Lingualogue Blog

This is a guest article currently posted on Accredited Online Colleges.

Mastering a foreign language can be great for a wide variety of reasons. You get to learn about a new culture and its peoples, give your brain a workout and perhaps even prove yourself a more qualified potential employee once you graduate from college. While learning any language can be good for you, there are some that offer more financial and employment benefits than others. Here are a few — in no particular order — that may help you make more money, find more work and be a more versatile employee. Depending on the kind of industry you choose to pursue, of course.

1. Chinese: With China playing such a big role in the global economy, it’s no wonder that so many students are flocking to Chinese classes. While the bulk of business with China still takes place in English, knowing Cantonese or Mandarin could be a big asset to a resume, depending on your choice of career – especially since it’s often a very difficult language for English speakers to master. Those who want to enter international business will likely see the biggest salary boost, which is on average 4% higher than non-Chinese speakers.

2. Japanese: If you’re planning on working in a tech industry or with international business, you may want to consider learning Japanese. Japan has the second largest economy in the world, making it hard to ignore. With so much business in the tech sector, those in programming, development or other similar industries may also prove well-served by the knowledge. While there are no stats on just how valuable being able to speak Japanese is to college grads, it can open up doors and might even win you jobs in companies who do a lot of business over there.

3. French: This popular romance language can help you do more than navigate the streets of Paris. Students who learn French can expect to earn a 2.7% wage boost from their language knowledge. Why is knowing it such a big deal? French is spoken around the world as a secondary language, with millions of speakers in Africa, Asia and the Caribbean.

4. Arabic: Enrollments in Arabic classes have spiked 157% in the past few years, with students interested in business, journalism, education, finance and geopolitics alike taking up learning the language. Depending on your chosen career, knowing Arabic can be a big help, as it is the 5th most spoken language in the world. Speakers live not only in the Middle East, but Africa and other small pockets around the world. Since few Americans ever learn the language despite an increasing demand for those who can, learning Arabic could be a great investment. With numerous scholarships available to students who want to learn, you might not even have to put in a dime of your own money to get started.

5. Swahili: If you’re interested in a career working in global politics, learning Swahili can be a huge asset. The language tops the FBI’s list of most desirable languages, followed by Urdu, Farsi and Bahasa. Spoken mainly in Kenya, Tanzania and the DRC as well as many other nations in East Africa, this language can be an amazing tool for those who hope to work there in education, business, military or the FBI.

6. Spanish: Spanish is the most popular foreign language in American colleges and high schools, accounting for 52% of total foreign language enrollments — though among second tongues it commands one of the smallest wage increases. Even with many areas of the country being saturated with Spanish-speakers, students can expect to see only a 1.7% bump in their salary for knowing it. Still, it’s better than no increase at all; many jobs are open to the bilingual, giving you more options and more flexibility in the market over the long haul.

7. German: You might not think of German as an in-demand language, but learning it will earn you a higher premium in salary than many others spoken in Europe. How much? Researchers estimate that German language speakers get about a 4% wage premium. It is actually the most popular tongue in Europe, with 68 million speakers in Germany alone, not counting those who live in Austria, Switzerland, Luxemburg and Liechtenstein. Additionally, with one of the most powerful economies in the world and ranking as number one in exports, knowing German can go a long way for any student interested in international or domestic business. German companies employ over 700,000 workers in the U.S.

8. Russian: With over 170 million native speakers and another 120 million who use the language secondarily, Russian is one of the most common languages in the world. While not always simple for English speakers to learn due to complicated grammar rules, many students may find the language rewarding because it offers a bit of a salary boost in some careers. Studies have shown a 4% boost in salary for college grads who know the language.

9. American Sign Language: While not a foreign language per se, sign language does take some coursework and practice to master. For those who want to go into teaching, work as translators or help out those in the hearing impaired community, learning it can be an invaluable skill. Currently, sign language is actually the 4th most popular language course with college students. And if you’re not planning a career in education or translation, sign language can still be a great asset, Many employers seek out those fluent in ASL as a way to improve their compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act.

10. Italian: Italian can not only help you to woo a mate or understand just what those opera singers are bellowing about, but it may land you some job benefits as well. While it might not seem like the first choice for a second language in terms of salary benefits, students should consider the wide range of fields that use it. Not only do 6 of the 100 biggest global companies have their headquarters in Italy, the language can be a boon to those in government and international relations and academia and research. Learning Italian can earn students as much as a 4% salary premium, which isn’t too shabby.

