“How old are you?” is usually considered a basic question, right? Ask a Korean and you might find out that it’s a complicated question, because the Korean system for counting age is different to the Western system. I found this out not long after I started teaching in Perth, and my students were asking each [...]
Japanese culture is a curious beast. Last weekend I showed my husband the Bill Murray/Scarlett Johansson film Lost in Translation, and it reminded me that it’s not a bad portrayal of the Western impression of Japanese culture.
I don’t profess to be an expert on Japan by any means - it’s a complex place. I lived [...]
Formal and informal ways to speak to people in other languages is a can of worms that I was reminded of last week as I watched one of my favourite Austrian TV shows - one of very few German language shows that are broadcast here in Australia - and I’m not ashamed to admit that [...]