The World of Language, and Languages of the World

These words are too solid
They don't move fast enough
To catch the blur in the brain
That flies by and is gone...

I won't use words again
They don't mean what I meant
They don't say what I said
They're just the crust of the meaning
With realms underneath
Never touched
Never stirred
Never even moved through
~Suzanne Vega, " Language"

Language! We use it all day, every day, to communicate thoughts, needs, desires. Sometimes we use words wisely, sometimes not so much. Some of us can speak more than one language, be it fluently or more of "Spanglish." However you are using words to communicate, have you considered how some of these words came to be? Or, how language varies from place to place? Somehow, until high school French class, it never occurred to us that animal noises changed with language - that "cock-a-doodle-do" wasn't universal. (We've heard learning a foreign language can increase the size of your brain, and frankly, we're not surprised.) We've been thinking a lot lately about the best way to use our words and the best words to use, though we're not sure we're going to give up using words like Suzanne Vega. Instead, why not learn about language?

As the staff writers at Online College will tell you, "Language pervades everything, building and destroying as time marches ever forward. And while even the most learned scholars can't even begin to fully explain its physiology, origins, structures and pretty much every other component, they've certainly done a pretty lovely job scratching the surface." Here are some books that should help open your brain to the world of language:

Found in Translation: How Language Shapes Our Lives and Transforms the World by Nataly Kelly and Jost Zetzsche

Flirting With French: How a Language Charmed Me, Seduced Me & Nearly Broke My Heart by William Alexander

In Other Words by Jhumpa Lahiri; translated from the Italian by Ann Goldstein

When In French: Love In A Second Language by Lauren Collins

The Story of Ain't: America, Its Language, and the Most Controversial Dictionary Ever Published by David Skinner

La Bella Lingua: My Love Affair With Italian, The World's Most Enchanting Language by Dianne Hales

Lingo: Around Europe In Sixty Languages by Gaston Dorren ; with contributions by Jenny Audring, Frauke Watson, and Alison Edwards (translation)

Speaking American: How Y'all, Youse, and You Guys Talk - A Visual Guide by Josh Katz

Words to Eat By: Five Foods and the Culinary History of the English Language by Ina Lipkowitz

Talking Hands: What Sign Language Reveals About the Mind by Margalit Fox

What the F: What Swearing Reveals About Our Language, Our Brains, and Ourselves by Benjamin K. Bergen

Language Visible: Unravelling the Mystery of the Alphabet From A to Z by David Sacks

In Other Words: A Language Lover's Guide to the Most Intriguing Words Around the World by Christopher J. Moore 

The Meaning of Tingo and Other Extraordinary Words From Around the World by Adam Jacot de Boinod

The Fall of Language in the Age of English by Minae Mizumura

Through the Language Glass: Why the World Looks Different in Other Languages by Guy Deutscher

Is That a Fish In Your Ear?: Translation and the Meaning of Everything by David Bellos

OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word by Allan Metcalf

I'm Not Hanging Noodles On Your Ears And Other Intriguing Idioms From Around the World by Jag Bhalla 

Don't Sleep, There Are Snakes: Life and Language in the Amazonian Jungle by  Daniel L. Everett

Landmarks by Robert Macfarlane

Empires of the Word: A Language History of the World by Nicholas Ostler

 

If you are interested in learning a new language, do check out our eResource Pronunciator!


Links

 

5 Books That Explain the Evolution of the English Language [Grammarly]

Popular Linguistics Books [Goodreads]

Popular Language Books [Goodreads]

Use Your Words!: Language Usage Yesterday & Today

Language will never stop changing; it will continue to respond to the needs of the people who use it. So the next time you hear a new phrase that grates on your ears, remember that, like everything else in nature, the English language is a work in progress.
~Betty Birner, "Is English Changing?" from The Linguistic Society of America 

Language changes over time. The popularity of words, especially slang or words related to technology or trends, ebbs and flows. Some long-forgotten words, however, are worth resurrecting.
~from Grammarly, "Neat-O! Vintage Slang Words to Add to Your Modern Vocabulary" 

Language!  It's a useful tool, and sometimes a weapon, so it's good to know how to wield it properly. What better way to get to know your mother tongue than to study its history and usage?  Here are a smattering of recent items from the library catalog, mostly about English, to pique your interest in the history and usage of language.  You might be surprised by the twists and turns language has taken over time!


Dog Whistles, Walk-Backs, and Washington Handshakes: Decoding the Jargon, Slang, and Bluster of American Political Speech by Chuck McCutcheon

Soldiers' Songs and Slang of the Great War by Martin Pegler

How to Speak Brit: The Quintessential Guide to the King's English, Cockney Slang, and Other Flummoxing British Phrases by Christopher J. Moore 

Bad English: A History of Linguistic Aggravation by Ammon Shea

Holy Shit: A Brief History of Swearing by Melissa Mohr

Madre: Perilous Journeys With a Spanish Noun by Liza Bakewell

That's Not English: Britishisms, Americanisms, And What Our English Says About Us by Erin Moore

Between You & Me: Confessions of a Comma Queen by Mary Norris  

Better Than Great: A Plenitudinous Compendium of Wallopingly Fresh Superlatives by Arthur Plotnik

OK: The Improbable Story of America's Greatest Word by Allan Metcalf

The Language Wars: A History of Proper English by Henry Hitchings

Grammar Girl's 101 Troublesome Words You'll Master In No Time by Mignon Fogarty

Grammar Snobs Are Great Big Meanies: A Guide to Language For Fun and Spite by June Casagrande

Myths, Lies, and Half-Truths of Language Usage [DVD]

Looking for vocabulary and writing help, word games, and more?  Try our Brainfuse eResource - free access with your valid library card!


