Articles
Scientific Study Reveals More Advantages to Bilingualism
Knowing a second language has obvious benefits; you can interact with people from different countries and cultures, business opportunities can be expanded and world cinema means more than subtitles.
Voyager and the Golden Record
Are we alone in the universe? The answer to this question has many existential, scientific and conspiracy theory laden answers and isn’t one that we plan to solve today. Instead we want to take a look at the space mission that sent a message through language, sound and images into the great beyond.
Hyperpolyglots: The Art of Learning Multiple Languages
How many languages can you speak? The answer to this question can vary greatly depending on geographical, social and economic variables. One big factor of course is education and in the UK there is no requirement to take a language beyond the age of 14 which could further limit the amount of people in the UK who can speak a second or even third language.
Why Bad Translation Can Be Very Bad For Business
Though the stock markets are rallying, few can afford to lose business in this fierce economic climate. But could your company’s poor translation be losing you valuable foreign capital? Take Nokia’s recent translation blunder for example, unveiling their latest phone recently; the spotlight was not on the handset itself but the fact that its name, ‘Lumia’ translates as ‘prostitute’ in Spanish.
Despite the black cloud of recession hanging over the country; the UK still has the third-largest stock of inward and outward foreign investment according to research commissioned by the CIA at the end of last year. Foreign business is clearly still a vital component of the British economy, and even in times when money is tight, good translation is a worthwhile investment. Research from the European Commission found that 82% of consumers were less likely to buy goods online if a website was not in their native language. This is also the case globally, as research firm Common Sense Advisory found 72.4% of consumers were more likely to buy a product with information in their own language.