Hello everyone!

I read a research published by the University of Chicago* which claimed that thinking in a foreign language helps you in taking better decisions.

According to the research, that involved over 300 people from the US and South Korea, thinking in a foreign language reduces deep-seated, misleading biases, hence, when faced with a decision we are 'freer'.

We perceive benefits more clearly and we analyse risks in a rational way, rather than an emotional way. The researchers believe a second language provides a useful cognitive distance from automatic processes, promoting analytical thought and reducing unthinking, emotional reaction.

The conclusion: to judge a risk more clearly, it may help to consider it in a foreign language. It seems paradoxical, as the difficulty of using a foreign language would seem to make decisions less systematic. However, the study has discovered that the cognitive demands of thinking in a non-native, non-automatic language would leave people with little time to use the unconscious and emotions, ultimately increasing reliance on the rational part of our brain.

What do you think?

Have you ever used this approach in decision making?


* Keysar, B., Hayakawa, S.and An, S. (2012) “The Foreign-Language Effect: Thinking in a Foreign Tongue Reduces Decision Biases.”

The answers to the politeness quiz!

Hello everyone! I hope you had a nice Easter break! I went back to Italy and it was lovely to see my family and friends again. I promised to give you the answers to my international etiquette quiz after Easter (see previous blog), so here I am. You are polite all around the world if…: 1. …you say hello when you meet a friend. 2. …when you are on the bus, you leave your seat to an older lady. 4. …you smile when you see a friend. 9. …when you are in a new city you can ask for directions to find the train station, but you might be considered rude in Russia if you ask for directions to find the bathroom. In some countries it is perfectly normal, but in others it is rude if… 3. …when you have a cold you blow your nose in public (Russia, China and probably somewhere else). 5. …you arrive 30 minutes late at a party. It might be acceptable in Mediterranean countries, but it is considered rude in Northern Europe. 6. …you are invited out for dinner and you finish everything on your plate. In Asian countries you question the host’s generosity if you do so. 7. …for your friend’s birthday you give her a gift wrapped in white. In China white is the colour used for funerals, gifts need to be wrapped in red or gold. 8. …when you are very happy you whistle in public. It is rude in Eastern Europe. 11. …you buy your girlfriend some lovely white chrysanthemums. In Italy chrysanthemums are used for funerals. It is very important to be aware of the differences between national cultures. As interchanges between different nations are on the increase and as national culture is ingrained in all we do, it is important to realise that there is no right or wrong – just different approaches to the same human needs. To learn a bit more about this topic, please join us at our Inter-Cultural Awareness workshop on Wednesday 25 April. Call me on 01225 384193 or email me on is214@bath.ac.uk, if you require more information about this event. It’d be great to see you there!

You are polite...or are you?

I recently gave a lecture on Inter-cultural awareness. I was teaching a group of postgraduate students and they were all from different nationalities.

Amongst other things, we talked about international etiquette. It was a fantastic experience as we quickly discovered that what can be extremely offensive in one country, can be absolutely normal in another.

So…are you ready to take the test?
Are you polite all around the world if…
1. …you say hello when you meet a friend?
2. …when you are on the bus, you leave your seat to an older lady?
3. …when you have a cold you blow your nose in public?
4. …you smile when you see a friend?
5. …you arrive 30 minutes late at a party?
6. …you are invited out for dinner and you finish everything on your plate?
7. …for your friend’s birthday you give her a gift wrapped in white?
8. …when you are very happy you whistle in public?
9. …when you are in a new city you ask for directions to find the train station?
10. …when you are in a restaurant you ask for directions to find the bathroom?
11. …you buy your girlfriend some lovely white chrysanthemums?

I have added some red herrings in my test, but write to me and let me know how you get along.

I will send you all the answers after the Easter break.

However, if understanding other cultures is of interest to you, please come to our Inter-Cultural Awareness workshop on 25 April.
For further information, visit http://www.bath.ac.uk/flc/events/cultural-awareness.html or email me on is214@bath.ac.uk

It is a great evening; do not miss it if you, like me, find people intriguing!

Best wishes,
Isabella
(Isabella Stefanutti, Course Director, Foreign Languages Centre)

How amazing!

Hello everyone!

I just wanted to wish you all a nice weekend and share this video with you.

Cécile, one of our French teachers, brought it to my attention.

Have you watched it already? Isn't he amazing?

Copy and paste this address:

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-17107435

A presto, to soon, à bientôt, bis bald, hasta luego, zàijiàn, Živijo...that's all I can do! :)

Isabella

New Finnish Grammar

Fantastic! Thank you so much for all your entries!

Some comments on them:
A big well done to Phil who, not only, ‘blogged’ for the first time, but also is the only student of German amongst all the italianists! :)
Message for Jonathan: ‘blog’ in Italian is…’blog’, but you need to say it with an Italian accent - we will practise in class on Thursday! (Ah, ah…I’m joking!!!)
The verb (= to blog) is ‘bloggare’ and I assume is a regular verb, given that it’s taken from another language.
Message for Avril: 10/10 for your choice of TV programmes! I LOVE Montalbano! I would really recommend watching it if you have some time.

I am reading a new book at the moment.

It’s called New Finnish Grammar and it’s written by Diego Marani. A friend of mine gave it to me as a present as, he said: ‘I am a linguist and, obviously, interested in grammar’.

It’s a novel, though, so I am not sure if he knew what the book was about! I have generous, but inaccurate friends! :)

Anyway, I liked the book immediately as it opens in Trieste, my hometown. The more I read of it, though, the more I like it, as it explores cultural identity and how much our language makes us who we are. Or does it?

In any case, even if you do not like the story, reading the book will make you feel better as you will be grateful the language you are studying is not as complex as Finnish! :)

(You can read Nicholas Lezard’s article for a better review than mine:
http://www.guardian.co.uk/books/2011/may/26/finnish-grammar-diego-marani-review)

I also noticed that Topping has chosen it as their book for their next reading group on 21 March, so Mr Lezard and I cannot be wrong!

Has anybody else come across this book?

Welcome students to our blog!

The idea of this blog came to me during the Christmas holidays.
I asked Santa Claus to bring me a Language Centre where I could meet all my students. Instead, he brought me a lovely top and a great pair of boots! I was in Italy, what else could I have expected?
As nice as my presents were, I thought that, if I cannot meet all my students in person, maybe I could meet them virtually! And the idea of a Foreign Languages Centre blog came to me.

What can we ‘blog’ about?
Well, here are a few suggestions:
1. We might tell other students at the language centre that we are going to watch a foreign film and see if others want to join us.
2. We might tell other students that we went to see a foreign film and that we liked it and see if others agree with us.
3. We might want to try a new
French/Greek/German/Italian/Japanese/Chinese/Portuguese/Russian/Spanish/
Middle Eastern restaurant and see if some fellow linguists want to join us.
4. We might want to tell other students about a great book we have read in a foreign language and how wonderful we feel about it!
5. We might want to share some tips about finding our course books (some are very difficult to find!) to other students.
6. We might want to share some articles we have just read that might be of interest to other linguists.
What other topics for a blog can you think of?

Please, do join in…I would hate to be the only blogger and it will be WONDERFUL if friendships can be created thanks to a foreign language course!
Ciao a tutti,
Isabella Stefanutti
(Course Director, Foreign Languages Centre)