In 2009, the BBC released an excellent one-hour special on the topic of language. The program, called Why Do We Talk?, was produced for the BBC’s Horizon series which explores scientific issues and their effects for the future. Below, you’ll...
This installment of the Beyond Words’ feature Endangered Language Watch—in which writers discuss languages at risk of extinction around the world—will focus on the Macanese language. Macanese: A Chameleon of a Language Imagine a people whose native language combines Malay,...
It is an unfortunate fact of the profession that translators and interpreters seldom receive the respect they deserve. Beginning interpreters and students are expressly forewarned to never kowtow to employers and to never — never — fetch a cup of...
The following recordings will guide you through American English pronunciations of U.S. states and cities. You can listen to the phrases directly on our website or download them for later playback on any standard MP3 compatible device. Listen, repeat, and...
Today is Valentine’s Day — a holiday both loved and hated the world over. If you happen to belong to that latter camp of haters, you might be excited to learn about the ancient Greek festival that Valentine’s Day replaced....
It seems as if foreign language films are the talk of the town this awards season, and for good reason—for the first time in ages, foreign films are being recognized in the United States as some of the most important...
As the end of a year approaches, you can always count on two seasonal mainstays: gross amounts of food and gross amounts of lists. The prior usually come in differing shapes, flavors, and textures, while the latter mostly always resemble...
As the semester draws to a close, it may be beneficial to look at one of the most relevant elements of any career — and one that has been on every one of my classmates’ minds for some time: salary....
The holidays are often a time of overindulgence, especially when it comes to food. From Thanksgiving through New Years, Americans tend to stuff their faces with holiday mainstays. But it’s fair to say that a plate topped off North Dakota...
The weekends are often a time of culinary decadence—a respite from the long working week, at which time many people celebrate with candlelight, nice dinners, wine, etc. Some of us, though, aren’t so different from Clarence Worley in True Romance,...
The University of Wisconsin-Madison has annually hosted its World Languages Day since 2002. Now in it’s 10th year, World Languages Day continues to serve as a celebration of multiculturalism and language learning for students of all ages. UW-Madison officials expect...
Spinning Languages is a monthly feature by Beyond Words that highlights albums from around the world. This month we’re showcasing three great albums from Nicaragua, Turkey, and Brazil. This month, Nicaragua’s Perrozompopo is offering his Grammy-nominated album as a free...
An interpreter typically works in one of the two primary modes of interpretation — simultaneous and consecutive. Simultaneous interpretation involves an interpreter listening to a speech and reproducing it in the target language in real time as the target audience...
Dictionaries, in print or online, rarely make the news. Arguably, these books and internet databases once represented the most solid and universally accepted of language, but this seems to have changed drastically this year. Look no further than Aleksandr the...
Only a few days have passed since Halloween, but some of you might already be reaching for the last few sweet treats in your (or more likely your child’s) candy bag. Among all the delectable chocolates, hard candies, and gelatinous...
Around this time every year, a significant proportion of the American public (and perhaps even the international community) undertakes the admirable task of scaring its pants off. From haunted houses, to ghost tours, and horror films, the Halloween season is...
Episode 14: The Language News Report Welcome to ALTA’s Beyond Words Podcast. Our podcasts provide listeners with the latest language news, language-related interviews, and language lessons that can be applied to real-world situations. They’re always brief, always informative, and always...
Recently, RIDE Solutions, a department of the Roanoke Regional Planning Commission, posted an interesting article summing up the issue of language in transportation planning. As a basis for discussion on the topic of transportation and language, Jeremy Holmes cites several...
So far during classes, every day has proven more challenging and eye-opening than the last. While I’ve found the teaching of interpretation to be more practice-based, translation studies have involved more than their fair share of theory. People have been...
Since 2007, bloggers from around the globe have come together one day a year to post about the same issue in the hopes of sparking a global discussion and driving collective action. Blog Action Day is an annual event held...
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