Do you love languages as much as we do?
At Portsmouth City of Languages, we are all ‘loud and proud’ language geeks and wanted to share our fascination with all things language-related with you in this section of facts, research and fun articles.
What do you know about the languages spoken in Europe and the rest of the world?
For some fun and fascinating facts, you need go no further than these lovely posters available from the European Day of Languages (26 September) website.
There are many posters and factsheets to download but here are a few to get you started:
Did you know that dyslexia can be different depending on which language you speak?
The answer lies in how our brain processes writing – and how different languages are written.
Read more on the BBC Future website.
Is it important to keep vanishing languages alive?
Nine languages disappear each year – is this, as one linguist believes, like ‘dropping a bomb on the Louvre’ or is it ultimately up to speakers to decide to pass on their language or not?
Read more about this interesting debate on The Guardian website.
History shows that Britain has always been multilingual
Fears that English is ‘disappearing’ in England are misplaced – history shows the island has always been multilingual.
Read more on The Conversation.
Readers reply: which language is the most beautiful?
The long-running series in which readers answer other readers’ questions on subjects ranging from trivial flights of fancy to profound scientific and philosophical concepts.
Read more on The Guardian website.
Voulez-vous parler avec moi? My midlife French exchange in Paris
Language exchange holidays are wasted on the young. I had a great time with my host – sans youthful embarrassment about my accent – and more adults are doing the same.
Read more on The Guardian website.