Tag: English

The English language. I love language and these are my discoveries and thoughts about the mashed up mess called English which arose from my studies of Spanish, French and Japanese.

Journal Entry – 9.1.2016 – Current Society, Ancient Rome and Business Speak

It is 5:56 AM.  I haven’t been to the gym in the while as my body is just tired:  it is tired from karate, from endless appointments, from visitors and from stress at work and tired from two young children of mine.  Instead of waking up at 4:00 AM as I usually do I just…… Continue reading Journal Entry – 9.1.2016 – Current Society, Ancient Rome and Business Speak

Origin of the word “Mignon / minion”

Just learned the origin of the word minion (mignon) which I thought was pretty interesting.   min·ion [min-yuh n]  —noun a servile follower or subordinate of a person in power.a favored or highly regarded person.a minor official.Printing. a 7-point type. Definition of minion: http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/minion at Dictionary.com Although Henry III valued privacy, he liked to surround…… Continue reading Origin of the word “Mignon / minion”

Annonyances

When the baby is crying and being very hard to console I have a failsafe method that always works just like magic.  This song is “Do you know the Muffin Man” on YouTube and it must be this version, no other.   My extreme annoyance and that which makes me want to launch the Ipad…… Continue reading Annonyances

Grammar Nazis

I’ve noticed a trend towards grammar snobbery on Facebook the past few years. To those with bad grammar I say, be glad! There is no authority of the English language, “rules” are made up as we go along. “In the introduction to the 2003 edition of The King’s English, Matthew Parris reminds us that, “There…… Continue reading Grammar Nazis

SPEAK AMERICAN! – Fun lesson in language

Speak American – The title was just to get your attention. I do not plan to get into politics at all with this post, (well maybe a little, I can’t help myself) but rather the VERY INTERESTING revelations I’ve had during my language studies.  These are the enlightenments which really made language learning fun and…… Continue reading SPEAK AMERICAN! – Fun lesson in language

My View – Guest-Teaching Chinese, and Learning America

Just read an article in the New York times entitled “Guest-Teaching Chinese, and Learning America.”

The article piqued my interest in that I’m all for building bridges between cultures and this program is a wonderful way to help American students learn the language of a country that will be (and is already) very important on the world stage. The article on the overall was very good but there was one statement that I take great issue with.

Language Study

In America, people will always ask if “you are fluent.” This is a tough question for the language learner because there are various stages of fluency which differs depending on which country you are in.