I don’t “speak white”. Multilingualism is my identity.
For those of us who are bilingual or multilingual, our languages may shape our identities and cultural affiliations more so than race, economic status...
Thank you note: Inspired to use music to teach English in Germany
This is a thank you note that I received from a university student who invited me to give a presentation on language learning using...
Silence is golden: my Japanese escape from multilingualism
After exiting the airport and embarking on my three-hour train and subway ride to my cousin’s apartment in Chofu, I sat on my train...
Learning Hungarian via Italian opera, neo-Nazis and a phone sex line
Living in Budapest, Magyarország (Hungary) made me think in different ways in order to express myself in Hungarian, see the modern incarnations of a...
Putting my money where my mouth is
I was born in a Communist country where you couldn’t speak freely. If you opposed the government, you would go to jail or you’d...
How to identify depression and find help
I am writing to convince you why it’s important to talk to people who are close to you about their mental health issues. If...
The CIA battling the Soviet Union via Dr. Zhivago
Did you know that the Central intelligence Agency (CIA) was involved in publishing and distributing the epic Russian novel Doctor Zhivago?
I didn’t...
How to communicate if you’re deaf or hard-of-hearing (DHH)
I am curious about how deaf people in the US communicate. Anywhere from 37 to 140 out of every 1,000 people in the United States have some kind of hearing loss. Either you or someone you know needs or will need assistive hearing devices.
Living in Italian (Vivere in italiano): A language that taught me to live
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JV2d2qcIyvA
My relationship to the Italian language was one of wonder and fun until I decided to use it professionally.
I took one semester...
What makes the 20 most spoken languages tick?
What makes the 20 most spoken languages tick?
I greatly enjoyed the book Babel: Around the World in 20 Languages.
Gaston Dorren explains the histories...