This time I would like to tell you about an interesting article that I read about universal language laws. As the article was in Dutch, I shall translate the main concepts in English:

” Learning a foreign language is a paradox experience. The phonemes and words are different, but at the same time there is a part of the grammar that seems familiar.

For centuries, people have been thinking that languages are constructed according to the same basic grammatical principles. All languages are supposed to have verbs and nouns. All languages are supposed to have a sentence structure using a subject and a predicate. And in all languages you are supposedly able to embed sentences several times in a row into other sentences.

In 1957, Noam Chomsky added another dimension to the discussion about ‘universalia’ ( which is how the universal characteristics are called). According to him, children are already born with the language ‘universalia’ in their brain. The hypothesis has always been contended. Most of the objections originally came from language scientists who were specialized in the original (Indian) languages of North America. They saw things happening there that did not fit into the assumed universalia concept. Nowadays there are also many counter-examples coming from Australia en New Guinea.

Two specialists from the language corner, Nicholas Evans and Stephen Levinson, wrote a provoking article with the title ‘The myth of language universals’ where they try to overturn most of the assumed universals.

For example they mention the Kayardild language that is spoken on a little island near Australia. In this language it is not only possible to put verbs in the future,present or past tense, but this can also be done with nouns. And if you take a noun and turn it into an indirect object by adding a specific ending, it becomes a verb. Moreover, the Kayardild language has a completely free word order. This is contrary to one of the most important assumptions of language universals, the law of constituency: what belongs to each other,stands next to each other in a sentence. That is why we say ‘ He saw a beautiful girl passing by’ and not ‘A beautiful he saw passing by girl. ‘beautiful’ and ‘girl’ must stand next to each other.

Since a number of years we know that there are a bunch of languages spread over the world that have a largely or completely free word order. Generally those languages have a really extensive system of word endings so that it is still understandable which words belong to each other by looking at the endings.

The conclusion of this is that constituency is not a universal characteristic of languages.

Just like that there are many ‘universal attributes’ that have a big question mark behind them.

For example the indirect object. In all languages you can express that someone gives something to someone.Many scientists think that the word give always has 3 complements that go with it e.g. in English ‘the girl gives the boy a kiss’ =girl, boy and kiss (and likewise the word ‘die’ can only have one and ‘kill’ two). But there seem to be languages where one can already see to whom something is given by looking at the form of the verb.In this case the indirect object is not needed and therefore it cannot be called a universal attribute.

Also the subject is not really universal,as there are languages that use a totally different system. Generally there seem to be only two types of words that are universal: nouns and verbs, but even about that there is a discussion. First of all there are the two famous poly synthetic languages from Canada and Greenland that can express things with one verb where other languages need a whole sentence ( e.g. Tusaatsiarunnanngittualuujunga means I cannot hear it very well). Even nouns can be incorporated in the verb, therefore it does not seem appropriate to call it  a verb any longer.In some North American languages a word can become a verb or a noun according to the way it was placed in a sentence, which clearly disproves the idea that words in our heads are already labeled as being verbs or nouns.

The most abstract assumed universal characteristic of languages is the recursive character of embedment. If a language has the structure of the character X then it can be embedded in the structure Y.Especially sentences with other embedded sentences are interesting.E.g. the sentence ‘ John saw Peter drinking coffee.’ Here the sentence Peter is drinking coffee is embedded in the sentence John saw (something). Embedment occurs in all languages. But recursion goes one step further. It is a more radical and therefore also more interesting idea that states that embedment can be repeated,technically as often as you want it to.It is a fascinating way to extend sentences infinitely.Of course in reality it does not really occur very often and in speaking language would make a sentence almost  impossible to understand.( e.g. ‘the floor leader thinks that the state secretary should have said that the opposition leader was wrong when he claimed that the premier did not inform the cabinet early enough.’) But also recursion is not universal because in Kayardild embedment can only take place once.

