How to learn a language like a baby

mind & bodyanalysisThe Conversation: Arts + Culture (US)

How to learn a language like a baby

the gist

A study of 174 Czech adults found that brief listening to an unfamiliar language sharpens sensitivity to its melody and rhythm. Participants heard five minutes of Māori, then were tested on whether new clips in Māori or Malay matched what they had heard, using audio filtered to remove the consonant and vowel detail. People who listened while reading alphabetic spelling did worse than those who only listened. Written letters seem to pull attention toward individual sounds and words, away from the overall flow of speech. The researchers argue that adult learners could begin with listening before reading, as babies do.

how it works

Infants learn the rhythm and melody of speech first, then break it into chunks and link them to meanings. Adults usually start with words in print and try to pronounce them, reversing that order. Reading spelling may cue the brain to focus on sound-letter links rather than the melodic flow.

so what

The findings challenge the common practice of starting language classes with written words, and they suggest that listening-first approaches may speed up spoken fluency. The study also supports the idea that adults keep some of the natural machinery babies use.

fun fact

Babies begin tuning into the rhythm and melody of speech in the womb, through the mother's belly.

The Conversation

Illustrative photo · Dinglebrob, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons

source: The Conversation: Arts + Culture (US) ↗

historyWikipediaclassic1336–1565 · Karnataka, India

Hampi was once one of the world's largest cities, until its Vijayanagara capital was destroyed in 1565

the gist

Hampi is a UNESCO World Heritage Site in Karnataka, India, with more than 1,600 surviving remains spread over 4,100 hectares. It was the capital of the Vijayanagara Empire from 1336 to 1565. Travellers from Persia and Portugal described it as a prosperous, wealthy and grand city with temples, markets and farms along the Tungabhadra River. By 1500 it was estimated to be the world's second-largest city after Beijing, and probably India's richest at the time. In 1565 a coalition of Muslim sultanates defeated the Vijayanagara Empire, its capital was conquered and destroyed, and the city was left in ruins. Hampi remains a religious centre, with the active Virupaksha Temple at its heart.

how it works

The city was built around a fortified core with temples, markets and water structures along the river, supplied by an extensive network of roads and waterworks. When the empire fell, the city was not rebuilt, so its stone monuments were left standing.

so what

Hampi shows how quickly a great city can vanish after a military defeat, and how a ruined capital can remain sacred. Its ruins give historians a view of medieval South Asia that few other sites can match.

fun fact

The name Hampi comes from Pampa, an old name for the Tungabhadra River.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia · text CC BY-SA 4.0

Image: Wikimedia Commons

source: Wikipedia ↗

2 min

politicsshortCNA2:01

False allegations about Singapore’s hand in Indonesia’s markets and a made-up meeting

from CNA

CNA Verify has found close to 400 posts pushing falsehoods tying Singapore to Indonesia’s stock market rout and to a secret meeting that never took place. Together, they drew nearly 12 million views, and some were circulated by accounts that appeared to be working in concert, across multiple social media platforms.

Here’s how the disinformation campaign targeting Singapore was uncovered.

on YouTube: CNA ↗