Language Classes, Thursday, Oct. 13

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Dream is brisk and businesslike today, dressed for class in his formal robes.

Hello.

Cat students: Here is a human-written handout on cat body language. Review it before you transform, and, once transformed, observe what the author has right and what he got wrong.

Languages of Europe: We're going to take a side trip from Europe and discuss Mexican Spanish today. Pay special attention to word use and vocabulary that differs from standard Spanish.

Remember that I am in the language lab after class should you need me.

Comments

Languages of Europe, 10/13

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Sign in and class participation here.

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[defiantlyyours.livejournal.com]

"Present." 6 begins to work on the assignment.

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[marieann-d.livejournal.com]

Rogue signs in, and smiles at Dream. "Non-standard oral Spanish is my specialty." She leans in. "I spent all of last night studying for Classics, and I think I'm getting it. I just needed to figure out which languages were the roots of the languages I already know. I'm still having a little trouble with Hebrew...it's not that close to Yiddish, is it?"

[[OOC: I'm playing Rogue as having Spanish grandparents, so she can speak (but not write) Spanish, and being able to understand/sort of speak Polish and Yiddish (Magneto) and French (Logan). So for those, it's all there, but she can't really access it all.]]

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Dream shakes his head.

Yiddish is closer to German. It has some Hebrew words, but the rest of it is very different.

I didn't know you spoke the language.

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[marieann-d.livejournal.com]

"Er, well, I don't exactly. I know a few words, learned them from someone else..." she trails off. This is clearly not the full explination. "I never realized it was that close to German."

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[game-of-you.livejournal.com]

Dream regards Rogue for a moment, then walks over to one of a series of tall bookshelves lining one classroom wall. Long fingers flick over one book than the other, until he settles on one called Yiddish: A Language, a Culture. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Yiddish)

Yiddish is derived from a blend of Hebrew and medieval German, with some Slavic influences. Fascinating tongue.

This book would help explain the history.

I'm planning on offering a unit on Yiddish as part of a class on Eastern European languages in the spring, if you're interested.

[OOC: Wikipedia is all I know on this one. All hail Wikipedia.]

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[absolutesnark]

Piper signs in and begins to work on the assignment.

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

*signs in and starts going over notes, comparing Mexican Spanish to Castilian*

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

"Soy norteamericana. No soy Castilian. Es bueno."

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[ihatedenmark.livejournal.com]

[OOC: *blinks* Lo siento, no entiendo. No hablo español. ¿Habla usted francés?]

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[lisacuddy.livejournal.com]

Lisa signs in and listens attentively.

Re: Languages of Europe, 10/13

[mparkerceo.livejournal.com]

Parker signs in, and glares at the lesson. "Gendered languages, hunh," she mutteres under her breath, and begins to work on the exercises.