Category: Mini Posts

Where Did The Infinity Symbol Come From?

I promise not to get too far away from languages, but I wanted to take a little bit of time (and I really do just mean a little) to talk about the symbolism of the little infinity symbol we all know and love. The bulk of this mini-article appeared in a previous and much larger work…
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Five Benefits of Learning Chinese

If you’ve ever wondered how to learn Chinese as a beginner, chances are there was some motivating spark behind the idea. Maybe you read about a promising new business opportunity in China. Maybe you just liked the idea of learning a new language to keep your mind sharp. No matter what got you thinking, you…
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The Number Of Words You Need To Learn To Be Fluent In A New Language

  by Michael Dehoyos   Memorizing new vocabulary is an important part of learning a new language. But is there a set number of words you need to learn before you can speak a language? Find out how many words you really need to know, depending on your purpose and goal for learning a new…
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12 Fantastic Gift Ideas For Language Lovers

With the holidays fast approaching for many of us around the world, a whole lot of us are starting to feel the pressure mounting to provide our friends and loved ones with a shiny new stack of gifts once again this year. If you count language learners and enthusiasts, linguists, teachers, expats or whatever among…
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Why do Auctioneers Talk so Fast?

Every time we need an example of someone who speaks ridiculously quickly, we tend to turn to auctioneers. These machine-gun-mouthed ramblebots are capable of slinging some serious verbiage in your direction extraordinarily fast. But why do auctioneers talk so fast? According to Slate, this is done in order to keep audiences and potential buyers in…
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Do Women Talk More Than Men?

Ah, yes, the ages old quip about talkative ladies. Drawing the ire of many a woman and the insipid chuckles of many a bro in a popped-collared polo, this is one of those annoying questions you may already have assumed to know the answer to, but that I felt merited addressing anyway: do women talk…
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