Lingobility

While getting lunch ready this past Sunday, I was listening to Derek Thompson's excellent podcast, Plain English. This latest ep*sode is on the topic of ADHD.

I was not expecting it to touch on language, but a few minutes in he says, "I am personally obsessed with this idea that the language that we use to describe our inner lives shapes our inner lives."

Here he's making a point about how the words we use to talk about a condition like ADHD largely determine how we come to think about it both individually and as a society.

I found his comment to be a poignant way to frame the broad impact of language, not only in how we speak with others but also in how we speak to ourselves.

I appreciated this reminder of how important this project of improving our language abilities is: namely, that it's not just about arriving at and sustaining general fluency, but also about striving to use the vocabulary we already have in a more precise and effective way.

As Thompson goes on to say, "(Our words) help us to clarify what we've been experiencing that we couldn't previously clarify (...). Then, sometimes the words that we use can trap us."

- Written by Eric Gellert, Lingobility's founder

Demystifying the Hardest Verb Tense in English: the Present Perfect

In my 15 years of experience teaching English, one common thread is that students at every level struggle with one verb tense in particular: the Present Perfect.

It's kind of like a final boss in a video game that needs to be defeated.

What is the present perfect?

The present perfect looks like this: "have" or "has" + the past participle (which includes verb forms such as "seen", "been", "walked", "studied", etc.).

An example: She has studied English for 10 years.

Why is it so hard to master?

The present perfect has two main meanings, each of which can seem similar to other verb tenses, and thereby can easily be confused with them. This adds to a student's cognitive load as they try to process which verb tense to use in a given situation.

Many grammar books list three meanings of the present perfect; however, in my view, it's best to think about these three meanings as really just two, as one of the three meanings can in fact be subsumed under another (more on that in another post). The benefit is greater simplicity.

Another confusing aspect of the present perfect is that each of its meanings pertains to the past in an important way, so it can be counter-intuitive to think of it as a present verb tense and to use a present verb auxiliary in it (i.e., "has" or "have" rather than "had").

What are the two main meanings of the present perfect?

1. Something that began in the past and continues into the present.

Example: She has lived in Montreal since 2015.

2. Something that happened in the past, is finished, and is relevant to the present.

Example: He has worked as an administrator before.

How can we more easily master this tense?

Instead of thinking of the present perfect as one verb tense, and simply referring to it as such, as "the present perfect", we ought to conceive of it as two distinct tenses and rename it accordingly, in a way that more intuitively captures what it does. In other words, we should have a separate name for each meaning of the present perfect.

For the first meaning, I propose calling it "Present Perfect - Until Now", and for the second, "Present Perfect - Relevant Past Experience".

Renaming the verb tenses in this way also has the added benefit of clarifying why a verb tense that appears to be past-focused is nonetheless categorized as a present tense.

So my proposal is that we never again think of the present perfect as "the present perfect". Rather, let's think of it as two separate things, each with its own name.

Do you agree that this could be a useful way to think about the present perfect? Do you like the names I've chosen for these tenses, or would you propose different ones?

- Written by Eric Gellert, Lingobility's founder and director

Send a message to learn more

Did you know that you can earn more if you're bilingual?

For example, in Quebec this can translate to an increase of 21% compared to your peers, according a study from Guelph University in 2010.

In addition, learning a second language has other benefits: improving brain health, access more content and entertainment, and connecting with more people worldwide.

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Savais-tu que tu peux faire plus d'argent si t'es bilingue ?

Par exemple, au Québec, ça peut te donner jusqu'à 21% de plus que tes collègues unilingues, d'après une étude de l'Université de Guelph de 2010 :

https://lnkd.in/eiv-ajDV

En plus, apprendre une deuxième langue, ça a d'autres avantages : améliorer la santé de ton cerveau, avoir accès à plus de contenu p*s de divertissement, p*s te connecter avec plus de monde partout sur la planète.

hashtag hashtag hashtag

🔄 Sometimes, things don’t go as planned… and it’s back to the drawing board! 🎨✏️

Did you know that in French the equivalent would be "Retour à la case départ"?

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🔄 Parfois, rien ne se passe comme prévu… et c’est back to the drawing board! 🎨✏️ En français, on dit "Retour à la case départ." ✨

Word of the Day: Plethora 📚✨

Definition: A large or excessive amount of (something).

French translation: Pléthore

Example sentence: "She had a plethora of ideas for her new book."

Did you know? The word "plethora" originally comes from the Greek word "plēthōrē," which means 'fullness.'

Now it's your turn! Tell us about your day using "plethora" in a sentence. Whether it's a plethora of tasks, emotions, or even snacks, we'd love to hear how you're using today's word! 💬🌟

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Mot du jour : Pléthore 📚✨

Définition : Une grande ou excessive quantité de quelque chose.

Traduction en français : Pléthore

Phrase d'exemple : "Elle avait une pléthore d'idées pour son nouveau livre."

Le saviez-vous ? Le mot "pléthore" vient du mot grec "plēthōrē", qui signifie 'plénitude'.

À votre tour maintenant ! Racontez-nous votre journée en utilisant le mot "pléthore". Que ce soit une pléthore de tâches, d'émotions ou même de snacks, nous sommes impatients de savoir comment vous utilisez le mot du jour ! 💬🌟

"Thinking outside the box," c'est explorer des solutions créatives. 🧠

"Thinking outside the box" means exploring creative solutions.

Mais comment pouvez-vous encourager cette pensée innovante dans votre équipe ? 🤔

But how can you encourage this innovative thinking in your team?

Partagez vos techniques dans les commentaires ! 💬

Share your tips in the comments!

🔥 Warm up your winter with a hot deal! Get 15% off our services if you sign up before January 15, 2025.

Learning a language can be one of the most impactful skills. Improve your English or French to level up and communicate better than ever.

Use this promocode when signing up: WINTER

Demander du feedback à un collègue est l'une des manières les plus productives de s'améliorer. 📈

Asking for feedback from a colleague is one of the most productive ways to improve.

Mais comment le formuler au mieux ? 🤔

But how best to phrase it?

Faites-nous part de votre réponse dans les commentaires ! 💬

Let us know your answer in the comments!

Can you guess the correct answer? 🤓

Have you heard this one before?

Spot the command in these sentences.

Understanding sentence types can be helpful when learning a language. 🌐

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