Earlier this week, NASA announced that it is looking for new astronauts. Though NASA has sent its last shuttle into space, it will continue to send astronauts to the International Space Station through a collaboration with the Russian Federal Space Agency. NASA has promised to help staff the International Space Station (ISS) through at least 2020. So the ISS will continue to host astronauts from around the world, including Japan and Europe in addition to Russia and the United States. CONTINUE READING »

Currently, the Arizona Board of Education is deciding if teachers who speak with an accent are fluent in English. (Read the full story here.) We have all heard how differently people in London, New York, or Baton Rouge speak English, but are those different speakers still fluent in English? Where does accent stop and fluency begin?

Fluency is defined as being able to speak and write quickly or easily in a CONTINUE READING »

Last week the New York Times ran this headline: “Twitter Study Tracks When We Are : )” Notice anything odd for official newspaper-speak? That little emoticon printed in a venerated newspaper suggests growing acceptance of abbreviations and pictographic communication. Of course, the article is about the internet and technology, so a nod to common electronic communication is appropriate and light-hearted. CONTINUE READING »