They say you can learn a lot about a person from their handwriting. Graphologists suggest that they can interpret emotions, mindsets and even environments, just from studying someone’s scrawl. So what about writers of Chinese? Is the same true for them? We’re more about the language and less about the writing if we are being(…)
17 Translated Signs Gone Wrong
Since us native English speakers have decided that English is the most important language in the world, you would think we would be a little kinder to those choosing to learn our language. When instead, we titter, mock, and joyfully repeat every single mistake learners make for the amusement of ourselves and other natives—or take(…)
New Year’s Resolutions and Reasons to Learn Chinese
We’re now on the other side of New Year celebrations, so it’s time for the traditional joys of January: bemoaning a lack of money since we’ve spent up over the festive season; wailing at our reflections now we can’t fit into our favourite jeans; and of course, making ourselves promises that we absolutely aren’t going(…)
Why Does it Seem Like My Mandarin Gets Better After a Few Drinks?
Based on anecdotal evidence from popular media, it’s widely believed that alcohol improves the ability to speak in a foreign language, ostensibly due to the anxiety-reducing effects of booze itself. Based on personal experience, a couple of drinks goes a long way toward loosening my tongue no matter what language I’m speaking. I’m currently on(…)
4 Great Reasons to Learn Chinese
You may have already heard that Chinese is taking over the world! With over a billion people speaking Chinese all around the globe, this is an incredibly widespread tongue. When even Mark Zuckerberg decides to try his hand at learning Chinese, you know there must be something to it. After all, Chinese is quickly becoming(…)
Clock Stoppers: Language and the Perception of Time
Since not all of us are lucky enough to have access to a TARDIS or Bill and Ted’s telephone booth (…what is it about time travel and booths?), the rest of us mere mortals will simply have to use another method to traverse the passage of time. And for that, we can turn to languages.(…)
Australia’s Top Languages
If we were the type of people to stereotype, we might have opened this up with a few bars of Waltzing Matilda or a raucous G’day, mate! Fortunately we are nowhere near that cringe-worthy, and to let you know that we intend to continue our look at the languages of Australia in a more dignified(…)
Let Your Hands Do the Talking: The Fastest Language to Write
For any of you who ever had the need to type fast, you have probably tried everything from Mavis Beacon to voice typing to give yourself that extra speed. And for those of you who like to jot down first, type up later, we are sure you have dabbled with the joy that is Teeline.(…)
Most Popular Books in English That Have Been Translated
The bible is said to be the most translated book in the world. Translated from the alleged original languages of Hebrew, Aramaic and Koiné Greek, there are thought to be at least 530 full translations of the bible, and over 2800 partial ones from revered passages. So if you are stuck for something to read(…)
How Many Chinese Languages Do You Speak? Wait, What?
To complete our introduction to Chinese, our final article about this fascinating language is concerning Chinese dialects. Mandarin is spoken by around 955 million people the world over. That is an astonishing amount of people all speaking the same tongue. Compare that to English, which is often thought to be the most spoken language in(…)
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