European languages. European or American?
Top 5 Mistakes To Avoid When Learning a Foreign Language
The
Internet has made it easier for us to explore what we want. With a few clicks,
you can see different places, talk to people from different countries, watch
movies, or even learn new languages. If you are particularly inclined to know
what phrases like Intercambios De Idiomas, encuentra penpals, or cursos de
Ingles con videos mean, you need a good dose of effort and patience. There are
also certain mistakes you must avoid if you want to master a new foreign
language:
Not listening well.
Language
experts suggest that you need to be a very good listener when learning a new
language. You might notice how babies stare at you when you are talking and
mimic the sounds you produce. You need that kind of focus and willingness to
learn. Intercambio de Lenguas or language exchange can only happen if one is
ready to listen. This will help you develop a new vocabulary and learn the
structure of the new language.
We
listen every day to people we communicate with on a daily basis but it can be
difficult to practice when you are faced with a difficult foreign language.
What you can do is to find TV shows, movies, and music using the new language.
You can also join social networks that help people learn new languages.
Not being culturally curious.
Your
natural curiosity and attitude are among the biggest factors in how you will
progress when learning a new language. If you are interested in learning
Spanish but not keen on learning different aspects of the Spanish culture, you
might face more challenges in learning the new language.
Studies
have shown that language learners who are culturally curious tend to be more
receptive to the foreign language. Experts also encourage having amigos por
correspondencia or pen pals that use the target language.
Using a single method.
Relying
on just one method to learn a new language is not enough. You might be learning
from language books but the process can be faster if you watch videos, talk
with native speakers, and employ different media using the new language.
Considering referring to high quality translation tools and experts as an
additional method would help a great deal.
Using
different methods can help you acquire more skills that you need to master a
new language. If you are looking for a language course or an online language
community, make sure that you will be able to practice listening, writing,
reading, and speaking.
You are Easily Frustrated.
Right
from the start, you need to set in your mind that you cannot learn the new
language in a snap. You will be learning new words every day, learning rules
for the new language, and encountering people who know by heart the language you
are trying to learn. Try to conquer the challenges you face by utilizing the
resources you have like the friends who speak the language, videos, books,
online courses, and social networks.
Being Timid.
Any
negativity towards learning a foreign language can slow you down. It can be
quite overwhelming but knowing what resources to tap can make life easier for
you. Remember to use the new language so you can improve it as you go along.
Do not
be afraid to make mistakes, be it spoken or written, since they give you the
opportunity to correct the errors before they become part of your system.
REASONS WHY BILINGUALISM MAKES YOU BETTER
Did you know that there are more bilingual people in the world than there are monolingual people? According to the Associated Press, 66 percent of the children in the world are raised to speak two languages but only 6.3 percent of the children in the U.S. are. Bilingual education has become a hot-button political issue in the U.S. But politics aside, as Ana Flores of SpanglishBaby.com discussed, studies suggest that teaching our children to speak more than one language can provide surprising, long-lasting benefits.
The benefits of being bilingual extend far beyond simply being able to speak to people of different nationalities and opening up job/business opportunities, a language service provider being a good example. Outlined below are some out of the very many benefits of bilingualism:
1. Effortless Observation Skills
A study comparing German-Italian bilinguals and Italian monolinguals conducted at University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain found that bilinguals' brains tend to operate more efficiently with less overall brain activity in tasks relating to observation of surroundings (like driving a car).
2. What You Lack In Speed, You Make for Up In Capability
Children, after a year of learning a second language, will experience increased neural activity when exposed to an unfamiliar language compared with monolingual children. That is, their brains are effortlessly more active.
3. Offset Dementia
Many studies have found that the stimulation of the parts of the brain used when multilingual cause us to be more advanced cognitively. There are theories that this stimulation can delay dementia in the elderly. A study conducted in the University of California concluded that bilingual people are less likely to suffer from dementia or the symptoms of Alzheimer's with those who are more proficient in both languages lucky enough to delay onset further.
4. In Making Rational Decisions
The University of Chicago ran an experiment on bilinguals making decisions while thinking in their native tongue, compared with the same scenario but thinking in their additional language (all Americans who had learned Spanish in school). All participants behaved more rationally when processing information in the non-native language.
5. Less Capable Of Being Manipulated
When speaking the non-native language bilinguals are far less likely to be influenced by 'triggering' words or psychologically manipulated through semantics. This is because they view the language in a linear, formulaic fashion digesting the information and transferring it into their own language as simply as possible, where words which may be synonyms in the language being heard are considered the same in the mind of the reader.
6. Inhibitory Control
This means that bilingual people are better at selecting valuable information and filtering irrelevant content more efficiently. This is useful in many aspects of daily life and contributes to being more decisive.
7. Improved Short Term Memory
An experiment conducted on children to remember a group of words then recite them showed that the bilingual children recalled more words, and in cases of semantically linked word groups and arbitrary word groups had improved memories.
8. Less Difficulty Learning Additional Languages
As the bilingual person is more adept at noticing linguistic variation it is less difficult for them to build upon their two existing languages than it is for a monolingual individual to take that first step into a new language. Much like those first few trips to the gym are the most difficult, a bilingual person has already developed language learning 'muscles'.
