Category Archives: Language

Five words that don’t mean what you think they do | The Conversation

Simon Horobin Professor of English Language and Literature, University of Oxford How words are used change over time and insisting that their original meaning be adhered to is pretty silly.   Articles of this kind usually assert that a word’s … Continue reading

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UC Berkeley Uses Optical Scanning to Recover Indigenous Voices from Wax Cylinders | Hyperallergic

Among the wax cylinders in UC Berkeley’s Hearst Museum of Anthropology are songs and spoken-word recordings in 78 indigenous languages of California. Frances Densmore at the Smithsonian Institution in 1916 during a recording session with Blackfoot chief Mountain Chief for the Bureau … Continue reading

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How Similar Are Québec French and Metropolitan French?

“How similar are the French varieties of France and Québec?” That is the question! And in the video I try to answer it. ** For lots of great French lessons for students of all levels, visit FrenchPod101: https://langfocus.com/frenchpod​. (Full disclosure: … Continue reading

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La langue française: The French Language

This video is all about the French language, its history, and features. Are you learning French? Visit FrenchPod101: https://langfocus.com/frenchpod​. (Note: if you sign up for a premium account, Langfocus receives a small referral fee.) Special thanks to Thomas Gabiache for … Continue reading

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The Sleeping Beauty Problem

This famous puzzle illuminates a deep controversy over what we mean by “probability,” and how to reason when observer selection effects are in play.

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Old Norse Influence on Northern English

Árni Leifsson and Andrew R (and possibly others) have pointed out that in the word ‘gymbr,’ the /-r/ ending is actually part of the stem! Seems I need to brush up on ON morphology a bit. However, I still don’t … Continue reading

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The benefits of a bilingual brain

It’s obvious that knowing more than one language can make certain things easier — like traveling or watching movies without subtitles. But are there other advantages to having a bilingual (or multilingual) brain? Mia Nacamulli details the three types of … Continue reading

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Who counts as a speaker of a language?

Backed by research and personal anecdotes, Spanish professor Anna Babel reveals the intricate relationship between language and culture, showing how social categories and underlying biases influence the way we hear, regard and, ultimately, judge each other. A talk that will … Continue reading

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How to speak English like Einstein

A not quite serious clip about how to speak English with a German accent. The Einstein recording is part of an essay called “The Common Language of Science”. You can listen to the entire recording here: The full ad with … Continue reading

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NOWNESS Experiments: The Four Temperaments

Inspired by ancient Greek philosopher Galen, video installation artist Marco Brambilla explores the human condition in his latest film, The Four Temperaments. Starring Academy-Award winner Cate Blanchett, Brambilla uses color to evoke the Four Humors. In this beguiling quadriptych, the … Continue reading

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