Category: Word Nerds & Linguists
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This seems to be the only thing I can write about this week…but I did so enjoy reading this story about Michael Phelps struggles learning Mandarin: Phelps: Mandarin harder than winning gold (August 20, 2008, Xinhua)It turns out swimming miracle Michael Phelps can achieve almost anything. But there is one thing he is still struggling…
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While riding in a taxi cab today, Anna noticed two dogs running on the sidewalk beside us. She said, "Oh, look. I wonder if those dogs are strains." Then she noticed a guy catching up with them and said. "Nope, they’re not strains. There is someone taking care of them." Meanwhile, Sarah still pronounces many…
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This is a photo my friend, Jeremy, took of some Tibetan script. Wonder what it says? As Christa and I have been reflecting and discussing our future here in China, I have felt a "tug" to learn the Tibetan language. The language itself is pretty daunting, not that Mandarin is a cake-walk or anything. Until…
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This is the beautiful landscape that can be seen out our back window of our apartment in Xining. Breathtaking, eh? On many evenings over the past two years, from the comfort of my couch, I have stared out at this gray brick building. The other day as I stared at it it dawned on me…
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A few weeks ago I posted about Malcolm Gladwell’s book The Tipping Point. In that book, Gladwell was posing the argument that social epidemics (of all varieties) can usually be attributed to small, gradual changes or innovations in situations that are enacted within a specific context by a unique set of individuals / groups. A…
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You’ve heard of the three r’s, right? reading, ‘riting, and ‘rithmatic. I’ve spent most of my life focused on the first two of the three. The third "r" I use when necessary, but I can’t say that I love it like I do the other two. I think I am foremost a reader, but maybe…
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Our friends gave us a very humorous article from the Guardian about what it’s like to learn Chinese. I found it online and wanted to share it with you, dear readers. It’s called Empire of Signs. I have to agree with Ed Lanifranco’s sentiments in the article when he says, "If I were emperor of…
yeti speak... 