Category: 2023-2024

Voices from Japan

Before I came to Japan for my semester exchange there was one thing scaring me more than anything: the language difference. I didn’t know any Japanese before coming here (and I do mean nothing at all). Going to a different country without knowing the language is always scary but living in a different language environment…
From Stick Pigs to River Horses: A Dive into the Amusing Literalness of Danish Animal Names

Learning a new language is often considered one of the most complex and difficult tasks one can undertake; Danish being no exception. With a pronunciation that non-natives can only dream of replicating, and an intricate grammar system, Danish creates a linguistic labyrinth that has led to it being termed one of the hardest languages to learn. But amidst…
Uncovering the Linguistic Role Behind the Naming of our Childhood TV Characters

If we think back to our childhood days, many of us might think fondly of an era where we would sit for hours on end watching TV, with Cbeebies being at the heart of our generation’s entertainment. Providing us with endless shows to watch and absorb, I recall a near endless mix of vibrant and captivating characters.…
The Changing World of Subtitles

A new age is on the brink, and I’m not talking about the launch of another alien shaped apple product. I’m talking about subtitles. It’s a controversial moment when watching a movie or TV show with others: to subtitle or not? For most young people, this has become an easy choice. I can remember the…
Is Duolingo an Effective Language Learning Tool?

“Hey! Time for your daily language lesson!”. I’m sure most of us have received a notification like this at some point. The little green owl in the corner reminds you of a commitment you made only two days ago that you’ve already fallen behind on. These reminders are consistent, until eventually you are passively aggressively…
Chomsky Who? AI Baby Contradicts Linguistic Innnateness

Very recently – as in within 11 days of this article’s publication – an incredible piece of research has been unveiled relating directly to children’s language acquisition. On the 1st of February of 2024, a research article was published in the Science journal titled Grounded language acquisition through the eyes and ears of a single…
Twisted Talk : Say What?

Tongue twisters have left all of us baffled at one point. From the devious repetition of ‘red leather, yellow leather’ to the classic ‘Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers’, I love them while I hate them at the same time. Tongue twisters are a universal fascination that transcends borders and cultures. These phonetic…
The Spread of Language: From Bestie to Bestie

There is no doubt that the people we spend time with have a huge influence on our everyday lives. Varying from outward appearance, beliefs, and attitudes to the language we use on a day-to-day basis. In fact, recent research has suggested that our brains synchronise with those around us (this may be slightly concerning for those of us with questionable friends and…
Getting to the Core of TikTok Trends

Wow, your outfit is sooo balletcore. Isn’t that house just sofairycore? What aesthetic are you? Barbiecore? Mermaidcore? Gorpcore? To those who do not deeply immerse themselves in social media, these words may sound like mere gibberish. To people like me – the unfortunately chronically online – these words can actually be associated with ideas and images. The use of the suffix ‘-core’ has been on the rise on the internet lately, with people…
Does language influence personality?

You may have heard the Czech proverb that says: “Learn a new language and get a new soul.” According to the American Psychological Association, personality refers to the characteristic patterns in how you think, feel and behave. Many bilinguals and polyglots, people who speak multiple languages fluently, have reported feeling different in each of their…