Read our Translation Blog
Get the latest fun and facts from the language industry with our blog!
Need advice on website translation and localization?
Browse our ONLINE SHOPÂ for ebooks on how to translate a website!
LingoStar’s Blog 
Welcome to LingoStar’s blog! On this page, you can find a lot of interesting and useful information about the translation industry. Explore topics on website translation and localization and how successful localization can influence your business to help your company grow and go global.
Language Blog Topics
On this blog, you can also learn about professional translators and interpreters, multilingual search engine optimization (SEO), the importance of socializing and networking and translators’ professional ethics. Quite often we write posts about the languages of the world, other cultures, and their traditions. Not only do translators convert texts from a source language to a target language, but they also help people communicate with each other, help establish international contacts, and are often prominent figures in the social, economic, and political life. Lastly, of course, we want you to have fun, so on our blog, you can find many posts that will entertain you and, hopefully, make you smile!
We hope you enjoy our blog and discover a lot of interesting things!Â
Language Matters March 2006: Texting and Kannada vs. Canada
Dear Language Friend, 🙂 w lngwij (“Fun with language” in text lingo) Welcome to our March issue on the WHAT, HOW, WHO, and WHERE of languages. We will discuss WHAT text messaging is, HOW it is having an impact on language and WHO is doing it. Also we will explain WHERE Kannada is spoken, and WHAT, if anything, it has to do with Canada. Lenka de Graafova, Managing Director. Thanks for reading. Text Messaging Do you ever take the Skytrain or bus? Do you hate people talking loudly on cell phones and sharing their bedroom intimacies with the other passengers? Do you have no choice but to listen? Well, loud phone exhibitionists really annoy me and I do have a choice – I text! Texting, text messaging, SMSing or sending a short message, text or an SMS is what I’m used to from Europe. Short Message Service (SMS) is a service available on most mobile phones. It’s particularly popular in Europe and Asia due to comparatively low cost. Popularity has grown to such an extent (500 billion messages in year 2004 sent worldwide) that the term texting (used as a verb meaning the act of cell phone users sending short messages back and forth) has entered the common lexicon. Unfortunately, North America hasn’t quite yet discovered the magic of texting. Unlike the Europeans who send about 40 SMSs per month, North Americans send about 13. That explains why I seem to be getting strange looks when attempting to introduce a texting routine on Vancouver Skytrain. Not to mention being questioned by strangers as to what high-tech activity I’m indulging... read moreLanguage Matters February 2006: Inuktitut and Travel Spanish
Welcome! Ariunngaipaa! (In Latin alphabet “Welcome” in Inuktitut) We are back with our Newsletter. Welcome to our February issue on the WHERE, WHY, HOW and WHEN of languages. You can read about WHERE Inuktitut is spoken, WHY you benefit from running internships, HOW to quickly learn basic Spanish phrases for your travels and WHEN to start learning Spanish seriously. Thanks for reading. WHERE is Inuktitut spoken As a newcomer to Canada I have to admit I was stumped by a request for an Inuktitut translation. I had a lot of questions. First, is Inuktitut the language spoken by Eskimos? Though “Eskimo” is still used by many people outside of Canada to refer to the Native people in Canada’s North, it is an outdated term, and really only refers to the Yupik people living in Western Alaska and Russia’s far East. I then asked myself who speaks Inuktitut? It is the Inuit peoples living north of the Canadian tree line that speak this fascinating language. Inuktitut is in fact the name of all the variants of the Inuit traditional language. So my next question was – considering Inuktitut is traditionally an oral language, how am I going to translate it? Inuktitut is written in different ways depending on the region. Being Czech, I was fascinated to discover that it was Moravian Missionaries from my country who first attempted to write Inuktitut in the mid 18th century. The Northwest Territories and part of Nunavut use a Latin alphabet like that of English to write Inuktitut (see the welcome in Inuktitut). However, in Nunavut and Nunavik, Québec, it is written using Inuktitut... read moreLanguage Matters January 2006: Funny Translation and Different Types of Chinese
