What do all languages have in common? - Cameron Morin?

All languages have words and rules, just like how all playgrounds have swings and rules about taking turns.

Words are like building blocks

Imagine you're playing with LEGO bricks, each brick is a word. In English, we use "dog" to talk about our furry friend, but in Spanish, we say "perro". Both are words, just from different languages. They help us explain the world around us.

Rules make it fun

Now imagine you and your friends have special rules for how you build with LEGO, like always putting a red brick on top of a blue one. That’s like rules in language. In English, we say "I go to school", but in French, we say "Je vais à l'école". The order of the words changes, just like your LEGO rules.

Even though languages are different, they all use words and rules, it's how we talk, play, and understand each other!

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Examples

  1. A child learning to speak English also learns to use verbs and nouns, just like a child in Japan.
  2. People from different countries can still understand each other when they speak slowly and clearly.
  3. Even though Spanish and Mandarin look very different, both have words for 'family' and 'food.'

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