05/21/2007 - 05/22/2007

How to communicate across the cultural divide

Until quite recently, company leaders who worked closely with foreign colleagues either travelled regularly or were transferred overseas. But the world of work has changed dramatically. Now, many managers regularly interact with foreign clients, vendors or fellow employees without ever leaving their offices.

Ireland's new multicultural mix

In the run-up to the Irish general election, the BBC News website is looking at some key issues affecting modern Ireland. Here, the BBC's Stephen Fottrell considers the mass immigration that has transformed the country in recent years.

EU recruitment office 'guilty of language bias'

In a potential landmark announcement, EU Ombudsman Nikiforos Diamandouros is shortly to declare that the EU institutions' recruitment office, EPSO, is guilty of bias in favour of English, French and German, acording to Polish daily Gazeta Wyborcza .

The Ombudsman's opinion, which is expected soon according to popular Polish paper Gazeta Wyborcza, could have legal reprecussions, as candidates who failed to gain EU institution employment will be able to challenge their results in court.

Cuts drive adults out of language classes

Although more Britons are travelling abroad than ever before, half a million fewer adults in the UK are learning foreign languages than a decade ago, according to a new survey. Of those adults who are learning a language in the UK, a quarter are studying English. Since the last national review in 1999, English has knocked German out of the top three languages being studied. The other two most popular remain French and Spanish.

Word of the Day: delectation

delectation \dee-lek-TAY-shun\, noun:
Great pleasure; delight, enjoyment.

In the eighteenth century, the Qing emperor, Qianlong, created . . . a park for his own delectation, full of diminutive Chinese landmarks, so that he could canter round his whole kingdom without leaving home. -- Kate Lowe and Eugene McLaughlin, "Dollars and dim sum", History Today, June 1995

Asia the top investment choice for expats

Asia has overtaken continental Europe as the top investment choice for investors living outside their country of origin, according to a survey. The survey of 350 expatriate investors conducted by online broker Internaxx in March and April showed that 39 percent had exposure to Asia, up from 33 percent a year ago.

Lingoport Releases Enhanced Globalyzer

Lingoport, Inc., a leading developer of globalization software and services, today announced the release of Globalyzer(TM) 2.4 to help companies more quickly and accurately make their software world-ready for international markets.

Polysemy: Why Translation Can be Difficult

Do you sometimes wonder why certain materials are badly translated? One of these reasons why translation is difficult is a phenomenon known as polysemy: the many meanings that a single word can take.

For example, In English, the word plain can take on the following meanings: ordinary / undecorated: a plain white shirt
easy / simple to understand: plain English
a level area of land: great plains

Due to polysemy, translating English into other languages is more complex than it seems. One will have to know which sense of the word is truly needed.

Word of the Day: insuperable

insuperable \in-SOO-pur-uh-bul\, adjective:
Incapable of being passed over, surmounted, or overcome; insurmountable; as, "insuperable difficulties."

They have overcome almost insuperable odds that the poor facilities and elements have brought about. -- Raimund E. Goerler (Editor), To the Pole: The Diary and Notebook of Richard E. Byrd, 1925-1927