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Whether you’re chasing down contracts or looking to improve client relationships, there are many languages for international business that will position you for success. The growing convenience and affordability of international travel combined with the booming online marketplace have made…
My language-learning journey started when I was about three years old when my parents put me in a Greek-American preschool. While I didn’t have much choice in the matter, many of my other experiences with foreign languages like studying abroad,…
If you’re wondering how to learn a language fast and fluently, exercise could be one of your secret weapons. You probably know that working out is one of the most important activities you can do to take care of yourself….
When I was in Morocco, I got to stargaze in the Sahara desert and eat endless tajine, but my favorite memories are the moments my friends and I had with our tour guide. In Greece, I swam in underground lagoons…
The words a language uses can tell you a lot about its cultural and societal values. And language can evolve over time, taking on new meanings and growing organically to embrace challenges. That’s especially true of the ways in which…
Something I found pretty crazy when I traveled around the world was that no matter if I was in Vietnam or Greece or Peru, I would always hear English music on the radio. I would still hear a lot of…
Ever since I moved across the Atlantic Ocean a year and a half ago, I had to start making the conscious effort to stay in touch with family and friends. I learned that it can be really easy to let…
When I was in elementary school I went to a Spanish immersion school. And when I was in first grade, an obsession rippled through our school. The obsession was a song (with some amazingly choreographed dance moves) called “Asereje” by…
In German, “tongue twister” is translated as Zungenbrecher, or “tongue crusher,” whereas the Italians translate it as scioglilingua, or “tongue melter.” In French its virelangue, or “tongue turner,” and in Spanish its trabalenguas, or “tangled-up tongues.” Each of these languages…
I tutor a French middle schooler, and he speaks almost perfect English. We’ll talk for 30 minutes and he’ll make one, two or sometimes zero mistakes. I also tutor a few French friends who are in their 20s. Some of…
Would you find it particularly cute if your boyfriend called you his flea? Or how about if your wife sent you a cute text calling you, the love of her life, her cabbage? How about if your partner addressed a…
Before you pull up a seat at the holiday table, study the rules of etiquette so you can avoid a faux pas (yes, that’s French for lack of tact, or rude foreigner, depending on who you ask). While taking cues from your host or hostess is never a bad idea, it’ll also impress them if you come equipped not just with a symbolic gift but with the kind of consideration for their cultural values that money can’t buy.
