Among life’s Tower-of-Babel puzzlements: why do so many words exist in different languages for the same thing? The website Open Culture answers one very narrow version of this question by taking on the reasons why tea is called something like … Continue reading →
Wondering how to say “How are you? Are you fine?” in Tamashek? Or, “How are you doing? How are you feeling?” in Fulfulde? Here’s a chance to satisfy your curiosity. Check out this interactive website on Google Earth that features … Continue reading →
Well, unlike the states of North Dakota, Montana, Idaho, Wyoming, Indiana, Ohio, Kentucky, South Carolina and Colorado, it’s not German. The US Census Bureau’s American Community Survey annually asks more than a million Americans questions about their lives, families, and backgrounds — … Continue reading →
Proving that language problems are everywhere, a Massachusetts school teacher recently undertook a translation project — creating a dictionary of youth slang to help him understand his students. When a TV reporter took the results to the streets, the Olds … Continue reading →
When it comes to learning a new language, not all tongues are created equal. Some offer a much rockier path to fluency for native English speakers. Consider this analysis by the Foreign Service Institute on how tough it is for … Continue reading →
You know what you’re saying to patients, but what are patients hearing? The truth is, nine out of ten adults struggle to understand and use health information when it’s unfamiliar, complex or jargon-filled. Limited health literacy costs the healthcare system … Continue reading →
It’s all about diet, says University of Zurich researcher Balthasar Bickel, in a study reported recently in the journal, Science. Bickel’s contention is that the move from a meat-heavy diet — and all the tearing, ripping and hard chewing that … Continue reading →
If you’re trying to arrange interpreter services for patients, it may seem that the world already has too many languages. But here’s the other side of that coin: the number of languages that are at risk of disappearing entirely. A … Continue reading →
Should the arts be considered an essential ingredient in general well-being? And should therapeutic art or hobby-based treatment be prescribed as part of a treatment plan? The answer is yes, according to United Kingdom Health Secretary Matt Hancock, who has … Continue reading →
How many patients are capable of fully understanding the care instructions they’re given? The answer: barely one in ten. A 2006 national survey found that 12 percent of patients fit the “proficient” health literacy category. Things get even more bleak … Continue reading →
Want to be viewed more often as a liar? Try telling the truth in another language. That, roughly speaking, is the conclusion of research conducted by University of Würzburg psychologists Kristina Suchotzki (photo, right) and Matthias Gamer. In their experiment, … Continue reading →
Here’s another note on the consequences of inadequate language services, this time from the St. Paul public school system. Como Park high school student and Karen immigrant Lor Ler Kaw got placed in mainstream English and social studies classes with … Continue reading →
It’s tough enough to understand Twin Cities snow emergency rules for native speakers. Imagine trying to decode them if you’ve got a loose grip on English. Here’s some help for limited-English speakers in Minneapolis and St. Paul. Both cities offer … Continue reading →
Looking for a cheap and easy way to learn how to say hello and exchange a pleasantry or two with recent immigrants? Check out the language lessons — many of them free — at the Open Culture website. You’ll find … Continue reading →
Here’s a twist on a communication problem that has bedeviled Minnesota’s emergency management departments. How do you let non-English speakers know about imminent hazards if your audience doesn’t speak English, or isn’t familiar with the nature of the hazard itself? … Continue reading →
Let’s take a break this week from wondering how to help English language learners, and stop to think why most people in Minnesota only speak English. For some fresh perspective on how weak this is in comparison to the other … Continue reading →
In case you doubted that it’s a hard language to master, here’s a video that demonstrates the quagmire through which English learners must wade. In this short film, Aaron Alon shows what happens when you apply consistent vowel-sound rules to … Continue reading →
Here’s a thought-provoking article from Psychology Today that explores how language can affect memory and behavior. Author Viorica Marian, Ph.D., psycholinguist at Northwestern University, describes how memories of multilingual people are linked to the language used while the event occurred. “Memories,” she … Continue reading →
It’s time to check out the latest edition of the Minnesota Health Literacy Partnership’s e-newsletter, In the Know: Health literacy news and best practices. The new issue covers topics such as health literacy training for dental professionals, and how to make … Continue reading →