Do the languages we speak shape the way we think? Do they merely express thoughts, or do the structures in languages (without our knowledge or consent) shape the very thoughts we wish to express?

Last week we learned that China had officially overtaken Japan to become the world's second-biggest economy. Earlier this year, China surpassed Germany as the world's largest exporter, and it recently overtook the United States as the world's largest car market.

Study shows that traditional toys and books should be used more for early language development whereas play with electronic toys should be discouraged.Transforming dinosaur, learning bug, talking farm or baby cellphones - these are some of the most whiz-bang toys most parents would think to buy for their kids this Christmas.

Bilinguals find it easier to learn a third language, as they gain a better aptitude for languages, a new study from the University of Haifa reveals. Prof. Salim Abu-Rabia and Ekaterina Sanitsky of the Department of Special Education, who conducted the study, set out to examine what benefits bilingualism might have in the process of learning a third language.