The Sinitic languages, more broadly known as Chinese is a language family consisting of languages which are the indigenous languages spoken by the Han Chinese in China, it forms one of the branches of Sino-Tibetan family of languages. Over one billion people, about one-fifth of the world’s population, speaks some variety of Chinese as their native language. Internal divisions of Chinese are usually perceived by their native speakers as dialects of a single Chinese language, rather than separate languages. There are between seven and thirteen main regional groups of Chinese, of which the most spoken, by far, is Mandarin which is spoken by about 850 million people.
Standard Chinese is a standardized form of spoken Chinese, based on the Beijing dialect of Mandarin Chinese. Standard Chinese is the official language of the People's Republic of China and Taiwan, as well as one of four official languages of Singapore. It is one of the six official languages of the United Nations. Of the other varieties of Chinese, Cantonese is influential among overseas communities, and remains one of the official languages of Hong Kong(together with English).
Old Chinese, sometimes known as "Archaic Chinese", was the language common during the early and middle Zhou Dynasty (1122 BCE–256 BCE), texts of which include inscriptions on bronze artefacts and the poetry of the Shījīng. The phonetic elements found in the majority of Chinese characters provide hints to their Old Chinese pronunciations. The pronunciation of the borrowed Chinese characters in Japanese, Vietnamese and Korean also provide valuable insights.
Come back tomorrow for Portuguese.
Monday, 21 February 2011
Sunday, 20 February 2011
German
German is a West Germanic language, closely related to English and Dutch and spoken by approximately 100 million native speakers. German is one of the world's major languages spoken primarily in Germany (where it is the first language for more than 95% of the population)
Other European German-speaking communities are found in Northern Italy in the East Cantons of Belgium, in the French regions of Alsace and Lorraine, and in some border villages of the former South Jutland County in Denmark.
German-speaking communities can also be found in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Russia and Kazakhstan. German is also a spoken language in other countries including Egypt, Israel, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The history of the language begins when Old High German dialects separated from Old Saxon. Old Saxon at this time belongs to the North Sea Germanic culture, and Low Saxon should fall under German rather than Anglo-Frisian influence during the Holy Roman Empire.
As Germany was divided into many different states, the only force working for a unification or standardization of German during a period of several hundred years was the general preference of writers trying to write in a way that could be understood in the largest possible area.
Check in tomorrow for Chinese.
Other European German-speaking communities are found in Northern Italy in the East Cantons of Belgium, in the French regions of Alsace and Lorraine, and in some border villages of the former South Jutland County in Denmark.
German-speaking communities can also be found in the Czech Republic, Slovakia, Hungary, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Russia and Kazakhstan. German is also a spoken language in other countries including Egypt, Israel, Spain, Turkey, and the United Kingdom.
The history of the language begins when Old High German dialects separated from Old Saxon. Old Saxon at this time belongs to the North Sea Germanic culture, and Low Saxon should fall under German rather than Anglo-Frisian influence during the Holy Roman Empire.
As Germany was divided into many different states, the only force working for a unification or standardization of German during a period of several hundred years was the general preference of writers trying to write in a way that could be understood in the largest possible area.
Check in tomorrow for Chinese.
5 Languages in 5 days
Over the next 5 days I am going to be giving you little fact-files on 5 major world languages. They are going to include a few facts about the language, countries in which the language is spoken, a bit of history and some learning tips.
Monday – German
Tuesday – Chinese
Wednesday – Portuguese
Thursday – Hindi
Friday – English as a foreign language
Check in to check it out.
Monday – German
Tuesday – Chinese
Wednesday – Portuguese
Thursday – Hindi
Friday – English as a foreign language
Check in to check it out.
Friday, 11 February 2011
You must be joking?
It’s interesting really, when you think about it. I think the importance of communication is often underplayed. Take a joke for example. A joke has the power to make people fall down in tears of laughter. It has the power to bring amazing happiness to those people that hear it, and we have such a fascination with jokes and laughter that we spend hours and hours of our lives watching comedy films and going to see stand up comedians- a good sense of humour is even something most people look for in a partner.
Yet, on the other side of the coin- jokes can often be misunderstood. People can be hurt, offended and even feel bullied by not understanding a joke. Interestingly, humour is something that a lot of people find very difficult to translate into a different language. This is because the things we find funny are not just the words themselves, but the common associations we have with them.
I suppose, in theory, it is possible to learn a language from a text book. I suppose that all a language really is, is a series of words in specific patterns and structures that could quite easily be portrayed in a book or on a website. How hard would it be to learn what to say? Then again, I think the skill lies in how to say it. Nothing compares to learning a language from a real breathing human being. Human beings possess all the appropriate word associations and feelings, not just to say the right things, but to make sense.
For example, if you found someone attractive, you could say “Your face is aesthetically adequate” and you never know, it may be well received- but I personally feel that a phrase like “your very pretty” would go down with more success.
Do not settle for merely being heard. Aim to be understood.
Yet, on the other side of the coin- jokes can often be misunderstood. People can be hurt, offended and even feel bullied by not understanding a joke. Interestingly, humour is something that a lot of people find very difficult to translate into a different language. This is because the things we find funny are not just the words themselves, but the common associations we have with them.
