Some people say that learning a new #language requires talent, which is then often immediately turned into an excuse as to why they don’t bother making the effort because supposedly they don’t have that ‘feeling for languages’… I don’t buy that. I think anyone can learn a new language, as long as they put in the hours. As boring as it sounds, it’s not a super-brain that gets you there, it’s cramming in vocabulary and grammar rules and after covering the basics, exercise, ex

Nowadays there are over 6000 #languages spoken #globally but only 600 will remain in 2115, says John McWhorter, a #Linguistics teacher at #Columbia University, #New York. The culprit of this 'mass extinction' is globalisation. Lesser known #cultures and languages will struggle to survive but ultimately more 'powerful' languages like #English or #Chinese will dominate them through #colonisation, says McWhorter bluntly; although a #science fiction scenario where there is only o

The #portrait is of someone imaginary but is realistic to the naked eye - a man dressed according to 17th century fashion. A century that witnessed both the rise of a strong #Dutch Empire, and the birth of its most famous son: #Rembrandt Harmenszoon van Rij. The Delft #University of #Technology has unveiled a portrait that could have been created in the 17th Century, but wasn't; and could have been done so by Rembrandt himself, apart from the 'small detail' that it was paint

Are you in need of a tranquil spot amongst the mayhem? For a big #city, #London has a pleasantly surprising amount of green space to enjoy. Most will be familiar with the capital’s larger parks, but there are also dozens of smaller parks and gardens hidden across London. Postman’s Park Just north of St Paul’s Cathedral lies Postman’s Park, named so for its popularity with the workers at the nearby Old General Post Office. Opened in 1880, the small park is filled with trees, b

Many people use the words #interpreting and #translating interchangeably; though in truth they mean very different things. Interpreting is when one is an intermediate between spoken and/or signed languages on the spot. You might see someone in a court room, #concert, classroom, or hospital who is actively going back and forth between two languages (for example, telling the doctor the patient’s response in English and then explaining the doctor’s diagnosis in French to the pat

Supposedly the world’s easiest #language to learn is the completely #phonetic, regular and 16 #grammatical rule #Esperanto. As well as providing a platform for #businesses to #communicate across different languages, Esperanto is an excellent base for learning other languages and understanding your own #native language. It was created by L. Zamenhof, who’s aim was to create a very easy to learn language that would be neutral, foster peace and provide easy communication. It is