Lost and found in translation
Aarthi Muthukumar/File
I know from school and dictionaries that language has defined meanings, but I learned from my experience of speaking Spanish how words also have tastes, smells, sounds and sights.
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Beyond ‘words matter’: The language of mental health
As with most abstract concepts, the language we use to approximate mental health shapes our attitudes toward it. In the case of mental health, this often results in growing up with stigma.
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Bajan-isms: Translating Barbadian slang
One of the weirdest things about being an international student is dealing with two or more sets of slang. Here are some of my favorite Bajan words to add to your speech.
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Nicki Minaj, apologi(s)ing and ‘the britishism’
Hopping the Pond
Our local Berkeley alley is now “dodgy,” not sketchy; elevators are labeled as “lifts;” American friends use “bloody” and “bum” in place of ruder options.
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Invoke the Vocative
I’m an immigrant, and Malayalam is my mother tongue. I’m an immigrant, and Malayalam is my second language. Both are true, but the latter I’ve always hated.
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The disconnect between my culture and the language I speak
The language of our family or our culture can help ground us, but what happens when a person doesn’t know the language of their culture?
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My experience at an international high school
Attending an international school was a unique experience, one that opened my mind up to many cultures and taught me to keep an open, global mindset.
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Using Korean words that don’t translate to English
Having grown up in South Korea, I can’t describe all of my feelings in English. Here is a list of Korean words without a direct English translation!
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What I learned from failing a major placement exam
Failing the HSK made me realize that failure is not the dark pit I imagined it to be — instead, it can be an opportunity of reflection and redirection.
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Furspeech: The ‘purrfect’ constructed language of furries
Regardless of your opinions on furspeech, its consistent fan base and ability to permeate through several cultures under one constructed language is pretty “purrrfect” in itself.
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