9. Provision of Career Opportunities
Today, there are plenty of opportunities for bilingual people which include Customer Service Representative, Technical Support Representative, Field Interviewer, Project Manager, Field Supervisor and more. Getting this kind of job, however, does not simply depend on the linguistic knowledge, training that covers the whole course of the particular subject would also be required.
Conclusion
Being bilingual or even multilingual therefore opens up a range of career opportunities at all levels. Even if the person chooses not to use the second language, the brain functions are already in place to allow enhanced communication skills, key to most fields of employment. Improved cognitive abilities, open-mindedness and analytical skills in relationships and new situations in addition to potential health benefits are evidence that coming from a social or family environment where more than one language is spoken is an advantage not to be dismissed.
The benefits of being bilingual extend far beyond simply being able to speak to people of different nationalities and opening up job/business opportunities, a language service provider being a good example. Outlined below are some out of the very many benefits of bilingualism:
1. Effortless Observation Skills
A study comparing German-Italian bilinguals and Italian monolinguals conducted at University of Pompeu Fabra in Spain found that bilinguals' brains tend to operate more efficiently with less overall brain activity in tasks relating to observation of surroundings (like driving a car).
2. What You Lack In Speed, You Make for Up In Capability
Children, after a year of learning a second language, will experience increased neural activity when exposed to an unfamiliar language compared with monolingual children. That is, their brains are effortlessly more active.
3. Offset Dementia
Many studies have found that the stimulation of the parts of the brain used when multilingual cause us to be more advanced cognitively. There are theories that this stimulation can delay dementia in the elderly. A study conducted in the University of California concluded that bilingual people are less likely to suffer from dementia or the symptoms of Alzheimer's with those who are more proficient in both languages lucky enough to delay onset further.
4. In Making Rational Decisions
The University of Chicago ran an experiment on bilinguals making decisions while thinking in their native tongue, compared with the same scenario but thinking in their additional language (all Americans who had learned Spanish in school). All participants behaved more rationally when processing information in the non-native language.
5. Less Capable Of Being Manipulated
When speaking the non-native language bilinguals are far less likely to be influenced by 'triggering' words or psychologically manipulated through semantics. This is because they view the language in a linear, formulaic fashion digesting the information and transferring it into their own language as simply as possible, where words which may be synonyms in the language being heard are considered the same in the mind of the reader.
6. Inhibitory Control
This means that bilingual people are better at selecting valuable information and filtering irrelevant content more efficiently. This is useful in many aspects of daily life and contributes to being more decisive.
7. Improved Short Term Memory
An experiment conducted on children to remember a group of words then recite them showed that the bilingual children recalled more words, and in cases of semantically linked word groups and arbitrary word groups had improved memories.
8. Less Difficulty Learning Additional Languages
As the bilingual person is more adept at noticing linguistic variation it is less difficult for them to build upon their two existing languages than it is for a monolingual individual to take that first step into a new language. Much like those first few trips to the gym are the most difficult, a bilingual person has already developed language learning 'muscles'.
9. Provision of Career Opportunities
Today, there are plenty of opportunities for bilingual people which include Customer Service Representative, Technical Support Representative, Field Interviewer, Project Manager, Field Supervisor and more. Getting this kind of job, however, does not simply depend on the linguistic knowledge, training that covers the whole course of the particular subject would also be required.
Conclusion
Being bilingual or even multilingual therefore opens up a range of career opportunities at all levels. Even if the person chooses not to use the second language, the brain functions are already in place to allow enhanced communication skills, key to most fields of employment. Improved cognitive abilities, open-mindedness and analytical skills in relationships and new situations in addition to potential health benefits are evidence that coming from a social or family environment where more than one language is spoken is an advantage not to be dismissed.
Spain - Spanish Translation & Getting Married
Many people choose to get married in Spain
simply because of the country’s pure beauty. Others wish to be part of a
different culture or enjoy the idea of traveling abroad for their wedding.
Nonetheless, getting married in Spain comes with many legal requirements that
must be fulfilled before the ceremony can take place.
To start off, both the bride and groom must
be at least 18 years of age or older, and cannot be related in any way at all.
Next, you must be a resident or own property in Spain for a minimum of two
years before your wedding day. Otherwise, if this requirement is not met, then
you can get married in Spain if you are a Catholic and choose to have a
Catholic ceremony.
Before the ceremony even takes place, there
are various procedures you must follow if you wish for the process to go
smoothly and successfully. For instance, you must visit the Civil Registry to
fill out an application form to marry. The Intent to Marry notice must be sworn
by both of the applicants and posted at least fifteen days prior to the wedding
day.
Apart from the common legalities associated
with getting married in Spain, there are also less commonly known legal
requirements. These involve translation by an approved translator. This is
something that has to be dealt with if you wish to get married in any
non-English speaking country.
The legal papers you must provide include
an original birth certificate, Certificate of No Impediment to Marriage,
Certificate of Residence, divorce papers, death certificate and former marriage
certificate, and legal proof of any name change. The latter includes if you
reverted back to your maiden name after a previous divorce. Of course, some of
these papers only apply to those people who were previously married, divorced,
widowed, or if they are residents of Spain.
