Do personality and language go hand in hand? Have you ever noticed that your behaviour changes when you speak a language other than your mother tongue? Do you speak louder than usual or use your body language more (or less) in a particular language? Most multilingual or multicultural people would answer “yes” to these questions. This is because a certain relationship exists between personality and language. In fact, several scientific studies suggest that these adaptations, or “shifts”, are exactly what happens when you speak another language. In this blog post, we will focus on the relationship between a language and a speaker’s personality when using a particular language. What factors link personality and language? Studies suggest that people are likely to change their personality depending on the language they speak. This phenomenon is due to people’s perceptions of the language and its culture. It is not difficult to imagine that you feel more confident speaking in your mother tongue than in a foreign language. How confident you are in speaking a particular language affects how you behave. For example, if you are unsure about grammatical rules, you are likely to be afraid of making a mistake. You may therefore avoid speaking the language. However, this is not the only factor linking your personality and the language you speak. In fact, another aspect has a greater impact on your behaviour. Studies suggest that how you perceive a given language determines how you behave with that language. Put simply, the perceptions you have of a particular language lead you to behave in a certain way. For example, if you associate French...
The number of translators in the world It is said that there are 6,900 different languages in the world today. In a world where so many languages exist, there are professionals who play an important role in connecting people through different languages. These professionals are translators, located worldwide. They introduce foreign cultures and their languages to their communities. Furthermore, they translate the nuances of other languages accurately and, through accurate translation, they help to provide relevant information. Even if not always obvious, translators worldwide affect in our lives in numerous ways. For example, they help to convey messages to younger generations. As languages change over time, translators must adapt. The Internet gave birth to slang, and the younger generation creates new words all the time. Therefore, translators need to constantly keep up with the latest language trends. So, how many translators are there in the world? According to some estimates, there are 640,000 translators in the world. They are based in various regions around the world and work on a wide variety of translations. Their presence is essential to keep the 6,900 languages alive. How translators worldwide help people’s lives Translators worldwide are behind many of the things we do and enjoy. Take arts and culture, for example. Many books and artworks have become available thanks to the work of translators. Another fitting example is the film industry. Numerous countries make films and watch those with subtitles or dubbed into other languages. If a movie is made in one language only, it cannot be distributed and shared across the globe. And this is where translators come in. Translators are...
Study abroad marketing strategies Before the COVID-19 pandemic, it was common for students to move away from their own country to study abroad. Now that the pandemic seems to be over, this trend is picking up again. But how do they know where to go? Which country and which institution are the best fit for their needs? Today, there is a huge range of possibilities from which students can choose, especially thanks to the web. For this reason, schools and institutions do their best to promote their study programs online. They use a lot of marketing strategies to appeal to students from all over the world. Firstly, they need to know the students’ interests. In particular, where they would like to live, what type of facilities they need and so on. Secondly, institutions need to have an appealing profile on social media. Indeed, this one plays a crucial role in the lives of young people. It is also important to have a website that students can browse in different languages. Indeed, if institutions want to get the attention of international students, they need to make information accessible in their own native language. This is the key to avoiding misunderstandings. So, as we can see, here again, the role of translators is essential. A lot of institutions contact us to get their websites or marketing campaigns translated into several languages. In this way, they can reach as many students as possible. The power of social media connections Many students may have reservations about whether to embark on this journey or not. However, thanks to social media, they can take a...
Every year, thousands of students come to Canada in order to start, continue, or finish their studies. There are many Canadian schools, programs, and careers available for everyone. If you want to study in Canada, you’ll have to find the one that best suits you. You’ll also need to find out, ahead of time, what type of documents in English and French you’ll need to submit to the authorities. Why study in Canada? People worldwide consider that the quality of education in Canada is outstanding — from as early as elementary school to post-secondary studies. In fact, more than 25 Canadian universities feature in the World University Rankings. This is mainly due to their strong focus on research and development. What’s more, the Canadian government offers great support for research in many fields. In terms of economy, studying in Canada is not as expensive as in other countries such as the US or the UK. Tuition fees in Canada might seem rather cheap due to the possibility of applying for a range of scholarships. The aim of these scholarships is to cut down your expenses. Lastly, another reason why you should consider studying in Canada is its safe and peaceful environment. It is the sixth most peaceful country in the world. The process of studying in Canada Canada’s Post-Graduation Work Permit Program (PWPP) allows international students to stay and work in Canada for up to three years after completion of their graduation. Not only can you gain some work experience, but you can also apply for permanent residency after some time. If you’ve decided to apply to study in...
About the Spanish language Spanish is one of the most spoken languages in the world, beaten only by Mandarin, English, and Hindi. It is a Romance language spoken by natives in Spain and most Central and South American countries. In Spain, the variant is Castilian Spanish. Let’s talk about the different varieties of Spanish. There are many variations of the Spanish language. You can find them everywhere. Each country has its own variant. In Spain, the official language is Castilian Spanish and it has many varieties. In Galicia, people also speak Gallego (Galician). One of the things that characterizes the language variation in this area is the exclusive use of the past simple. Some languages have past simple and past perfect, and so does Spanish. Read on to learn about some examples! Varieties of the Spanish language: past tenses La Fundéu and La Real Academia Española are some of the institutions in charge of explaining the correct use of the Spanish language. They recommend the use of both past perfect and past simple. However, in some parts of Galicia, Asturias, and in the Canary Islands, people frequently use the past simple. According to some studies, in Spain the past perfect is more common when talking about today or now. Meanwhile, the past simple is used when explaining something that was done: last night or yesterday, for example. So instead of saying “¿Por qué no ha venido con nosotros?” (in English, “Why didn’t he join us?”), the inhabitants of these areas would say “¿Por qué no vino con nosotros?”. Varieties of the Spanish language: expressions In Spain, there is a misconception...
Discover Dutch and Flemish The Dutch and Flemish languages have many things in common. But they also have differences. Dutch is the official language of the Netherlands and one of the three official languages of Belgium. The population of Flanders, a northern Belgium region wedged between the North Sea and the Netherlands, speaks Dutch. However, the variant spoken here is known as Flemish. Flemish speakers account for 59% of the Belgian population. There are four principal Flemish dialects in Flanders. There is Brabantian, Limburgish, East Flemish, and West Flemish. But how do Dutch and Flemish differ from one another? Main differences between Dutch and Flemish The variations of this language don’t lay in grammar. The differences are in vocabulary and pronunciation. Usually, there are no changes in grammar; but in some dialects, the word order can change a little. Dutch speakers generally tend to pause between words; in Flemish, the words are often strung together. Let’s talk about the differences in pronunciation. Even those who don’t speak the language can perceive a variation in the pronunciation of different words. This is because the pronunciation of Flemish is more similar to French than Dutch, as Dutch leans more towards English. One example of this is the scraping G. The further you move south (from the Netherlands to Belgium), the sound of the letter G becomes softer, more like the French sound of the letter. The flow of words also becomes more relaxed. So we could say that Belgium has the softest version of Dutch (at least if we don’t take into account the African variants of the language). Do Dutch...
