Writing systems, or scripts, are tools that humans developed to document and transmit ideas that came to us using language. As it turns out, the scripts that we’ve developed are quite versatile and can be used to transcribe a variety of languages. Consider, conveniently, the example of this article that you’re reading. It’s written in the Latin script, which [...]
Learning a foreign language has well-known social and even cognitive benefits, but people often underestimate the professional value of multilingualism. For starters, bilingualism equates to an average of 10-15% higher pay in the US job market. Specialized careers pay even more, but require a high level of language proficiency and possibly a foreign language degree for entry. Types of [...]
“What’s in a name?” Shakespeare’s Juliet famously asked, and the answer depends on what culture you are talking about and what language you are speaking. Our names are uniquely personal and individual identifiers, yet they often represent the lives, aspirations and beliefs of an incredibly large group of people. In some cultures, names are steeped in tradition and passed [...]
