Off the cob: Corny
We invested in dictionaries in 2012. Old dictionaries. Slang dictionaries, mostly, and often we didn’t have to invest much. What we spent at yard sales and used book stores was well worth it, and we’ve been shoehorning great terms like these into office conversations all year.
Continue reading… “25 new words and phrases we learned this year”
Futurist Thomas Frey: For most of us, the language we speak is like the air we breathe. But what happens when we wake up and find that our air is going extinct?
Continue reading… “Creating a Global Language Archive”
Some 20 years of research by hundreds of experts have found that successful global leaders have great soft skills.
There’s a difference between leading a global company and being a global leader. America has a lot of people who can lead a global company, but not so many who can be global leader.
Continue reading… “Why American leaders of global corporations aren’t global leaders”
Language and emotion play a big roll in business success.
Did you ever stop and think about some of the words and phrases you use in your business communications everyday? And did you ever pause and truly think about what message you are conveying with your words and phrases. In today’s conversations, there are many words and phrases spoken without any real sensitivity to the “real message” they convey to the hearer. Many of these seem quite innocent and are probably thought to be inconsequential. Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach believes you would be at a strategic advantage in your business communications if you understand that there are some words and phrases that should be avoided. Here is a list of 8 phrases and Your Strategic Thinking Business Coach antidote to the deadly phrase…
Continue reading… “Deadly Phrases In Business That Can Kill Success”
Programming is about building a better mousetrap.
There are at least a dozen up-and-coming computer programming languages vying to become the next C++ or Java today.
Continue reading… “New computer programming languages to watch”
Dialect regions as defined by the Atlas of North American English.
Lately, there has been a lot of discussion over whether the American public is becoming more and more politically polarized and what this all means for the future of our democracy. You may have wrung your own hands over the issue. But even if you have, chances are you’re not losing sleep over the fact that Americans are very clearly becoming more polarized linguistically.
Continue reading… “A changing accent shows how language parallels politics”
Research software from Microsoft synthesizes speech in a foreign language, but in a voice that sounds like yours.
Researchers at Microsoft have made software that can learn the sound of your voice, and then use it to speak a language that you don’t. The system could be used to make language tutoring software more personal, or to make tools for travelers.
Continue reading… “Universal translator lets you speak a foreign language in your own voice”
College-age women end sentences in the lowest vocal register, a creaky vibration called vocal fry.
Vocal fry, a low creaky, vibration has crept into the speech of young adult women who speak American English. Pop singers, such as Britney Spears, slip vocal fry into their music as a way to reach low notes and add style. Now, a new study of young women in New York state shows that the same guttural vibration—once considered a speech disorder—has become a language fad.
Continue reading… “Vocal fry creeping into the speech of young women in the U.S.”
Is the IQ up or down today?
IQ, the standard measure of intelligence, can increase or fall significantly during our teenage years, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust, and these changes are associated with changes to the structure of our brains. The findings may have implications for testing and streaming of children during their school years…
Regional accents are the hallmark of who you are and are a tie to communities.
The United States is an international melting pot and the average American makes a dozen moves in a lifetime. And regional accents are alive and well in America. ,William Labov, a professor of linguistics at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia, says, in fact, regional accents are becoming stronger and more different from each other although it’s not entirely clear why.
Continue reading… “Regional accents in the U.S. are getting stronger”
The E-Prime language promotes critical thinking.
To be or not to be … is not a question in the invented language of E-Prime. TopTenz explains:
Another language constructed to make a philosophical point, E-Prime is simply a version of English that forbids all forms of the verb ‘to be’ (is, was, were, etc).
According to Alfred Korzybski, who promoted the language in his 1933 book Science and Sanity, E-Prime can be used to sharpen critical thinking and make ideas clearer…
Continue reading… “E-Prime: The invented language that has no verb to be”
TVGuardian
There have been tools over the years for skipping the sexy or violent parts of movies, or sanitizing the bad words coming from your TV’s speakers. But HDTV viewers who didn’t want to restrict viewing to G-rated shows remained exposed to nasty curse words and other offensive language. Until now. (Videos)
Continue reading… “TVGuardian – Bad Language Filter for Your HDTV”
By delving into the futuring techniques of Futurist Thomas Frey, you’ll embark on an enlightening journey.
Learn More about this exciting program.