Fun Wordy Links

Grammarly Blog

Grammar Girl: Quick and Dirty Tips

A.Word.A.Day

Grammarist

Free Rice

Vocabulary Games from PBS Kids

Word Games and Quizzes from Merriam-Webster

TED Talk Playlist: How language changes over time

The Truth About Language Change [PBS]

World Penguin Day

With the success of movies like Happy Feet and March of the Penguins, World Penguin Day is a holiday whose time has come. World Penguin Day, celebrated April 25th annually, "was created to promote the health and conservation of these amazing creatures. Zoos, parks, conservationists and everyone else who loves penguins use this day to celebrate penguins as a unique and important part of our world. April 25 coincides with the annual northern migration of penguins. It began at McMurdo Station in Antarctica. The scientists and researchers there noticed that every year on April 25, a colony of Adelie Penguins returned from spending months at sea. They returned to the same spot, on the same day, every year. This seemed too incredible a coincidence…and it wasn’t! This is the normal migrating pattern of these penguins. After several years of observing this phenomenon, the scientists and researchers began to plan for the penguins’ arrival and created a day of celebration out of their appearance," according to the Ian Somerhalder Foundation.

Love penguins? Want to learn more about them? Here's a few items from the catalog to get you started celebrating!

DVDs

Penguins: Spy in the Huddle

Penguins of Madagascar

The Adventures of Scooter the Penguin

Tappy Toes

Mr. Popper's Penguins

Emperors of Antarctica

Nature: Penguins [eVideo]

For Children

One Cool Friend by Toni Buzzeo

Salina Yoon's Penguin and... books

Helen Lester's Tacky the Penguin books

A Penguin Story by Antoinette Portis

Goodnight Opus by Berkeley Breathed

Mr. Popper's Penguins by Richard and Florence Atwater

Penguins by Lucia Raatma

Penguins by Emily Bone  

For Adults

Fraser's Penguins: A Journey to the Future in Antarctica by Fen Montaigne

Empire Antarctica: Ice, Silence, & Emperor Penguins by Gavin Francis

Smithsonian Q&A: The Ultimate Question and Answer Book - Penguins by Lloyd Spencer Davis

Opus: 25 Years of His Sunday Best by Berkeley Breathed

March of the Penguins by Luc Jacquet

International Collection for Kids

Pengin haiwei by Morimi Tomihiko [Japanese language]

Aogusiting by Meilanni Wate wen tu [Chinese language]

La dama de los pingüinos por Carol A. Cole [Spanish language]

Penguins = Pingüinos by Alice Twine  [Spanish language]

Crafts For All Ages

Knit Your Own Zoo: Easy-to-Follow Patterns for 24 Animals by Sally Muir & Joanna Osborne

Socks Appeal: 16 Fun & Funky Friends Sewn from Socks by Brenna Maloney

Crafts for Kids Who Are Wild About Polar Life by Kathy Ross 


And don't miss "Your Personal Penguin" (sung by Davy Jones of the Monkees) on Sandra Boynton's CD Blue Moo: 17 Jukebox Hits From Way Back Never!

Links

How are you celebrating World Penguin Day? [Greenpeace]

Celebrate World Penguin Day with Pew [Pew Charitable Trusts Environmental Initiative]

Celebrate World Penguin Day - and the world penguin tracking database [Birdlife International]

Happy World Penguin Day! [Smithsonian Ocean Portal]

Pronunciator

"May's library card has always opened up a world of knowledge, but now it also opens up a world of language. May, meet Pronunciator, the world's largest language learning service, available for free at participating libraries."
~from the introductory video

 

ABC Library recently got a new language learning eResource called Pronunciator.  Using pronunciation analysis, virtual coaches, simulated conversations, scored quizzes, and downloadable audio lessons, Pronunciator can help you with pronunciation and to teach you to create communicate in 75 languages, from Amharic to Italian, Korean to Urdu, and including English as a Second Language (ESL).  Each language's course begins with a Welcome screen with a little background about the language - is it a Germanic language? Where are its roots?

The first section is Postcards, which takes you through some important introductory, or "powerful", phrases (each language starts with "Please").  Listen to the reader - at normal or slow speed - while looking at some pleasant pictures.  You can bookmark pages to go back to them.

The Postcards section has a review section, plus culture & business notes, telling you a little about cultural traditions and business practices in the country where each language is spoken.

The second section contains drills - listening, flash cards (essentially another review of vocabulary learned before), voice comparison, pronunciation analysis (you can record your voice!) - including a section that lets you correct your pitch by playing a voice alongside musical notes - and a written review to help you learn the correct spelling.

You will learn core vocabulary for a number of different topics and essential verbs, including apologize, buy, feel, invite, and write.  Core vocabulary subjects include business/finance, directions and positions, film genres, lodging, people/interpersonal relations, and more!  There are also vocabulary sections for kids, such as home/bathroom, numbers, and time/days of week.

The third section quizzes your vocabulary; spelling and writing; listening comprehension; and reading comprehension.  You have minimal control over the settings - you can change the number of times the speaker repeats a phrase.

As you learn languages, Pronunciator keeps track of your stats.  You can choose to look at your stats by course, by level, or view your stats for all courses. Areas for improvement in different categories (reading, writing, pronunciation) will be indicated  Most language courses allow you to stream or download audio lessons, but not all.  All language courses include a downloadable 32-page PDF phrasebook.

 

Give Pronunciator a try and let us know what you think!