Michel Pichot: Slang and Cultural Expressions

Approx. time Expression Explanation
1:09 dean the head of a grouping of academic departments (e.g., Dean of Arts, Dean of Nursing, Dean of Engineering)
1:12 provost the chief academic officer (the boss of all the deans)
4:46 heartening encouraging, promising
5:44 to shadow to follow a professional through his/her daily routine in order to learn about that person’s job (to be like a silent shadow)
7:39 F-1 visa visa from the U.S. Dept. of State for foreign students
9:39 your French “fix” your need for periodic exposure to French things like language or food; “fix” is a slang expression for daily dose of addictive drug
11:28 secular mind orientation to worldly thinking rather than religious (or sacred) mindset

Alan Headbloom

Alan advises Americans how to be global citizens and expats how to fit in to Michigan culture without annoying their native coworkers and clients. He also tweets and blogs at the intersection of language and culture. Over decades, he's traveled, studied, or lived on six continents, putting strange foods into his mouth and emitting strange sounds from it. His use of English, German, Spanish, Portuguese, French, Swedish, Hausa, and Japanese all improve with alcohol use. He gives invited public presentations on culture and unsolicited private advice on English grammar and usage; the latter isn't always appreciated. Visit his website for information on consulting, coaching, or speaking engagements.