Blog Posts

Category: Language and Culture

Cultural Protectionism: World Cinema and Its Discontents

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...

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The Year in Language News: An Undefinitive Smattering from 2010

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...

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Lessons from a Graduate Student in Translation: Market Overview

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....

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Lardcore: Southern Food, but Southern Style?

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...

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Not So French? The Possible Etymologies of the French Fry

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,...

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Celebrating Language and Education: World Languages Day and International Students’ Day

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...

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Spinning Languages: Foreign Language Albums, November 2010

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...

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Lessons from a Graduate Student in Translation: Consecutive Interpretation

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...

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Define This: Dictionaries in the News

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...

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The Problematic Language of Corn Sugar

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...

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Now Playing: 20 Best Foreign Language Horror Films

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...

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Beyond Words Podcast: Episode 14 The Language News Report

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...

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