Canada Day : Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday With Us!

Canada Day : Celebrate Canada’s 150th Birthday With Us!

Jul 1, 2017 | Blog

What Is Canada Day? Happy Birthday Canada! Happy birthday Canada! Did you know that Canada is 150 years old this year? Want to celebrate this huge event? Let’s learn about this nation and how to celebrate Canada Day! 150 Years for Canada To start, a little bit of history. If you are a proud Canadian you can skip this part as you probably already know your fabulous country’s story, but for those of you who are curious, here are some interesting facts that will help you understand why Canada Day is so important! If you think that 150 years is very young for a country then you are right! Of course, in reality, the country is much older. For thousands of years prior to European colonization, indigenous peoples inhabited what is now known as Canada. Beginning in the 16th century, British and French claims were made on the area, with the colony of Canada first being established by the French in 1535 during Jacques Cartier’s second voyage to New France. Due to various conflicts, Great Britain gained and lost territories within British North America until the late 18th century when it was left with what comprises Canada’s today geographically. On July 1, 1867 occurred the unification of Canada giving birth to the Canada we all know today. Since this date, Canada Day is the national day of celebration. A federal statutory holiday, Canadians celebrate the anniversary of the July 1, 1867 enactment of the Constitution which united three separate colonies, Nova Scotia, and New Brunswick into a single Dominion within the British Empire called Canada. Originally called Dominion Day, the...
The Cannes International Film Festival : It’s birth and growth

The Cannes International Film Festival : It’s birth and growth

Jun 26, 2017 | Blog

Cannes Film Festival The Cannes Film Festival is a yearly event which showcases new films and documentaries from all over the world. It is celebrated in Cannes, France, and is attended by international producers, actors, actresses and stars. This year was the 70th anniversary celebration. The festival has had a big impact not only in the film industry, but also in other areas like the media and translation industries. The place where all stories meet The Cannes Film Festival represents an opportunity for filmmakers from all over the world to meet in one place and to exchange their cultures and experiences. The festival is a window to the world, it gives the opportunity to filmmakers to showcase their country’s customs and traditions on a big screen watched by a wide audience. One of the most important aspects of the festival is the principle of equality, not that we are all the same, but that even with our differences in culture, history and language, we are all equal members of the world community. Cannes Film Festival provides an opportunity for all countries to establish their own cinema and in turn, celebrate the culture and history of their respective countries. Two industries join hands For the translation industry, films and documentaries represent a huge field of work and an interesting part of the job. The Cannes Film Festival provides amazing opportunities in translation, subtitling, and dubbing into a full range of languages. It is a win-win situation in that both translators and filmmakers benefit and profit from this activity. If a film is available in a large range of languages, it has...
A Cock Story by a Russian Translator

A Cock Story by a Russian Translator

Jun 14, 2017 | Blog, Translation, Translation News

A Cock Story Learning a new language is always a challenge, especially when words can mean two completely different things. Here is a “cock” story by one of our Russian translators about an experience he had while learning English in college. My lifelong passion for languages began in the Soviet high school, where I was, according to my English teacher, the best student in her three-year experience. That didn’t necessarily mean I could string two words together by myself, but I would diligently do my homework and vigorously raise my hand during her classes. Little did she know that my linguistic zeal was driven, more than anything, by my being innocently mesmerized with her inner and outer beauty. More with the latter than the former. The Learning Two years on, in the summer of 1991, the Soviet Union broke apart, and I was now a college freshman in the newly independent Uzbekistan. I was studying to be a translator/interpreter between English, Russian and Uzbek. Those were not the easiest times to study a foreign language: information and materials were scarce, there was no access to communication with native speakers and, of course, no such thing as the Internet. My faculty had a modest library where you could find most classic novels and a very limited number of audio recordings spoken by BBC newscasters and such. Needless to say, there was no taking them home, so I would spend endless hours in the library practicing my listening and comprehension. One thing I had no way of knowing at the time was the fact that my decades-old textbooks and dictionaries presented...
Bilingualism: all the reasons and advantages for becoming bilingual

