by Steven Blum According to a study by the investment bank Natixis, French will become “the world’s most spoken language” by 2050. Given the doom and gloom typically accompanying stories about France’s waning influence in the world, it’s no surprise that this bit of counter-intuitive fortune telling has proved tantalizing to journalists. “The [French] language […]

“Those most often left behind are language minorities. Keeping the promise of the MDGs requires a new understanding of the critical role of language in human development. Because there can be no true development without linguistic development, only by putting language at the centre of development can we close the gaps and meet key targets […]

Psychology Today uses über as a preposition to signify greatness in headlines like “How to be Über-Successful in Your Love Life & Career.” Meanwhile, Americans who travel abroad in their early twenties are said to have “wanderlust,” and pop artists are said to have captured the current “zeitgeist.” Heidi Klum’s ice-cold “Auf Wiedersehen” is directed […]

Alejandro Carrizo’s experience report Alejandro Carrizo is 40-years-old. He was born in Caracas, Venezuela, and was raised both in Irvine-California, USA – until he was five years of age – and Caracas. Alejandro is a physical therapist and through competitive swimming had the opportunity to visit many countries in Central and South America. But this […]

by Bilal Ahmed It can be very difficult to learn a foreign language when you’re not surrounded by it. That is why many students go abroad for immersion programmes. The objective is to live with a language long enough that it becomes second nature. It is a temporary form of immigration: you assimilate in a […]