I suppose, in theory, it is possible to learn a language from a text book. I suppose that all a language really is, is a series of words in specific patterns and structures that could quite easily be portrayed in a book or on a website. How hard would it be to learn what to say? Then again, I think the skill lies in how to say it. Nothing compares to learning a language from a real breathing human being. Human beings possess all the appropriate word associations and feelings, not just to say the right things, but to make sense.
For example, if you found someone attractive, you could say “Your face is aesthetically adequate” and you never know, it may be well received- but I personally feel that a phrase like “your very pretty” would go down with more success.
Do not settle for merely being heard. Aim to be understood.
Wednesday, 9 February 2011
Up to the challenge?
Learning a new language can be challenging, whether it is learning new grammar or trying to perfect accent - but it is such a rewarding experience when you hit those milestones- Like a full conversation with a native, or even just being able to understand a sign-post in a different country.
What are the biggest problems you have come across when learning new languages? What are your most positive experiences?
What are the biggest problems you have come across when learning new languages? What are your most positive experiences?
Its all in the accent
When attempting to perfect a new language, the pinnacle achievement is that of acquiring a genuine accent to go with it. Some accents, like the Australian for example, stand out quite significantly where as other accents, like a softly flowing Irish accent- are more subtle and harder to detect by those who do not know how. In truth, there are a vast amount of different accents, in every language. I can think of at least 9 different types of French accent, just of the top of my head.
Let us take a quick look at the British and American accents. Both are English (although there are those that disagree) but they sound drastically different. The reason for this is that they are spoken using different areas of the mouth. Americans don’t distinguish so much between different sounds and speak with the back of the mouth and the nose, where as the Brits speak with the front part of the mouth and the tongue, carefully articulating each sound.
It is really very normal to have an accent, as an accent is merely the way in which we use our mouths to pronounce words. The best way to pick up an accent is to “reverse engineer” it. Listen to a native speaker speaking your language and listen to the accent they have. For example- When English is your native language and you wish to learn how to speak German- listen to how a German person speaks English. You will notice that they speak very much with their breath- paying particular attention to letters “s” and “z”- When next speaking German, do the same and you shall find your accent improved.
The best way to pick up a genuine accent is to learn from a native speaker. Get in touch with Just Languages and give it a try.
Let us take a quick look at the British and American accents. Both are English (although there are those that disagree) but they sound drastically different. The reason for this is that they are spoken using different areas of the mouth. Americans don’t distinguish so much between different sounds and speak with the back of the mouth and the nose, where as the Brits speak with the front part of the mouth and the tongue, carefully articulating each sound.
It is really very normal to have an accent, as an accent is merely the way in which we use our mouths to pronounce words. The best way to pick up an accent is to “reverse engineer” it. Listen to a native speaker speaking your language and listen to the accent they have. For example- When English is your native language and you wish to learn how to speak German- listen to how a German person speaks English. You will notice that they speak very much with their breath- paying particular attention to letters “s” and “z”- When next speaking German, do the same and you shall find your accent improved.
The best way to pick up a genuine accent is to learn from a native speaker. Get in touch with Just Languages and give it a try.
Thursday, 3 February 2011
Land of Pharaohs
As many of you will be aware, Egypt, land of the Pharaohs, is currently going through great political and social upheaval. Hosni Mubarak, President of the 30 years has been accused of tyranny and corruption and there has been a call from the Egyptian people and the international community for him to step down.
Egypt, or more accurately the Arab Republic of Egypt has a rich history and a vibrant culture. Almost every school child in the world is taught about the pyramids, the sphinx and the Nile. The country's history is ingrained in pop culture with films like “The Mummy” and conspiracies like “Was the curse of Tutankhamun responsible for the sinking of the Titanic?”. Furthermore, considering it is a Muslim county, it is remarkable that part of Christian teaching involves learning a little of Egypt's history and culture.
So what is the fate of this magnificent country now? Well that is a question that seems to be in heavy contention. Even now in Tahrir square, thousands of anti-Mubarak supporters face off against thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters. Despite the promise the he will not stand for another term, Mubarak is beset on all sides by people calling for his immediate resignation.
Whatever happens, the next year in Egypt will be interesting ones- It will be amazing place to visit with a beautiful culture to immerse yourself in. And of course, one of the best ways to understand a different culture, is through its language.
Now, I know it rather difficult to find good Arabic tutors in the UK, I have found Just Languages to rather reliable.
Egypt, or more accurately the Arab Republic of Egypt has a rich history and a vibrant culture. Almost every school child in the world is taught about the pyramids, the sphinx and the Nile. The country's history is ingrained in pop culture with films like “The Mummy” and conspiracies like “Was the curse of Tutankhamun responsible for the sinking of the Titanic?”. Furthermore, considering it is a Muslim county, it is remarkable that part of Christian teaching involves learning a little of Egypt's history and culture.
So what is the fate of this magnificent country now? Well that is a question that seems to be in heavy contention. Even now in Tahrir square, thousands of anti-Mubarak supporters face off against thousands of pro-Mubarak supporters. Despite the promise the he will not stand for another term, Mubarak is beset on all sides by people calling for his immediate resignation.
Whatever happens, the next year in Egypt will be interesting ones- It will be amazing place to visit with a beautiful culture to immerse yourself in. And of course, one of the best ways to understand a different culture, is through its language.
Now, I know it rather difficult to find good Arabic tutors in the UK, I have found Just Languages to rather reliable.
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