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Friday, December 1st, 2017
- Creative Writing: The Craft of Plot
- Big History - From the Big Bang until Today - University of Amsterdam on Coursera - December 4
- Design Thinking for the Greater Good: Innovation in the Social Sector - University of Virginia on Coursera - December 4
- Cracking the Creativity Code: Discovering Ideas - Technion - Israel Institute of Technology on Coursera - December 4 (6 weeks)
- Introduction to Classical Music - Yale University on Coursera - December 4 (9 weeks)
- History of Rock, Part One - University of Rochester on Coursera - December 4 (8 weeks)
- How Things Work: An Introduction to Physics - University of Virginia on Coursera - December 4 (8 weeks)
- Stravinsky’s Rite of Spring: Modernism, Ballet, and Riots - Harvard University on edX - December 5
- Poetry in America: Emily Dickinson - Harvard University on edX - December 6 (6 weeks)
- How to Write an Essay - University of California, Berkeley on edX - December 7 (5 weeks)
- Shakespeare Matters - University of Adelaide on edX - December 14
- Ancient Philosophy: Plato & His Predecessors - University of Pennsylvania on Coursera - December 18 (4 weeks)
| Time | Event |
| 12:00p | What Are the Most Effective Strategies for Learning a Foreign Language?: Six TED Talks Provide the Answers
Earlier this week we featured the Foreign Service Institute's list of languages ranked by how long they take to learn. Now that you have a sense of the relative life investment required to learn the tongue or tongues of your choice, how about a few words of advice on how to start? Or perhaps we'd do better, before the how, to consider the why. "A lot of us start with the wrong motivation to learn a language," says Benny Lewis in his TED Talk "Hacking Language Learning." Those motivations include "just to pass an exam, to improve our career prospects, or in my case for superficial reasons, to impress people." Real language learning, on the other hand, comes from passion for a language, for "the literature and the movies and being able to read in the language, and of course, to use it with people." But Lewis, who now brands himself as "The Irish Polyglot," says he got a late start on language-learning, convinced up until his early twenties that he simply couldn't do it. He cites five flimsy defenses he once used, and so many others still do, for their monolingualism: lack of a "language gene or talent," being "too old to learn a second language," not having the resources to "travel to the country right now," and not wanting to "frustrate native speakers" by using the language before attaining fluency.
None of these, however, seem to have occurred to Tim Doner, who went viral at sixteen years with a video wherein he spoke twenty languages that he taught himself. He discusses that experience, and the fascinations and techniques that got him to that point and now well past it, in his talk "Breaking the Language Barrier." At first put off by the drudgery of French classes in school, he only began to grasp the nature of language itself, as a kind of system breakable into masterable rules, when he began studying Latin. Wanting to understand more about the conflict between Israel and Palestine, Doner decided to find his way into the subject through Hebrew, and specifically through rap music recorded in it. Using language study as a means of dealing with his insomnia, he discovered techniques to expand into other linguistic realms, such as the method of loci (i.e., remembering words by associating them with places), learning vocabulary in batches of similar sounds rather than similar meanings, and seeking out the foreign-language learners and speakers all around him — a relatively easy task for a New Yorker like Doner, but applicable nearly everywhere.
In "How to Learn Any Language in Six Months," Chris Lonsdale delivers, and with a passion bordering on fury, a set of useful principles like "Focus on language content that is relevant to you," "Use your new language as a tool to communicate from day one," "When you first understand the message, you will unconsciously acquire the language." This resonates with the advice offered by the much more laid-back Sid Efromovich in "Five Techniques to Speak any Language," including an encouragement to "get things wrong and make mistakes," a suggestion to "find a stickler" to help you identify and correct those mistakes, and a strategy for overcoming the pronunciation-hindering limitations of the "database" of sounds long established in your brain by your native language.
Your native language, in fact, will play the role of your most aggressive and persistent enemy in the struggle to learn a foreign one — especially if your native language is as widely used, to one degree or another, as English. And so Scott Young and Vat Jaiswal, in their talk "One Simple Method to Learn Any Language," propose an absolute "no-English rule." You can get results using it with a conversation partner in your homeland, while traveling for the purpose of language-learning, and especially if you've relocated to another country permanently. With the rule in place, you'll avoid the sorry fate of one fellow Young and Jaiswal know, "an American businessman who went to Korea, married a Korean women, had children in Korea, lived in Korea for twenty years, and still couldn't have a decent conversation in Korean." As an American living in Korea myself, I had to laugh at that: I could name at least three dozen long-term Western expatriates I've met in that very same situation. In my case, I spent a few years developing self-study habits for Korean and a couple other languages while still in America, and so didn't have to implement them on the fly after moving here.
