THE music video “Ek Sur”, more popularly known as “Mile Sur Mera Tumhara”, was released on India’s Independence Day in 1988. It was a small contribution to the country’s herculean post-independence task of building a unified national identity. The song’s lyrics were written in all 14 languages recognised by the constitution at the time. […]

JOHNSON has touched on Arabic and its variety quite a few times over the years, but we have never really addressed a critical question directly: what is “Arabic” today, and is it really even a single thing? A short and simplified version of the story follows: the prophet Muhammad wrote (or received from Allah directly) […]

JUST twenty years ago, a language student removed from live practice or in-person classes had to rely on books or cassette tapes. Those were tough times: learners needed exceptional motivation, and got little feedback on their progress. Later on, websites providing textbook-style grammar lessons would pop up, making access easier but still giving little in […]

THE Wall Street Journal last week had a sweet article about non-Nordic Europeans learning languages like Norwegian and Finnish, the better to be able to sing along with their favorite Nordic metal bands: “It’s quite a well-known phenomenon that students in Italy study Norwegian because they’re interested in metal,” Ms. [Siri] Nergaard [,a teacher,] said. Irene Burdese, […]

LANGUAGE learners must resign themselves to making very public, very silly mistakes sooner or later. It’s an occupational hazard. Regular readers will remember that I’ve begun dipping my feet in Dutch. After a few weeks, I can now get my most basic wants and needs across with little trouble. I’m only just starting, but I’m […]

THANKS to all those who commented on my post about foreigners’ most common misunderstandings in Brazil, which generated some media interest here. A few pointed out that several of my observations would hold equally well elsewhere in Latin America, or indeed further afield, in particular the relaxed approach to appointments and deadlines and the physical […]