So if all the previously mentioned characteristics are proven not to be completely universal then what is left of language universalities? Not much! Only some trivial things like: all( written) languages have vowels, consonants, syllables. words and sentences.

Even though it seems difficult to find characteristics that are the same for all languages, there are in deed many phenomenons that occur in  many languages. Simply because some solutions are more practical and efficient than others. By far for most of the languages it seemed wise to have a distinction between verbs and nouns. But also with that one has to be careful, because from the 7000 languages that are currently being spoken only 5000 have been examined.

Moreover, it can easily be possible that in the past millennia much diversity has been lost. At this point 3 main language families( Indo-European, Austronesian and Niger-Congo) make up for 50 % of all languages. In the past many language families have probably been wiped out. According to some estimations the current 7000 languages are only 1,5 percent of all linguistic  possibilities that have evolved throughout human history.

Stephen Levinson, who wrote the article about ‘the myth of language universals’ ,says that especially diversity is a very essential aspect of languages and he, who focuses on the universal things, takes away from one of the most fascinating attributes of human beings.We are the only species that that possesses a communication system that is so mutable. We have an enormous adaptability which has secured our survival and was the reason for our biological success. Language is a unique product of interaction. It is one the one hand maintained and consolidated because there is always a new generation that has to learn the language and replicate it. At the same time the conditions keep changing, ecological and cultural, and the language has to adapt constantly to the changed conditions. That explains the linguistic diversity.

But if languages do indeed differ in such a way, how is it possible that when people learn a new language they constantly have the feeling that they recognize things? Because most of the time the new language is a member of the language family that the person already knows. If a European learns a foreign language its almost all of the time an Indo-European language. But if you start learning a language from a different cultural background, its a whole different story. For example languages with a complete free word order are really hard for Europeans. Or the Papoea language with 90 different phonemes and only irregular verbs…You start to think: Wow! Who ever came up with that?”

All there is left to say:Hats off to all those eager language learners that give it a try!Keep it up!

Aenn

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Hi all!

As you might already know, Myngle has a number of strategic partners from various backgrounds. Some are education related, like Collins, offering their top content through us and by this, adding value to our products. Others, like KLM, simply recognize our commitment to excellent quality and trust us to offer their users a unique learning experience. All of our partners have tried and tested our products and believe in us.

Have a peak at Myngle’s current 10 partners.

For the future there are even more important partnerships to come!

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Hi Mynglers,

We want to share with you this alarming article (its in Dutch) about certain languages becoming extinct. I made a rough translation for all of you, who don’t speak Dutch.

Did you know that almost 80 % of the world’s population altogether speaks only 83 languages? What is even more disturbing, is that half of the 6700 languages that exist worldwide are only spoken by 0.2 % of the population and are in danger of extinction.

On February 21, the international day of the native language,The UN organization UNESCO draws the attention to the importance of diversity of cultures and language.

According to UNESCO. language is essential to express yourself and to pass on knowledge and culture and therefore has to be protected.

Endangered languages can be found in all parts of the world. In France for example, there are 26 languages that are on the UNESCO list of endangered languages. In Papua New Guinea, the country which has the largest variety of languages with 800 different ones, about 88 languages might be extinct by the end of this century.

For some languages there is only one person left who speaks it. For instance, at the beginning of February the last living woman from the ancient Bo people living in an Archipelago in India died, who was able to speak the Bo language.

Other languages, like for example German, are still spoken by millions, but even in those languages more and more words are replaced by words from foreign languages, which potentially endangers them as well.

We hope that Myngle and all the Mynglers will contribute to enhance the diversity of languages and by that work against the extinction!

Aenn

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Hola Mynglers,

We have a last update from Thea for you. We have followed her doing humanitarian work in Guatemala over a period of time now. As you might already know, Myngle has sponsored her Spanish lessons to enable her to communicate.

“Hi Everyone,

This will be the last mail from Antigua. First of all I would like to thank you for the heart full and often encouraging reactions that I have received to the previous mails. It is really inspiring to find people who can empathize with me.

