Dutch is one of the closest relatives to English and the two languages share many facets. But this article is about the main differences between the two languages so that if you ever happen to teach students with a Dutch mother tongue, you’ll understand why they make certain errors and […]
Continue ReadingDo I need to Speak the Local Language to Teach Abroad?
One common question asked by people wanting to teach English abroad is, “Do I need to speak the local language?” “I’m going to teach English in Korea – do I need to speak Korean?” “I’m going to teach English in Greece – do I need to speak Greek?” “I’m going […]
Continue ReadingCantonese (Chinese) vs English
There is not one single Chinese language as such but several varieties which are more or less mutually understandable. In all, these are spoken by over 1 billion people (making it more popular than English). Of the different varieties of Chinese, Mandarin is the most widely spoken version with over […]
Continue ReadingAzerbaijani vs English
Azerbaijani or Azeri Turkish has over 30 million speakers based in both Azerbaijan and the surrounding countries. It’s closely related to Turkish and is, to a certain extent, mutually understandable. Although there are a couple of major varieties (Northern Azerbaijani and Southern Azerbaijani) and many local dialects, they do not […]
Continue ReadingArabic vs English
Arabic is spoken in various forms by more than 250 million people as a mother tongue throughout the Middle East, North Africa and beyond. Because there are strong regional variations in Arabic, the notes below will not necessarily apply to all Arabic speakers. Pronunciation /p/ and /b/ Because in spoken […]
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