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The Liquid Hospital: Digital Can Transform Health Delivery
I was discussing a way to describe how eHealth can change the way in which hospitals deliver care recently with a learned colleague. He has come up with the phrase, the ‘Liquid Hospital’, which I have to say has grabbed my imagination completely. The...
Detroit hit with $178 million legal bill two months after emerging from bankruptcy
Just two months after Detroit emerged from the largest municipal bankruptcy in US history, the city has been hit with a massive legal bill. US Federal Judge Steven Rhodes said on Thursday that the $178 million charged to Detroit by law firms and consultants...
Have Language, Will Travel
When Gabe approached me with the idea of writing about my experience in the profession, I thought, `what is there to write?` I`ve spent most of my adult life in remote places and have never achieved many of the standard milestones of success. As I actually...
Letter to a would-be translator
We keep a blog in Portuguese and often receive messages from would-be translators asking us basic questions about the profession. The following article is kind of an answer to their questions. So, you want to be a translator! Congratulations, it is a...
Who’s Listening/Reading?
At the time, I would have been astounded to learn I would eventually become a translator and subsequently a conference interpreter. Some twenty years later, notwithstanding, I was weighing up the pros and cons of investing—in every sense of the word—in...
Translation Can Be Fun
I’ve basically been curious about almost everything, and I’ve found great pleasure and satisfaction in solving puzzles of any kind. Through translation and otherwise being involved with languages, I’ve been able to find enjoyment, even fun, at every turn,...
Translation - an Ageless Profession
It can be said that everyone smiles in the same language but we still need translators to make communication effective. Translation is a creative profession, which requires an academic level of knowledge and critical thinking skills. It is about moving...
Five Stereotypes Negatively Affecting Women in Science
According to a recent study released by the Boston Consulting Group, “stereotypes appear to be the biggest hurdle to increasing high school girls’ participation in scientific studies.” Here are five incorrect assumptions that are hindering girls and women...
Researchers have deciphered the noises that cows make
Researchers have deciphered the moos of cows and found that there are three distinctly different call sounds, after recording and analysing the way cows and calves communicate. Scientists from Nottingham University and Queen Mary University spent ten...
How to learn languages. Resoursces
Below is a list of online resources for studying German, Japanese, and French as well as some general resources useful for learning any language. I assembled the list for my own use. I am sharing the list in the hopes that it is useful to other language...
Are You a Hyperpolyglot? The Secrets of Language Superlearners
When God put the kibosh on the Tower of Babel, 72 languages were said to have been created from the one that unified those hubristic humans. In his new book, Babel No More, linguist Michael Erard seeks out the people who have put those pieces back together:...
How to Deal with Anxiety When Learning
Anxiety: a feeling of worry, nervousness, or unease about something with an uncertain outcome: Anxiety accurately describes the feeling shared by learners in the early stages of approaching a new challenge; in some cases the feeling lingers long after...
Is Learning a Language Difficult?
A general misconception exists that learning a language is difficult. I also held this view, but that changed when I started to learn Spanish. I now believe that learning a language is not difficult. What Do We Mean by ‘Difficult’? The truth is this,...
How to Read Multiple Books Simultaneously and Remember (Almost) Everything
A few months back, while trying to recall some information, I came to realise that I often only remember a hazy outline of the books I read. This really bothered me – as trivial as it may seem, I couldn’t accept that after investing countless hours reading,...
Seven suggestions for learning a foreign language
If you were asked to give suggestions on how to learn a foreign language, what would they be? Let's start with a reading assignment. Go read chapter 20 of Polyglot . I'll be here when you are done. If you are in a hurry, scroll to page 159 and begin at...
Is Wanting to be a Polyglot a Misdirected Dream?
That’s the question I asked myself a few months ago, and I think it’s something everyone wanting to learn multiple languages should ask. I caught the language learning bug about a year ago. It started with Spanish. I remember how excited I got when I...
10 Most Impressive Polyglots In World History
Most of us are pretty impressed when we meet someone who can speak more than one language, but some people go above and beyond being bilingual or even trilingual and become hyperpolyglots. Throughout history, a few intrepid language enthusiasts have taken...
10 World’s Most Peaceful Countries 2014
According to the Global Peace Index (GPI), the world has become more dangerous every year since 2008. Unfortunately, many countries face terrorist activity and internal and external conflicts these days. But luckily, there are several peaceful countries...
Does Learning a Foreign Language Pay Off?
The most frequent question levelled at Matthew Youlden’s 9 Language Monologue has been, “That’s impressive, but so what? What’s the actual payoff of knowing more than one language?” That’s a fair question, and the rebuttal comes in the form of some hefty,...
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Why should I learn a language?
Learning a foreign language takes time and dedication. The reasons below may help to convince you to take the plunge, if such persuasion is needed. Some reasons are practical, some aspirational, some intellectual and others sentimental, but whatever your...
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How to Learn Any Language
Part 1 of 2: Getting Down to the Basics Learn Any Language Step 01.jpg 1Know your learning style. This is the single most important thing you need to know when starting to learn a language. Everyone learns differently, especially when it comes to languages....
Which language should I learn?
If you're not sure which language to study, here are some factors to consider: Availability Are materials and other resources available for the language you want to learn? Are there classes in your area? For the popular languages, like French, Spanish...
About writing and publishing content online - by Karel Kosman,
Yah, not long ago started installing WordPress here and there to automate the upload of certain text, but decided not to apply it to the travel blob cause I think a key part of the blob is the pictures, which WP does not really speed up, or actually slows...
Translation: An Ageless Profession - By Katia Spanakaki
It can be said that everyone smiles in the same language but we still need translators to make communication effective. Translation is a creative profession, which requires an academic level of knowledge and critical thinking skills. It is about moving...
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The best self-study language method? ( 1)
There are a lot of self-study language methods out there, and for the person looking to learn a language on their own, it can be hard and confusing to choose the method that suits your needs. There are plenty of great methods available to students wishing...
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How to Learn Russian. Active Skills: Speaking and Writing
Speaking is the most difficult type of speech. You must know a large number of words, sample sentences and cliché in order to speak fluently in Russian. Besides that, you need to train yourself to use them automatically depending on the situation. Speaking...
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How to Learn Russian. Passive Skills: Listening and Reading
You all have a great command of your native language. But have you thought about the ingredients that constitute this ability? Obviously, they are listening, reading, speaking and writing. These are four kinds of speech characteristic of any language,...
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How to Learn Russian: Grammar
Grammar is the basis of any language. To master a language without learning its grammar is only possible for babies and people who isolate themselves away from their native environment. If you don't plan to live in a foreign country for an extended period...
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How to Learn French
French is a language spoken fluently by approximately 175 million people worldwide. Although originating in France, today it is spoken in countries all over the world, and officially in a total of 29. It is the second most frequently taught language in...
How to Learn Russian: Improve Your Russian Pronunciation
Accurate pronunciation is vital when speaking a foreign language. It creates the first impression of how you speak the language and has a profound effect on how easily people understand you when you speak. Yet, accurate pronunciation allows to make differences...