In the Merriam-Webster dictionary the term politically correct is defined as “conforming to a belief that language and practices which could offend political sensibilities (as in matters of sex or race) should be eliminated.” While erasing problematic language from our rhetoric is great, it seems these days that people tend to get offended over every(…)

The use of slang in the military has been an ongoing tradition for troops worldwide.  It is seemingly almost as vital to the military’s communications as its radios and messengers. The many historic wars that the United States has been engaged in has evolved the slang, or jargon, that its armies use in order to(…)

  California, Texas, Ohio, and Montana – they all have something in common that might not be well known. They all happen to suffer from a national shortage of the multilingual educators they need in order to fulfil their state’s foreign language programs, and ESL (English as a Second Language) educational courses; along with a mutual need(…)

The United States: it’s the land of stars and stripes, big cars, barbecues, and great slang. The US is a big place, and as a result, each of its cities has a unique character and feel — as well as its own set of slang words! If you’re traveling to the country, or you’re simply(…)

The German and the North American cultures are not that different – indeed there is much more of a difference between the cultures of Mexico and the United States, despite them being neighbors. Regardless, there will be quite a lot of Americans who think of the Germans as dirndl-wearing, sausages-eating, beer-drinkers with an indecipherable language.(…)

Whether English is your native language or an adopted language you’re working on perfecting, you’ve certainly noticed that not all English sounds the same. British and American takes on the language are notably different, with each country having not only its own set of pronunciations, but its own vocabulary which the other knows little about.(…)

You’re probably familiar with the big question of whether, in the modern world where contact with other countries is not only possible, but necessary, we should have a common language between us – and if we should, what should it be? But even within the same country there is often a question of whether the(…)