How are your language exchanges?

By Kathryn Stride on February 06, 2012 10:55

Keep us up to date with your language exchanges!

Have you improved on your practicing language?

Have you made any new friends??!

Maybe you have even met up for a drink with your exchange friends or travelled abroad to meet them!

  Share your story with us!

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Translation errors!

By Kathryn Stride on January 30, 2012 09:52

Not everything we say can be directly translated from one language to another, and sometimes the outcome can be either funny or rude!!

Google translate (translate.google.co.uk/) is a fantastic tool and one that most people learning languages have used at some point, but even with this tool the results can be different and if you don't speak the language you probably won't realise!

Recently Malaysia's Defence Ministry had an error on the English version of their website which included dress guidelines for ministry staff that prohibited 'clothes that poke eye'. They blamed Google Translate for this!

Maybe they should hire a professional translator next time :0)

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Text-speak replacing English words

By Kathryn Stride on January 25, 2012 10:34

If it wasn't already difficult enough to learn English, a new study shows that native English speakers are now using text-speak (abbreviated text) in verbal communication as well!

Abbreviations like 'LOL' meaning laughing out loud and 'jel' meaning jealous and, 'soz' meaning sorry are amongst the most popular. JP Davison the author of the book 'Planet Word' said 'language is something that is constantly evolving' 'with people trying to fit as much information into 140 characters that words are getting shortened'

These abbreviated words and the slang used in every day conversations cannot be found in a dictionary so it is complete gobbledygook to non natives and is not going to make learning English any easier!

Not only are these words being used in verbal communication, but because of this many British words are being lost as they are no longer being used.  

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