Fascinated by Languages


Book Description

A discussion of the problems encountered translating the Bible into many different languages.




Fascinated by Languages


Book Description

In this unique account of 60 years of Bible translation, Eugene Nida sets out his journey with a personal touch. On the way, he reveals the importance of a solid knowledge of Greek and Hebrew as well as of the historical settings in which the Bible was created, in order to render effective translations. Through his story we get to know Nida's views on translations through the ages, in different cultures and narrative traditions, right through to the 21st Century. This book is in the first place a study in anthropological linguistics that tells the rich history of Bible translation, the Bible Societies, translator training, and cultural translation problems. Eugene A. Nida (1914) went to UCLA (Phi Beta Kappa, 1936) and the University of Southern California (Helenistic Greek, 1939). He taught at the Summer Institute of Linguistics from 1937-1952 and is past president of the Linguistic Society of America (1968). From 1943-1981 he was language consultant for the American Bible Society and the United Bible Societies which led him to study many cultures across 96 countries and to lecture in over a hundred universities and colleges to this day. His published works include Bible Translating (1946), Customs and Cultures (1954), Toward a Science of Translating (1964), Religion across Cultures (1968), The Sociolinguistics of Intercultural Communication (1996) and Translation in Context (2002).




The Atlas of Unusual Languages: An exploration of language, people and geography


Book Description

We communicate through the spoken and written word and language has evolved over the centuries. Many languages have survived although only in small pockets throughout the world. This book explores a selection of those languages.




The Book of Languages


Book Description

"Take a tour of 21 of the world's most commonly spoken languages!"--Back cover.




In the Land of Invented Languages


Book Description

Here is the captivating story of humankind’s enduring quest to build a better language—and overcome the curse of Babel. Just about everyone has heard of Esperanto, which was nothing less than one man’s attempt to bring about world peace by means of linguistic solidarity. And every Star Trek fan knows about Klingon. But few people have heard of Babm, Blissymbolics, Loglan (not to be confused with Lojban), and the nearly nine hundred other invented languages that represent the hard work, high hopes, and full-blown delusions of so many misguided souls over the centuries. With intelligence and humor, Arika Okrent has written a truly original and enlightening book for all word freaks, grammar geeks, and plain old language lovers.




The Babel Message


Book Description

'Quite simply, and quite ridiculously, one of the funniest and most illuminating books I have ever read. I thought I was obsessive, but Keith Kahn-Harris is playing a very different sport. He really has discovered the whole world in an egg.' Simon Garfield A thrilling journey deep into the heart of language, from a rather unexpected starting point. Keith Kahn-Harris is a man obsessed with something seemingly trivial - the warning message found inside Kinder Surprise eggs: WARNING, read and keep: Toy not suitable for children under 3 years. Small parts might be swallowed or inhaled. On a tiny sheet of paper, this message is translated into dozens of languages - the world boiled down to a multilingual essence. Inspired by this, the author asks: what makes 'a language'? With the help of the international community of language geeks, he shows us what the message looks like in Ancient Sumerian, Zulu, Cornish, Klingon - and many more. Along the way he considers why Hungarian writing looks angry, how to make up your own language, and the meaning of the heavy metal umlaut. Overturning the Babel myth, he argues that the messy diversity of language shouldn't be a source of conflict, but of collective wonder. This is a book about hope, a love letter to language. 'This is a wonderful book. A treasure trove of mind-expanding insights into language and humanity encased in a deliciously quirky, quixotic quest. I loved it. Warning: this will keep you reading.' - Ann Morgan, author of Reading the World: Confessions of a Literary Explorer




Growing up with Three Languages


Book Description

This book is based on an eleven-year observation of two children who were simultaneously exposed to three languages from birth. It tells the story of two parents from different cultural, linguistic, and ethnic-racial backgrounds who joined to raise their two children with their heritage languages outside their native countries. It also tells the children’s story and the way they negotiated three cultures and languages and developed a trilingual identity. It sheds light on how parental support contributed to the children’s simultaneous acquisition of three languages in an environment where the main input of the two heritage languages came respectively from the father and from the mother. It addresses the challenges and the unique language developmental characteristics of the two children during their trilingual acquisition process.




Fascinate


Book Description

“Fascination . . . the most powerful of product attachments . . . this pioneering book helps us approach . . . the concept in a thoughtful . . . practical manner.” —Tom Peters, national bestselling author of In Search of Excellence In an oversaturated culture defined by limited time and focus, how do we draw attention to our messages, our ideas, and our products when we only have seconds to compete? Award-winning consultant and speaker Sally Hogshead turned to a wide realm of disciplines, including neurobiology, psychology, and evolutionary anthropology. She began to see specific and interesting patterns that all centered on one element: fascination. Fascination is the most powerful way to capture an audience and influence behavior. This essential book, newly revised and updated, examines the principles behind fascination and explores how those insights can be put to use to sway: • Which brand of frozen peas you pick in the case • Which city, neighborhood, and house you choose • Which profession and company you join • Where you go on vacation • Which book you buy off the shelf Structured around the seven languages of fascination Hogshead has studied and developed—power, passion, innovation, alarm, mystique, prestige, and alert—Fascinate explores how anyone can use these triggers to make products, messages, and services more fascinating—and more successful. “A transformative work, a beautifully written book that will forever change the way you see the world.” —Seth Godin, author of Linchpin “A riveting journey through the forces of fascination—how it irresistibly shapes our ideas, opinions, and relationships—and how to wield it to your advantage.” —Alan Webber, co-found, Fast Company and author of Rules of Thumb “This slight but practical work packs a big punch.” —Publishers Weekly




Fluent Forever


Book Description

NATIONAL BESTSELLER • For anyone who wants to learn a foreign language, this is the method that will finally make the words stick. “A brilliant and thoroughly modern guide to learning new languages.”—Gary Marcus, cognitive psychologist and author of the New York Times bestseller Guitar Zero At thirty years old, Gabriel Wyner speaks six languages fluently. He didn’t learn them in school—who does? Rather, he learned them in the past few years, working on his own and practicing on the subway, using simple techniques and free online resources—and here he wants to show others what he’s discovered. Starting with pronunciation, you’ll learn how to rewire your ears and turn foreign sounds into familiar sounds. You’ll retrain your tongue to produce those sounds accurately, using tricks from opera singers and actors. Next, you’ll begin to tackle words, and connect sounds and spellings to imagery rather than translations, which will enable you to think in a foreign language. And with the help of sophisticated spaced-repetition techniques, you’ll be able to memorize hundreds of words a month in minutes every day. This is brain hacking at its most exciting, taking what we know about neuroscience and linguistics and using it to create the most efficient and enjoyable way to learn a foreign language in the spare minutes of your day.




Creative Multilingualism


Book Description

Creative Multilingualism: A Manifesto is a welcome contribution to the field of modern languages, highlighting the intricate relationship between multilingualism and creativity, and, crucially, reaching beyond an Anglo-centric view of the world.