Tag Archives: language

Book Review: Berlitz Brazilian Portuguese Phrase Book & Dictionary

Posted on January 19, 2020 by

Berlitz Brazilian Portuguese Phrase Book & Dictionary, by Berlitz Berlitz has acquired a good reputation for their efforts to instruct others in foreign languages, and this book certainly demonstrates why that is the case.  This book doesn’t approach Brazilian Portuguese … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Rick Steves’ Portuguese Phrasebook & Dictionary

Posted on January 19, 2020 by

Rich Steves’ Portuguese Phrasebook & Dictionary, by Rick Steves It is rather telling that Rick Steves, a notably monolingual person whose appeal to readers is due to his passionate interest in European tourism, ended up writing (or at least giving … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Portuguese Irregular Verbs

Posted on January 19, 2020 by

Portuguese Irregular Verbs (Portuguese Irregular Verbs #1), by Alexander McCall Smith Spoiler alert:  This book isn’t actually about Portuguese irregular verbs.  One of the odd things that happens when one simply puts on hold all the books in one’s library … Continue reading →

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Cardapio O Menù

Posted on January 10, 2020 by

A great deal of surprising history can reside in the space between different words for the same thing.  Part of the reason why English is such a challenging language for many contemporary people to learn is that it is at … Continue reading →

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Nos E A Gente: A Case Study In Languages

Posted on January 4, 2020 by

One of the more personally enjoyable aspects of language study to me is the way that such studies of words lead to a great many implications that help to explain the differences between cultural mindset.  One of the first examples … Continue reading →

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Things That Interest Me That May Interest No One Else

Posted on January 3, 2020 by

One of the consistent patterns I have found in my life is that the things that interest me do not often interest very many other people.  It can be distressing to see someone who is very polite trying desperately not … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations

Posted on December 22, 2019 by

Wittgenstein’s Philosophical Investigations, by Arif Ahmed Who is the ideal reader of a book like this?  Picture yourself as an undergraduate (or graduate) student of philosophy, who for some reason known to no one else and half-forgotten by you yourself, … Continue reading →

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What Makes You Basic

Posted on December 8, 2019 by

Last night at our congregation’s annual variety show, I was among three people chosen to embarrass ourselves answering questions Jeopardy-style for the amusement of the people in our congregation.  As it happens, the last category to be chosen involved postmodern … Continue reading →

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Book Review: Dictionary Of Gestures

Posted on November 12, 2019 by

Dictionary Of Gestures:  Expressive Comportments And Movements In Use Around The World, by François Caradec, illustrated by Philippe Cousin, translated by Chris Clarke This was not as good a book as I hoped it would be.  Like many people, I … Continue reading →

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Book Review: How Language Began

Posted on November 12, 2019 by

How Language Began:  The Story of Humanity’s Greatest Invention, by Daniel L. Everett Do you like fairy tales?  I do too, but it is perhaps better if people are aware that they are writing fairy tales and not possessed of … Continue reading →

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