Discourse Recourse

Translating the world's information with Google Translator Toolkit

2009-06-10T09:16:00.000-04:00

New announcement from Google

Official Google Blog: Translating the world's information with Google Translator Toolkit

Pimsleur blog analysis of Translator Toolkit

Obama takes a hit for preaching bilingualism

2008-07-11T16:54:00.002-04:00

It's hard to believe that conservatives would lash out at candidate Barack Obama over his suggestion that American children should learn languages... but they did. It's rather silly considering there have been numerous grants promoting language learning from the State Dept--specifically in Mandarin, Arabic, and Farsi--as a way of ensuring there are enough people available to work for the government doing translation in "politically critical" languages! Admittedly, Obama only knows a small amount of Indonesian as his second language, but I'm pretty sure he could catch up with some Pimsleur training! Any effort to reach out to children and broaden their horizons should be commended.

Polish tots learn a language before speaking

2008-06-09T16:17:00.002-04:00

The AFP just released an interesting article about Polish tots learn sign language early. The children and their parents, none of whom are deaf, are part of a Polish study to find out of toddlers can learn sign language and communicate effectively before they can actually verbalize speech. I'd love to see a larger scale study on this, as it would make for a very interesting parenting experience.

Australian kids need to learn another language

2008-05-23T09:55:00.002-04:00

The Herald Sun had an interesting article today about the need for Australian children to learn languages. Apparently due to the country's remote location, and the increasing global dominance of English, most Australian kids drop second-language instruction once they are out of primary school. Educators are calling on Prime Minister to include compulsory language instruction in a new education plan, suggesting that each child learn one Asian and one European language to better compete in the international workforce. Certainly the United States is not an island, but many feel disinclined to learn another language unless it is for pleasure travel. It's still important to realize, wherever you are, that you can speak many languages in the most unlikely of places.

Mmm mmm good! Cooking in Spanish

2008-05-06T16:42:00.003-04:00

One of the things I like to do when traveling is go to bookstores and check out what different books exist. I am often drawn to cookbooks, because it's hard to find authentic recipes, and sometimes the best way to get a good recipe is to go to the source! Inevitably, once I get home I need to look up most of the words in the recipe, many of which are specialized and not always in a standard dictionary.

That's where the food dictionary wordlist comes in. Check out the quick 500 word Engish/Spanish cooking dictionary, and your tastebuds will thank you.

LA City Council rapidly learns Spanish

2008-04-16T11:44:00.003-04:00

In a bold but smart move, members of the LA City Council are taking it upon themselves to learn Spanish...and fast! According to statistics, 40% of LA county residents above the age of 5 speak Spanish at home. It's interesting that members of government would face the reality that many if not most of its constituents speak Spanish and would consequently move to be accessible, which I wholeheartedly applaud. No word yet on how the council members are picking up their palabras.

True immersion: Learning languages from drunks

2008-04-01T09:13:00.005-04:00

"Drunks, he explains, "are the world's most underrated language teaching resource.""

Well there's a way to start an interesting article! The LA Times writes a review of linguist Derek Bickerton's new book Bastard Tongues. What could possibly be the context for such a strange claim?

"They speak slowly and with exaggerated care, they often repeat themselves, and they don't mind if you ask them the same questions over and over."

Oh, that. Not to mention the fact that their pronunciation might be a little...slurred perhaps. But that appears to be Bickerton's style, going out in the world more like Anthony Bourdain than Sister Wendy. Bickerton is no braggart, however, drawing closely on Noam Chomsky's theories, and doing field research in places that most linguists fear to tread. It should make for a very interesting read.

The Writing is on the Wall: Mandarin is the next big thing

2008-03-24T16:08:00.003-04:00

For those with an eye to the global economy, Mandarin Chinese has been the likely candidate for the biggest new language to learn and use for quite some time. The International Herald Tribune just came out with an article (As China rises, demand grows for Mandarin) which lays out some of the sheer numbers for Mandarin.

Worldwide, 40 million people are learning Mandarin right now
In 2006, a full 100,000 foreigners went to China with the purpose of learning the language
Back here in the US, high schoolers can now take Advanced Placement (AP) Mandarin Chinese as a course, and 3,000 kids did this past year, the first year it was offered.

It's kind of incredible that the language could grow in numbers so fast, especially since it's often tagged as being incredibly difficult, both to read and pronounce. Many people start off learning to speak with audio courses like the Pimsleur language method, and then move on to trying reading and writing. Knowing how to speak Mandarin can put a serious plus on your resume, or add nicely to your transcript, but most importantly, it opens up a huge culture (and country) to explore and better understand.

