Welcome to languageadvantage.com. Learn to speak a language! » Did you know? http://languageadvantage.com Language Advantage - Learn to speak a language. Language courses in over 100 languages from French and Spanish to Chinese and Arabic. Fri, 03 Feb 2012 15:37:28 +0000 en hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 Mademoiselle … No More http://languageadvantage.com/2012/01/13/mademoiselle-no-more/ http://languageadvantage.com/2012/01/13/mademoiselle-no-more/#comments Fri, 13 Jan 2012 16:42:19 +0000 la-andrea http://languageadvantage.com/?p=9626 Do you consider yourself a ‘Madame’ or a ‘Mademoiselle’? A ‘Senorita’ or ‘Signorina’? Well, it doesn’t matter in the French language anymore as a town in Western France (Cesson-Sevigne) has banned the word ‘Mademoiselle’ (or ‘Miss’ – UK equivalent) from all of its official documents. The reason for this is that the town’s community believes that women should not be defined by their status anymore. Men have always been addressed as ‘Monsieur’ once they become teenagers.

The term ‘Miss’ is usually addressed to young, unmarried women and is meant to be a sign of respect of that status. This term of address can be heard in many countries and languages around the world but is not used as frequently as it once was. According to the Cesson-Sevigne community in France, a more general term of address for women, such as ‘Madame’, would avoid misunderstandings and discrimination.

Read more about the meaning and history of the word ‘Mademoiselle’ and why is has been banned in Cesson-Sevigne, France

 

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2012/01/13/mademoiselle-no-more/feed/ 0 Did you know … the Japanese love the Glasgow accent? http://languageadvantage.com/2011/02/08/did-you-know-the-japanese-love-the-glasgow-accent/ http://languageadvantage.com/2011/02/08/did-you-know-the-japanese-love-the-glasgow-accent/#comments Tue, 08 Feb 2011 20:04:59 +0000 la-andrea http://languageadvantage.com/?p=5439 A survey by Northumbria University in the UK has shown that Japanese learners of English find the Glaswegian accent in Scotland the most socially attractive. More than 500 people were questioned in the study to find out how worldwide perceptions of the English language are changing.

Read more about the survey and why the Glasgow accent is the most attractive for Japanese speakers of English>>

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2011/02/08/did-you-know-the-japanese-love-the-glasgow-accent/feed/ 0 Did you know … Penguins are Welsh http://languageadvantage.com/2010/12/01/did-you-know-penguins-are-welsh/ http://languageadvantage.com/2010/12/01/did-you-know-penguins-are-welsh/#comments Wed, 01 Dec 2010 12:35:48 +0000 la-hellie http://languageadvantage.com/?p=4867 Compilers of the new online version of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED) have highlighted the influence of Wales on the English language.  The dictionary claims to be the only English dictionary that tries to get to the roots of the first known use of every word in the English language.  For example, the word penguin was coined from the term pen meaning head and gwyn meaning white in Welsh, and the first written reference was traced back to 1577.

Read more about the influence of Welsh on the English language>>

Find out how to learn to speak Welsh and get the Welsh language advantage>>

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2010/12/01/did-you-know-penguins-are-welsh/feed/ 0 The Beckhams are learning … sign language http://languageadvantage.com/2010/11/12/beckhams-are-learning-sign-language/ http://languageadvantage.com/2010/11/12/beckhams-are-learning-sign-language/#comments Fri, 12 Nov 2010 13:45:15 +0000 la-andrea http://languageadvantage.com/?p=4662 Did you know the Beckhams are learning sign language with their children Brooklyn, Romeo and Cruz so that they can communicate with a friend of theirs who is deaf? David Beckham, wife Victoria and kids are all receiving tuition on a regular basis.

Their youngest son, Cruz, is apparently particularly enthusiastic and is learning some cheeky expressions!

Read more about the Beckhams learning sign language>>

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2010/11/12/beckhams-are-learning-sign-language/feed/ 0 Did you know … that elephants have a secret language? http://languageadvantage.com/2010/09/20/did-you-know-that-elephants-have-a-secret-language/ http://languageadvantage.com/2010/09/20/did-you-know-that-elephants-have-a-secret-language/#comments Mon, 20 Sep 2010 19:08:48 +0000 la-hellie http://languageadvantage.com/?p=4150 Researchers at San Diego Zoo have been monitoring communications between African elephants and have found what has been described as a “secret language”.

