languages
This is the start of a new on-going series where I chronicle my efforts to learn Danish. Posts will be published twice a month as part of my regular posting cycle. September 1-6: The month started out slow. I got back into studying my flashcards and got a couple days’ practice with those. I also…
Acadian French is the second most common variety of French used in Canada, after Quebec French. Today, you are most likely to meet Acadian French speakers in New Brunswick and the surrounding Maritime provinces. This is the land that historically made up Acadia during the time of French settlers in New France. The evolution of…
Some non-Canadians hear that Canada has two official languages, English and French, and may assume that that means every Canadian is fluent in both languages. However, that isn’t true – well, unless you go to New Brunswick. Rather, English and French underwent separate emergences in Canada. Here, I go through some of the history of…
The other day my dad called me into the living room to show me a video on his iPad. The video was of three men conversing in Danish while operating a combine harvester. “Do you recognize the dialect?” my dad asked. I told him no. “All Danish is Danish to me,” I explained, or something…
You’ve likely heard of Rosetta Stone, the popular language learning software. You’re probably even aware of its namesake, the Rosetta Stone. And how it is the reason we can read Egyptian hieroglyphs. But how much of the story do you know?
The holidays are over and 2026 is officially underway! Now, a lot of people – including yours truly – are ready to jump back into the swing of things. New year, new me, right? For me, that means getting back to my language practice (if you’re new to Root, Stem, Base, I’ve been learning Danish)…
September 30th is the National Day for Truth and Reconciliation in Canada. Also called Orange Shirt Day, it was first established by the non-profit organization the Orange Shirt Society in 2013. In 2021, it became a national holiday. The purpose of the holiday is to raise awareness about the impact and legacy of residential schools…
Classic Hollywood and old movies have always been a point of fascination for me. As a preteen, I had Turner Classic Movies playing on rotation, introducing me to the likes of Audrey Hepburn, Sydney Poitier, Gregory Peck, and so on. My fascination continued into adulthood as I listened to podcasts like You Must Remember This,…
Recently, I was talking to my parents about how I was confused about the way numbers are named in Danish. I’ve been actively studying Danish for the past month and I’m constantly baffled by the numbers, specifically the 10s.