Folium: Do All Languages Derive from a Single Common Ancestor via Slate

… Connect Slate: Do All Languages Derive from a Single Common Ancestor … Have you ever wondered what the first language on the earth was? We may never know because of the rate at which languages change and mutate on a constant basis. Gretchen McCulloch writes to educate us on the subject of Verner’s law […]

Folium: Dissonant Tones Sound Fine to People Not Raised in Western Music via ArsTechnica

… Connect ArsTechnica: Dissonant Tones Sound Fine to People Not Raised in Western Music … Bobby McFerrin is an American jazz vocalist and conductor. A ten-time Grammy Award winner, he is known for his unique vocal techniques. In this article Cathleen tells us about his theory and how he tested it. Bobby went around to […]

Folium: An Emerging Entry In America’s Multiracial Vocabulary: ‘Blaxican’ via NPR / Code Switch

… Connect NPR/CodeSwitch: An Emerging Entry In America’s Multiracial Vocabulary: ‘Blaxican’ … Between colonial history, immigration cycles, and cultural flow in the United States, there are endless new definitions of what “American” really is. Melissa Adams is a living example of what that changing definition of “American” really is. She was born black and Mexican. […]

Folium: When a Dad Takes His Daughter on a Trip via UpWorthy

  … Connect When a Dad Takes His Daughter on a Trip via UpWorthy … Not everyone would agree that bringing your two year old child on a spontaneous trip to the unknown is logical, but Stefen Chow would challenge that notion. He couldn’t pass up the opportunity to take a trip when he found […]

Folium: Push – Expanding Your Comfort Zone via Lifehacker

… Connect Push – Expanding Your Comfort Zone via Lifehacker … In every twist and turn this life presents, you need to always be ready to take life head on and push yourself to your absolute limit. Derek is a musician from California who travels all over the world playing shows. He has traveled to […]

Folium: Immigrants Explain What Shocked Them About American Culture via VICE

… Connect VICE: Immigrants Explain What Shocked Them About American Culture … Culture shock is the feeling of disorientation experienced by someone who is suddenly subjected to an unfamiliar culture, way of life, or set of attitudes. For those who are newcomers to the United States there is such a thing called an “American culture […]

Folium: Real Talk – The Idea of Language Instinct via Aeon

… Connect Real Talk – The Idea of Language Instinct via Aeon … A key challenge that most linguists face is the question of whether or not humans are predisposed with the knowledge of language, or if they develop linguistic features listening to their parents and others speak. Most four-year-olds know thousands of words and have a sense […]

Folium: Is Speaking a Language Different From Being Fluent via MentalFloss

… Connect MentalFloss: Is Speaking a Language Different From Being Fluent? … I am under the impression that to be fluent in another language means that you speak it as well as, or almost as well as, your native language. But what does being fluent in another language actually mean? Is speaking a language different […]

Folium: How The Language You Speak Changes Your View Of The World via The Independent

… Connect The Independent: How The Language You Speak Changes Your View Of The World … I began my journey of learning a new language when I was in middle school. My middle school Spanish teacher often expressed her passion for the language and how learning a foreign language changes you. She would say “language […]

Folium: How to Understand the Deep Structures of Language via Scientific American

… Connect Scientific American: How to Understand the Deep Structures of Language … If you have ever seen a silent film then you have probably picked up on some examples of the unspoken language all humans speak to one another. Although we do not hear what is being said, the non-verbal communication a lot of […]