A Thing For Wor(l)ds | Life translated by travel

Let Them Eat Cake (and sip tea): Albion Afternoon Tea in Barcelona

Jenny Marshall Barcelona and Cataluña November 24, 2014

Quaint. /ˈkweɪnt/ adj. The most important English word, in my book—and one with no direct Spanish translation. Maybe that’s why Spain has no tea tradition; there’d be no words to describe it! It’s my third year in Spain, and I’ve begun to accept what I first ...Read More

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Idioms of the World

Jenny Marshall Words November 17, 2014

Idioms. /ˈɪ.di.əmz/ n. Those little phrases specific to a language whose meaning is not merely the sum of its parts. Such as, “It’s raining cats and dogs,” which literally no native English speaker ever says, so can we please stop teaching that in ESL ...Read More

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Ministry vs. Meddeas: Which Teaching Program Should You Choose?

Jenny Marshall Auxiliar de Conversación, Meddeas November 10, 2014

Last year, I worked 12 hours a week as a high-school English teacher through the Spanish Ministry of Education’s “North American Language and Culture Assistant” (NALCA) program. This year, as a way to end up in Barcelona, I switched to teaching with the private program ...Read More

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Let’s Talk Français (je t’adore)

Jenny Marshall Let's Talk November 6, 2014

Each week on the Let’s Talk series, I’ll be featuring a language learner who will share their heroic process of mastering a foreign tongue. Next up, Pola talks French. Un buteur [ɛ̃ bytœr] – Language: French. Meaning: Striker, goal scorer. I’m a soccer/football fan and one ...Read More

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The European Market That Trumps Them All

Jenny Marshall Barcelona and Cataluña November 4, 2014

Mercat. /məɾˈkat/ n. Language: Catalan. Meaning: Market. In Europe, this generally means covered shopping spaces where you can find fresh peaches next to pig intestines next to croissants next to fish heads. One-stop shopping at its best. Can you imagine touring a U.S. city ...Read More

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Let’s Talk isiXhosa (a South African click language!)

Jenny Marshall Let's Talk, Words October 30, 2014

Each week on the Let’s Talk series, I’ll be featuring a language learner who will share their heroic process of mastering a foreign tongue. Next up, Kaveh talks Xhosa. -hlazo /ɬazo/ Language: Xhosa. Meaning: A root for the adjective shame. As in, “Shame you ...Read More

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How To Make Friends Abroad: The Lonely Expat’s Guide

Jenny Marshall Expat Life, Tips and Tricks October 27, 2014

Friends. /ˈfɾɛnz/ n. The people whose mannerisms you unconsciously adopt, because you spend too much time together. The people you can go a year without seeing, and still feel as close as ever. The people you miss desperately from home, and search desperately for abroad. ...Read More

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My Thing For Words: Unveiling the Writing Process

Jenny Marshall Blogging October 23, 2014

Blog. /blɑʊg/ n. A shortening of the term “web log,” now a ubiquitous part of the Internet. The fact that my mother has a blog shows just how easy they are to create. (She asked me how to open an attachment once.) More difficult, however, ...Read More

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How I Live Legally in Barcelona as an American

Jenny Marshall Auxiliar de Conversación, Barcelona and Cataluña, Meddeas, Slider October 20, 2014

Meddeas. /mə.ˈðeɪ.əs/ Acronym: Multilingual Education Development and Support. My golden ticket to residency in Barcelona. I’m not married to a European. I wasn’t hired by a multinational corporation in the States. Spain’s main English teaching program, the one I did last year in Bilbao, ...Read More

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Let’s Talk Nihongo 日本語 (That’s Japanese for “Japanese”)

Jenny Marshall Let's Talk, Words October 16, 2014

ベスデス BesuDesu /bɛsuːdɛsuː / n. Language: Japanese. Meaning: 1. A girl with an insatiable desire to travel the world and experience cultures different from her own (whose interview you’re about to read). 2. A Japanophile. 3. Like a Pokémon or… something. Literally translates to “(I) am ...Read More

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