01/29/2007 - 01/30/2007

Quebec town's Stereotyping of Immigrants

A news feature today beggars belief. Immigrants to the small Quebec town of Herouxville have been told that they are no longer allowed to stone women in public, burn them alive or throw acid on them, according to a new set of rules made public by the local council. The "rules" portray and shocking and sad amount of intercultural know-how from the designers who seem to have taken every stereotype possible about immigrants and their ways and written these down in a set of rules that are supposed to welcome them.

The rules, published on the town's web site, has deepened a debate in the predominantly French-speaking Canadian province over how tolerant Quebecers should be towards the customs and traditions of immigrants.

"We wish to inform these new arrivals that the way of life which they abandoned when they left their countries of origin cannot be recreated here," said the declaration, which also says women are allowed to drive, vote, dance, write checks, dress how they want, work and own property. "Therefore we consider it completely outside these norms to ... kill women by stoning them in public, burning them alive, burning them with acid, circumcising them etc."

UK Employers think Brits don't work as hard as migrants

Migrant workers to the UK are seen as harder working, more reliable and better skilled than natives, a poll published today will reveal.

The Institute of Directors (IoD) survey found that employers believe immigrants outperform UK employees by “a large margin�. Workers who have come here from abroad are believed to have better skills, education, work ethics and reliability.

The Etiquette of Hailing a Taxi

Hailing a taxi in a foreign country need no longer be a frustrating task, as an international taxi specialist launches its tips on taxi customs across the world.

Bussinesstaxis has compiled a list of dos and don'ts for holidaymakers trying to wave down a cab while abroad.

People taking a holiday in Japan are told that if a cab has a green plate in the lower corner of the front window, it means that it is available - a red plate means it is taken. 'In Japan when you board a taxi, note that the vehicle's left rear door is opened and closed remotely by the driver. You are not supposed to open or close it by yourself,' added Steve Waller from the firm.

Bosses offer Staff Free Language Lessons

We came across this interesting piece of news from Scotland where bossed have introduced language lessons for their staff in Spanish and French. The after-work sessions are being laid on for staff at Edinburgh Park to help improve their "work-life balance".

The language classes have proved so popular that bosses are arranging extra sessions."We sent out a survey to all the people at the park in October, asking them what they would be interested in. We suggested language courses, and there was a huge amount of interest. French and Spanish were the most popular ones. We wanted something quite basic, so it's really aimed at people going on holiday."

No Swearing Please! This is Shanghai

Mind your language, please.......... This is Shanghai. China's financial centre is mulling over a law against using swear words in public, reports said on Monday, in a sign of just how far the city has travelled from its famously profane 19th-century dockside origins.

Newspapers and a government spokesman said the ban could be included in a law targeting spitting, littering, smoking, jaywalking, and other behavior deemed disruptive or anti-social.

What is a sworn translation in Brazil?

Certified translations are becoming more and more needed as people cross borders for work, marriage, etc. The term "certified translation" is one primarily used in the UK, whereas in other countries other terms will be used. This article looks at the "sworn translation" as it is known in Brazil.

What is a sworn translation in Brazil?

It is a translation that is legally valid for presentation to Brazilian public sector authorities. In other words, it officially mirrors in Portuguese the contents of the original document it was translated from. It can be called either a Certified Public Translation or a Sworn Translation.

A sworn translation is issued by a professional duly certified as "Tradutor Público e Intérprete Comercial" (Public Translator and Commercial Interpreter) by the "Junta Comercial" (Business Registering Agency) of his/her state of residence in Brazil, in compliance with the rules and guidelines established for such a translation. Such professional is popularly called a "Tradutor Juramentado" (Sworn Translator), though the term is not official in some Brazilian states.

Changchun prepares for Asian Games with Translation Service

The upcoming Winter Asian Games in China is a good example of the growing need for translation services in the modern age. In preparation for the games the city of the city of Changchun in Northeast China has launched a translation service hotline to help athletes and visitors alike.

The Winter Asiad's organizing committee began the free 24-hour service on Thursday. "The aim of the hotline is to provide timely help to foreign athletes and spectators during the Games and to make the guests feel more comfortable," organizing committee deputy secretary-general He Quanxiu said recently.

A total of 816 athletes from 26 countries and regions of the Olympic Council of Asia (OCA) are taking part in the Games, making it the continent's biggest winter sports meet. "Though Changchun resi-dents are very eager to learn English, they are not good enough to help the overseas guests," he said.