Dear Language Friend, Wishing you a fresh new start in 2006! Welcome to our January newsletter on the WHY, HOW, WHERE and WHEN of languages. I will explain WHY a funny translation may harm your business and HOW to distinguish between Mandarin & Cantonese and Traditional & Simplified Chinese. I will also give you the details of WHERE to learn Mandarin and WHEN to attend our free French lesson. Thanks for reading, Lenka de Graafova, Managing Director. WHY Translation Matters Whenever I travel to countries where English is not the main language I have a great time reading the menus, flyers and brochures. The translations for the tourists often leave me in stitches. During my recent trip to Argentina I collected a few such translations. In a bathroom: The cleanliness of the toilet is made between everybody. Please contribute throwing things and papers to the garbage can. On a menu in a very fancy restaurant: Crêpes stuffed with caramel crud. Smashed potatoes. Still, at no time am I more aware of the need to translate than when I am on holiday. I had an eye-opening experience while dining in Ushuaia, the southernmost city in the world. The restaurant in question was nothing short of glorious, offering up local delicacies perfectly paired with great wines. Everything was enchanting, except for their translations. The restaurant’s promotional materials and menu had been directly translated from Spanish, and were not consistent with their high standards. And so, over another glass of fabulous Argentinean wine I edited the translated menu, much to the staff’s delight. Tourism is booming in the southernmost part of the... read moreLanguage Matters December 2005: Merry Christmas
Dear Language Friend, Hello and Welcome to the Holiday edition of our newsletter on the HOW, WHY, WHEN and WHERE of languages. I’d like to begin by wishing you a happy holiday season from the LingoStar team. In this edition I will be covering the topics of WHERE to learn another language, WHERE to learn French online and WHEN to attend our free French lesson. I’ll explain WHY a flag is not a language symbol for your multilingual website and HOW to install foreign language characters on your computer. Please note that our office is closed for business between 23 December and 15 January. Thanks for reading, Lenka de Graafova, Managing Director. WHERE to Find a Language Partner: A Holiday Love Story Last month, when offering helpful tips on learning a language, I strongly suggested that you find yourself a foreign language speaking partner. We are not the sort of company to give out untried advice. And so in keeping with our recommendation on language learning, two of my students have decided to enter into an English-Czech relationship. I am happy to report that both parties are progressing rapidly in their language studies. I hate to say it, but I told you so. What our November Newsletter readers say: Hello Lenka, You are absolutely right about learning another language by having a foreign speaking spouse or partner. That is how I learned to read, write and speak German fluently because I had three German girl friends. I am now learning the Czech language. However, it is difficult when you have only one Czech speaking wife. Cheers! LM Lenka, You... read moreLanguage Matters November 2005: Welcome!
Dear Language Friend, Hello and Welcome to the first issue of our information newsletter on the HOW, WHY, WHEN and WHERE of languages. In this edition I’ll be sharing my top 3 tips on HOW to make learning another language easier. I’ll also try tempt you to see the movie The Interpreter with Nicole Kidman and, at the same time, explain WHY interpreters are different from translators. Find out WHEN to attend our free French lesson and WHERE to access free online translation. Thanks for reading, Lenka de Graafova, Managing Director. Top 3 Tips for Learning a Language Tip #1 Find a spouse or partner who speaks a foreign language. I’m not kidding. That’s how I learned my languages. However, keep in mind that even though I do speak five of them each language does not equate to a foreign language speaking partner! Tip#2 Listen to the lyrics of your favourite foreign language songs. When I was learning English as a teenager (Czech being my mother tongue), I was constantly playing Beatles songs and transcribing their lyrics. I did this 8 days a week, to the total dismay of my parents, of course. Tip#3 Sign up for our language course. We will be offering Spanish, French, Mandarin, Czech & Business English courses starting the weeks of December 5th 2005 and January 23rd 2006. All levels are welcome. Classes of 3-7 students are taught by professional teachers. These 2-hour language sessions will take place once or twice a week in Vancouver, Burnaby or, alternatively at your office. Other language courses can be arranged upon request. – Course fees (valid till... read moreTranslation Blog and News
LingoStar has been a language services provider in Canada, the USA, and Europe for more than a decade. We are proud to say that we cooperate with professional translators, interpreters, and other language specialists worldwide and work with over 100 language pairs. If you are looking for a reliable translation company, contact LingoStar! We are always ready to help you with your projects and documentation. Get a free quote online.