Have you ever overheard two people begin a sentence in English, slide into another language partway through, and then shift back again? If so, you've encountered code-switching. While some people assume that “needing” to switch back and forth between two languages indicates a person’s incomplete language proficiency, code-switching actually requires a high level of fluency. Code-switching is used to navigate [...]
For new language learners, one experience is common: dreaming in the language you are currently studying. Many people assume that dreaming in a new language is a mark of true fluency, but then you wake up to discover you're not nearly as skilled as you remember. Why does this happen? It can feel like a different version of you [...]
You probably know words like “tick-tock” and “wishy-washy,” but have you ever tried to use “tock-tick” or “washy-wishy” instead? Your brain instinctively knows that these aren’t right, and the reason why comes down to an unwritten rule about the English language called ablaut reduplication. You didn’t need to be taught this principle; rather, you absorbed it as part of your [...]
In previous discussions of transcription inside the courtroom, we explained that modern-day transcription is the most accurate that the legal system has ever seen. However, complications still exist on top of technical issues and background noise. A single misheard or ambiguous word can shift the legal meaning of an entire statement. Research indicates that shorthand reporters often mistranscribe non-standard dialects, [...]
If you’re reading this sentence, you have at least some level of literacy. But did you know that learning to read is more than just a skill? When you learned how to parse the letters on the page, your brain was quietly reorganizing itself, not just conceptually, but at the physical level. This is demonstrable in brain imaging, but we [...]
The invention of the telegraph revolutionized communication. In the 19th century, telegraphy swept across the globe, connecting continents in mere minutes and sharing detailed information for anyone willing to take the time to spell out a message. However, China soon found itself largely left out of the process. Its language was not conducive to the communication capabilities of the telegraph. [...]
What’s said in a courtroom matters, not just during the trial, but afterward. Imagine what would happen if judges couldn’t go back and review cases in full because those cases existed for only a brief moment in time, turning to nothing but a note of the verdict afterward. To preserve courtroom contents, people have been keeping an official record for [...]
Before technology put a computer in your pocket, information was harder to come by. Secretaries, stenographers, journalists, court reporters, and many other professionals struggled with the gap between the information they needed to share and the information they could retain at a time. Thus, the ability to write in shorthand became an invaluable professional skill, one that served as [...]
Currency has been a central element of human existence for thousands of years, and by the seventh century BC, coins were already in circulation. However, with money comes the desire for more money, and with that desire comes crafty ideas of how to secure more. This is the origin of counterfeit money.Nowadays, modern banknotes are created with counterfeiting in mind. [...]
Humans have always written too slowly for thought. Cultures across history have solved this problem in their own unique ways: Tiro’s word endings in ancient Rome, Chinese draft script, Pitman's phonetic system, and Gabelsberger's cursive "speech-sign art,” among many others. Nowadays, fast writing often comes down to text speak. But most people will admit that writing “u” instead of [...]
