stick in your mind even without actively studying them.
Monday 5 March 2012
Ebook Censoring? Stop PayPal and Friends NOW!
I heard something very disturbing last week. Apparently, several credit card companies are behind PayPal's current endeavours to force certain topics out of ebooks. I received an email explaining the situation (like thousands of other indie authors who have published with Smashwords), and although I haven't yet written erotica and am therefore not (yet) directly affected, I will gladly follow their call for action.
I don't want credit card companies or other financial institutions to censor legal fiction!
Now, it is the erotica writers (main targets at the moment: rape, bestiality and incest).
What will be next? If they manage to get this step of censorship through, will they try to ban sexual acts completely? Or maybe murder? Torture? Crime in a broad sense?
Yes, some of those topics can be highly disturbing, and would be crimes if performed in real life. But can that be reason enough to ban them from books? Who are those institutions to decide about which topics writers can write and readers can read?
Where is our right to free expression???
Books have always addressed controversial topics. There have always been books about crime (there are whole genres for that, you know), and books including sexual acts. If we were forced to write books only about pleasant topics in the future, where would that place us as a society? Would we start to close our eyes to reality once again? Reality and life are not always pleasant. There are dark sides to humanity, and instead of banning them, we should address and discuss them. We should be aware of them, because only then do we have a chance to act against them.
Censorship of ebooks is only a first step, but a step in a blatantly wrong direction.
Act now!
I don't want credit card companies or other financial institutions to censor legal fiction!
Now, it is the erotica writers (main targets at the moment: rape, bestiality and incest).
What will be next? If they manage to get this step of censorship through, will they try to ban sexual acts completely? Or maybe murder? Torture? Crime in a broad sense?
Yes, some of those topics can be highly disturbing, and would be crimes if performed in real life. But can that be reason enough to ban them from books? Who are those institutions to decide about which topics writers can write and readers can read?
Where is our right to free expression???
Books have always addressed controversial topics. There have always been books about crime (there are whole genres for that, you know), and books including sexual acts. If we were forced to write books only about pleasant topics in the future, where would that place us as a society? Would we start to close our eyes to reality once again? Reality and life are not always pleasant. There are dark sides to humanity, and instead of banning them, we should address and discuss them. We should be aware of them, because only then do we have a chance to act against them.
Censorship of ebooks is only a first step, but a step in a blatantly wrong direction.
Act now!
Saturday 3 March 2012
Learning Tips ... II
Try to find out which type(s) of learner you are.
Are you a visual learner, who learns best on his own with his nose deep in books?
Or do you prefer to listen to explanations and new words/formulas?
Do you achieve best results when you can try out new stuff with your own hands?
Once you know which type(s) of learner you are, try to focus your learning methods around your type(s) to get most out of your study time.
Are you a visual learner, who learns best on his own with his nose deep in books?
Or do you prefer to listen to explanations and new words/formulas?
Do you achieve best results when you can try out new stuff with your own hands?
Once you know which type(s) of learner you are, try to focus your learning methods around your type(s) to get most out of your study time.
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)