Even so, I still must constantly refine my language-learning strategy, incorporating routines like those laid out by English polyglot Matthew Youlden in "How to Speak any Language Easily": seeking out exploitable similarities between the languages I know and the ones I want to know better, say, or finding sources of constant "passive" linguistic input. Personally, I like to listen to podcasts not just in foreign languages, but that teach one foreign language through another. And just as English-learners get good listening practice out of TED Talks like these, I seek them out in other languages: Korean, Japanese, Spanish, or wherever good old linguistic passion leads me next.
Related Content: A Map Showing How Much Time It Takes to Learn Foreign Languages: From Easiest to Hardest Learn 48 Languages Online for Free: Spanish, Chinese, English & More 215 Hours of Free Foreign Language Lessons on Spotify: French, Chinese, German, Russian & More The Tree of Languages Illustrated in a Big, Beautiful Infographic Where Did the English Language Come From?: An Animated Introduction Based in Seoul, Colin Marshall writes and broadcasts on cities and culture. His projects include the book The Stateless City: a Walk through 21st-Century Los Angeles and the video series The City in Cinema. Follow him on Twitter at @colinmarshall or on Facebook. What Are the Most Effective Strategies for Learning a Foreign Language?: Six TED Talks Provide the Answers is a post from: Open Culture. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, or get our Daily Email. And don't miss our big collections of Free Online Courses, Free Online Movies, Free eBooks, Free Audio Books, Free Foreign Language Lessons, and MOOCs.  |
| 3:00p | The “Humans of New York” Photo Project Becomes a 13-Part Video Documentary Series: Watch It Free Online
Following several books and a UN-sponsored world tour to document humans in over twenty countries, the project has morphed into a 13-episode docu-series as part of Facebook’s original video content platform. Aided by cinematographer Michael Crommett, Stanton elicits his customary blend of universal and specific truths from his interview subjects. Extending the moment into the video realm affords viewers a larger window onto the complexities of each human’s situation.
Take episode four, “Relationships,” above: An ample, unadorned woman in late-middle age recalls being swept off her feet by a passion that still burns bright… An NYU grad stares uncomfortably in her purple cap and gown as her divorced parents air various regrets… A couple with mismatched views on marriage are upstaged by a spontaneous proposal unfolding a few feet away… La Vie en Rose holds deep meaning for two couples, despite radically different locations, presentations, and orientations. A little girl has no problem calling the shots around her special fella… I love you, New York!!!
Other themes include Money, Time, Purpose, and Parenting. One of the great pleasures of both series and blog is Stanton’s open-mindedness as to what constitutes New York and New Yorkers. Some interviews take place near such tourist-friendly locales as Bethesda Fountain and the Washington Square Arch, but just as many transpire alongside noticeably Outer Borough architecture or the blasted cement heaths aproning its less sought after public schools. Those who live here will nod with recognition at the cherry blossom selfies, "showtime" in the subway, and the Bushwick vibe of the groom who proposed to his bride at Coney Island, under the Nathan’s Famous Hot Dog Eating Contest Wall of Fame. Ditto the appearance of such local celebrities as Jimmy Webb, emeritus manager of the punk boutique, Trash and Vaudeville and Blackwolf the Dragonmaster, the city’s unofficial wizard. Below, Stanton explains his goal when conducting interviews and demonstrates how a non-threatening approach can soften strangers to the point of candor.