Wisconsin Believes English is getting a Raw Deal

2008-03-17T10:37:00.003-04:00

When I saw this gem come across the wire (Wisconsin votes to make English the official language) I knew there would be something in it to make my blood boil. Sure enough, a few paragraphs down, I read:

"[The state] must take steps to ensure that these immigrants are on the road to learning English and not being misled by the crutch of perpetual government multilingualism." -Mauro E. Mujica, Chairman of U.S. English, Inc.

Are you serious? Now I don't like to stereotype, but my spidey-sense says that perhaps Mauro Mujica's family doesn't trace a line directly back to the Mayflower. What is it about us Americans that causes us to try and dominate the world with our language? Having spent some time in Madison, Wisconsin this past summer, I can tell you that it is a pleasant place to be. Did I have any problem getting around due to lack of signage in English? Did I get confused when I asked for directions in English? Uh, no. The point is, the mandate of an official language has always been a political tool, and has even been used around the world to squelch dissent and encourage ethnic and racial conformity. There is no real purpose or value to declaring English the official language in Wisconsin, except to reassert dominance of the already hegemonic powers that be. I hate to break it to you Mauro, but "perpetual government multilingualism' is really the least of my problems come tax-time.

The last little bit of the press release (in case you mistook it for a real news item as I did at first!) speaks for itself, and its irony knows no bounds:

"U.S. English, Inc. is the nation's oldest and largest non-partisan citizens' action group dedicated to preserving the unifying role of the English language in the United States. Founded in 1983 by the late Sen. S.I. Hayakawa..."

Here's to multilingualism, and all its supposed evils!

Utah Does Immersion

2008-03-07T08:44:00.003-05:00

I think most people believe that there's usually something strange going on in the state of Utah. This week, there most definitely is.

This article explains that the Utah State Legislature approved a bunch of cash for dual-immersion language programs in schools. What's that, you may ask? It's an innovative program that teaches kids half the time in their native language, and half the time in the foreign language. That's some serious language immersion, and the programs are for elementary on up to high schools. Kids can choose from Chinese, Russian, Arabic, French, Spanish, and Navajo. If I had started learning Chinese in kindergarden, well, I just don't know what might have happened. Either way, this could be a great model of language education in the years to come.

Finally, a dialect dictionary for Spanish

2008-02-28T13:53:00.003-05:00

I've been waiting some time now for a way to figure out the differences in Spanish slang. It varies region to region, and country to country. When you travel, you'll hear people using words you think are "wrong" because their actual meaning differs from the slang meaning they're using them in. Plus, there's always the off-chance that you'll say something from your dictionary that means something quite different where you are.

That's where TuBabel comes in. It's a country-coded dictionary of Spanish dialects. Alright! If you know a good deal of Spanish already, it's pretty fun to go through the site and see what means what where.

Oscars are no picnic for other countries

2008-02-22T15:37:00.004-05:00

We all know that the Academy Awards snubs foreign films. There's only one film allowed to be submitted by each country for consideration. In this day of digital film, which makes production costs lower and distribution easier, it should be fairly obvious that films produced and shot outside the US are more accessible than ever. There are whole distribution companies that purchase DVD rights of foreign films, so that films can get out to the public without going through the lockdown of theatrical distribution.

With so much going on outside the country, and so much dreck being produced by Hollywood, it would be great to expand the categories and options for Best Foreign Film in the Oscars, rather than continue to limit it so severely. Getting a nomination can make a film a commercial success, and those tremors can be felt around the world, in a good way!

A whole new kind of tourism?

2008-02-19T10:58:00.003-05:00

Now I'm totally used to the idea of different kinds of tourism popping up as a way to invigorate people about traveling. I definitely approve of eco-tourism and agro-tourism, but there's a new juggernaut on the horizon. Yes, it's The Love Boat for Policy Wonks.

The very idea of being stuck on a boat with Ralph Nader is enough to give me sea-sickness right here and now. I've met the man, and he's charming enough, but I don't want to be sipping a martini on a cruise ship while talking about Dubya. Of course, there's no way I'd drop several thousand dollars for the privilege. Is the irony lost on the liberal-leaning Nation readers that they're flying to Alaska to get on a diesel-chugging boat to talk about global warming with Beltway insiders? Hmm.

Let's hope the Alaska Tourism Board comes up with a better idea next time!

