“What is the meaning of the choice of English in the slogan on this car?” That was one of the questions I asked the participants in the 2nd Language-on-the-Move Workshop…
Ingrid PillerDecember 13, 2011
USD 254,000: that is the cost of raising two children bilingually in English and German in Denver, Colorado. That’s a lot of money, and inspired me to do some number-crunching…
Ingrid PillerNovember 25, 2011
According to a Persian saying Isfahan is nesf-e jahan (‘Half the World’). As some of our regular readers might recall, I visited ‘Half the World’ as part of the Language-on-the-Move…
Ingrid PillerNovember 23, 2011
One of the great joys of my work is to see my students prosper and I’m thrilled to be able to share the poetry of a former student of mine,…
Ingrid PillerNovember 14, 2011
How to make English-speaking friends is one of the perennial hot topics for new overseas students and new migrants. Advice on how to make “native” friends circulates like an underground…
Ingrid PillerNovember 4, 2011
Recently, I watched a TV documentary about the proliferation of Nomura jellyfish in Japanese coastal waters. It was a shocking tale of the devastating environmental, economic, social and human impact…
Ingrid PillerOctober 19, 2011
Toiletological English Can you guess what kind of product the following text is promoting? Your well-being is close to our heart rail&fresh areas are bright and friendly and leave nothing…
Ingrid PillerOctober 6, 2011
Language-on-the-Move is looking for a research assistant! 1. The opportunity Language-on-the-Move has received funding for a research assistant (RA) under the Higher Education Participation and Partnership Program (HEPPP). The successful candidate…
Ingrid PillerSeptember 13, 2011
We are thrilled that the BAAL Book Prize 2011 has been awarded to The Handbook of Language and Globalization edited by Nik Coupland. The book includes a chapter by Ingrid Piller and…
Ingrid PillerSeptember 4, 2011
Source: Kang 2009, p. 201 Every linguistics undergraduate student is by now familiar with the fact of linguistic imperialism in academic publishing where the pressure to publish in international journals…
Ingrid PillerAugust 26, 2011
Corporate double-speak is plummeting to ever lower depths and is insinuating itself into every aspect of our lives. Many see through this sustained assault on our collective intelligence, no doubt.…
Ingrid PillerAugust 21, 2011
Pretty much everyone I know wants to learn English or improve their English – with the exception of those who consider themselves native speakers, obviously. What is more, everyone I…
Ingrid PillerAugust 16, 2011
Ads for a campaign to speak German are currently all over Germany. The campaign is called “Ich spreche Deutsch” (I speak German) and aims to convince migrant youths to learn…
Ingrid PillerJuly 20, 2011
Sir John Bagot Glubb (1897-1986) Many people tend to think that multilingual and intercultural communication skills are not only useful skills to have but are also somehow morally superior. Multilingual…
Ingrid PillerJuly 16, 2011
Translation of Christoph Gutknecht, “Codewort Schibboleth”, originally published in Jüdische Allgemeine, July 07, 2011 Each time I visit France and have breakfast there, I am reminded of Goethe. In his…
Ingrid PillerJuly 14, 2011
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