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. Continue reading this post…
Several European nations have recently undertaken reforms to simplify or standardize their national languages. Hungary, Malta and Portugal have all carried out measures to clean up some fuzzy areas in Hungarian, Maltese and Portuguese, respectively. Continue reading this post…
Despite the current economic situation, Internet shopping sites may see an upswing in their 2008 holiday sales as strained consumers look for bargains on the Internet. This projected sale increase will especially benefit sites offering good value and attractive discounts. Continue reading this post…
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 script in Polish, adding no emotion or expression whatsoever. While the lektors read, the audience barely hears the English dialogue in the background. Continue reading this post…
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 tempting to use, but they can lead to marked misunderstandings. Continue reading this post…