John McWhorter
What’s the point of learning Russian?
During the Cold War, you could get a job at the Pentagon or State Department job if you spoke Russian. Today you’re guaranteed nothing more than the agony of grappling with Russian grammar. Still, there are signs that a few Americans are taking the plunge.During the Cold War, you could get a job at the Pentagon or State Department job if you spoke Russian. Today you’re guaranteed nothing more than the agony of grappling with Russian grammar. Still, there are signs that a few Americans are taking the plunge.
Do the words we use to describe pregnancy reveal our feelings toward it?
In Russian, the word for “pregnant” can mean “burdensome.” In Chinese, “pregnant” appears to imply “happiness.” But be careful reading too much meaning into these words, say linguists.In Russian, the word for “pregnant” can mean “burdensome.” In Chinese, “pregnant” appears to imply “happiness.” But be careful reading too much meaning into these words, say linguists.
New research suggests language structure may play factor in personal saving
A Yale economist’s research shows that if you speak a language that, grammatically speaking, treats the present tense and future tense the same way, unlike English, you’ll save vastly more more money over the course of your life.
Does the Language You Speak Determine How Much Money You Save?
A controversial new study out of Yale concludes that people who speak languages without future verb tenses like Chinese are better at preparing for the future than people who use a future tense like in English, French, and Spanish for example.