You can see the original article at Ten Most Lucrative Languages to Learn Now

Name reads 'Lay' in Thai and looks like 'Lay' in English

It’s not too often that I am impressed by the smarts of corporate marketers, but when it comes to rebranding your brand name overseas, certain companies have gone that extra mile.

Let’s face it, most companies when they enter a foreign market which uses a non-Latin script will plump for the simple route of keeping the brand name the same and hoping the local market can read it.  Another option of course is to re-invent your brand name in the target language. This means that the local people will be able to read the sound of your brand name but international visitors will only be able to recognise you if you continue with the same packaging. It is a dilemma that I imagine many companies have wrestled with.

There are those select few however, for whom the option of choosing one language or the other is not enough. With a bit of clever letter manipulation they design a brand name which can both be read by locals and is easily recognisable by visitors or expats.

One of these brands that has always impressed me is Lays. Each of the Lays’ potato chip packets in Thailand has the name ‘Lay’ written in Thai script. It just so happens that the way they have written the Thai letters allows the word to also look like the English word ‘Lay’  and so be read by English speaking visitors.

You can see the photo of the Lays’ packet at the top. I know it’s not exactly Illuminati art but I do think it is pretty nifty. It is a little more impressive when you consider that the ‘a’ in the Thai word on the packet is actually ล (lor ling) which is the L sound of the word Lays. The vowel sound actually comes from a combination of the first and last letters.

Pretty Cool i Think

Do you know of any other names that read the same in two languages? Let me know and I will add them in a follow up

Yes today yesterday (I didn’t realise that it is now after midnight here) is apparently English language day. Well there really should be one considering we have a day for everything else in the world. I am not entirely sure what the point of English language day is, but if it makes at least one person learn English or use English in a way that they may not ordinarily do, then it can’t be too bad can it? I doubt very much that designating a day of the year as English Day will do any of those things, but I don’t think anyone really expects it to.

So What is English Language Day All About?

Apparently the idea was set up by a charity called ‘the English Project’ who wished to commemorate the survival of the English language and its growth into a global language. On the very first English language day in 2009, Philip Pullman, an author and patron of the English project, said “Every speaker of English has the right to bring new words or expressions into being, or give new meanings to old ones. I hope the English Project will help many people to realise what a treasure we have in our language”

I applaud the sentiment, but I am not sure I am entirely comfortable with the idea of everyone being able to make up words and add them to the official English language. Thankfully, of course, this is not the case: New words must find their way into common usage before they are allowed into the Oxford English Dictionary. That said, there are some very strange words that have been added over the past decades, and the number grows at an even faster pace with the advent of new technologies. Netbook is a fine example, and even the confusing ‘defriend’ has apparently made it in, although I have never actually heard the term being used myself.

Why is Today English Language Day?

You may well ask. Well apparently on the 13th October 1362, it was the first time in history that the Chancellor of England ever opened a session of parliament in English. The very same parliament also approved a statute of pleading that allowed members to debate in English. What language were they using in parliament before 1362? Well French of course. Thanks to William the Conqueror and the Norman invasion, the language of law in England, and basically the language of the entire upper class was French. Only the lower peasant classes spoke English.

This was of course until that fateful day on the 13th October 1362, when the English language made its revival as the legal language of the land—albeit with a lot of French words mixed in.

I guess there is cause for celebration after all. It could very well have been the case that the English language became extinct, and all those native English speaking countries in the world, would in fact now be native French speaking countries. So if you are a native English speaker, give a little thought to 1362 and the day that gave you your language—today.

If on the other hand you are a student of mine (yes I am talking to you Tatspol, Chudnadis) then you should celebrate English Language Day and go and read a book 

I apologise for this post, but I feel I have to put it in somewhere and I guess today is just as good a day as any. If the rest of you will indulge me, this post is for the surprisingly numerous people who find fault with my spelling. Some people seem to feel that I am consistently making certain spelling errors, and that this is somehow unacceptable for someone that writes about language. Although I am sure that my spelling and grammar are not perfect, and of course even the most proficient writer makes the odd typo, I would like to point out that the words that I am most commonly brought to task about are in fact perfectly fine (usually).