It's well know 'round these parts that certain segments of the local populace would gnaw off limbs to be immortalized by Stanton, but he cleaves to the pure serendipity of his selection process. Asking to have your picture taken ensures that it won’t be. Luck puts you in front of his lens. Sharing your truth is what makes you human. Watch Humans of New York: The Series here. Related Content: Humans of New York: Street Photography as a Celebration of Life Interact with The New York Times Four-Part Documentary, “A Short History of the Highrise” New York City: A Social History (A Free Online Course from N.Y.U.) Ayun Halliday is an author, illustrator, theater maker and Chief Primatologist of the East Village Inky zine. Follow her @AyunHalliday. The “Humans of New York” Photo Project Becomes a 13-Part Video Documentary Series: Watch It Free Online is a post from: Open Culture. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, or get our Daily Email. And don't miss our big collections of Free Online Courses, Free Online Movies, Free eBooks, Free Audio Books, Free Foreign Language Lessons, and MOOCs. |
| 6:01p | 1500+ MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) Getting Started in December: Enroll Today
A quick fyi: 1500+ MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) will be getting underway this month, giving you the chance to take free courses from top flight universities. With the help of Class Central, we've pulled together a complete list of December MOOCS. And below we've highlighted several courses that piqued our interest. The trailer above comes from Yale's Introduction to Classical Music. Here's one tip to keep in mind: If you want to take a course for free, select the "Full Course, No Certificate" or "Audit" option when you enroll. If you would like an official certificate documenting that you have successfully completed the course, you will need to pay a fee. You can browse through the complete list of December MOOCs here. Follow Open Culture on Facebook and Twitter and share intelligent media with your friends. Or better yet, sign up for our daily email and get a daily dose of Open Culture in your inbox. If you'd like to support Open Culture and our mission, please consider making a donation to our site. It's hard to rely 100% on ads, and your contributions will help us provide the best free cultural and educational materials. 1500+ MOOCs (Massive Open Online Courses) Getting Started in December: Enroll Today is a post from: Open Culture. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, or get our Daily Email. And don't miss our big collections of Free Online Courses, Free Online Movies, Free eBooks, Free Audio Books, Free Foreign Language Lessons, and MOOCs. |
| 10:00p | Andy Warhol’s Seven Hand-Illustrated Books: Charming, Little-Known, and Now Available for the World to See (1952-1959)
Got a knack for drawing, painting, sculpting, creating handmade objects of any kind? You’re maybe more likely to monetize your skill—with an Etsy or Pinterest account, for example—than move to New York and try to make a go of it. Were such convenient means of setting up shop available in the late 40’s, when Andy Warhol studied art education and commercial art at the University of Pittsburgh and Carnegie Mellon University, respectively, one wonders whether the often bedridden, introverted artist might have found it more appealing to work from home in Pittsburgh, and stay there. Instead, he moved to New York and became a successful commercial artist by using his illustration skills to market himself. Before he was a “bellwether of post-war and contemporary art” with those famous silkscreen paintings in the 60s; before he made those famous films, discovered (and invented the concept of) art stars, and managed the Velvet Underground, Warhol created seven handmade books “as part of his strategy to woo clients and forge friendships.” So writes Taschen books, who have collected and reprinted Warhol’s art books in a single edition. (Five of the seven have never before been republished.)
Warhol reserved the signature books for “his most valued contacts. These featured personal, unique drawings and quirky texts revealing his fondness for—among other subjects—cats, food, myths, shoes, beautiful boys, and gorgeous girls.” They are intimate and charming, showing a side of the artist we don’t often see—but one we do see of so many contemporary illustrators. His hand-drawn illustrations have a very 21st century feel to them in their obsession with cats, cakes, fashion, and happy, nude zaftig beauties. Created between 1952 and 59, they could have come from any number of illustration or design sites. It’s easy to imagine a current-day Warhol making a living selling work like this online.
Had he been able to do so, might he have become a different kind of artist entirely? It’s impossible to say. I can imagine a number of people for whom I might buy copies of Love Is a Pink Cake, 25 Cats Named Sam, or À la Recherche du Shoe Perdu, as a holiday gift. But Warhol didn’t make copies of these books. He saved the mass production for his later gallery work. Instead the handmade calling cards remain “little-known, much-coveted jewels in the Warhol crown,” early examples of “the artists’ off-the-wall character as well as his accomplished draftsmanship, boundless creativity, and innuendo-laced humor.”
You might not know it from canvases like Eight Elvises, the Marilyn Monroe series, or Campbell’s Soup Cans, but Warhol had a particular talent for light, whimsical hand-drawn illustration. It’s a side of himself he showed few people once he became the Andy Warhol most of us know. Thanks to Taschen’s new book, a recent gallery showing of Warhol’s drawings, a 2012 Chronicle collection of his quirky illustrations from the 50s, and, well, Pinterest, it’s a side of him that can now belong to everyone. You can now get your own copy of Andy Warhol: Seven Illustrated Books 1952-1959. Related Content: The Big Ideas Behind Andy Warhol’s Art, and How They Can Help Us Build a Better World Short Film Takes You Inside the Recovery of Andy Warhol’s Lost Computer Art Miyazaki Meets Warhol in Campbell’s Soup Cans Reimagined by Designer Hyo Taek Kim Josh Jones is a writer and musician based in Durham, NC. Follow him at @jdmagness Andy Warhol’s Seven Hand-Illustrated Books: Charming, Little-Known, and Now Available for the World to See (1952-1959) is a post from: Open Culture. Follow us on Facebook, Twitter, and Google Plus, or get our Daily Email. And don't miss our big collections of Free Online Courses, Free Online Movies, Free eBooks, Free Audio Books, Free Foreign Language Lessons, and MOOCs. |
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