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September 01, 2009 Conjugate Your Verbs
Remember Encarta, the CD-ROM encyclopedia of the 1990s? Today Encarta lives on, and has a nice language homework helper tool for students of Spanish, French, German, and Italian. It has a built in word translator, which is now commonplace with Babelfish and Google Translate on the scene, but what’s really neat is the verb tense finder.
That’s right, you can look up any verb, get the infinitive verb in the other language, and one click is all it takes to get all the tenses in a chart! No more hunting through 501 Spanish Verbs to find out the third person plural, present tense of correr. (It’s ellos corren…thanks Encarta!)
Finally, there’s even a bilingual spell checker, so if you’re writing letters or emails for personal correspondence, be sure to give it a pass-through first. All in all, homework help is a great extra tool for learning languages.
August 31, 2009 Learning German? Try a Stammtisch
What’s a “stammtisch”? Most German speakers say that it’s tough to translate, but it’s basically a reserved table for regulars at a pub or restaurant where a group of friends meets regularly. A social club, if you will. Recently, Americans have started meeting up to speak German and hang out, giving new meaning to the stammtisch. If you’re currently learning a language, why not get together with other learners over a beer or sake (depending on your language!) and start putting your Pimsleur skills to use?
August 24, 2009 Globalize This: Bangladesh Encourages Chinese Learning
In a new report from China View, Bangladeshi Education Minister Nurul Islam said, “For further strengthening the bondage of Bangladesh and China bilateral relations, we should more understand each other’s language and culture.” (Which language he said it in remains unclear!) While Bengali is the official language and is used the most, English has become a popular language for the middle and upper classes in the country.
Now given the close physical proximity, the cultural ties can easily be strengthened, which will undoubtedly lead to economic partnerships and collaboration in the future. The government of Bangladesh seems to recognize the rising importance of Chinese, and creating educational programs at the college level is a great way to start opening doors.
August 17, 2009 How to Auto-Translate a Blog Feed
Blogger Matt Cutts just released a great trick to practice learning a language. If you use Google Reader for reading blogs and RSS feeds, you can now subscribe to foreign language blogs for practice, and automatically get a translated version for reference. As we’ve discussed in the past, Google Translate is far from perfect, but if you want a rough translation for ready reference, we recommend it. Online language dictionaries like Word Reference can be great to look up words and phrases on the fly without having to hunt-and-peck through a bulky paper dictionary too.
August 14, 2009 US Marines Take Language Matters Into Their Own Hands
The Jacksonville News just reported on a new program that will train Marines in the Special Forces how to speak languages of national security important. Just recently we noted that Army translators aren’t necessarily fit for service, and it seems like the Marines are now going to cut out the third party.
The language training provided is intensive. “Eight native teachers are teaching the students in the classroom seven to eight hours each day,” program manager Todd Amis explained. Then their scores are evaluated to determine which Marine is best suited to which language. The languages offered will be Pashtu, Dari, Urdu, French, and Indonesian. This will effectively mean that special forces commandos will be able to communicate directly with civilians, informants, police, and other personnel in their native language, on the fly.
Ultimately though, it’s the experience you get with native speakers like you get with Pimsleur that can make a real difference. A Marine (who could not be identified due to security reasons) said, “Surrounding yourself with native speakers really helps a lot. That’s why I like talking to them as much as I can.”
August 10, 2009 Australia Pledges Funds to Help Indigenous Languages
The Australian reports that the Australian government has pledged $9.3m to help indigenous languages. Out of “145 indigenous dialects spoken in Australia, 110 are at risk of being lost.” Most of the speakers are over 40 years old, and despite these latest efforts, bilingual education in the Northwest Territory is going to be discontinued. Still, active measures must be taken in order to prevent an incredible wealth of culture and heritage from slipping away.
Indigenous Affairs Minister Jenny Macklin said, “It is so important for all people to be aware and proud of their traditions and culture and this, of course, includes celebrating the unique qualities of their own language.”
We couldn’t agree more.
August 07, 2009 More on Babies and Languages
We’ve previously featured the research of Dr. Patrica Kuhl from the University of Washington. PBS interviewed her about her findings, and we have the video for you below. She says, “People need people to learn,” and we believe her. That’s why we at Pimsleur Direct feature native speakers in each lesson, and maximize the amount of interactivity. Enjoy!
August 04, 2009 Welsh Government Solicits Eisteddfod-goers
The BBC reports in Visitors Asked How to Save Welsh that the government is asking people attending this week’s National Eisteddfod how to save the Welsh language. Heritage Minister Alun Ffred Jones said, “It is essential that we engage in a discussion on the action that needs to be taken within government and the wider community in order to develop an effective strategy. The assembly government wants to work to ensure that more people, young and old, can learn, speak and use the language in their day to day lives.”
An Eisteddfod (pronounced /aɪˈstɛðvəd/) is “a Welsh festival of literature, music and performance”. The first was held in 1176, and most recently there is an official, national Eisteddfod every year in Wales. This week, 150,000 visitors are expected, according to a festival guide. If you’re in the neighborhood, be sure to check out “Maes D – the ‘d’ stands for dysgwyr (learners) – is the Welsh learners’ pavilion on the Eisteddfod Maes. Get involved by competing on the Maes D stage, or sit back and listen to music while practicing your language skills with other Welsh speakers, learners and tutors. At Maes D you can also find out more about Welsh courses and social activities for learners.”
More governments should encourage their citizens to brainstorm ways to pass on language and preserve heritage more effectively. This type of initiative is critical, especially in places where the English language is rapidly rising in usage and popularity. In the mean time, soak up the culture in the Eisteddfod tents and have fun!
July 30, 2009 Translate Words in Your Search Bar
Quick tip for the language learner: you can now translate words using Google in your browser search bar. Just type “translate” followed by the word and the language you need translated. Basically Google is harnessing the power of Google Translator in mini search, which can be pretty handy for the aspiring language student.
If you want to know what rabbit is in German, just type “translate rabbit into German” and Google will return “Kaninchen.” Remembered the rabbit but forgot the carrot? Just “translate carrot into German” and you get the “Karotte”!
July 28, 2009 Saving Languages on the Verge of Dying
While Mandarin Chinese continues its ascent in global popularity and usage, not all languages are so lucky. The NY Times just came out with a story, Linguist’s Preservation Kit Has New Digital Tools, which chronicles new attempts (with new technology) to preserve and save languages on the verge of extinction.
These days the tools to help record and preserve spoken language include digital audio recorders, GPSes, and voice analysis software. Professor Tucker Childs from the University of Oregon has been working with the last speakers of Kim, a language of Sierra Leone which has been replaced by Mende. He hopes that the audio he records won’t just be used for transcription, but digitally archived to also preserve oral history and traditions. As is the case with Dr. Childs’ work, it is often a race against time. “A language, like a person, usually ages before it dies. Four people have died since Mr. Childs’s project began, and the 20 fluent Kim speakers are all over 60.”
Some researchers are compiling portable digital translators and language guides for the world’s more obscure languages, in hopes that it will lead to more people learning and engaging with the nearly forgotten languages. Digital archives of language can also bridge the age and generation gap, making language accessible to children and young adults who would otherwise have little connection to the language of their elders.
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