Have you ever thought about why some cultures put higher values on different aspects of society than others? For example, what is it that makes some groups (like Koreans and Spaniards) less likely to move far away from home, or others (like Germans and Swedes) more likely to be proactive about taking care of their environment? Geert Hofstede is a Dutch social psychologist who has been studying differences in cultural values for decades. Today we dive into his research and try to understand the six ways he measured mentalities and cultural values by country. They are: power distance, individualism, masculinity, uncertainty avoidance, long-term orientation, and indulgence. Of course, these are all generalizations and don’t necessarily speak to each individual in a culture, but do explain interesting trends. To check your country’s cultural values and others’, check out the Hofstede foundation’s website!

In Language News this week, we learn about Marie Wilcox, an octogenarian from the Wukchumni tribe in Central California who is the last native speaker of her tongue. Salon.com did a short documentary on her a few years ago, which showcases her and her daughter’s efforts to create a dictionary for the language (titled “Marie’s Dictionary”). Since then, more and more people in her tribe have become interested in helping to keep the language alive. Yay for the beginning of a successful language revitalization story!

Our Lost in Translation story this week comes from Rachel’s adventures around Germany last month — when she and her boyfriend tried to skip on drinks at restaurants, they were met with deer-in-a-headlight stares. Oh well. It’s not always easy being in a place where you don’t speak the language!

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