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 […]
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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?
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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, […]
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Finger-counting across cultures
Finger-counting differs across cultures and can reveal your base language.
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How to listen actively
There are many different types of listening. Active listening is a skill that we can acquire and develop with practice and it is a skill that I train in my extended version of intercultural communication trainings – because it takes time and patience to develop. Like the name suggests, active listening means to actively listen. It […]
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