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How Does Language Impact Disaster Relief?

Disasters happen all over the world. These disruptive, dangerous events require an immediate response. While an appropriate response can save lives and help those affected, the wrong response can be calamitous. Because disasters happen suddenly, disaster relief organizations must plan...

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How did the #MeToo hashtag become #RiceBunny in China?

On January 1, 2018, a New York City-based academic came forth with allegations of having been sexually harassed by her adviser during her years of study in Beijing. Inspired by the growing movement in the United States, she wrote a...

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Self-Care Practices Around the World

Long before the term “self-care” was even a glint in the eye of a social media influencer, people around the world were using the resources available to them to follow simple wellness practices. These days, treating yourself to everything from...

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4 Harvest Season Festivals Around the World

Around the world, the harvest season is celebrated with unique fanfare. It’s common for this “season of plenty” to be hailed with nationwide festivals or smaller-scale, personal celebrations. To celebrate the abundance of the season, most festivals typically include seasonal...

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Why are fewer students learning a second language in England?

According to British Council’s Language Trends 2018 report, fewer primary and secondary school students in England are learning second languages. One of the clearest reflections of the decline is the statistics from the General Certificate of Secondary Education (GCSE). GCSE...

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5 Fascinating Language Facts: Wolof

According to the U.S. Census Bureau, more than 350 languages are spoken in the United States. That may seem like a lot, but compared to the number of languages spoken worldwide, it’s only a small fraction. The world is home...

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Are Translators and Interpreters Part of the “Gig Economy?”

On August 12th, the California State Legislature held a committee hearing on a controversial bill known as “AB5.” The bill is an expansion of the groundbreaking California Supreme Court decision made last year, in which the courier service Dynamex was...

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Fighting an illness, losing a battle: Do war metaphors impact patient experiences?

In our ongoing series discussing the impact of metaphors, we examined how language of war is used for debates and arguments. The use of war metaphors in the English language extends beyond arguments. Metaphors help us link abstract concepts and...

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Dancing over dueling: How English metaphors make arguments a matter of war

In our last post on metaphors, we discovered that much of our daily language contains metaphors we’re unaware of – like spending time or falling into a coma. In this post, we are going to explore war metaphors as applied...

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5 Fascinating Facts about the Sinhala Language

Sinhalese, also known as Sinhala, is the native language of the Sinhala people. Over 16 million Sinhala people live in Sri Lanka, making them the island’s largest ethnic group. Sinhala people can trace their origins from Indians who traveled to...

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Eight travel destinations where English alone won’t cut it

English speakers have it relatively easy when it comes to traveling abroad – it’s the most popular second language in the world, commonly studied in 55 countries. And in most major international cities, even in the countries on this list,...

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Ten Interesting Animal Etymologies

The animal kingdom brings us a wealth of fascinating, unusual, and enlightening etymologies from around the world. In this article, we explore ten of them. Camel This beast of burden traces its linguistic heritage from the Latin camelus and Greek...

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Why Being Bilingual Isn’t Enough To Be a Translator or Interpreter

Many people are bilingual. They might have grown up in another country, had relatives who spoke another language, or they have studied for years to become an expert. They might even sound like a native in either language. However, having...

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4 Ways That People Around the World Celebrate Summer

Cultures around the globe have rejoiced in the bounty of summer since ancient times. Although many of these celebrations have changed shape in our contemporary era, the original sense of appreciation for nature’s offerings continues. Festive days and action-packed evenings...

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How Does Diet Shape Language? New Study Links Diet Changes to How We Pronounce “F” and “V”

Linguistically, “f,” “v,” and related sounds are thought to be relatively new. As recently as 20,000 to 100,000 years ago, humans may not have been able to produce these unique sounds. A recent study published in Science Magazine seeks to...

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The Meaning and Roots of U.S. State Names

Our country has an incredibly rich linguistic and cultural history, a fact that becomes readily apparent by examining place names across the nation. Drawing from Latin, Spanish, French, and a host of Native languages, the names of the states paint...

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Why Don’t Americans Have British Accents?

Anyone who has seen a Shakespearean play or historical drama is probably familiar with the differences between American and British accents. The British accent seems so formal and historical, while the American accent can seem like a casual upstart in...

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Why Are So Few Translated Books Published in America?

Hansel and Gretel, Sleeping Beauty, Cinderella, The Emperor’s New Clothes, Pippi Longstocking: although you may not have realized at the time, some of the first stories you remember reading or hearing were translations. In the US, until relatively recently, it...

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14 Cultural Faux Pas Around The World

Planning a trip outside of your own country can be an involved process. On top of the usual tasks of purchasing airline tickets, booking a hotel, deciding what to see, and making reservations, you may also need to obtain a...

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Top U.S. Translation Schools: Online Programs

Looking to start your career as a translator or interpreter, but can’t seem to find a good program in your area? There are a number of certificate and master’s programs offered entirely online, allowing students to set their own pace...

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