Media
Find links to interesting features on languages and cultures in the global media.
What does 'I love you' mean?
It depends on where you say it and what language you speak. School of Languages and Cultures Associate Professor of Asian Languages Stephen Epstein discusses the South Korean perspective.
Read the articleWhat is the best age to learn a language?
When it comes to learning a foreign language, we tend to think that children are the most adept. But that may not be the case – and there are added benefits to starting as an adult.
Read the articleThe arts teach us how to express ourselves – and give us freedom to fail
As music and languages are cut in schools, students are losing the chance to engage in subjects that aren’t all about right and wrong.
Read the articleMental dexterity: the case for learning a second language
We’ve all heard that learning another language is supposed to be beneficial. Education Review Jaylan Boyle steps outside the political debate and looks at what the experts have to say on the subject.
Read the articleFood and crime - Blood on the table (Radio New Zealand Podcast)
Associate Professor of French Jean Anderson was interviewed on Radio NZ on 2 September about the book she recently published with Dr Carolina Miranda (Senior Lecturer in Spanish and Latin American Studies) and Dr Barbara Pezzotti (Lecturer in Italian at Monash University and PhD in Italian, VUW), Blood on the Table: Essays on Food in International Crime Fiction.
Add the podcast to your playlist nowFriday essay: the meaning of food in crime fiction
Associate Professor Jean Anderson and Senior Lecturer Carolina Miranda, along with Barbara Pezzotti of Monash University ask the question "but do people really kill for food?"
Read the essayWhy mistranslation matters
Would history have been different if Khrushchev had used a better interpreter?
Read the articleSamoan Language Week 2018 celebrates alofa - love and kindness
Kindness is the resounding theme for this year's Samoan Language Week, which celebrates the third most spoken language in New Zealand.
Read the articlePanel discussion: War, peace – or something in between?
On 10 May, New Zealand academics gathered at Victoria University of Wellington to discuss the possible outcomes of the Trump-Kim summit in a panel discussion titled War or Peace? Predictions on the Outcomes of the 2018 North Korea-United States Leaders Summit.
Find out moreAustralia’s taste for translated literature is getting broader
With today’s announcement of the winner of the Man Booker International Prize shortlist, translation again finds itself in the foreground of the literary landscape. This year’s shortlist includes novels translated from a diverse array of languages including Arabic (Frankenstein in Baghdad by Ahmed Saadawi), Hungarian (László Krasznahorkai’s The World Goes On) and Korean (The White Book by Han Kang).
Read the article24 April - The words that change what colours we see
Depending on what language you speak, your eye perceives colours – and the world – differently than someone else.
Read the article17 March - Am I OK with my son oinking in Swedish?
Keith Moore is bringing up his Swedish-born son to be bilingual - but the language barrier in the farmyard is one he wasn't prepared for.
Read the article12 November - The remains of a Nobel nomination
An article written by Marco Sonzogni for the New Zealand Festival ARTicle Magazine on the esteemed prize and its surprising New Zealand connection.
Read the articleNovember 2017 - Languages for the Future
A report that highlights the importance of languages for the United Kingdom, following Brexit.
Read the article19 October - Alcohol and foreign language skills
A story in the Independent by Rachel Hosie about a recent study into the effects of alcohol on foreign language pronunciation.
Read the article16 October - Chinese Language Week
A Radio New Zealand article from Lynda Chanwai-Earle with Rebecca Needham of the Confucius Institute, discussing the growing numbers of students studying the Chinese language and culture.
Read the article29 September - Translation is central to our learning
A Newsroom article by Marco Sonzogni on the importance of translation to our learning and understanding.
Read the article22 September - Illustrated linguistic tree
A beautiful visual depiction of the history of languages, by Finnish illustrator and comic artist Minna Sundberg, featured on My Modern Met.
Read the article7 September - Language skills and lost opportunities
A Newsroom article written by Associate Professor Sally Hill on New Zealand's monolingualism and the opportunities that are being lost as a result.
Read the article6 August - Bilingualism and interpretation
A LanguageLine Solutions piece on why being bilingual doesn't automatically make you an interpreter.
Read the article5 August - Amazing polyglots
A BBC News article about polyglots and the normality of speaking multiple languages.
Read the article4 August - North Korean visas denied
An article in the Washington Post featuring Associate Professor Stephen Epstein on New Zealand denying visas to visiting academics from North Korea.
Read the article2 August - Rays of Sound
A feature in the Education Gazette on the beautiful work being done by the Language Learning Centre to digitise Pasifika and Te Reo Māori cassette recordings.
2 July - Why we should learn German
An article by acclaimed author John le Carré, published on The Guardian, about why language learning is so valuable.
24 June - Culture of bilingualism
This story on The Conversation is about the importance of education to save the Welsh language and overcome the English bias.
3 May - The experience of time
An article published by The Independent about the link between our perception of time and how our language describes time.