More Than Words
A site about language, culture, connections, and ideas. Click for more about:
Purpose
- To celebrate the various ways we speak, write, sign… and think.
- A forum for the appreciation of words in all their forms.
For posts and other new content:
Tell me more about the More Than Words 40 key languages!
195
Nations in the world
(As recognized by the United Nations)
7,100+
Languages in the world
(As counted by Ethnologue… but who knows exactly?)
10,000
Words in the typical 5-year-old’s vocabulary
(In just one language. And this before they can even tie their shoes.)
MTW is:
A celebration of language (singular) and languages (plural), including:
- How each is unique
- How they are related (or not)
- Why they are worth noticing, learning, saving, and celebrating (in ways big and small…)
- What adults can learn from children about language learning (or just plain learning…)
- Why language matters to you—and why we all may be “better at languages” than we think we are.
MTW isn’t:
- A guide to learning any one language (though if you’re interested in one of these 40, it’s a place to start)
- A set of linguistics lectures
- A reason to feel bad about your language proficiency—whatever you think that is. Can you speak English? Congratulations, you know the world’s most useful language. Can you speak or sign another language? Congratulations, you’ve done something most English-speakers can’t. Are you human? Congratulations… you have the ability to learn more, and at any age. It’s never too late!
“A different language is a different vision of life.”
Federico Fellini
Curious about any of the above?
Or just looking to put off going back to work for a few minutes?
Either way… we won’t judge.