I often write and speak about multilingualism, and much of my work has focused on language development, language learning and how people navigate their languages. But there is another part of multilingual life that is less visible that happens in everyday interactions: in the conversations around the dinner table. in how parents respond to a […]
Continue readingTag Archives: intercultural communication
The Voice and the Self: How Accent Shapes Who We Are
After exploring how accents are perceived, evaluated and adapted, a final question remains: Why does all of this feel so personal? Accent is not just pronunciation. It is your linguistic biography. Among all features of language, accent may be the most intimate. Vocabulary can be learned from textbooks, grammar can be practiced and […]
Continue reading
The use of silence across cultures
Do you fill the silence in conversations? Do you feel the urge to respond while the other person is still speaking? Communication varies across languages and cultures, and multilinguals can adjust to different patterns, paces and turn takings. Can you?
Continue reading
How to adjust your international language
When I saw this interview with Roger Federer the other day, I couldn’t resist but share it in my facebook group Multilingual Families. It is a perfect example for why, when we use our language in international settings, we shouldn’t assume that sayings, metaphors (and abbreviations!) are universal. https://twitter.com/thefield_in/status/1409944054020722693?s=20 In this particular example, […]
Continue reading
Finger-counting across cultures
Finger-counting differs across cultures and can reveal your base language.
Continue reading