We’ve long been instructed to take pride in our nation. Mention of the United States evokes certain ideals and attributes we strive to maintain in our community. Merely mentioning a country’s name can evoke patriotism globally. However, the original meanings of these country names likely don’t align with the contemporary ideologies we connect them with. […]

As a traveler, you’re likely familiar with the challenge of going to a foreign place without being able to converse with the locals effectively. Gestures, limited English, and indicating things can be helpful to an extent, but mastering a new language, particularly as an adult, can seem overwhelming. However, there’s good news! BBC has determined

For a long time, English teachers have told us some things about grammar that aren’t quite right. They made it seem like grammar rules are super strict and never change. Like, they said you can’t split infinitives or end sentences with prepositions, but actually, it’s okay in a lot of cases. And they hammered into

The significance of the British Museum in London extends far beyond its historical and cultural significance. According to human rights lawyer Geoffrey Robertson in a 2019 interview with The Guardian, the museum’s trustees have been characterized as the largest recipients of stolen property globally, with the majority of these acquisitions not even available for public

According to linguistic experts, young people often feel intimidated by the use of full stops in social media communication. This punctuation is often interpreted as a signal of anger, particularly among teenagers and those in their early twenties, known as Generation Z, who are more used to sending short messages without the use of full

While English has indeed become widely used worldwide, there are still many people in many countries who are unfamiliar with the language—and that’s perfectly acceptable! There’s no absolute necessity to master a foreign language in order to communicate with the world, especially given the abundance of translation software available today. Nevertheless, a lot of people

“Did you know that people say “I love you!” more often than “Good morning!” in English? It’s a way to show affection to a romantic partner or someone you care about deeply, without it being about sex. Every language has its own special ways of saying “I love you,” as you can see on the

Studies show that women and men understand emojis in different ways. This happens because emojis, those little pictures we use to show feelings or ideas, can mean different things to different people. Scientists asked 523 adults (49% men and 51% women) to look at 24 different emojis to learn more about this. The researchers used

Duolingo, renowned for its language-learning platform encompassing both web and app interfaces, features a peculiar owl mascot whose tactics lean towards the unsettling. From subtly coercive notifications during periods of user inactivity to the surreal notion of it appearing in one’s bedroom during slumber, its methods know few bounds. As this avian enforcer grew bolder

People laugh differently online primarily because the digital environment lacks the physical and vocal cues present in face-to-face interactions. In the absence of these cues, people use text-based or visual expressions such as “lol,” “haha,” or emojis to convey humor. Social norms and community-specific conventions also play a role, as online spaces have their own