Languages

There are many reasons to learn Polish as a second language. Since Poland joined the European Union (EU) back in May of 2004, there has been major economic growth within its borders. Poland’s...

Direct object pronouns serve as the pronominal representation of the verb object. For example, if I admire my brother, "my brother" is the direct object of the sentence. If I want to...

If you want to write a business letter or address in Spanish, you need to know how to type special marks on the computer. The same is true if you are a student who needs to write homework or...

The word "skeleton" refers to the bones of a body or a framework for something such as an outline for a paper. Skeleton comes from Latin words that were formed from Greek.

Phonology is the study of the underlying rules that govern phonetic output. To construct a phonological rule you must select a surface phenomenon and propose an underlying derivation. For example,...

The numbers that the United States and Europe use today were invented in India. They followed the trade routes west through Persia to North Africa, where Arabs referred to them as Hindu numbers....

Reflexive verbs are a class of action words that indicate activity performed on oneself; hence the term "reflexive." Imagine looking at your reflexion in a mirror. In Spanish, reflexive...

Learning a new language is an intense but extremely rewarding endeavor. Learning English is no different, and although lots of work and practice is required, the advantages of mastering English...

Thai is a tonal language that is learned best through listening to native speakers. You can learn Thai online for free. Various websites teach Thai, but only a specific few are thorough in their...

Sign language is not a universal language. In the United States, deaf Americans communicate primarily through American Sign Language (ASL). Although ASL is used by people who read and write...

The Arabic (pronounced are-ah-bic) language, is spoken by over 186 million native speakers. It is also spoken by people throughout the Muslim world, as it is the language of Islam's holy book The...

"Captivating" has slightly different definitions depending on whether you use it as verb or an adjective. In all usages, "captivating" relates to attracting and holding someone's attention.

If you are confused by the proper use of nouns and how they are capitalized, then this article is for you. Following are some examples of how to use both proper and common nouns, and an...

The Swedish and Norwegian languages are Indo-European, Germanic ones; they are spoken primarily in the Scandinavian region of Europe. The two languages share so much in common that speakers of one...

With a writing system and grammar very unlike that of English, Japanese can be difficult to learn for many students. Games can be a useful classroom tool for taking some of the stress and...

Forms of greeting exist in every human language. In Spanish speaking cultures greeting is an integral part of maintaining social cohesiveness. In short, if you are planning to learn Spanish you...

Text Linguistics is the branch of linguistics primarily concerned with the analysis of written texts. It is concerned with understanding how texts function both as internally coherent systems,...

Apostrophes are small, curled punctuation marks that are suspended near the top of specific letters in a word. Grammatical rules tell us when we should or should not use an apostrophe.

Originally used by the deaf and hard of hearing, sign language finds applications among the hearing as well. Some families prefer its quiet, convenient method of communicating. Sign language is...

In the year 1283, King Ramakamhaeng created the first Thai alphabet, bringing a sense of unity and cultural pride to the Thai people. Originally a mixture of ancient Middle Eastern languages, such...

The Rosetta Stone contains a Greek translation of a decree written in Egyptian hieroglyphs. Scholars fascinated by ancient Egypt during the 18th century could not decipher the meaning of many...

A caftan, or kaftan, is a loose, brightly colored garment with midlength or full-length sleeves. It may be long or tunic length and can be worn by men or women.

American Sign Language (ASL) is used by deaf people in America as their primary method of communication. ASL is a visual language, incorporating hand signs, facial expressions and body language....

Speakers of American English sometimes sound very foreign in Spanish mainly due to a few sounds that they confuse or mispronounce.

The word "fidelity" has come to have several different meanings that can be applied in several different contexts. The most common meanings for "fidelity" are rooted in the word's Latin origins.

Unless you are learning a second language as a young child, it is unlikely that you will ever lose your accent entirely. As an adult, losing an accent depends on your own individual facility with...

Learn to introduce yourself to a Korean.

Astound is a word in the English language commonly used to describe a state of amazement. It can be used as an adjective or as a transitive verb, or it can be modified to serve as an adverb.

Have you always wanted to speak Spanish? Learn Italian? Many people would love to learn another language, but aren't able to pay a lot of money for it. Thankfully, there are several ways to...

Learning a second language can be a challenge for anyone. For those who want to learn American Sign language, it can be more challenging than usual because of the many factors that make up...

Different countries have different sign languages, so it is no surprise that the best way to learn British Sign Language (BSL) is in Britain. The Royal National Institute for Deaf People (RNID)...

British Sign Language, or BSL, is the most commonly used sign language in the United Kingdom. Approximately 70,000 people in the UK use BSL as their primary language. In 2003, BSL was recognized...

A pidgin is a "contact language" that is used when two parties with different native languages find it necessary to communicate in a third, non-native language. Some pidgins become "creolized"...

There are more than 20 million deaf people in China, yet Chinese Sign Language, or CSL, only started to take off in the 1980s, despite having been around for centuries. CSL has evolved with the...

It is no secret that studying the origin of human language is not an exact science. However, excellent patterns of historical language development do exist although much is extrapolated from...

In the early centuries, many people were illiterate and rarely traveled away from their home, so it was not necessary to have a surname. However, by the 5th century, populations grew and people...

Korean is used by more than 70 million people around the world. It can be a challenging but rewarding language that can allow you to interact with Koreans and discover Korea's colorful culture. By...

Annyeonghaseyo! (Hello!) Learning the Korean language can be a challenging but rewarding experience. Though the writing system and unfamiliar words can appear daunting, anyone can learn the basics...

British Sign Language, or BSL, is the most widely used method of communication amongst Deaf people in Britain. According to British-sign.co.uk, 50,000--75,000 people within the UK use BSL as their...

For Spanish learners, it can be difficult to tell the subtle differences between the uses of similar words. Two such words that may seem the same but are used differently are the verbs “ser” and...

After English, Spanish is the most widely spoken and accepted foreign language in the world. For those traveling to a Spanish-speaking country, it is a good idea to try to pick up some useful...

This article provides an overview of some methods of communication used by deaf and hard of hearing individuals.

If you're an English speaker trying to roll your "r"s while learning Spanish, you'll most likely have difficulty with it since the sound itself is foreign. Many people will try to roll...

Imagine finding a master key that opens a series of locked doors, some of which have been locked for centuries. Like a master key, the Rosetta Stone--a black stone of volcanic rock that stands...

Taking an integrated-skills approach to classroom activities offers many opportunities for learning and having fun at the same time. Supplement your textbook or provide review sessions for your...

Learning English can be tough, so add a little fun into your classes with games. Games are especially good for beginners, because they can help alleviate frustration and anxiety during lessons....

Following a textbook is a good way to teach ESL, but sometimes you want to mix things up a little and regain your students' attention. Try some of these games to get students moving around and...

The foundations of any language, especially English, lie in vocabulary and grammar. Grammar consists of syntax and phonemes. Syntax is the rule system of language that determines how words combine...

There are many advantages to learning Spanish. Bilingualism is becoming the norm in American society, Latino populations and culture have merged into the American mainstream, and learning a...

Japanese restaurants are popular in the metropolitan centers of Mexico. Successfully ordering food at these establishments depends on your ability to produce the Spanish translations for Japanese...