The difference is that I am from England, and although it is true that our languages are the same, British English and American English do have different spellings for many words. In England now, more and more people are adopting the American spelling of words, and let me just say that I have no problem with that—language is a fluid thing and should be changing all the time. I, however, still follow the old school English spellings of most words, and because of this I find myself in the situation I am now.

Before everyone writes in and berates me for being so sensitive, I should say that I do not lie in bed at night worrying that some ignorant Joe thinks I can’t spell. I did, however, think that it may be an interesting lesson on the evolution of a language and how a few hundred years of separation has changed the written word. I also think that every native English speaker should be aware of it.

So here we go, a few of the most common words that are different in British and American English, and the most popular ones for people to point out as wrong.

The o vs ou favourite
Most people actually know this one already so I thought I would start with it

American                  British

Color                          Colour
favorite                      favourite
honor                         honour

The Z vs S words. A difference that is becoming less used in the UK as well now

American                 British

analyze                     analyse
organize                    organise
realize                        realise
criticize                    criticise

I think you get the idea

ER vs RE another one that confuses many in the UK as both are now often used

American                British

theater                     theatre
meter                       metre
center                      centre

One very close to my heart – LOG vs LOGUE

American               British

catalog                    catalogue
dialog                      dialogue

This one of course made for a big decision when I first started this site. I was unsure whether to go with the American friendly Lingualog, or my British version Lingualogue. I did, as you know, plump for the latter, but I also bough the name of Lingualog. If you type in Lingualog.com you still go to my site.

The ultra confusing L or LL

This one can be very confusing. The rules are slightly different for English and American spelling

American                 British

traveling                  travelling
modeling                 modelling

In AmE – When the stress is on the first syllable then a single letter is used. In BrE, we tend to use a double l when in the middle of the word and between two vowels whichever syllable is stressed.

American                British

fulfill                          fulfil
skillful                       skilful

As with most words, the syllable that is being stressed gets a double letter. Alas in British English the Ls tend to confuse matters again and when we add a suffix to a word ending in L we only use the single L in both positions.

ENSE vs ENCE

defense                     defence
license                      licence

CK vs QUE

check                        cheque   -  as in the banking kind

Verb past tenses

learned                     learnt
dreamed                  dreamt

Some random ones

draft                          draught
tire                             tyre   – as in the car rubber
encyclopedia        encyclopaedia
jewelry                    jewellery

I think that is probably enough for now. There are of course many, many differences between the two versions of English, mainly thanks to the differences between the two dictionaries published by Samuel Johnson and Noah Webster.

I hope this goes some way to people cutting me a little more slack, although I should probably expect more comments about this than anything else. It isn’t always easy writing with the British spelling these days as many spellcheckers use American English and sometimes (annoyingly) try to change the words automatically.

Just for the record I am not saying either side is right and the other wrong. All I am saying is that these are differences in the common usage of the two languages across the pond and therefore both should be accepted and tolerated.

The beautiful and archaic language of Latin has apparently been undergoing somewhat of a revival in recent times and has been garnering new interest from some unlikely sources.

So why has this hitherto mouldy language acquired a brand new luster?

And what exactly do I mean by a “revival”?

Last year 137,225 students applied to take the National Latin Exam, according to their website (www.nle.org). In North Carolina there was a 156% increase in the number of students taking the exam, in Nevada an 84% increase. You didn’t even know there was a National Latin Exam, did you? Get with the times! What’s old is new, and Latin is cool again.

Pop-culture has had a big hand in this. The Harry Potter books and movies — insanely popular with adolescents — feature Latin prominently as the language of magic. There is even a complete Latin translation of the first Harry Potter novel, Harry Potter and the Sorcerer’s Stone. If your child is reading “Harrius Potter et Philosophi Lapis” you can feel pretty confident about the quality of instruction they’re getting at school.

The more serious side of Latin has been in the movies recently, too. Mel Gibson’s controversial film The Passion of the Christ featured actors speaking in Latin and Aramaic. Although the Bible was not originally written in Latin, Latin became the language of the Roman Catholic Church. Consequently the Latin Vulgate served as the standard Bible for centuries. Inspired by The Passion, many Christians have begun learning Latin so they can read the Vulgate directly.

