Athletes often talk about “hitting the wall” in their performance capacity, but have you ever thought of the same concept in language learning? In fact, learning a new language is not a linear process, but takes place in bursts and plateaus. Eventually, just about everyone learning a new language will hit a wall — or [...]
Boosted by the 2008 Summer Olympic Games, the Chinese have never been more enthusiastic about speaking English. Of course, many young people already study English in school — but the recent surge in interest for the English language crosses all age groups.
In film and television dubbing, casting can be a big issue. Whose voice will be able to convince audiences that Johnny Depp is speaking French, or that Julia Roberts is speaking Spanish? In Poland, the entertainment industry doesn’t face that problem: films and shows have traditionally been dubbed by lektors – men who read the [...]
In the field of foreign languages, “false friends” are pairs of words that appear to be similar, but actually differ in meaning. For example, in French, the verb “attendre” means “to wait” – quite different from the English sense of “to attend an event.” False friends are treacherous for language learners because they are so [...]
With global trade on the upswing and international communication a given, executive’s careers can be boosted by knowledge of one or more foreign languages.
Mastery of a foreign language can make an executive’s resume stand out from another. As corporate demand for foreign language speakers increases, a number of US businesses are offering language learning solutions [...]