Mr Tim Deyes: Weekly Update 13/01/17

Mr Tim Deyes: Weekly Update 13/01/17 Language is a fascinating subject and, especially here at BIS HCMC, it is so interesting to hear how, once our students step outside the school gates they dip in and out of several languages, sometimes simultaneously and always without noticing what they are doing.

Language is a fascinating subject and, especially here at BIS HCMC, it is so interesting to hear how, once our students step outside the school gates they dip in and out of several languages, sometimes simultaneously and always without noticing what they are doing.

Happy Zamenhof Day!

Tiu semajno ni ĉeestis en AP1 fantazia Internacia Semajno, kiu okazigis multiplicidad de kulturoj, landoj kaj lingvoj, do mi sentas ke mi devas fari la provon skribi hodiaŭ en la nur universala lingvo: Esperanto! En 19-a jarcento, kuracisto Ludoviko Zamenhof kreis novan lingvon, Esperanto. Esperanto-Tago, ankaŭ nomata Zamenhofa Tago, ĝi okazigas la 15an de decembro, kiu estas la naskiĝtago de lia kreinto. Tial mi sentas ke ĝi estas nur ĝuste kaj juste, ke ni povas festi. Ĝis 2,000,000 homoj tutmonde, al ŝanĝiĝantaj gradoj, paroli Esperanton, inter ĉirkaŭ 1,000 al 2,000 denaskuloj kiuj lernis Esperanton denaske. UEA havas membrojn en 120 landoj. Lia uzado estas plej alta en Eŭropo, Orienta Azio, kaj Sudameriko.

Ĝi ankaŭ havas sian 'propran flagon!

Charles V, King of Spain and Holy Roman Emperor said that “I speak Spanish to God, French to men and German to my horse.” My ambitions are rather more limited but to be aspirational is always a great goal!

Now, here is something fascinating:

The Oxford English Dictionary’s word of the year for 2015 was in fact not a word. It was the ‘Face with Tears of Joy’ emoji. This one > 😂

This may bring tears of despair to people of a certain age but we cannot be Canute like and endeavour to hold back the waves of the sea of change

So, are you feeling :-D? Or is your work making you :-(? Perhaps this post’s overzealous peppering of emoticons is starting to make you a little :@?

Now, 6 billion emojis are sent every single day and according to sources, 74% of people in the  regularly use stickers, emoticons or emojis in their online communication, sending an average of 96 emojis or stickers per day. Whilst this may make you roll your eyes in horror, please take into account that even in spoken language only 7% of meaning is conveyed by words, whilst 38% of meaning depends on tone of voice and a whopping 55% on body language.

But perhaps my main sticking point with emojis is the sheer vagueness of them:

How can you communicate when you have no idea what the other person is trying to say!

Tim Deyes, Principal