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October 2008 |
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Turn your iPod® device into a pocket translator with the brand new iKnow series from Living Language! These beginner-level programs in
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Japanese, and
Spanish include over 1,500 essential words and phrases organized by theme, and they are perfect for travelers or anyone who wants to learn on the go.
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My eyes carefully scanned the row of triangular sushi snacks arranged on the refrigerated shelf of the Japanese 7-11. Two days before, I had tried the one whose wrapping sported a red border and a Chinese character that looked like a radiator. It had turned out to be stuffed with some sort of small, orange fish roe. I've never been a fan of roe, and that day, I learned to stop buying sushi with red-bordered packaging. … Before I left America, I taught myself one of the three Japanese scripts that make up the written language: the cursive script known as hiragana. I reasoned that, by knowing one-third of the Japanese scripts, I would be able to read about one-third of everything I saw.
Do you have a language story that you'd like to share? Submit your experiences to us at livinglanguage@randomhouse.com. We'll pick our favorites and post them in this newsletter. 
Dear diary …
In many of our book/audio and online courses we encourage learners to keep a Language Journal, because this can really be a great tool, at any level. The best thing about a journal is that it allows you to do so many things at once. First, you can practice vocabulary and structures that you already know, in order to keep them fresh and active in your memory. Second, you can put new vocabulary and structures to use immediately, so they go right into your active memory.
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How many languages at once? My own preference has always been to stick with a "favorite" language for long enough to become comfortable and get past the total-confusion period, and then start adding others. But that's just me. One thing that multiple language learners can rely on, though, is that it's always easier after the first.
Also on the blog this month: 
Endangered languages Did you know that almost 50% of the world's languages might be extinct by the end of the century? Some linguists argue that, right now, at least half of the approximate 6,900 languages in the world are endangered. Parents aren't teaching their children the language, or maybe there are only a handful of native speakers left, and they don't use the language in their everyday life anymore. Furthermore, a recent Ethnologue report lists over 500 languages as nearly extinct, with only a few elderly speakers remaining. Some languages vanish without a trace, and to avoid rapid language extinction, linguists are in a rush to archive, document, and in some cases, revitalize languages. |
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