Celebrating No-L Day: Embrace the Challenge of Linguistic Limitations!

 Merry Christmas, everyone! Today is also called A'phabet Day or No-L Day. Wasn't sure what to write, so I asked my friend ChatGPT, the Artificial Intelligence engine, to write it for me...

 

Language has a marvelous way of connecting people and expressing thoughts, but have you ever wondered what it would be like to communicate without a particular letter? Enter No-L Day, a delightful linguistic challenge that encourages us to embrace creativity and explore alternative ways of expression. On this special day, participants voluntarily refrain from using words that contain the letter "L," opening up a world of linguistic exploration and amusement.

No-L Day provides a unique opportunity to challenge ourselves and break free from linguistic comfort zones. It encourages us to think outside the box and find creative solutions for communication. By temporarily removing the letter "L" from our vocabulary, we unlock hidden potential and discover new ways to articulate our thoughts.

During No-L Day, individuals can tap into their imaginative side and explore alternative words and phrases to convey their ideas. This challenge sparks a sense of curiosity and playfulness, encouraging us to find words that are equally expressive and enjoyable to use. It's astonishing how our minds adapt and create linguistic alternatives to compensate for the absence of a single letter!

No-L Day is not just an individual challenge; it's also an opportunity to engage with others in a fun and inclusive way. By participating in this linguistic adventure together, we can share laughter, exchange clever wordplay, and bond over the delightful complexities of language. Whether it's through conversation, social media, or organized events, No-L Day connects individuals and fosters a sense of camaraderie.

No-L Day is a celebration of linguistic creativity and the power of communication. By temporarily abstaining from words that contain the letter "L," we embark on a playful journey that expands our linguistic horizons. This day challenges us to think outside the box, find alternative expressions, and engage with others in a delightful and inclusive manner. So, let's embrace the linguistic limitations and celebrate No-L Day with enthusiasm, laughter, and a renewed appreciation for the beauty and versatility of language!

How will you celebrate No-L Day?

Happy Myths and Legends Day!

October 11th is Myths and Legends Day! Since the A to Z Challenge has a "Mythology and Folklore" category every year, we thought it would be appropriate to make October's post about the storytelling traditions of the world :) 

There are more and more books and online sources available for anyone who is interested in myths and legends. However, naturally, not all of them are equally detailed or useful. Whether you are looking to read something educational and entertaining, or hoping to familiarize yourself with other cultures, it is worth making sure your sources are of good quality. Especially because tradition tends to be seen as a free-for-all where people make up random stuff and try to pass it off as "ancient and authentic".

So, here are some things you might want to consider, when choosing books (or sites) to read about mythology:

1. If it is a currently existing culture with a living mythology - is the author of that culture?

Obviously, an outsider can also be an excellent researcher an expert. But it is worth seeing if there are any sources on a myth from within its native culture. For deeper knowledge and understanding, and also to support the actual community you are learning about.

2. Does the book cite primary sources?

Primary sources are either written documents from the historical era of the myths (e.g. ancient Greek and Roman authors), or tradition bearers who were interviewed and recorded. The closer you get to actual, first-hand accounts of traditional stories, the less likely they were censored, misunderstood, or deliberately altered.

3. Does the book cite sources at all?

There is nothing wrong with reading about myths just for entertainment. But personally I love books that go a little deeper than that, and actually tell me where they got the stories, and how the collection came to be. You can tell a lot from these. I once saw a folktale collection that put "I read this in a tourist brochure" among its citations... I didn't buy that book.

4. When was the book published?

Folklore and anthropology as academic fields also have their own history. Older books tend to reflect the ideologies popular at the time of their writing, and many of them decidedly did not age well. Look for terms in the book such as "primitive peoples", "superstitions", "barbaric", racial slurs, or anything that calls a group of people "simple" or "childish." If you encounter them, be vary of what they claim are "authentic" stories. Especially in the Victorian era, collectors liked to censor out "unsavory" parts.

5. Was the book written by missionaries or colonial officers?

Goes without saying, proceed with extreme caution when colonizers make claims about indigenous cultures.

6. What is the relationship of the myths to the majority culture of the country?

There are quite a few examples when a majority culture has political and ideological reasons to distort the myths and legends of minorities. If you have ever read a Soviet collection of Siberian myths, you'll notice they talk about "lying shamans that leech on the working people" suspiciously often. Or take up some Chinese collections of minority legends, and you'll see many stories ending with the glorious arrival of "the red sun." Be wary, and refer back to point 1 on this list.

7. Does the book name tradition bearers and tell us about them?

If it was not written by members of a certain culture, it is a good sign if the book pays respect to them, and the tradition bearers that carry on the myths. At least, it is great to know their names and a little about their lives; photos and sound files are even better. If the book names ways to support said community actively (or shares profits with them), that is a huge plus too.

8. Does the book acknowledge that myths and legends have many versions?

Mythology is never constant or stable. Be wary of books that claim "original" or "real" versions of stories.

I hope you find this list useful and interesting. Happy reading, and we hope to see many of you in the Mythology and Folklore category of the Challenge next year!

International Literacy Day!

Today is International Literacy Day, with this year's theme being "Promoting literacy for a world in transition: Building the foundation for sustainable and peaceful societies."

ILD2023 will be an opportunity to join efforts to accelerate progress towards the achievement of Sustainable Development Goal 4 (SDG4) on education and lifelong learning and to reflect on the role of literacy in building more inclusive, peaceful, just, and sustainable societies. In doing so, it will embrace the reciprocal relations between literacy and other areas of development: Literacy is central to the creation of such societies, while progress in other areas of development contributes to generating interest and motivation of people to acquire, use, and further develop their literacy and numeracy skills.

My mother was a teacher for 37 years in the Chicago Public Schools. Her philosophy was that if a kid could read, he could learn just about anything. She taught fourth grade, and would make sure that, by the end of the year, as many kids in her class as possible were reading at a fourth-grade reading level or above.

When I was in college, Mom overhead me talking on the phone with a friend of mine. We had mentioned a friend of ours in the conversation, and when I got off the phone, she said that she thought she had taught the friend we were talking about, and asked me to ask him if he had been in her class.

The next time, I talked to him, I asked him if he had attended Mom's school. He smiled and said, "that is your mom!" He then told me a story about how, when he got into fourth grade, he couldn't read at an appropriate level, so Mom told him that he was to read a book a week and turn in a book report every Monday morning. He said that, by the end of the year, he could read at a higher grade level than fourth grade. By the way, he was graduating from the university that June and would be continuing on to medical school.

We take reading for granted sometimes. I've been able to read since I was about three, and so could my brothers. It's hard for me to envision anyone my age (67) not being able to read. Unfortuntely, adults not being able to read is more common than you would think. When we were in Chicago, Mary volunteered with an organization called Literacy Volunteers of America, now called ProLiteracy. She worked with several adults who had managed to graduate from school without being able to read. They weren't dyslexic (which is an entirely different issue), they just were passed along by the school system. They were doomed to work in unskilled, low-paying jobs as a result.

In today's world, the ability to read, write, and do simple math is essential for survival. UNESCO thinks that those abilities are fundamental to building sustainable and peaceful societies, and thus a sustainable and peaceful world, and I can't argue with that.

Take time to appreciate the gift that you have been given. Share it with your children and grandchildren, your nieces and nephews. Help them to enjoy the worlds that reading opens to them. If you have the time and inclination, volunteer to help a non-reading adult to learn this critical skill.

Happy International Literacy Day!