Tag: language
Silicon Valley's immigrant janitors given chance to learn English at work
For immigrants, learning English can be a major barrier to economic and social success in this country. In California, employers have agreed to put a few cents per hour into a fund to help them do just that. But in some cases, companies are going a step further....
In Pakistan, no one admits to being a Burger
Pakistan's history with fast-food isn't as long as in other parts of the world. And for a long while, it was too expensive for average Pakistanis. So to most Pakistanis, people who could eat fast food burgers were the rich and wealthy. And suddenly, the rich and wealthy were being called Burgers themselves....
European Union prepares to adopt 24th official language as costs mount, calls for English rise
In the European Union, every language is an official language. Government officials speak in the official language of their country, and those comments are then translated into 22, soon to be 23, other languages. All of that costs $1.4 billion per year — and that total will increase when Croatian becomes an official language later this year....
Fake accents, well-done, can make all the difference
When it comes to accents, they paint a picture in people's mind. And they can make or break the character. That's born out in real life and on the silver screen. Renée Zellweger was widely praised for her English accent in Bridget Jones’s Diary -- and Radovan Karadžić managed to evade authorities for years, in part through a fake accent....
In wake of this week's attacks, pressure cookers will need an image makeover
After this week's attacks around Boston, the common, household pressure cooker has become associated with death, destruction and the Boston Marathon. But this fairly simple pot is a crucial cooking tool around the world. And it's going to need an image makeover....
Advocates seeking to reclaim Irish language for Catholics and Protestants
The Irish language has often been viewed as a weapon by Irish Catholic and an enemy tongue by the country's Protestants. But no longer, if some Irish have their way. They're trying to reclaim the language for both sides, and take the politics out of it....
Some still skeptical despite Turkish government's steps to integrate Kurdish language
For years, even speaking Kurdish in Turkey was a ticket to trouble. But now, Turkey's government is opening up, and even allowing Kurdish to be taught in schools. It's a small step -- and some say it's fake, symbolic only -- but it's changing everything....
Singapore transplants create iPad app, comic book spinoff, to teach Chinese to English speakers
Yen Yen Woo and Colin Goh want their daughter to learn to speak Chinese. They moved to New York from Singapore, so it's important to them that their daughter reflect both American and Chinese cultures. So they created the Dim Sum Warriors to do just that....
Elvish, Hobbit language, perhaps most detailed of fictional languages
J.R.R. Tolkien's The Hobbit is out in theaters this weekend, and it will be a big screen celebration of the Elvish language. Tolkien spent years, some of them in World War I trenches, developing the language. It's perhaps the most elaborate fictional language ever....
Serbian group takes cues from The Onion
Watch out Onion, a Group of Serbs known as the NJUZ group have their eye on you. Taking cues from the work of The Onion, Jon Stewart and Stephen Colbert, the group launched a satirical news site in Serbia, and now they're moving their work into English....
