This is the brain on multilingualism. We try to keep all our languages going, and the more we practice, the more they wrestle for space. The eternal question: how can we keep our languages in good shape while welcoming new ones? Should we just sit back and enjoy the learning process, while being cognizant of our neuroplasticity?
This lovely illustration is available as print, sticker and further stationery on the Expat Gone Foreign Store! ✨
Have you ever had a feeling that you just couldn’t put to words? It’s hard to describe something when you can’t even name it, isn’t it? Well, chances are that somewhere, some language has the exact word you need. In the series Untranslatable Universals we delve into words from many a different language that don’t exist in others, yet convey universal human emotions. Let’s begin!
kilig (n.) Tagalog – Rush of exhilaration caused by a romantic happenstance, such as making eye contact or talking to one’s crush.
Schwellenangst (n.) German – Fear of embarking something new or crossing a threshold.
ελευθερομανία [eleutheromania] (n.) Greek – Intense desire for or obsession with freedom.
物の哀れ [mono no aware] (n.) Japanese – Bittersweet feeling for appreciation towards beautiful things pared with a deep wistfulness for their ephemeral nature. ‘Mono no aware’ literally means ‘pathos of things’, a sensitivity and sorrow towards the ephemeral.
abbiocco (n.) Italian – Drowsy sensation following a large or hearty meal that often leads to falling asleep.
That’s it for now. Do you know more untranslatable universals? Let me know in the comments!
This week, French gets its turn with an illustrated collection of tongue twisters or virelangues.
Tongue twisters are somewhat humorous phrases that rely on alliteration 1, rapid alternation between similar but distinct phonemes 2, and other phonetic devices that make them fairly difficult to articulate, even for native speakers.
Due to their phonetic complexity, tongue twisters are a fun way to train your ear and pronunciation in foreign languages. They can help you differentiate minimal pairs, train muscle placement and develop clearer speech patterns.
Thanks to my friend François, you can listen to the pronunciation of each virelangue. Just click on the audio track below each illustration. Allons-y!
C’est fini! Do you have a favorite virelangue, or maybe one that is impossible to pronounce? Do you know more tongue twisters? Leave me a comment!
Christmas is coming and I’ve spent the weekend designing this year’s Christmas cards for my family. Before delving into the creative process, I asked myself “What is Christmas for me?”
1. Family
2. Delicious food
3. More yummy food
4. Sunny weather
5. Did I mention the food?
And here is the result!
I also wanted to wish everyone a “merry Christmas” in their native language, because “If you talk to [a man] in his language, that goes to his heart”. But who has the time to customize every card? The solution is sending multilingual Christmas wishes! Not only do they promote language fun, but they also provide two minutes of coloring relaxation.
And the best part is… these Christmas cards are now available in the Expat Gone Foreign’s Store, ta-dah! Here are the links:
Multilingual Merry Christmas (card)
Christmas is coming! (card)
Christmas is coming! (postcard)
¡Llega la navidad! (postcard)
Surprise your family and friends with multilingual wishes! :D
Do you have questions, suggestions or wishes? Send me an email at expatgoneforeign@gmail.com : )