The Potential of a Translated Website

Some research results from a company called Internet-Engine came up with some very interesting facts and statistics about the websites people are being pointed to through search engines. In short, the research discovered that internet consumers were six times more likely to be pointed toward independent or Internet-based retailers than to "major bricks and mortar retailers". This means the the traditional large or high street companies with a recognised brand name are being nudged out by smaller operations with a good understanding of SEO and web marketing.

The results must also point to an international trend, meaning that if smaller independent companies want to maximise sales internationally a translated website just may be the ticket. Not only are you able to draw in potential sales through speaking to the user in their own language but your chances of doing so are that much greater as your competition would more than likely not have thought about having a website translation.

Thom Disch, Founder and CEO of Internet-Engine added, ''The data show that the big box stores are not participating in search marketing programs such as those created by Google or Yahoo./ Smaller, eCommerce-savvy companies, comparison shopping websites and product manufacturers are generating a much greater search presence."

Word of the Day: cohort

cohort \KOH-hort\, noun:
1. A group or band of people.
2. A companion; an associate.
3. A group of people sharing a common statistical factor (as age or membership in a class) in a demographic study.
4. (Roman Antiquity) A body of about 300 to 600 soldiers; the tenth part of a legion.
5. Any group or body of warriors.

Ultimately we could have the know-how to breed these groups of human beings -- called 'clones' after the Greek word for a throng -- to produce a cohort of super-astronauts or dustmen, soldiers or senators, each with identical physical and mental characteristics most suited to do the job they have to do. -- William Breckon

We, he indicated his cohorts, "are stopping at the Marriot. -- Hilary Mantel, Eight Months on Ghazzah Street

Survey: Slovenians and Cultural Diversity

Less than half of Slovenians (48%) believe that people of different ethnic origin enrich the culture of the country, while the EU 25 average stands at 65%, revealed Eurobarometer survey presented by the European Commission on Tuesday, 23 January.

Around 55% of Slovenians think that discrimination on the basis of ethnic origin is widespread, the EU 25 average being 64%.

Companies favour diversity training to create an open culture

Creating an open culture and complying with the law are equally important to employers when it comes to diversity training, according to research.

One in three employers said they offered diversity training to improve the working environment and another third cited legal compliance as their primary reason. One in five employers also cited countering discrimination within their organisation as their main aim.

PokerNews Launches Romanian Language Site

The roll out of new PokerNews language sites continues this month with the opening of Romanian PokerNews. The site further increases PokerNews' coverage in Europe.

Romania would not be the first country on many poker players lips if they were asked to name a country associated with the game. However, Romania is just as much a hotbed of poker action as many other larger European countries.

Hospitals and the Language Barrier

A patient arrives at an emergency department suffering from a serious illness. His initial contact, a triage nurse, must quickly determine a number of things: Is he a Level 1 patient with a migraine or is he at Level 5 and having a major heart attack? What’s his medical history? Is he allergic to any medications?

There are also consent forms to fill out, medicines to explain, medical procedures that need to be communicated and accurately explained. The catch: The patient doesn’t speak the same language as the doctors, nurses and administrators.

This anxiety-provoking scenario plays out routinely in hospitals across the United States, and “we are only in our infancy in addressing the matter,� says Dr. Val Warhaft, who has dealt with hospital language barriers firsthand for more than 25 years.

The Translation Industry: Work Opportunities

According to 2000 U.S. Census data, nearly 47 million people who live in the U.S. speak a language other than English at home. That's a huge group of potential customers, and myriad corporations seek to capture their consumer spending power, notes Nataly Kelly, a former court interpreter and the author of a book, "Telephone Interpreting: A Comprehensive Guide to the Profession", that will be published in May by Multilingual Matters. "As a result, there's an enormous demand for bilingual skills in today's job market," Kelly says.

Word of the Day: gadabout

gadabout \GAD-uh-bout\, noun:
Someone who roams about in search of amusement or social activity.

In his unorthodox and callow way, he frequently upset and annoyed his countrymen, but they continued to vote for him, perhaps taking a vicarious pleasure in being led by such a world-famous gadabout. -- "Milestones of 2000", Times (London), December 29, 2000

She hugged him fiercely. "Oh, I love you, Jake Grafton, you worthless gadabout fly-boy, you fool that sails away and leaves me." -- Jack Anderson, Control