Research has shown that students who take Latin score higher on their SAT’s, a big incentive for parents. Latin specifically improved English comprehension scores and was shown to sharpen language skills in general.

The study of Latin has significant benefits, and despite (or because of) its arcane reputation it is becoming more common in schools and universities. If you aren’t curious about it now, you will be when your children ask you to read them Harrius Potter at night.

I was reading a blog the other day that seemed to have some confusion about the definition of the word homonym. I did some checking and was surprised to see that this confusion is much more widespread than I had previously thought. We are not just talking about confusion among the general public here, we are talking confusion between the big players–the education websites, the information portals, and even the heavyweight dictionary boys. Nobody can seem to give a definitive answer on the specific definitions of homonyms, heteronyms, homographs, and homophones.

If the main dictionaries can not agree does this mean that a definitive definition does not exist? Is it simply that people do not want to agree so each person must pick a homonym side and stick to it? It seems like one big argument that no side is willing to back down on. To me this is just plain stupidity: How can we teach children the meaning of a word if we don’t know ourselves, and there is no main authority from which we can get an answer because the authorities do not agree themselves.

My impression of the meaning of these words, and the one that seems to have the most support (albeit marginal) is as follows

Homograph: Words that have the same spelling but different meanings. The pronunciation may or may not be the same.
(Remember by homo – same, graph – image)

Homophone: Words that have the same pronunciation but different meanings. The spelling may or may not be the same.
(Remember by homo – same, phone – sound)

This is where the arguments begin: I have always understood that homophones and homographs are the umbrella sets that include homonyms and heteronyms, in other words homonyms and heteronyms are types of homograph and/or homophone. The rivals believe it is the other way around.

So in my understanding the definitions are as follows:

Homonym: Words with the same spelling AND the same pronunciation but different meaning
(This means that homonyms are both homographs AND homophones)
(Remember by Homo – same, nym – name)

Examples of homonyms

bear n. mammal of the Ursidae family / to carry
stalk n.  stem of a plant / track prey
fair adj. pleasant-looking / a gathering for a market, exhibition
bow n. the front of a ship / to incline the body or head in greeting

Heteronym: Words with the same spelling but different pronunciation and different meaning.
(This means that heteronyms are a type of homograph but not homophone)
(Remember by Hetero – different, nym – name)

Examples of heteronym

contest:  to compete in a match of skills/make an argument against something
does:  multiple female deer/to perform
lead:  to guide/a soft dense metal
resign:  to quit/to sign again
tear:  liquid drops secreted by the eye/to pull apart
wind:  to encircle/moving air

These definitions are what I believe to be the meanings of these words, but as I say, by the look of it I could just as easily be wrong. It is possible that a homophone is indeed a type of homonym and not vice-versa, or a homograph is indeed a type of heteronym and not the other way as I believe. If that is the case, then fine, I will gladly change my current thinking.

I just wish they would make up their minds and let me know.

I really wish I could take credit for the following list, but sadly I cannot.  It is a wonderfully funny list of what to do, and more appropriately what not do, when writing in English. It is not just funny though, it is also very clever and actually useful, although I am not sure if people who do not know the rules/terms already will understand either the humour or the usefulness.

Here are the 33 rules for better writing -  if there are any that you do not get, you should look them up immediately as this is a great way to see each rule in a self broken context.

1. Verbs HAS to agree with their subjects.

33. Exaggeration is a billion times worse than understatement

This list has been taken from the Humor Matters website which includes many more language related funnies than this and is definitely worth checking out.

I showed my obvious ignorance of the early days of the internet today as a few friends and I were discussing different methods to escape the tedium of a long afternoon of cancelled classes. After a few runs through the usual football (soccer) trivia games, one guy came up with the ‘Google Whack challenge’.

I have to admit I had never

A valid Google Whack - just not mine

heard of this, or if I had, I had relegated it to the same place as the memories of what I wore for work in 1998. Apparently, Google Whacking was a craze in 2002 onwards and even had (and still has) its own website. I guess I must have missed it. The basic idea for Google Whacking is amazingly simple and yet disturbingly frustrating:  Think of two words and input them in the Google search engine (without quotes) and see how many results are returned. If only it were that simple. The aim is to have your two words return a single result. One piddly little webpage found out of the billions  available, for a search query comprising two words.

