Are Word Names Stupid?
Baby name trends are constantly changing and “word names” or “thing names” such as Bear, Willow, East or River (my own baby’s name), are very trendy right now. I find the term “word names” interesting since, technically, all names are “word names”. I mean John is a word, is it not? The earliest names recorded […]
Dialect and Dialectal Awareness
A common question in the language-learning world is “What is the difference between a language and a dialect?” There are many dictionary definitions of the term “dialect”. a variety of a language that is distinguished from other varieties of the same language by features of phonology, grammar, and vocabulary, and by its use by a […]
Raising Bilingual Kids in a Non-Bilingual Household
I’ve always wanted my children to grow up knowing more than one language and now that River is here, it is time to rise to the challenge. As I progress with teaching her Spanish and French, I am realizing this is going to be harder than I thought, especially since English is my first language. […]
9 Kid’s Games from Around the World
For six years, I worked at an after-school care facility with kids between the ages of five to thirteen. Working here meant I had the opportunity to create engaging and fun curricula for us to enjoy every day. I spent so much time researching games, science projects, recipes and crafts. I really cared that the […]
Does Language Precede Thought or Does Thought Precede Language?
In the 2016 film “Arrival”, linguist Louise Banks, played by Amy Adams, is tasked with deciphering an alien language. (Spoilers ahead!) The circular, shapely language ends up being a gift from the “heptapods”, as the aliens are called, which allows humankind to perceive time differently, going so far as to even allow its speakers to […]
And Let Them Learn Language
There have been numerous studies done on the benefits of learning a second language at an early age. In the United States, however, learning a second language is not required until high school. Many people have written arguments to include foreign language classes to be incorporated in primary schools, which I completely agree with, but […]
A Teacher’s Far-Reaching Impact
My high school experience could have been better. The faculty was the biggest reason why my school failed me. I clearly remember the many sins of my high school teachers. For example, my science teacher would actually flirt with the senior and junior male students. She would tickle and tease them in a way that […]
Le Désamour
L’idée de tomber amoureux n’existe pas de la même manière que le <<désamour>> n’existe pas, et moi, je ne sais rien sur l’amour mais j’entends souvent <<Ah, nous avons cessé de nous aimer… >> comme si on s’est réveillé tout à coup en détestant son amant… TOUT À COUP, vraiment, on doit savoir que le […]
S’inspirait d’une histoire vraie
L’homme se réveille à 6h30 chaque jour pour aller à un travail traditionnel. Il se trouve cramponnant au mur toutes les matins; on peut deviner que c’est pour une raison d’insécurité. Il doit travailler à sept heure donc il se laisse le strict minimum de temps pour changer de vêtements et manger. Mais manger est […]
European Thank Yous
When I had originally thought of how I was going to blog about traveling in Europe for ridiculously cheap, I didn’t realize it would be done with the help of so many friends along the way. I thought I was going to do it all on my own. However, because of the friends who took […]
A Typical Day in Bonac, France
I wake up in the mornings wondering what the day’s work will have in store for us. We never know what time we work or what kind of work we’ll be doing. It always changes, and Rupert, our boss, has poor communication skills, which are only hindered more because of a language barrier. Rupert usually […]
La Solitude et L’existentialisme
Le cadre physique et émotionnel dans l’histoire “L’hôte” pour Albert Camus montre l’isolation de Daru, le personnage principale, et qu’il ne peut pas rester dans le cadre sans la responsabilité personnelle. Au début de l’histoire, le cadre, un plateau au milieu de la France et l’Algérie, si morne et désolé soit-il, semble un endroit sans […]
Language Discrepancies
The other teacher working with me is from England, so over the course of the last week I’ve been hearing your typical British lingo: cheeky, rubbish, cheers, fancy that. Daniel has taught me two new ones though. The first is “madam” as in “a girl with a ‘tude…” She’s such a madam. The other one, […]
Teaching English in Colombia
Currently, I am the only person in a town of 15,000 that is not a heritage Spanish speaker. Talk about immersion! There is no one here to speak English with besides Alejandro who acts as an on-the-spot dictionary whenever a language discrepancy is reached. During the course of any conversation, Alejandro clarifies whenever I look […]
Mirada
Grace was not feeling better the next morning, but she was not presented many options to leave the tour. So, like the trooper she was, she left with us in the jerky, nauseating jeep. I got to see my first volcano today, many volcanos actually, both dormant and active. We saw mountains, giant cacti, and […]
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SUMMER ZALESKY 