Here’s an extremely obvious take: Language is, first and foremost, a tool of communication and understanding. To be sure, there is art and whimsy and all of that wrapped up in what a language is, but without understanding, without language’s primary function as a tool of communication, there can be no whimsy or art.
Take a glimpse at other languages, and you’ll discover all sorts of accent marks and punctuation that looks unfamiliar. Accent marks are called diacritics and they’re used in languages derived from Latin, like French or Spanish. Usually, these marks indicate…
One of the advantages of learning another language is that it can provide a better grasp of your own language. This is especially true when it comes to breaking down the grammar. Often, the easiest way to understand something confusing…
Studying abroad is attractive to many students, but the benefits go far beyond having some stamps in your passport and bragging rights on your grad school resume. Today’s study abroad programs aim to provide immersive experiences that will help students…
Today we hear from Suma Das, a London-based solo-traveler who’s always making plans for her next trip. In addition to working full-time in public policy, this polyglot has traveled all over the world, photographing her journey and picking up new friends at every destination. With a trip to South America slated for the fall, Suma has a plan to learn to speak Spanish more confidently in time for her next big solo-travel adventure to Argentina.
I recently read an article about this kid who was a pretty dyed-in-the-wool missionary from California, which, that seems a little weird in this day and age, right? Who knew? To put it mildly my interest was pretty piqued right away.
Inverted punctuation such as upside-down question marks or exclamation points are found in the languages of Spain and Latin American Spanish. This punctuation marks the beginning of interrogative or exclamatory sentences or clauses and is mirrored at the end with…
Experts say that immersive experiences are one of the best ways to learn a language. By practicing speaking with other language learners or native speakers, you’ll build confidence having impromptu conversations that don’t follow a script. You may have heard…
We caught up with Michelle Luong, an extreme solo-traveler who’s moved over 20 times, setting up shop in 10+ countries, four of them in Latin America. She works as a brand manager; schlepping her laptop from the jungle to the city to the beach and back again. She admittedly loves change, which is a good thing in the hustle and bustle of her current homebase, Mexico City.
Hi, my name is Brendan. Clearly, I’m new here, so nice to meet you all. I’m sure you’re wondering what this is all about, so lemme get right to it.
You might be surprised to hear a discussion of Soviet food. Isn’t that the same as Russian food? The answer is both yes and no. Russian cuisine focuses on a very specific area while Soviet cuisine embraces a more complex…
There are real-life Eloises, brought to live in hotels by their parents. Or the travelers billeted overseas, for whom a hotel is the ideal prefab base. For others, a stint living in a hotel helps them create a bridge across…