The origin of «troll»
For most English speakers, the word troll, out of context, most commonly registers as a noun, perhaps due to the striking imagery it elicits. Cue short, hideous monster-men hiding under a bridge, waiting to capture unknowing passersby. The horror of this imagery is no doubt why the word most strikes us in this manner—as a […]
Singing is the best way to learn a new language
Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net If you want to learn a language, music is the answer. According to a study, carried out a few years ago by French investigator Daniel Schön and his team, singing and listening to songs helps people to learn new languages. The study went a long way to proving that foreign […]
Globalization and translation rates
In general, globalization is highly beneficial to the translation industry, as the ¨geographic¨ (one of many applicable adjectives) expansion of people/culture/industry is closely linked to the acquisition of new languages or, at least, the need to communicate effectively in foreign languages. Thus, a rising demand for translations and translators. Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net It […]
Difficulties of ‘sounding right’ when learning English or Spanish as a second language
When learners of any non-native language reach a level of intermediate-to-advanced comprehension, new preoccupations emerge. In English, we might describe one of these as “speaking so it sounds right”, but of course the crux of this—“sounds”—is not so simple as the statement suggests. Free image courtesy of FreeDigitalPhotos.net One obvious sort of “sound” is pronunciation, […]
Translation errors severely damage branding image, even big brand giants like Mango
Sloppy translations, or translations that are hastily authorized without being sent through a strict screening process based on lots of research and managed by reliable, language professionals, can destroy a business’ reputation. Even Mango, Spain’s fashion giant, isn’t safe from the dangers of translation errors. Last week, Mango made worldwide headlines thanks to an incredibly […]
Choosing a foreign language to learn
By most accounts, it seems that there has never been a better time to be a teacher of languages. With globalization increasing the need for communication between diverse groups of people–the same force keeping the translation industry robust at the moment–more and more people are seeking fluency in one or more foreign languages. From toddlers […]
History of the letter eñe
Most people associate the letter eñe with the Spanish language. Yet it is actually present in no less than nine different alphabets spanning the globe, including the modern Latin alphabet, Galician alphabet, Asturian alphabet, Filipino alphabet and Guarani alphabet, among others. Additionally, it is currently used to represent the [ŋ] in the Tartar and Crimean […]
Tools for translators: A powerful desktop search tool
Copernic Desktop Search is a software tool that makes it simple and easy to find anything on your PC. By indexing your hard drive and providing a user-friendly search interface, a person can instantly locate more than 150 file types, including images, multimedia and emails (it includes an optional web search engine.) If the user […]
Translating your website to promote your business
A business website is more than just a mode of offering information about your business, and it’s more than just marketing a product or service. Your website also communicates authority, or legitimacy, if you will. The internet is full of websites representing fly-by-night companies. Making sure that your site doesn’t seem like one of those […]
The Origin of the Word «Carnival»
The term Carnival (or Carnaval, in Spanish), has an etymology that can find little accord among those who explain its origins. Perhaps beginning with the question of whether the roots of the word date back to latin, and which terms they seem to derive from, several theories about the origin of Carnival persist, each with […]
