Ann Friedman fell in love with language as a teacher, and Jake Barton fell in love with museums in the third grade. They understand that empathy occurs when we can experience the journeys of others through our senses. Local Projects’ mission is to connect people to social experiences through art, and it guides every one of their projects. Write a word that means love from another country. Adding to the experience, the giant LED globe flashes champagne glasses when people get pronunciations correct, and can fold up into the ceiling to serve as a spectacular chandelier for special events. Here, in this room, everyone can share meaning from around the world. And yet, we are often distanced from one another by language. Indeed, when we think of the number of words that can range into the hundreds of thousands in each language, this human capacity to describe action and emotion is so remarkable. The individuals on the standing screens are kind and welcoming, explaining how to pronounce words from their language and sharing their meaning. Some of the languages shared are quite rare, or even extinct. In another room, a giant globe made of interactive circular LED lights cheers you on as you accurately pronounce words introduced by thirty people from around the world. Giant Globe cheers people on as they learn new words from 30 people around the world. The word burrito for example, comes from the word “burros” and the way these pack animals are often wrapped in goods to carry. That’s why we often have two words for the same thing, like sheep and mutton.” He also pointed out that English tends to be more flexible than other languages, constantly adapting words from other countries. “It’s this wonderful mutt of a language that came together out of the words of the lower class in England and the upper class words from the Norman (French) invasions. “I loved finding out about the English language,” says Barton. The exhibit’s narrator asks visitors questions and responds to their answers, as if the exhibit itself is engaging them in conversation. In the museum’s introductory gallery, you will find yourself standing in front of a 21-foot tall, 46-ft wide wall of words that contain almost 1% of the English language. The Museum strives to capture the joy of language in multiple interactive ways. Wall of Words Asking Visitors Questions Planet Word/Long Story Short
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