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Languages

EuroCALL 2017: Call for papers

The 25th EuroCALL conference will be held at the University of Southampton, in the United Kingdom, from 23rd -26th August 2017. DEADLINE FOR SUBMISSIONS: 31st January 2017 Submit your abstract here: http://www.eurocall-languages.org/conf2017 The programme will include individual papers, symposia, workshops, presentations on EU-funded projects, and posters. EUROCALL conferences are hosted under the auspices of the EUROCALL : the European Association for Computer Assisted Language Learning. Continue reading →

Symposium in honour of Professor Michael Kelly, University of Southampton

A symposium in honour of Professor Michael Kelly will be held Friday 20th January 2017 at Europe House, London. Mike has recently retired after a long and distinguished career as Professor of French at the University of Southampton. He has published widely in the area of French Studies and more recently in the field of languages in times of conflict and war. He has also been influential in the area of public policy and languages in Europe and the UK for many years. Continue reading →

Technology to the rescue for students on their year abroad?

The Education Guardian recently reported on how technology is changing foreign study for students on their year abroad. Relating students’ personal stories, the article describes how the support of technologies such as Skype, Facebook and students’ smartphones whilst abroad has helped them to sort out a range out everyday language problems and combat occasional bouts of loneliness. Continue reading →

Languages and the 2014 Commonwealth Games

Picture courtesy of Jimmy Harris, Flickr Commonwealth Games Marathon events (2006) The 2014 Commonwealth Games begin tonight! The competitors, who represent 53 Commonwealth countries, include polyglots with several languages besides English in their repertoire. Many different languages are spoken by the c. 1.7 billion people across the Commonwealth of Nations, with 1635 spoken in India alone! Many will be represented at the 2014 Commonwealth Games, this year being held in Glasgow. Continue reading →

Which languages did Jesus speak?

The BBC has reported on current debates around the language(s) that Jesus would have spoken. Whilst several languages were used in the places where Jesus lived, many believe that Aramaic would have been his first language, whilst Hebrew would have been used to respond to scholarly questions. He may also have known some Greek. To read the article in full, visit the article page on the BBC website. Continue reading →

Languages mapped: what do people speak where you live?

The 2011 census reveals the main language spoken in 34,753 ‘output areas’ across England Wales, each of 1,500 people. While only 0.3% of the population cannot speak English, 4m people do not speak it as their main language. This map shows the country’s patchwork quilt of languages: http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/datablog/interactive/2013/jan/30/languages-mapped-england-wales-census?zoom=11&lat=50.91500386380311&lng=-1. Continue reading →

Speaking two languages from childhood keeps the brain in good shape

The Mail has published an article reporting on a study that found that speaking two languages from childhood keeps the brain in good shape as we age. The study, conducted by researchers from the University of Kentucky College of Medicine, found that senior citizens who have spoken two languages since childhood are faster at switching from one task to another than those who only know one. Continue reading →