What would our writing look like if the Bic ballpoint pen had never been invented? At its birth, this rudimentary plastic ink roller that every human on the planet now has access to and discards almost weekly had massive effects on the way that we record information, communicate, and even represent our written characters. To fully understand the impact [...]
Can Adults Learn a Second Language? The short answer is yes—adults can (and should!) pick up more than one language. The idea that a student is most receptive to information at a young age, and that the brain hardens against learning new information later, is largely a myth. What actually occurs is that adults leave environments such as schools [...]
The internet has revolutionized many of the ways that humans engage with each other. From new avenues of sharing creative endeavors to broader access to knowledge than at any other point in humanity’s history, the interconnected nature of modern living has changed the social landscape faster than anyone ever expected. However, humans are adaptable creatures, and it has not [...]
While you still see your four- or five-year-old as your precious little one, the kids themselves now feel like they’ve attained big boy and big girl status, and they’re likely even showing flashes of the adults they’ll one day become. A major part of this growth and independence is them flexing their newfound linguistic muscles, as they’ve learned that [...]
For most people, learning a new language is a challenging, long-term commitment that requires daily dedication and air-tight focus. When you’re first starting out, you may notice that your train of thought “pauses” as it works to switch from your native language to your new language. As time goes on and you become stronger in your ability to utilize and [...]
The age of three to four is around when kids start gabbing about anything and everything, and their chattiness extends beyond simple identification to deeper thoughts about people, their feelings, and the world. Most kids at this stage are quite chatty around trusted people, and this could even be when the famous “Why?” phase starts, where kids will ask [...]
The age of two to three is an exciting time in all aspects of child development and a period when many parents report that things “get fun.” Of course you’ve been treasuring all those moments holding your infant and soothing all that crying, but your newly mobile and increasingly communicative toddler can now accompany you on a whole new [...]
There’s no turning back now. At 18 to 24 months, for better or worse, you've officially got a talker on your hands and all you can do is try to point the linguistic ship in the right direction while encouraging their rapidly blooming speaking and listening skills. This is the stage of lightning-fast word acquisition and an ocean of [...]
The rich history of African American Vernacular English has endured and flourished, undoubtedly leaving an indelible mark on America and how it speaks, but AAVE’s origin, core features, and even very existence continue to be debated by professional linguists and everyday people alike. Despite the debate, and at times controversy, over what exactly AAVE is, there is a very [...]
While parents certainly love all the cooing and cute sounds infants make, they often start getting antsy to move past the squeaking and gurgling into some real words, especially a “Mama” or a “Dada.” This will come in time, and that time generally lands somewhere in the period of 12 to 18 months. Structured Babbling and a Baby’s First [...]
