Articles on Foreign Language

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Relying on AI chatbots to learn a new language has various drawbacks, including the propensity for the chatbots to sometimes have cultural biases and make grammatical mistakes. Andriy Onufriyenko/iStock via Getty Images

Using an AI chatbot to practice new languages can be helpful, but it doesn’t replace speaking with an actual person

People might feel more comfortable making mistakes if they’re interacting with AI chatbots. But they will miss the nuances that come from conversing with real people.
Adult language learners have an understanding of grammar that can help them learn a new language. But they are also likely to feel more self-conscious as they do so. Bulat Silvia/iStock/Getty Images Plus

It’s never too late to learn a language – adults and kids bring different strengths to the task

While a young language learner can more easily acquire a native accent, adults retain the ability to learn new languages well into later life.
Streaming services are carrying more foreign-language content. While people are stuck at home because of the pandemic, why not use the time to improve their language skills? (Shutterstock)

Watching foreign‑language TV during the coronavirus pandemic can help you learn a new language

While staying at home during the pandemic, foreign language learners can improve their vocabulary and comprehension by watching films and television shows in the language they are studying.
Co-champions celebrate at the Scripps National Spelling Bee in National Harbor, Maryland, on May 31, 2019. The winning spellers made history with eight co-champions, most ever in spelling event’s history. Alex Wong/Getty Images

The Scripps spelling bee is off this year, but the controversy over including foreign words is still on

The Scripps National Spelling Bee highlights the richness of the English lexicon by picking some tough entries with foreign roots.
America lags when it comes to being able to speak more than one language. Monopoly919/Shutterstock.com

7 reasons to learn a foreign language

Better job prospects and richer lives are among the many reasons to learn a foreign language, an expert on foreign language instruction writes.
Only 1 in 5 American students take a foreign language before college. pathdoc from www.shutterstock.com

Foreign language classes becoming more scarce

Despite increasing globalization, foreign language programs in US colleges have become less common. A foreign language expert says America needs to step up its efforts to turn things around.
Students who study abroad gain a competitive edge in the job market, research shows. Dan Korsmayer/www.shutterstock.com

More American students are studying abroad, new data show

In an effort to get a competitive edge in the global jobs market, more US college students are choosing to get international experience, an expert on study abroad says.
Far fewer Americans speak a second language than in most other developed countries – and the problem starts in the classroom. Rawpixel.com/Shutterstock.com

The true failure of foreign language instruction

Whether it’s due to native language loss or unsupported high school curricula, the lack of bilingualism in the US is notable. Why can’t more Americans speak another language? How should that change?
Director Asghar Farhadi wins the award for best screenplay at the 2016 Cannes Film Festival. Yves Herman/Reuters

How Iranian filmmakers like Asghar Farhadi defy the censors

Their critiques may be more gentle, their attacks more circumspect – but they are resonant nonetheless. And when filmmakers like Farhadi confront Trump, they’re on familiar turf: They’ve seen his type back home.

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