The internet is your language learning friend

2008-02-18T14:22:00.003-05:00

I was looking for a way to brush up on my Spanish skills the other day, and did a little Googling of the various options out there for language tools you can use on your iPod. Apparently, the NY Times beat me to it with a little article called Learning from a Native Speaker, Without Leaving Home. I'd seen the SpanishPod site and just didn't get around to using it. LiveMocha was news to me though, and I plan on signing up soon. There's so much information to be had on the internet (well, duh) but it's really awesome to see websites start to leverage the possibilities of new media and high bandwidth connections for education purposes. There's a real advantage for someone learning a language with a native speaker, whether virtual or real. Learning French from a Texan (it happens) is not really a great way to start out, because then someday you'll have to correct what you've learned already.

Also a lot of places are letting you try before you buy, which is great when you're looking around for which program would be right for you. One such retailer, TheLanguageStop.com has free first lessons of each title (including the great Pimsleur series) and now has downloads, so you can digital purchase and receive your language course instead of paying for shipping and ripping CDs to the iPod the hard way.

Of course, the secret ingredient for learning a language successfully is discipline. No matter how many programs you purchase or sign up for, you have to do the homework consistently if any magic is going to happen!

Tips for Getting the Bus

2008-02-14T11:29:00.004-05:00

It seems easy enough. Getting the bus means finding out where it stops and having correct change or your MetroCard ready. It's not quite what it seems in other countries, though.

This mild warning also goes for trains, planes, and automobiles when you're traveling abroad. Language barriers are part of the problem, but so are somewhat shady business practices. Often times, if you ask a driver or ticket taker if they're going to the place you need to go, they will say that they are even if it's not on the itinerary. That's because independent carriers are responsible for their own expenses, and can go out of the way to drop you off somewhere if they can still make money. So if you're going to Point A from Point B, you may actually have to make 15 stops in between and add hours to your travel time. Always ask what other stops there are when boarding, instead of only asking if they stop at your destination. Keep in mind that it is possible, though rare, for there to be multiple towns or cities that share a name, or have similar names. Avon could be a different town that Avon-by-the-sea or Avonshire, and when you're dealing with totally different travel situations than you're used to, it's easy to get flustered.

That said, there's a great many adventures to be had when traveling around the world. Enjoy the ride!

Gaviotas Intentional Community

2008-02-12T09:25:00.001-05:00

A few years ago I was introduced to a really cool book called Gaviotas: A Village to Reinvent the World. It's about an intentional community in Colombia that was founded by a visionary inventor named Paolo Lugari. The premise was that the cost of living was far too great for most people to live comfortably, and in the process, massive resources were being wasted. He set out to invent simple devices that saved time and energy (in a real way), that also leveraged technology to help people. One of the first projects was a solar hot water heater placed on each apartment building or house, that preheated the water before entering the boiler by just using the sun. This saved countless kilowatts, and established Lugari and those he worked with as true innovators.

Eventually the idea was struck to move into the woods and start a sustainable eco-village. Many trials and tribulations later, there is an incredible model of how to live off the grid and on the land. It is nearly impossible to get updated information about the community online, and the seemingly endless civil war in Colombia has not helped matters. I highly recommend the book, and reading more about an incredible project.

Friends of Gaviotas (official page)

Wikipedia article on Gaviotas

Welcome to Discourse Recourse

2008-02-11T16:04:00.001-05:00

So I've been thinking... along with my new year's resolutions came an idea of how to stay motivated and interested in learning languages and traveling through the winter, and the months to come.

I decided to start this here blog as a way to keep ideas and inspiration flowing. Already it's working pretty well. For instance, the Times wrote a nice little piece called The Other Iran, a travelogue about being American and going to one of the more unlikely tourist destinations these days. The author manages a great faux pas:

“Excuse me, ma’am,” I sputtered in phrase book Farsi to the first person I met — a bearded soldier.

which pretty much sums up the difference between practice and reality when learning a language! I personally would not have relied on just a Farsi phrasebook to get around, but that's just me.

This leads me to another anecdote about Iran--never buy a Persian rice cooker. No matter how much money you think you're going to save, you're going to end up getting rid of it. Why? It browns the bottom of the rice. Intentionally. This is great for making Persian cuisine, but if you're looking for sushi or stir-fry, it's not going to treat you right!

I hope you find some enjoyment or amusement here in the months to come. Don't be afraid to subscribe to the RSS feeds, and avoid the pesky reload button.

Cheers!