LAS LENGUAS INGLESA Y ESPAÑOLA de Delfín Carbonell

 Compiling a comprehensive bilingual dictionary is never a simple undertaking, but when the focus is on phraseology, the task becomes particularly demanding. Phraseology includes idioms, collocations, locutions, proverbs, sayings, set phrases, clichés, similes, exclamations, puns, and countless other fixed or semi-fixed expressions that give a language its distinctive character. In many respects, phraseology constitutes what might be called la entraña viva, la esencia comunicadora de una lengua ,   the living core, the communicative essence of a language. Native speakers do not communicate by stringing together isolated dictionary words alone; they rely on habitual combinations, inherited turns of phrase, and culturally shared expressions that carry shades of meaning impossible to capture through literal translation. For that reason, a bilingual phraseological dictionary cannot limit itself to offering simple lexical equivalents. Such a work must go further. It should provid...

Aprender un idioma, learning a language, significa básicamente ejercer la memoria, basically means to exercise memory. ¡La memoria, esa gran desconocida de la ciencia! El gran reto de la neurociencia. Important because we are memory. Our brain stores all input from the senses and is then able to compare and classify data. Para hablar un idioma necesitamos palabras y frases que debemos aprender de memoria, nos guste o no. But how can we do that speedily and effortlessly? That is the mystery of language-learning. Pero lleva tiempo y práctica. And there are many "methods" and "techniques" to commit vocabulary to memory. Una técnica más: Open a file in Word where you will add vocabulary as it comes up: July, 2020 Table - Mesa Corkscrew - Sacacorchos Hubris - Arrogancia Caveat - Salvedad, advertencia August, 2020 Watermelon - Sandía A horse of a different color - Harina de otro costal Inkwell - Tintero So long - Hasta luego I agree - Estoy de acuerdo...

Everybody is set on teaching you a language. And they all have the sure-fire method that will get you to speak your target language in a few days and without effort. Everybody has the answer and the true way of learning. And this is because there is a demand for foreign-language teachers. The law of supply and demand. If you reach out there you will not find many people trying to teach you History (Learn American History with Paul, a native of Chicago), or Philosophy (Learn Philosophy the easy way from a native Greek). How about geography: "Lost in the world? Mike will teach you the elements of geography the easy way." There is no demand for that. These are not hard skills -they say- that will land you a good job. I differ, of course. Beware of teachers bearing easy methods because there are no methods, no miracle methods. And I know I have said this before, but please bear with me once more: to master a language you need daily work for ever. Strike the hot iron every si...

(I dedicate this post to Alberto Cornejo Alcaraz.) A train is a means of transportation that can convey us to a new life, new experiences, new cities, exciting and different weather conditions, adventures, love, knowledge. A train is a means, not an end in itself altough is can be, in the sense that the ride can be enjoyable also: The rattling of the wheels, the whistling of the engine, the comfort of the seats, the countryside passing by. Let´s change the word "train" and replace it by "language." A new language is a means that can convey us to new experiences, meeting new people, the strange adventures of different literatures, weird ways of seeing reality, a passport to the meeting of true minds, friendship and adventure. Even romance and love. A different language is not an end in itself although it can be, in the sense that learning it can be enjoyable: the different sounds, the weird syntax, the funny idiomatic expressions, the shocking slang... I u...

Son muchos los llamados a estudiar idiomas; posiblemente el 90 por cien de la población mundial ha estudiado, estudia o estudiará un idioma adicional al suyo. En Noruega y Luxemburgo el 100 por cien de la población estudia idiomas extranjeros. En España, el 28 por cien. En Portugal el 6 por cien. Hablar idiomas tiene prestigio, una aureola de intelectualidad, de superioridad. Muchos creen que así ganarán más dinero y tendrán más oportunidades. Para optar a cualquier empleo es necesario saber idiomas. Requisito indispensable. Pero ya nos dice Mateo en 22:14 que son muchos los llamados y pocos los elegidos, many are called but few are chosen. Everybody wants to speak languages, but few are willing to make the long-term effort it requires. They do things by halves. Many "study" foreign languages, few ever get to master them half decently. Son muchos los llamados a aprender idiomas, pero son pocos los elegidos que acabarán dominando idiomas. La mayoría, incluso los nativo...