I still have about two weeks to go.The development and preparation of a family program are most important in this coming period.

This training program aims at providing tools for parents and children which can help with the development of their skills in the interaction within the family. Domestic violence is a huge issue here and we hope that this program will stabilize the families and make a positive contribution to reduce negative behavior patterns that are used when raising children. We want to offer the program to 10 families( parents and two children per family). It is still a pilot, but if it succeeds, the training will be offered to more families.

The inhibition threshold is extremely high. Particularly the fathers, who play a key role are hard to integrate and motivate. They are strongly needed, if something is supposed to change within the family. In the first meetings we especially have to work on trust and security. It’s a big challenge.

This morning we presented the program to 9 mothers from children of the first class of the elementary school  Bendición de Díos in Alotenango. We started out with a relaxation exercise and they all participated immediately with enthusiasm. By using the Flintstones as a metaphor we could explain the roles of the “facilitadores” and could also sketch the content of the program. The parents have never been to school and are not used to work in groups. So with easy games and exercises we first have to pave this way. To our great surprise they were all very enthusiastic.
In the end they also dared to ask questions and everything went really smoothly. I think its great that I still get to be a part of this.

I had a great time and learned a lot here.Inspired I will return from the sun to our cold country on February 26. The thought alone makes me homesick for Antigua. Starting march 1st I will resume  my activities in the Netherlands and there will be place in my agenda for new tasks. I hope to find the Dutch economy in a healthier state than it was when I left!

I want to thank you Marina, that you gave me the opportunity to have lessons Spanish before I left the Netherlands, muchas gracias Paola por tus lecciones de inspiración y nuestras conversaciones agradables and thank you Aenn for translating my mails into a blog.”

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Hello language lovers,

Since Sunday is the day of love, we want to share with you this lovely presentation about saying I love you in all kinds of different languages, from A - Z!

Maybe it can help you surprise you loved ones!

The Myngle team wishes everyone a happy valentine’s day

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Many of you are already familiar with the work of the LANCELOT School, as trainers, language educators, and thought leaders in the world of online language training.  Several of the teachers on Myngle have  been able to benefit from the experience of Heike Philp, Holly Longstroth, and other educators involved with LANCELOT.  They are, without question, some of the most experienced and knowledgable trainers of online teachers in the market today.

We are incredibly proud to have set the foundation for a long-term partnership with the LANCELOT School to give the opportunity to Myngle’s teachers to be trained by them.  LANCELOT has created a unique workshop for Myngle’s teachers to enable them to learn how to maximize the use of the virtual classroom, improve the use of various online tools, and give guidance on how to market one’s work on the web.  Additionally, LANCELOT’s accredited course will be available for Myngle’s teachers who want to deepen even further their expertise and prepare for an eventual LANCELOT Certification.  We will soon communicate directly with all the teachers some of the logistical details on how the training will take place.

In a language education environment where live online teaching is continuing to grow and become an evermore accepted mean of instruction, the collaboration between Myngle and LANCELOT reaffirms the quality, professionalism, and dedication to excellence of our industry.

Stefan

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Hi everyone!

Some big news for everyone struggling with language barriers: Google is developing a software for the first phone that will be able to translate foreign languages instantly combining in voice recognition and automatic translation.

If they succeed, this could completely transform communication between different languages and also influence language learning.

If you want to know more about Google’s ambitious plan, check out this article

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Hi all,

This week, on February 2 & 3, the 11th national e-learning congress of The Netherlands was held in Philips High Tech Campus, Eindhoven.

First keynote speaker was Vincent Everts. Vincent is one of the top 25 speakers in The Netherlands and an innovation guru,  trendwatcher, passionate speaker, consultant, debate leader and video blogger. A man with original ideas who forges innovative links between new technology and the rest of the world.

We are proud to say that in his 40 minute presentation as keynote speaker Vincent mentions Myngle as the way education should be in the future. The part about Myngle starts at 25.40 in which he talks about the positive side of transparency on Myngle, and the fact that students can rate their teachers .  ‘Can you imagine how it would be if education would be like Myngle everywhere?”

