My ESL: мая 2007

2007/05/03

About languages

...everyone is learning Chinese, they are the future of industry. English? The language of innovation. French? The language of taste. Italian? The language of tenderness. German? The language of depth of understanding. Japanese? The language of exquisite intimacy. Russian? The language of song. Hebrew? The language of insight. Arabic? The language of learning. etc...

http://forums.about.com/n/pfx/forum.aspx?nl=1&msg=12755.1&nav=messages&webtag=ab-spanish&lgnF=y&redirCnt=1

On This Day in Lingustic History

December 18 International Language Week
November 17 International Students' Day
October 5 Teacher Appreciation Day (Russia)
September 30 International translator’s Day http://twoways.net/blog/?p=6 http://www.corazones.org/santos/jeronimo.htm
26 September European Day of Languages
September 8 International Literacy Day http://www.un.org/depts/dhl/literacy/
May 25 Philologist day
March 20 International Day of Francophonie (all French-speakers)
February 21 International Mother Language Day http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_Mother_Language_Day
February 8 Russian Science Day
January 25 Russian Students Day (Tatiana Day)

Collection of Sayings about Languages

Я убежден, что каждый новый язык расширяет сознание человека и его мир. Это как будто еще один глаз и еще одно ухо. "Даниэль Штайн, переводчик" Людмила Улицкая
Le tengo cariño a la H. Es como unos zapatos viejos, que no valen para nada, pero que no te animas a tirarlos porque te recuerdan por dónde has caminado con ellos. José Antonio Millán, filólogo
Все прочие авторы могут желать похвал - авторы словарей и грамматик могут только желать избежать упреков. Жан Андрие
"I speak Spanish to God, Italian to women, French to men, and German to my horse." - Holy Roman Emperor Charles V
английский — это нацистский, не поддающийся логике язык (Пинкер Стивен Язык как инстинкт)
It's hard to imagine that a word is only 0.1% of a picture. American english: issue 49
“English doesn’t borrow from other languages. English follows other languages down dark alleys, knocks them over and goes through their pockets for loose grammar!” - Author unknown
I had a linguistics professor who said that it's man's ability to use language that makes him the dominant species on the planet. That may be. But I think there's another thing that separates us from animals. We aren't afraid of vacuum cleaners. Jeff Stilson
Language is the source of misunderstandings. Antoine de Saint-Exupéry
Languages fit the needs of those who speak them, and if a language lacks a word, it is because it lacks a concept or, better put, a feeling. Victoria Ocampo
High thoughts must have high language. Aristophanes
A different language is a different vision of life. Federico Fellini (1920-1993) Italian film director