Bilingualism: all the reasons and advantages for becoming bilingual

Jun 14, 2017 | Blog

What are the advantages of bilingualism? “Bilingualism is the ability to speak or write fluently in two languages.” – The Canadian Encyclopedia In Canada, being bilingual is more common than in other countries due to its two official languages: French and English. Canadian instructions on food packaging at the supermarket, and signs around the city, are generally written in both languages. However, speaking, writing, thinking or dreaming in more than one language could also be enhanced thanks to the brain’s constant activity. So what are the real advantages of being bilingual? Boosts cognitive performance Many scientists who study linguistic development talk about “the bilingual advantage”. When a bilingual person has to solve a conflict, he/she will think in two languages. This flexes the cognitive muscles. This in turn improves the working memory and one’s ability to switch attention from one thing to another. Multi-tasking The most specialized scientist in bilingualism is Dr. Ellen Bialystok, Rotman Research Institute Associate Scientist, Professor of Psychology at Toronto’s York University, and Officer of the Order of Canada since 2016. Her research shows that bilinguals are better than monolinguals at tasks that require controlling several goals in mind at once. Multi-tasking and avoiding distraction during tasks are such examples. Read more about Dr. Bialystok’s research here. Improves linguistic skills When you are already bilingual, it’s easier to become multilingual. Your brain already knows how to learn new words and switch quickly between different languages. Scientists have proven that bilinguals have better listening and communication skills than monolinguals. Protects against Alzheimer’s disease Between 2008 and 2010, Dr. Ellen Bialystok wrote a research paper on “the...
Birthday Song across the world and their variations

Birthday Song across the world and their variations

Jun 2, 2017 | Blog

Birthday Song Have you ever wondered how your birthday would be celebrated in other countries? What birthday song would be sang? For example, which song do you sing if you are in a Spanish-speaking country? Well, each Spanish-speaking country has a different birthday song. The birthday celebration itself is more or less the same everywhere: gifts, party, food, and of course, a birthday cake! And along with a birthday cake there is always a birthday song and candles! The Song The song is important and represents the main purpose of the party: to celebrate the birthday boy or girl. Even though customs in Spanish-speaking countries are pretty similar, the song will vary. Replacing the “Happy Birthday To You” song characteristic of Anglo-Saxon countries, the Spanish countries range from “Las Mañanitas” in Spain and Mexico to a 10-minute song in Venezuela, and each song carries unique cultural differences. Most of the songs are full of good wishes and blessings, and the way they are sung also reflects the country’s culture and customs. For example, in Mexico the guests sing “Las Mañanitas” and then the birthday boy or girl bites the cake and pushes his or her face into the cake as a joke. In Venezuela, guests sing “Ay que noche tan preciosa”, which can last for up to 10 minutes because people say funny things and they repeat parts several times to make fun of the birthday boy or girl. In Paraguay, the guests slap the back of the birthday boy or girl with their hands at the end of the song. Whereas in Chile, the birthday boy or girl...

British Accents | Dialects and Accents in the UK

May 19, 2017 | Blog, Language Varieties, Testimonials, Worldwide

Accents in the UK Are you from a non-English-speaking country and want to move to the United Kingdom? If you are and you have decided to go, you need to be aware of all the different British accents. Check out our article about how you can recognize British accents and get familiar with the different dialects and accents in the UK. English as a second language I am from Spain and in my country, when we are in school, we learn English as a second language. The English we learn is the general English (Received Pronunciation English) and many of us believe that this type of accent is the only one that exists in the UK. Then when we move to the UK for work or study, we realize that we were wrong. Depending on where you go, people speak with many different English accents. Check out our English voiceover services. We work with voiceover artists who record native British, American and Canadian accents. In the south, you will find the Received Pronunciation English, Cockney, estuary English and West Country. Further out, you find the Midlands English and Welsh English. And in the north, you will find the Northern England English, Geordie accent and Scottish English accent. Received Pronunciation English Currently I am living in the north, in Leeds to be precise, and I would like to point out the differences between the Northern English and the Received Pronunciation English. The Northern England English is spoken in the area of Manchester, Leeds, York and Liverpool. The features of this accent are: Non-rhoticity, except in some rural areas. The diphthong in words...