From the internet to the classroom, we’re bombarded with reasons as to why learning a second language is anywhere from challenging to impossible. You’re old or you’re too young; you’re too close to the language or you’re too far away. But is there scientific evidence for any of these claims? Here are some of the most common myths about second language learning.
Learning a language can be fun, but also intimidating. Especially talking to people. Here are some tips for how to take that next step from an app to real-life. 1. Find a language group The best, first step you can take toward learning a language is to find a community to learn with. Joining a language group will hold you accountable to the friends you make to continue attending events and practicing. So before you do anything, find a group, RSVP, and put it in your calendar, even if it’s a long ways away. If you’re in the Washington, DC…
Interning in a country overseas, such as India, sounds exciting. But what is an Indian internship really like? Our Cultural Vistas Fellows in Bangalore are sharing their insights on their internship placements in real-time. Cynthia, Molly, Isabel, and Brenda, are interning for the Habitat for Humanity India Trust, the Selco Foundation, Indian Institute for Human Settlements, and the Akshaya Patra Foundation. Read about their experiences in their own words. Cynthia’s Internship at Habitat for Humanity Cynthia Rann Albright College, International Business Internship Host: Habitat for Humanity India Trust Habitat for Humanity India Trust is a non-governmental organization that focuses on disaster relief, building homes,…
It was the fall of 2008. I was a semester away from wrapping up my master’s degree in historic preservation. The stock market was plummeting so quickly that the prospect of having a job by graduation seemed to dwindle with each passing day. I had no idea what I was going to do. Luckily, I ran into a friend at a career fair that fall who introduced me to the Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals (CBYX).
This fall, during my Congress-Bundestag Youth Exchange for Young Professionals fellowship, I learned about overcoming my inner Schweinehund, which means my inner Pigdog. No, not CatDog, the beloved Nickelodeon character. Pigdog. Please Google “Schweinehund” for your entertainment. Basically, it’s the inner voice that keep us in our comfort zone and continuously sets our course on autopilot. Don’t cross boundaries, don’t try something new, stick-to-the-status-quo kind of stuff. Sometimes it can be very helpful and knows that jumping off that cliff is indeed a dangerous (possibly fatal) idea. But many times, it is the knot in our chest or the whisper in…