21 Language Facts
Some old, some new, some obvious, some quite cool! Did you know that… 01. There are between 6000 and 7000 languages in the world – spoken by six billion people divided into 189 independent states. 02. There are about 225 indigenous languages in Europe – roughly 3% of the world’s total. 03. Most of the [...]
Click here to continue readingSo, Which Foreign Language Is Most Difficult To Learn?
Many of those who study foreign languages wonder which language is the most difficult one in the world. Linguists say that there is no precise answer to this question because everything depends on which language you speak. Neurophysiologists believe, though, that the Chinese or the Arabic could be described as the world’s most difficult languages. [...]
Click here to continue readingTranslators Earn Millions from UK Government
Millions of pounds in taxpayers’ money is being spent providing translation services for benefit claimants. If you need to claim welfare benefits but the only language you speak is Nigerian Pidgin, you are in luck. The Department for Work and Pensions (DWP) can deal with claimants in 165 languages, providing translators at taxpayers’ expense. Among [...]
Click here to continue readingSchweiz? Suisse? Svizzera? Making Sense of the Language Confusion
It’s astonishing that the Swiss can understand each other. Not only do they have four languages, but well over half of them speak one way and write another. Switzerland is at the intersection of three major European cultures – German, French and Italian – and the only language it can truly call its own, Romansh, [...]
Click here to continue readingSo Can You Speak Globish?
English is the global language of business, yet English is also the native tongue of relatively few people, and it is notoriously hard to learn. What can be done? Jean-Paul Nerrière came up with an answer: Globish, a kind of simplified English that is vastly easier to use and can work almost as well as [...]
Click here to continue readingHow Cartoons Help You Learn Another Language
Nation of polyglots The complexity of slovenščina (the Slovenian language) isn’t the main reason few try to learn it; the real reason nobody tries to learn it is that Slovenians usually speak your native language. Within Europe, Slovenians come in third in speaking a foreign language. Europeans proclaim they’re all polyglots, but 44 percent of EU citizens [...]
Click here to continue readingJoin the Cult of the Hyperpolyglot
Many people want to speak a second language, but for some people two can never be enough. Welcome to the world of the hyperpolyglot. Ray Gillon speaks 18 languages. To be precise, he only speaks eight fluently. His grasp on the other 10 is merely conversational. Throw anything at him in Portuguese, Thai, Turkish, Russian, [...]
Click here to continue reading35 Cool Language Facts
1. French was the official language of England for over 300 years 2. Italian is the fifth most taught language, after English, French, Spanish and German. 3. German is the most widely spoken native language in Europe 4. English speakers will be able to recognise over 3,000 Spanish words 5. Portuguese has 178 million native [...]
Click here to continue readingThe 8 Easiest Languages for English Speakers to Learn
On an increasingly international planet, multilingualism is fast becoming a desired trait in employees, meaning today’s college students enjoy an advantage if their degree plans require a second (or even third!) language. English speakers in America particularly find this possibility challenging, as far too many schools downplay the importance of learning to speak something additional. Fortunately, [...]
Click here to continue readingCan You Work Out the English Song Title from these Translated Beatles Lyrics?
Somewhat Lost in Translation For most people the world of translation and translators themselves is a strange and mysterious one. Their work is one that people do not ask questions about, preferring instead to send off a document and receive a perfectly rendered translation back. But for those of us who have ever wondered what [...]
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