Um, so as an English teacher, I tell my students, never, never, never start your speech with a question. It's tr It's boring. It's overused. So, with that being said, I have a question for you. Do you have a favorite word? Think about it for a few seconds. What word enters your mind? Hold on to that word. As I mentioned, I'm an English teacher and I absolutely love my job. So, of course, I love words. The unique fulfillment one gets one precise and powerful language is not only intoxicating but also money. ...

When I was still very young, I realized that my hometown spelled R E F U G io in South Texas, once part of greater Mexico, went by two different names, Rafario and Rafuio. depending on who was speaking. So, Tingos or Anglo speakers used the former pronunciation while my parents, relatives, and other Latinos or Spanish speakers use the latter.And the two versions were not always mutually intelligible, forcing you to use the other when you were not being understood. Later, I grew up to realize that the world ...