Everts ‘opinion is that this is the direction in which traditional education should go, but that this will take long because the traditional forces in traditional education will show resistance to change.

But…..as the title of his presentation says; Consumers lead the way, the market will follow.

If you want to see the whole presentation of Vincent (dutch), click here.

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Do you know the feeling of entering into a school and being intimidated by one of the teachers?  Don’t you wish you could have just sat through a class without having to speak to anyone right away until you were finally comfortable?  Now imagine walking into that class… in a different country, where few, if any, speak you language… You get the point, right?

Among the thousands of people that visit Myngle every day, there is a pool of them that is probably intimidated by learning live with a teacher online (VoIP, what?) or by the fact that everything is in English, Russian, Italian, German, French, Spanish, or Latvian, but not, say… Punjabi!

For these people and for everyone who wants to take the first few steps towards learning English, we have created three simple, but effective self-study videos based on the content of three lessons of the Myngle Programs, English Basic - A1 course.   These videos are free for every Myngler to use and share.

If you are a teacher, maybe you can send the videos to some of the students that seems to really need to cross into the very basics of the English language. Or if you have already taught a couple of the lessons, you can share the videos as refreshers of the material already covered.

If you are a student and you have gotten this far into the the post without the need of a translator, then the videos are probably too easy for you.  But if you are still using a translator, then this may be your opportunity to start your new learning path.  Start on your own, at your own pace, get an idea of what some of the courses on Myngle look like, and then take your learning to another level by meeting your favorite teacher on the site.

We hope you enjoy this additional study tool.

We hope to add more of them in the future!

Stefan

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We would like to welcome you all to our new section: “Teachers in the spotlight“.

Here we will put the focus on our teachers! We want to give our Myngle teachers the opportunity to share their stories and experiences with Myngle and tell everyone how myngling affected their professional and personal lives.

We will start out with a romantic and inspiring story from Alper:

“August 30, the first day I flew to Mexico, getting on an airplane to meet the girl who I have been talking to for 6 months. Full of excitement, not knowing what I would do, if it all would work out, decide to stay in Mexico or not?

Well, after arriving to Mexico, I was welcomed very nicely by the family of my girlfriend.  It was a real nice and warm welcome. My first impression, wow, this is great!

Two weeks later, I burned my ticket on the beach saying to myself, ‘What am I going to do in a country where I don`t know the language, I do not have a permit to work, and nothing else?’.  It was like I was burning all the ships to go back to Holland, but, what will I do now??? I mean, I’m talking about meeting the girl of my dreams and knowing I want to be with her.

Imagine, living in a country where you don’t speak the language, what kind of work can one do?  I had to have some kind of income if I wanted to be able to stay here in Mexico to be with my love.”

Alper’s first job was the one that came most natural to him.  Being fluent in English, Dutch, and Turkish, Alper joined a local language school and begun teaching English.

“After looking on the internet I encountered Myngle, a company which gives classes over the internet, I thought, ‘Well, this might be promising’.  I subscribed and applied to be a teacher here. The first week after inviting students, I received 2 students, and of course, I was taking care of them, teaching them like they were the most precious people for me in the world.”

After a few months on Myngle, Alper realized that he could match his day job’s salary with the fees he was earning on the platform.  In the summer of 2009, Alper left his job at the language school to focus exclusively on his students on Myngle.

“Well, Myngle has offered me the opportunity to teach–says Alper–and until now I have been earning enough here to make a living  in Mexico, far from my family in Europe.  But thanks to God, here I am, now earning the money for my wedding, also thanks to Myngle.

I really couldn’t have found a better opportunity, that’s why I would like to say:

Thank you Myngle for giving me this opportunity.”

We hope to hear many more stories from you.

For all teachers who would like to share their experiences please contact us.

All the best Myngling,

Aenn

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