I am sure this would have been much easier in 2002 when it all began, after all Google has grown almost exponentially in size and visibility since then. I am convinced, however, that it is still possible. Don’t ask me why. I have no basis for this theory other than the English language is enormous, and combining two words gives  almost limitless permutations from which we should not find relevant websites. The trick is finding the right combination. The mix of words that nobody in their right mind would ever combine on a website (even a dodgy one). It is made slightly more difficult these days, however, with the ubiquity of dictionary and reference sites, as well as the plethora of worthless dollar-driven, or ego-centric wastes of cyberspace of which we are all less than fondly acquainted. You will be surprised (or possibly not) at the crap that is returned. Who in their right mind would ever purposefully visit this drivel, let alone make it?

The challenge is still going though, seven years after it was created. Sure there is no craze now and most people probably think that a Google Whack is a type of internet porn, but the system is still running and the rules are still in place. Who cares if it is more difficult now, we like a challenge right? Be warned though, this could take up literally hours of your free time, days even, and can become highly addictive and a point of pride between friends– especially if you are cursed with a similarly competitive spirit.

If you do happen to find yourself with a few hours to spare and consider yourself a bit of a wordsmith (and have not been a computer geek since 2002) then give it a whirl. Find two words, bang them into Google and see if you can get one result. If you do, let me know and I will write a post with the results. In fact if you do, let Google Whack know and gain a place in history.

Just one more thing before you shoot off and start testing your knowledge of the little known annals of the English language by hammering random words into your search box: THERE ARE RULES (see below) and if you want recognition you must adhere to them.

So many people on the web claim to have found a google whack and yet have obviously not read the rules. Good luck…and happy Google Whacking.

RULES (from the website)

1. Googlefactors must exist in this dictionary. It’s so easy to confirm: Google does the work! In the blue bar atop your Google results, accepted terms are linked to dictionary.com, and so appear ‘underlined.’ No line, no link = Googlejack! (As in, You’ve got jack! Make sure both of your terms are underlined, otherwise it is easy.

2. Google also is the arbiter of a whack’s uniqueness. Look to the right end of the blue bar atop your Google results. If you see “Results 1 – 1 of (any number),’ you found exactly one hit = Googlewhack!

3. Google shows you an excerpt of the page you whacked. Look at that text. If it’s merely a list of words, No Whack For You!

Prevents using lists of medical terms, ailments or phobias.

Just in case you made it this far down, we still have not managed to get just one single result. My friend got 3 (can’t remember the words off hand) but it is damned hard.

Happy Whacking (so to speak)

I found  a couple of very interesting articles in the Brownsville Herald online newspaper today about the history of the Spanish language and how different parts of the Spanish vocabulary were formed. Not the place I expected to find these kinds of articles if I’m honest, but it shows what I know, and just goes to show that you can find good information in the strangest of places.

The article is split into two parts:

The Spanish Language part 1: How it came to be

The Spanish Language Part 2: names and namings

Definitely worth a read if you have an interest in Spain or a general interest in the history of language.

Following on from the previous post, I am finally realising how big this language exchange idea really is. If you are an English speaker wanting to learn Spanish then you can guarantee that there is someone sitting in front of their computer in Mexico who would love to teach you their language in exchange for your English. On the other hand, if you are a native speaker of Spanish who is looking to learn Russian, then again you know that someone in Russia is on the web willing to help. As long as you are willing to teach him your language of course.

This language exchange craze seems to have really taken off, and is in my opinion possibly the best application that the internet has ever realised. What better way to make use of the global reach of the world wide web than for people to share their languages and cultures with those of differing languages and cultures.

It is what the web was made for. It has restored my confidence in people’s use of cyberspace. I see too many people use the web to tell me what they had for dinner, or what their favourite chocolate bar is, and lets be honest I don’t really care. However, if people are using the web to share real information–language–then they have found a fan.

I was surprised to see how many of these language exchange sites are available. As well as the Moccha.com offered in the last post, we have Babbel, Palabea, Worldia, and Lingopass. These all offer language exchange with others within their network and are an excellent addition to any language learning course.

If you are learning a language and don’t make use of free language exchange sites, then you are mad. You are certainly missing out on a great experience.

I may well do a review of language exchange sites at a later date and post it on the main site.