Image provided by: University of Oregon Libraries; Eugene, OR
About The daily Astorian. (Astoria, Or.) 1961-current | View Entire Issue (April 1, 2019)
A4 THE DAILY ASTORIAN • MONDAY, ApRIL 1, 2019 Learning another language Dear Annie: I love learn- net. And in many cases, tuition ing languages. I grew up with is free. Check out the website immigrant parents who spoke Duolingo, and visit your local their native language to me, and library to see whether it has a I studied another language in Rosetta Stone subscription. Soft- ware solutions aside, one high school. I’m also a DEAR of the best ways to prac- native English speaker. ANNIE tice and learn a new lan- I wouldn’t say I’m tri- lingual, but I can get by guage is simply to speak in those two languages with people in it. Once I’ve learned aside from you’ve gotten on track English. learning the basics of a The thing is that learn- new language, check out ing those languages was Meetup to find a group easier than it is to learn ANNIE LANE in your area that speaks Creators languages now that I’m in that language. Syndicate Inc. out of school. I learned It’s wise of you to my parents’ language as take such an interest in a child, when the human brain’s learning new languages, as it plasticity is at its maximum and can be a big boost to your brain. learning new languages is easiest. Researchers at Penn State Uni- And the other language I learned versity found that bilingual peo- while in school; I essentially ple are better at multitasking, didn’t have a choice but to show and researchers at the University up to class and learn the language. of Chicago found that bilingual Now learning a new language people tend to make better, more requires self-discipline. No out- rational decisions when speaking side force is going to help me in their nonnative tongue, pre- learn another language. I’m not sumably because they’re forced sure I have the discipline, but I to think in a more deliberate way. really would like to learn another Though you’re already nearly language or two. Any tips? — trilingual, it stands to reason that you could reap more of these Lazy Linguist Dear Lazy Linguist: School benefits with each new language is always in session on the inter- you learn. And though it might be more challenging to pick up a new language as an adult than as a child, it’s by no means impossi- ble. See the article titled “A crit- ical period for second language acquisition,” published last year in the journal Cognition, if you’d like to read more about that. Dear Annie: In regard to the letter from “Polite Guy,” I have to side with the former hippies and their daughter on this one. The other day, I was deliv- ering some books to the local high school. At one point, I was standing in front of a door with a 2-foot stack of books in my arms, trying to figure out how I was going to open the door. More than a dozen kids walked around me. Finally, one kid opened the door for me. I didn’t think that was a mat- ter of good manners. I thought it was a matter of common decency — with a little bit of awareness of what’s going on outside your own skin thrown in. I value kindness, sincer- ity and consideration, not good manners. — Judy G. Dear Judy: I don’t espouse etiquette as a set of ironclad rules that we all must follow for fear of punishment. TOMORROW’S HOROSCOPE By Holiday Mathis, Creators Syndicate Inc. ARIES (March 21-April 19). Over the course of the day, you’ll definitely get less done than you wanted to. That’s OK. As long as you keep plugging away, you’ll also get way more ac- complished over the next three months than you thought possible. SCORPIO (Oct. 24-Nov. 21). You never know what someone else is going through. What looks like a routine action may actually be requiring great courage and perseverance of a person. Your kindness and soft heart will be appreciated. TAURUS (April 20-May 20). People who are more socially connected tend to be less mate- rialistic. To live simply is a virtue and a skill that pays back spiritual dividends. In short, the less you need the happier you’ll be. SAGITTARIUS (Nov. 22-Dec. 21). For today, if you can’t see which option is right, then there is no right option. In such a case, the best move is no move. When it’s time to act, you’ll feel it. GEMINI (May 21-June 21). Right now, your hottest clue about the future can be found in the past. This involves three magic steps. Study the history; look for patterns; and believe them when you see them. CAPRICORN (Dec. 22-Jan. 19). Distraction isn’t always negative. In fact, distraction can be just what’s needed to help you through a heal- ing process or a transition. You’ll come back later with a more enlightened perspective. CANCER (June 22-July 22). Your eloquence is undeniable. It’s not about what you say; it’s about what you don’t say. You’ll be guided by a sense of restraint that will hold you in good stead. AQUARIUS (Jan. 20-Feb. 18). Hope is crucial, and there’s not enough of it. Be an agent of hope. When the facts do not point in a hopeful direction, hold on to hope anyway. The very act of hoping can sometimes be enough to turn things around. LEO (July 23-Aug. 22). Take stock in all that you can do in the current situation. It’s more than you could see in the beginning, and you’ll continue to grow in power if you don’t give your power away. VIRGO (Aug. 23-Sept. 22). You’ll be the first among your friends to recognize a need and fulfill it. To give a little is to give a lot, as it’s a direction to lean into, and it starts a trend of generosity. LIBRA (Sept. 23-Oct. 23). It’s as if love really does make the world go around — and not in a particularly reciprocal sort of way. It may be that you’re chasing someone or something that is chasing someone or something else. FRANK AND ERNEST BLONDIE THATABABY SALLY FORTH PHOEBE AND HER UNICORN B.C. LOLA DILBERT SIX CHIX BIZARRO MUTTS NON SEQUITUR BABY BLUES WIZARD OF ID ZITS ROSE IS ROSE PISCES (Feb. 19-March 20). This is no time to return to where you’ve been and what you’ve done. That’s over. Moving on won’t be hard once you commit. The mantra now: “Tomor- row.” Go ever forward. TOMORROW’S BIRTHDAY (April 2). A liber- ation takes place over the next five weeks. A counterintuitive approach will be your success key. For instance, the answer to getting what you’ve wanted for a long time is to stop trying. An upgrade in June allows you to make more money. September brings the boost your fam- ily has needed to strengthen ties. Aries and Gemini adore you. Your lucky numbers are: 9, 40, 3, 33 and 17.
