Category Archives: foreign language

Endangered languages: last chance to hear?

By admin | Published: 17 October 2009

A very interesting item from BBC Radio 4’s Today programme about endangered languages. At the moment, some 7,000 languages are spoken globally but some predict that number will shrink in the next few decades. • Jim Dickson is a director of WorldAccent Translation, London

Posted in foreign language | 1 Comment

European Day of Languages 2009

By admin | Published: 25 September 2009

Tomorrow sees the annual European Day of Languages. Initiated by the Council of Europe in 2001, this day sees various celebrations of language, diveristy and foreign language learning across Europe every 26 September. • Jim Dickson is a director of WorldAccent Translation, London

Also posted in EU, European Day of Languages, European Union, translation | 1 Comment

Do you tweet basic Arabic?

By admin | Published: 27 August 2009

A language school based in Dubai are planning to make use of Twitter to bring basic Arabic language to a worldwide audience. Followers of the Eton Institute will get a daily lesson, containing an English transliteration of an Arabic phrase. • Jim Dickson is a director of WorldAccent Translation, London

Also posted in Arabic | Leave a comment

Foreign idioms: a fun look at the sayings of the world

By admin | Published: 21 August 2009

A fun new book out this summer takes a sideways look at the idioms and sayings of the world. “I’m Not Hanging Noodles on Your Ear and Other Intriguing Idioms from Around the World” takes its title from a Russian saying which is broadly similar in meaning to the English phrase “I’m not pulling your [...]

Also posted in global, literature | Leave a comment

No substitute for professional translation!

By admin | Published: 14 August 2009

Thanks to one of our readers for pointing out this news story about York council coming under fire for relying on online machine translation. There’s a couple of funny examples but there is also an underlying serious point. If you want to communicate details and nuances of your services in a foreign language, the often [...]

Also posted in professional, translation | Leave a comment

More into Chinese language

By admin | Published: 9 December 2008

There is mixed news in a new report on languages in secondary schools from the National Centre for Languages (CiLT). They looked at a sample of schools across the UK in a survey they have carried out each year since 2002. First the good news. State schools in the UK are starting to offer a [...]

Also posted in Chinese, Mandarin, education | Leave a comment