All posts tagged: language

Decoding the Strange Language of Dreams

Decoding the Strange Language of Dreams

Published by Jenni Sidey

My client, Sylvia, recounted to me a distressing dream in which she reacted with shock and extreme annoyance when a guest covered her walls in glue. Through our discussion of the dream, she realized that the gluer was communicating to her a solution to a problem she was having with one of her own clients, essentially demonstrating that she should have “stuck to” her own business principles in dealing with the client. By bringing the odd substance of the dream into the light of day, Sylvia was able to consider what she should have said and to rethink a decision that troubled her. The Dream Sylvia started by explaining her dream. “There was an event at our house, but not one that I had organized. A group of people had chosen my house to host a party for charity, so it felt very busy and chaotic with the comings and goings of the guests and the stuff they were bringing. “After the party, everyone was busy cleaning and packing up. I went downstairs (this was …

Why Barthes Thought Language Was Like a Skin

Why Barthes Thought Language Was Like a Skin

Published by Sam Flores

Published: Apr 23, 2026written by Simon Lea, PhD Philosophy Summary Roland Barthes used semiology to analyze how everyday objects like soap and steak become powerful cultural myths. Signs are polysemic, meaning a Burberry scarf can signify both elite fashion and working-class hooliganism. Barthes described language as a skin, an intimate way to “touch” and connect with another person through words. Show more   In this article, we explore the French philosopher and literary theorist Roland Barthes’ search for a way of using language without ideological or cultural influence. We will see how he used a branch of science known as semiology in his quest and how he came to think of language as something like human skin.   Who Was Roland Barthes? Roland Barthes by Ulf Andersen, 1979. Source: The New Yorker   Roland Barthes (1915-1980) was a literary theorist, philosopher, essayist, and critic. Born in the Normandy town of Cherbourg, he was raised by his mother, aunt, and grandfather after his father was killed in the First World War. The family moved southwards to the city of Bayonne, near …

Pakistan becomes Iran war peacemaker by speaking Trump’s language

Pakistan becomes Iran war peacemaker by speaking Trump’s language

Published by Sam Flores

ISLAMABAD, Pakistan — The country hosting talks to end the Iran war was not a likely mediator. Pakistan does not formally recognize Israel, one of the key countries involved. It became a nuclear power in secret, as the U.S. and Israel have accused Iran of seeking to do. And it did not start off on the right foot with President Donald Trump, who in his first term said Pakistan had given Washington “nothing but lies and deceit.” Source link

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Art Speaks in a Language Left for Us to Translate

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha’s Art Speaks in a Language Left for Us to Translate

Published by José Betancourt

Theresa Hak Kyung Cha was an artist never satisfied with one mode of art-making, she flitted between mediums, selecting whichever best reflect her preoccupations: the traces of history, the movement of people in exile and diaspora, and the slippery nature of language in just one way. In her hands, no concept feels definitive or fixed; rather, these weighty ideas are always fluid, ever adapting to the moment—even now, four decades after her untimely death. Cha’s distinctive approach is perhaps best illustrated by Dictée, a short volume that merges poetry, memoir, calligraphy, and the hagiography of revolutionary women like Joan of Arc, Yu Gwan-sun, and her mother Hyun Soon Huo. Published in the fall of 1982, just weeks before her murder, Dictée cemented Cha as a singular voice whose words could resonate with readers from even beyond the ether. In the decades since, it has become an essential text in academic fields ranging from comparative literature to Asian American studies. Related Articles More recently, her oeuvre, particularly her filmic work, has gained renewed attention from the …

Maturing brain pathways explain the sudden leap in children’s language skills

Maturing brain pathways explain the sudden leap in children’s language skills

Published by José Betancourt

Between the ages of three and four, children undergo a major leap in their ability to use grammar, and recent research provides evidence that this behavioral milestone corresponds to the maturation of specific neural pathways. A new study published in Developmental Cognitive Neuroscience suggests that the white matter connections along the upper routes of the brain mature during this time to facilitate the learning of grammar rules. This structural shift helps explain why children’s language abilities expand so rapidly just before they start kindergarten. Learning a native language requires young children to master a massive vocabulary and figure out the complex rules for combining words. While scientists know a great deal about how the adult brain processes these rules, it remains unclear exactly how the developing brain supports early language acquisition. In adults, rule-based linguistic processes rely on specific white matter pathways. White matter consists of bundles of nerve fibers that act like communication cables, connecting different brain regions and allowing them to share information rapidly. These particular language pathways mature relatively late in child …

Boy, 16, among three arrested over attempted arson on Persian language media group in Wembley | UK News

Boy, 16, among three arrested over attempted arson on Persian language media group in Wembley | UK News