Elephant’s are well-known for their trumpeting calls, but did you know that they also growl?  The adult females are particularly vocal, making certain types of calls to the other females in the herd while they’re pregnant, then a different set of calls to their calves once they’re born.

Find out more about elephants and their secret language>>

Why not learn Swahili and take a holiday to Africa to see elephants in their natural habitat>>


]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2010/09/20/did-you-know-that-elephants-have-a-secret-language/feed/ 0 Laurel and Hardy … filmed in French & Spanish http://languageadvantage.com/2010/03/08/laurel-and-hardy-reshot-some-of-their-films-in-french-spanish/ http://languageadvantage.com/2010/03/08/laurel-and-hardy-reshot-some-of-their-films-in-french-spanish/#comments Mon, 08 Mar 2010 21:04:41 +0000 la-hellie http://languageadvantage.com/?p=4075 Did you know that Laurel and Hardy, the 1930′s comedy movie stars, reshot a number of their films in French, Spanish, Italian and German?

Laurel and Hardy couldn’t speak any foreign languages, so had voice coaching, and often used native language speaking supporting cast members. These language versions helped to boost their popularity internationally. Pardon Us was reshot in all four foreign languages. Chickens Come Home, Blotto and Below Zero were re-filmed in French and Spanish.

Browse our foreign language film section and learn a language with a movie>>

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2010/03/08/laurel-and-hardy-reshot-some-of-their-films-in-french-spanish/feed/ 0 Anne Frank exhibition … in 40 languages http://languageadvantage.com/2009/11/28/anne-frank-exhibition-in-40-languages/ http://languageadvantage.com/2009/11/28/anne-frank-exhibition-in-40-languages/#comments Sat, 28 Nov 2009 11:43:48 +0000 la-admin http://languageadvantage.com/?p=4060 Did you know that there are currently forty different language versions of the travelling exhibition ‘Anne Frank – a History for Today’, which will be on display all over the world.  Read more about the multilingual Anne Frank exhibition>>

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2009/11/28/anne-frank-exhibition-in-40-languages/feed/ 0 Did you know … that ‘hotel de ville’ is not a French hotel? http://languageadvantage.com/2009/08/26/did-you-know-that-hotel-de-ville-is-not-a-french-hotel/ http://languageadvantage.com/2009/08/26/did-you-know-that-hotel-de-ville-is-not-a-french-hotel/#comments Wed, 26 Aug 2009 11:25:24 +0000 la-andrea http://languageadvantage.com/?p=3985 Ah … the woes of not understanding a language very well!   One Friday night, a British tourist  dropped into  the hotel de ville in the small town of Dannemarie in France thinking it was a hotel. The tourist wanted to check into the ‘hotel’ but finding no-one at the reception desk, she used the toilet.

Unfortunately for her, she did not realise that hotel de ville actually means ‘town hall’.  So, whilst she was in the toilet, the officials in the building finished their meeting, locked the door and left for the night.

Read on for what happened next>>

Find out how to learn to speak French and get the French language advantage>>

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2009/08/26/did-you-know-that-hotel-de-ville-is-not-a-french-hotel/feed/ 0 Nelly Furtado sings … in Spanish http://languageadvantage.com/2009/08/14/nelly-furtado-sings-in-spanish/ http://languageadvantage.com/2009/08/14/nelly-furtado-sings-in-spanish/#comments Fri, 14 Aug 2009 15:25:14 +0000 la-andrea http://languageadvantage.com/?p=3957 Did you know that the Canadian-Portuguese singer, Nelly Furtado, is writing her latest album entirely in Spanish? This is the first time that she will be releasing a non-English album. The album is called ‘Mi Plan’ and will be released on the 15th September 2009.

Find out how to learn to speak  Spanish and get the  Spanish language advantage

]]> http://languageadvantage.com/2009/08/14/nelly-furtado-sings-in-spanish/feed/ 0 Davina McCall speaks … French http://languageadvantage.com/2009/07/15/davina-mccall-speaks-french/ http://languageadvantage.com/2009/07/15/davina-mccall-speaks-french/#comments Wed, 15 Jul 2009 14:21:52 +0000 la-admin http://languageadvantage.com/?p=3888 Did you know that the famous Big Brother TV presenter Davina McCall is half-French? She reveals her French heritage on the BBC TV programme ‘Who do   you think you are?’.

Find out how to learn to speak French and get the French language advantage>>

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