language

I lived in Stockholm for two years after college and doggedly learned Swedish, even though most Swedes speak beautiful English. Not only could I communicate better with then-tiny (now giant) Swedish nephews, turns out it was a good move for my brain. Learning a second language - even as an adult -…

Here's a sweet, uplifting video that's guaranteed to brighten your day. It features some Chicago-area seniors and young Brazilian students of English, and the long-distance friendships kindled by learning a language.

Americans in their 60s, 70s and 80s are flocking to language immersion experiences, the New York Times reports. It's a well-worn axiom that learning a foreign language gets harder the older you get. To which Randy Balla might say: Who cares? The 63-year-old retired teacher took up French recently, and he hasn't limited his learning to textbooks or computer-based language lessons: Last summer, he took a three-week French immersion program at the University of Quebec, and plans to return this year.

I saw this in the news yesterday and am seeing it pop up again today: The Oxford English Dictionary may never be printed again!