Published by Sam Flores

Three people, including a 16-year-old boy, have been arrested after an attempted arson attack on the offices of a Persian language media organisation. Metropolitan Police said a lit container was thrown at a premises in Wembley, northwest London, at around 8.30pm on Wednesday. It is understood the offices of Volant Media, the parent company of Persian news channel Iran International, were targeted. The container landed in a car park, where the fire extinguished itself, and the suspects fled in a black SUV. A police armed response vehicle gave chase after the driver failed to stop and the SUV ended up crashing in Ballards Lane in Finchley. A 19-year-old man and a 21-year-old man were arrested alongside the younger teen on suspicion of arson endangering life Some nearby buildings were evacuated as a precaution but the attempted arson did not cause any injuries or damage. Read more from Sky News:Former Arsenal goalkeeper dies in traffic accidentWoman killed in UK’s third fatal dog attack in a week Police said it’s not being treated as a terrorist incident, …

Woke Language? How Words Makes Our World – OpentheWord.org

Woke Language? How Words Makes Our World – OpentheWord.org

Published by Sam Flores

Do you know who you are? Do you know what you are? Can you describe yourself? Do you know the correct words? Have you noticed, our modern culture is shaped by words. I was with some friends, a few days ago, and one person talked to us about “inclusive” language. He was concerned that we re-define things with new names, and some of the things that we do, in modern politics, are glossed over with “woke” language. His concern was that we don’t always know what is good and what is wrong, in the new language.  Who knows, maybe you or I could become wrong and unpopular, because of the new language rules. Here is one example. I think this is a training video for staff and students at a university: So, who cares? We all should care about our status and position, in this world. Things have changed, and there is a spiritual side to this. Language can make you a good person, or not acceptable, in our modern culture. Are you ready to …

Melania’s body language says it all in 5 moves during Epstein speech | World | News

Melania’s body language says it all in 5 moves during Epstein speech | World | News

Published by Sam Flores

A body language expert has revealed five moves made by Melania Trump during her bombshell speech in Washington furiously denying any connection with the disgraced paedophile billionaire Jeffrey Epstein. The American First Lady made the speech at the White House denying ties to Epstein and knowledge of his sex crimes, saying the “stories are completely false” and calling accusations that she was somehow involved “smears about me” Reading an extraordinary statement, Melania said she and her attorneys were fighting back against “unfound and baseless lies” in regards to her connections to the late financier, a convicted sex offender who leveraged connections to the rich, powerful and famous to recruit his victims and cover up his crimes. Melania mentioned her husband Donald Trump several times in her comments. She said Epstein did not introduce her to Trump and that she met her future husband at a New York City party in 1998. TV body language expert and author Judi James told the Express there were five moves made by Melania during her speech which made clear …

Language Changes: Normal Ageing Or A Dementia Red Flag?

Language Changes: Normal Ageing Or A Dementia Red Flag?

Published by Sam Flores

Comment provided by cognitive neuroscientist Dr Adolfo M García, Director of the Cognitive Neuroscience Centre, Atlantic Fellow at the Global Brain Health Institute, and Associate Researcher at Universidad de Santiago de Chile. He is also the creator of the speech testing app TELL. Sometimes, dementia changes how people speak. Because it can affect the part of the brain responsible for language, it may mean those with the condition struggle to finish a sentence, replace an intended word with another one, or jumble up their words. But writing in Nature recently, cognitive neuroscientist Dr Adolfo M García said that while some language changes are normal in “healthy” ageing, others might signal dementia risk before it is clinically recognised. Speaking to HuffPost UK, he said that Alzheimer-specific changes “may begin several years before core dementia symptoms appear.” How can you tell “normal” age-related language changes from dementia-related ones? Noticing changes to your speech as you age doesn’t necessarily mean something is wrong. “Compared with younger adults, healthy older adults may speak more slowly, take longer to find …

Social media analysis links polarized political language to distorted thought patterns

Social media analysis links polarized political language to distorted thought patterns

Published by José Betancourt

As political polarization deepens in the United States, the language people use to discuss politics online is increasingly reflecting exaggerated, black-and-white thinking. A recent analysis of millions of social media posts reveals that markers of mental distortions rose alongside political extremism between the 2016 and 2020 presidential elections. The research, published in Communications Psychology, highlights a growing overlap between extreme ideological views and the rigid thought patterns often addressed in psychological therapy. Psychologists use the term cognitive distortions to describe thought patterns “wherein individuals think about themselves, the future, and the world in inaccurate and overly negative ways.” These habits include overgeneralizing, catastrophizing, and viewing situations in absolute terms. For example, if a high school student fails a single test and immediately decides their entire academic future is ruined, they are catastrophizing. If a person assumes a peer ignored them in the hallway out of malice rather than distraction, they are engaging in mindreading. In clinical settings, mental health professionals target these distortions through treatments like Cognitive Behavioral Therapy. Recognizing and adjusting these rigid beliefs …