All of these documents, with occasional
exceptions, require translation by a sworn translator and some require an
Apostille stamp. Otherwise, the marriage ceremony might not be able to take
place. More information on Apostilles, sworn and certified translations or translationsfrom English to Spanish is available from Translations2u. Just use the online
form or email lmw@translations2u.com
Understanding Arabic
Arabic is a beautiful language that dates
back to the sixth century. It is a
Central Semitic language which is closely related to Hebrew, Aramaic, Ugaritic
and Phoenician. As many as 420 million
people around the world speak Arabic while most are concentrated in the Arab
world. It is the official language in 27
countries and one of six official languages of the United Nations. More than 1.6
billion Muslims speak Arabic in their daily religious worship.
It has influenced numerous languages around
the world including Urdu, Persian, Hindi, Malay, Swahili, Punjabi, Kurdish,
Turkish, Indonesian, Pashto and many more.
Through Arabic, culture was transmitted in Europe with science,
mathematics and philosophy. Consequently
many European languages have borrowed Arabic words. Arabic words can also be found in Latin and Greek.
Spanish, Catalan and Portuguese also were
influenced by Arabic because of the closeness between Christian European and
Muslim Arab civilizations during 800 years of Arabic culture and language in
the Iberian Peninsula. Arabic has also
borrowed words from Persian, Greek and Syriac languages.
Those new to the language learn what is
called Modern Standard Arabic. Classical
Arabic is found in the Holy Quran the religious book of the Muslims. Many a traveler, proud of what they’ve
learned of the language are greeted with frustration when they arrive in one of
the 27 countries where Arabic is the official language and they hear something
different than what they’ve learned.
Puzzled by the difference, is it back to the drawing board to learn a
totally new form of Arabic?
The short answer is no. Modern Standard Arabic is the found around
the world in print publications and is understood by many Arabic speakers but
in many different countries they have spoken differences. Egyptian Arabic is spoken by 54 million
people. It is a colloquial language
confined to the borders of one of Africa’s largest countries. It descended from Arabic when the language
arrived in the seventh century and was influenced by the Coptics of pre Islamic
Egypt. It is one of the most widely
spoken and studied varieties of Arabic. Egyptian
Arabic is basically a spoken language though it can also be found in the
culture in the form of poems, plays, and songs.
It has no official status and is not recognized as a language.
But that’s not the only difference in
Egyptian Arabic. Even within the country
there are different dialects of Egyptian Arabic. Saidi Arabic is spoken in the northern part
of the country. It is widely spoken by
19 million people. The Arabic you speak
identifies where you are from in the country.
There is Western Egyptian Bedawi Arabic and there is also Eastern
Egyptian Bedawi Arabic. The differences
between the dialects include some reductions of long vowels in open and
unstressed syllables, the modal meaning of the imperfect and the integration of
the participle. You may need an
advanced English grammar degree to understand that but basically it means that
words and phrases adapt to the culture and lifestyle of the people over time.
The dialects don’t end there. Travel to the
Eastern Mediterranean coastal strip that includes Syria, Greece, Albania and
Turkey you’ll hear Levantine Arabic considered one of the five major varieties
of Arabic. It is spoken only (no written
form) and is a part of Eastern Arabic that includes Mesopotamian Arabic and
peninsula Arabic. In that area written
Arabic and official documents use Modern Standard Arabic. Levantine Arabic is distinguished by its
stress pattern which closely resembles Classic Arabic. The differences are also distinguished by
whether you come from an urban area, rural or nomadic population.
Travel to Kuwait, Iraq, Saudi Arabia,
Bahrain, Qatar, Iran, Oman or the United Arab Emirates and you will hear Gulf
Arabic. It is spoken by 3.6 million
people. This dialect differs in
vocabulary, grammar and accent. Gulf
Arabic is distinct from Saudi Arabic.
Most Saudis speak Hejazi Arabic, Najdi Arabic or Bareqi Arabic. Neither are an official language.
Travel to northern Africa to Algeria,
Morocco, Tunisia or Malta and you will hear Maghrebi Arabic spoken. It is a colloquial language called Derija or
Darija by the natives. Written
communication is done in Modern Standard Arabic or French depending upon the
country. Maghrebi Arabic can also be
heard on TV dramas. Its vocabulary is
mostly Arabic with some Berber, French, Spanish and even Italian words thrown
in, the language of the historical occupiers of the region.
Well if you’re now totally confused and
think the Arabic you’ve learned is useless, think again. While certain areas have specific dialects
they all know Modern Standard Arabic.
Learn what you can and then mix in with the locals where you can learn
even more. One of the best classrooms
for learning a language is right among the people.
As salaam alaikum!
Translations2u is a UK legal and commercial translation specialist that offers Arabic language translation.
Multilingual video production
So excited to finally be publishing our new video productions website and starting off the marketing for this new offer.
Using our multilingual skills to rise to even more challenges, the company can now offer promotional video clips to support organisations of every genre in their online marketing through video - the way to get noticed.
So, here is just one of our own videos to give you an idea.
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