Blog Posts

Category: Language and Culture

Cinco de Mayo: A Minor Mexican Holiday Turned Major American Drinking Day

In the United States, Cinco de Mayo is a day synonymous with tequila, recurring ethnic and culturally charged controversies, and more tequila. Long regarded by Americans as the boozy day in which both we and Mexico celebrate the independence of...

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Esperanto – The Language of International Peace

Bonan matenon, kiel vi fartas? That’s Esperanto for ‘good morning, how are you?’ If you’re trying to remember what country Esperanto is spoken in, don’t flex those brain muscles too hard. Because while around two million people from more than...

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Could Texting Be Making Us Linguistically Smarter?

Communication via complex language is perhaps the single most defining characteristic of humankind. But if the birth of spoken language was charted as hour zero on a twenty-four-hour clock, and the moment that you’re reading this article represents twenty-four-hundred-hours, written...

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Why Do We Change the Way We Speak Depending on Whom We’re Speaking to?

In a recent BBC article, subtle changes in Meghan Markle’s accent following her marriage to Prince Harry were brought into question. The Duchess of Sussex hails from California, but linguistics experts have noted that, recently, she has begun slipping in...

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Top U.S. Translation Schools: Specialized Programs

With the nearly exponential growth of the translation and interpretation industries over the past few decades, unique new language studies programs at universities seem to be cropping up all the time. Finding a program or degree that’s right for you...

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The Best Languages to Study for Government Jobs

In today’s global job market having bilingual skills can help you stand out among the masses to advance your career goals. According to the Center for Languages, Literatures, and Cultures at Ohio State University, the U.S. Government has greatly expanded...

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Five Tax-Related Words with (Surprisingly) Interesting Origins

It’s everybody’s least favorite time of the year – tax season. If you’re trying to find the silver lining while navigating through what seems to be a never-ending labyrinth of numbers and headache-inducing terminology, read on. Because though tax forms...

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24 Countries That Have French as Their Official Language

French is one of the most popular and fastest-growing languages in the world. Outside of Europe, you can also hear the language on nearly every continent, including Africa, North America, South America and even the Caribbean. It is the official...

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Six Lessons from a Polyglot to Help You Live Your Best Life in 2019

A language is the only thing worth knowing badly. Unlike a person who can play a few notes on the violin or your friend who took that one year of pre-med, the amateur language speaker gains something from trying rather...

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3 Countries Where German Language Training Matters for Business Relations

German is the EU language with the largest number of native speakers. As a result, its use is widespread across many countries internationally, and is especially prevalent throughout the business world. There are three countries in particular where understanding German...

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Why are Foreign Language Tattoos so Popular?

When translations are in the news, it’s rarely for their stunning accuracy. In one of the most recent translation-related news blunders, famous American singer Ariana Grande found herself on the wrong side of viral fame after Instagramming a picture of...

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The Language and Casting of Oscar-Nominated Roma

The Oscar nominations are out and, as language-lovers, we’d be remiss not to talk about one of the front-runners for Best Picture, Roma, which has also garnered nominations in the categories of Best Foreign Language Film, Best Director, Best Actress,...

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