It's interesting how actors and actresses fake their accents as required in their roles. Some Filipinos are bilingual or trilingual as there are two official languages in our country: English & Filipino (Tagalog).

However, the locals have adopted American English as the Philippines was a former colony of the USA for around 50 years. That's why it is surprising when we hear a local actor trying the British accent.

If interested, you can watch the video here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k2Q7_hfF5gs

NOTE: There might be sensitive content included in first clip. I changed the link into a safer clip with the same rendition of the British accent by the actress.

The actress playing the villain switches from Tagalog to English and vice versa while the protagonist superhero (a trans) speaks and sings in full Tagalog (with some borrowed Spanish words). This is an old and a low-budget movie, so please don't mind the special effects.

I've just read this article on Forbes saying that a healthy person shouldn't wear a mask. It also says only the infected ones should. I'm a little confused. So, what's your opinion? To protect ourselves, should we or shouldn't we?

Here's the article for reference :

https://www.forbes.com/sites/tarahaelle/2020/02/29/no-you-do-not-need-face-masks-for-coronavirus-they-might-increase-your-infection-risk/?fbclid=IwAR0D6NRFuN_7z6ay0rHUJPFVoAQEoBQDb0J-btPlEaw8MP0tqN5jTydsWd0#3faa32c8676c

Quoted from https://www.thepoke.co.uk/2016/02/17/english-pronunciation-poem/?fbclid=IwAR2PB9dB98PDzQZ5NFdc4NCGczoZF1-MeTTACJrPFN0FDDpJx71ud4oXN1IRedi

It's one of the tricky questions during job interviews in the call center companies for American outsourcing here in the Philippines. How do you answer it?

I bet some professional English teachers are familiar with this rather ironic but classic statement about effective communication. Simply put, it means avoid ambiguity and be clear in your expressions!

It's a skill that writers need to learn in order to be effective in conveying their ideas. This is also important for language teachers as they face varied students with different levels and aptitudes. More importantly, it is a crucial skill for an instructor teaching highly technical subjects to beginners like introducing Quantum Physics to grade schoolers without using jargons.

In fact, it is also a good test to prove <em>your</em> own comprehension of a complex concept. It is called the Feynman Learning Technique espoused by Nobel prize-winning Physicist Richard Feynman. He said that if you can teach a complex idea to a Grade 6 student using the basic vocabulary words of a 12 year old, then you have understood the concept yourself.

Scientists thought that the formation of new brain cells (neurogenesis) is not possible in adults. However, recent findings suggest that yes, neurogenesis occurs in adults under special circumstances. It happens among people who lead healthy lifestyles. Experts encourage us to regularly engage in physical and mental exercises to promote brain plasticity. Pardon the jargons. Learning a second language (or a third) also enhances and builds new neural connections in the brain.

Even before discovering this, I was already exercising vigorously almost every day. However, I was surprised about the benefits of learning a second language for the brain. Thus I embarked on learning my third language, Spanish. It also surprised me that it is really enjoyable and not boring at all to learn a new language! Perhaps it has another positive effect on the moods?

According to physicists, there is a time and space continuum. Spacetime can be bent by gravity that's why theoretically, time travel is possible.

But how about you? Do you think time travel is possible? What if I tell you people have done it and are doing it?

PS. Before you question my sanity, this is just a trick question and yes time travel is happening. But how?

Certainly is! But how do we know when we have reached the limit? When do we know enough is enough? What is the threshold?

Bababa ba? Bababa!

No that is not alien language, that's a real question and answer in the Philippines. It's Tagalog and we often ask it when the elevator opens. It means, "Is it going down? Yes, it's going down."

There was a joke in the Philippines that there was this American in the elevator with the Filipinos. The elevator door opens and the man outside said, "Bababa ba?" The Filipinos inside said, "Bababa!" The American was surprised by what he heard and said, "Are you guys aliens?"

Anyway, it just goes to show how fun languages are. And there's another one:

"Kakaba-kaba kaba? Kabang-kaba! " Are you nervous? Yes, very much so!