April 2009

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Word Poverty Hits the UK

by Richard Brooks April 29, 2009 Education

The BBC has reported that children in England are to be offered lessons to improve their formal English skills amid fears that British children are suffering from “word poverty”. The question is, just because we don’t use a word frequently does that mean we don’t know it or do we have it in mind but choose to use an alternative?

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The Evolution of Language

by Richard Brooks April 24, 2009 Languages

As this article on Forbes.com demonstrated, language is never static. It is constantly changing and evolving. But why? Why the English we speak is today different in so many ways from the English our grandparents spoke? Or the English Shakespeare spoke and wrote in? Language evolves for a number of different reasons. One common reason [...]

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Quebec’s Controversial Video Game Language Laws

by Richard Brooks April 22, 2009 Translation

A recent law passed in Quebec forbids the sale of English only games if a French translation exists or will be released at some point. Not many games are officially translated into French (or many other languages) and I doubt that gamers will want to wait for them as many games are released in English [...]

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St. Georges Day

by Richard Brooks April 21, 2009 Events

St. George is the patron saint of England. The 23rd April was named as St. George’s day in 1222, he has always been incredibly popular character although perhaps has been slightly forgotten over the years.

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Sydney School Revives Lost Aboriginal Language

by Richard Brooks April 17, 2009 Languages

A school in Sydney, Australia is teaching its students Dharug. What’s so unusual about this foreign language offering? According to an article on Voice of America news, Dharug is an aboriginal language that was once one of the main Aboriginal dialects and was spoken where the city of Sydney stands today. However, it disappeared after [...]

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China to Issue Revised List of Simplified Characters

by Richard Brooks April 17, 2009 Languages

According to this report on the Window of China website, China plans to issue a new list of simplified characters for written Chinese. According to Wang Ning, the vice director of the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences’ Institute of Linguistics, the changes will be minor and are meant to reduce confusion between characters and make them easier [...]

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Ebay Offer Translation Services to Japanese Vendors

by Richard Brooks April 3, 2009 Translation

Ebay have announced that they will be offering a translation service to Japanese sellers who want to list products on its English-language service which they hope will encourage cross border trade. The service will cause a slight delay in adding an item to the site but is relatively simple. Sellers will be able to type [...]

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Postmaster Loses Job after Foreign Language Ban

by Richard Brooks April 3, 2009 Languages

Bloglingua previously reported the news about the Postmaster from Nottingham who refused to serve some customers as they were unable to communicate in English. Mr Kumarasiri was moved to new post office, on his request. He has now been told by the agency which employed him that his contract will not be renewed. The BBC [...]

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Learn another Language for Free

by Richard Brooks April 3, 2009 Learning Languages

Would you like to learn another language? Have you spent the past few years talking about how you “really should sign up for a class?” Sometimes, it’s hard to find the time for continuing education. Software programs like Mango and Rosetta Stone provide flexibility for people with busy schedules, but they are not cheap. However, [...]

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