Posts

Posted on

Reed Language Learning Q&A with Sierra Abbott, Reed alumni and Chinese major

Deciding to take a Reed language class may seem daunting for some students, but it’s very doable and rewarding, and you may even find yourself majoring in a language you picked up at Reed! We interviewed recent ’23 grad Sierra Abbott about her journey as a Chinese major beginning from scratch her first year:

What made you decide to start learning a language at Reed?

I had always loved learning foreign languages in school! I took Spanish and Latin in high school, and wanted to continue learning more languages in college. I started learning Chinese in the first semester of my freshman year!

Continue reading “Reed Language Learning Q&A with Sierra Abbott, Reed alumni and Chinese major”
Posted on

Spanish-Language Hip Hop

Hip Hop turned 50 in August of this year! The iconic music form originated in New York City, specifically the Bronx in predominantly Black and Brown communities. Puerto Rican New Yorkers, fondly known as Nuyoricans, were and still are immensely influential in the development of Hip Hop. Although the majority of old school and newer Hip Hop is a largely AAVE and English-based genre, Spanish language Hip Hop has been around for almost as long as the mother genre and has often included Spanglish influence. Via cassettes and bootlegs of songs recorded in NYC and other places around the US, the genre spread to Spain and Latin America throughout the 80s and 90s. 

Continue reading “Spanish-Language Hip Hop”
Posted on

Kali Uchis Could Help You Learn Spanish!

Kali Uchis is a Colombian-American singer and songwriter with four albums and various EPs and singles in her discography. Uchi’s two earliest albums, Por Vida and Isolation, are primarily in English but are heavily influenced by Latin R&B, soul, psychedelic soul, and Latin American Boleros. For anyone learning Spanish, these earlier albums might improve your cultural fluency with modern Latin music and musicians. Likewise, for someone at a 200-400 level in Spanish, Uchis’ two most recent albums Sin Miedo (del amor y otros demonios) and Red Moon in Venus, are a great way to immerse yourself in gooey eclectic bilingual love-stricken bops that tease with verses flowing between Spanish, English, and Spanglish. If you鈥檙e struggling to understand the fast-paced lyrics of musicians such as Bad Bunny or even Rosalia, Kali Uchis might be the girl for you. Her slow hooks and unique take on reggaeton make you want to play her discography on repeat. Rumor has it that Uchis will be releasing her fourth studio album very soon so get ahead of the trend while you’re at it! Feel free to check out her socials if you need some more convincing 馃槈
Gracias y buena suerte!

Posted on

Pain and Growth and Growing Pains in La vita bugiardi degli adulti

Lately I listen almost exclusively to Massive Attack. This is partly because they鈥檙e a great band and I love their music, but I鈥檇 be lying if it wasn鈥檛 also largely out of a burning desire to embody some of the coolness radiated by Giovanna, also known as Giov脿 or Giannina, the brooding and complex heroine of La vita bugiardi degli adulti (The Lying Lives of Adults), a recent Netflix interpretation of Elena Ferrante鈥檚 novel of the same name.

Giordana Marengo as Giovanna in La vita bugiardi degli adulti on Netflix
Continue reading “Pain and Growth and Growing Pains in La vita bugiardi degli adulti”
Posted on

La Naissance du Hip Hop – MC Solaar鈥檚 Revolutionary Legacy

When most people think of Hip Hop as a genre or as a cultural movement, they (rightly) think of New York City. This subculture was born in the Black community of the South Bronx, and quickly spread to other parts of the city, then the country, and within a few years, Hip Hop was iterated in some form almost everywhere in the world.

Grandmaster Flash & The Furious Five are often credited as the among the first artists whose music was recognised as “Hip Hop”
Continue reading “La Naissance du Hip Hop – MC Solaar鈥檚 Revolutionary Legacy”
Posted on

The Blue Caftan: A Moving Arabic Film

The Blue Caftan premiered at the 2022 Cannes Festival.

Last month, I saw one of the most moving films. I went into it completely blind鈥攎y friends had asked if I wanted to come along to a film festival and I said yes, knowing nothing about what film we’d be watching. Before the show started, commentators talked a bit about Morocco, and the history of the film festival we were at, The Cascade Festival of African Films.

Continue reading “The Blue Caftan: A Moving Arabic Film”
Posted on

What is the future of AI in language learning?

The four images DALLE2 created in response to the prompt, “the future of AI in language learning”. AI image generation is known to struggle with word creation (as is obvious above).

The age of artificial intelligence (AI) has brought about a new era of technological advancements to the world, and the impact of AI on language learning is no exception. AI is already being used in language learning applications and programs, and the future of AI in language learning looks even brighter. In this article, we will explore the current state of AI in language learning, the potential future of AI in language learning, and the potential benefits and challenges that AI can bring to this field.

Continue reading “What is the future of AI in language learning?”