British Children Encouraged To Study Languages
March 23, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
The House of Lords’ EU committee favours a move to encourage more British children to study languages at primary and secondary schools. With the introduction of the English Baccalaureate it is also hoped that more teenagers will then decide to study languages which could ultimately boost the number of British students studying languages at University. The House of Lords committee is concerned by the ‘monoglot’ (speaking just one language) attitude which appears to be prevalent in the UK.
Facebook To Be Translated Into Jèrriais
March 21, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
The regional language of Jersey (the largest of the Channel Islands, UK) is to be used to translate Facebook. The Jèrriais language could soon be a language option on Facebook alongside the other 71 languages it is already available in. English and French are the official languages of Jersey but it is hoped that its regional language Jèrriais, will also be available on Facebook as well.
International Francophonie Day – 20th March
March 20, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
Today is International Francophonie Day or Journée Internationale de la Francophonie. Every year on the 20th March, this day celebrates and promotes cultural diversity and the French language. With over 200 million French-speakers around the world, events to encourage the French language further, include concerts, exhibitions, talks and forums.
Learn Irish For Saint Patrick’s Day!
March 16, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
Start a trend and learn Irish or Irish Gaelic for Saint Patrick’s Day this year. In case you hadn’t noticed all the green celebrations happening on the 17th March, it is Saint Patrick’s Day! This day celebrates Saint Patrick, one of the patron saints of Ireland. It is a Christian festival inviting you to think about Saint Patrick, as well as loved ones overseas. It is a national holiday in Ireland and a Bank Holiday in Northern Ireland. Read more
Twitter Is Now Available In 28 Languages
March 9, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
The hugely popular micro-blog service, Twitter, is now available in 28 languages after having recently launched versions in Urdu, Farsi, Arabic and Hebrew. Around 13,000 volunteers helped Twitter to translate its pages and menu options in these four languages. The translated versions will allow many more ordinary people around the world to use Twitter.
Get Your Kids Learning Languages With The Lingo Show TV Series!
March 9, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
The Lingo Show is a 10 minute TV programme filled with songs, stories and cartoons to encourage young children to learn languages. The Lingo Show has a new series starting on the 12th March 2012 on CBeebies (BBC). The first series will look at Mandarin Chinese, French and Spanish.
Greeks Learn German Language Due To Recession
March 2, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
A five year recession, an extremely high rate of unemployment and a shrinking economy have all taken their toll on the country of Greece. The Greek people want jobs and want to work to show that they can be productive but the recession and the lack of jobs in Greece are making things very difficult. Recently however, hundreds of Greeks have been turning to the German language in an effort to improve their situation.
Lack Of Language Skills Is Damaging UK Businesses
February 29, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
A recent survey by the office workspace giant, Regus, has found that a large percentage of UK businesses do not believe it is necessary to have fluent local language skills in order to have successful overseas business. This perception is despite an increasing number of UK businesses already trading with the overseas market or willing to do so. With the current global economic climate it is essential that firms speak their customers’ language in order to be competitive.
Think Spanish Audio Magazine Review – November 2011
February 24, 2012 by la-andrea · 2 Comments
An independent language advantage course review by Rosemarie Goonewardene – Indiana, USA
I became interested in learning Spanish when I wanted to visit friends in Mexico. My first attempt was a Spanish beginner’s class covering a few topics related to travel. Some time later, I took a couple of traditional Spanish classes, but the main emphasis was on grammar and there wasn’t much conversation practice. I looked at various Spanish language text books and found many of them confusing, although I did find listening to the accompanying tapes helpful.
International Mother Language Day – 21st February
February 21, 2012 by la-andrea · Leave a Comment
Did you know that today is International Mother Language Day? Every year on the 21st February, International Mother Language Day celebrates languages. This day also promotes linguistic and cultural diversity around the world and in particular, multilingualism. This concept was set up in 1999 by UNESCO (United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organisation) as a way to make the world aware about keeping languages and cultures alive.
