Language and Translation News by LingoStar

Follow LingoStar on social media and subscribe to our newsletter to get the latest facts and updates about language-related topics! Follow our language and translation news blog

Browse our online store to download Localization Guides and Ebooks that provide you with detailed information on how to successfully translate your website into European and Asian languages.

 

Get the latest fun and facts | Language and Translation News

I want to immigrate to Canada. What should I do?

Useful tips on how to apply if you want to immigrate to Canada. Do you want to immigrate to Canada this year? There are several things to consider when immigrating to a new country. From booking plane tickets to arriving at your new “home”, there’s nothing more important than having legal status when you immigrate. It will give you benefits similar, or very close, to the ones held by citizens. How do I know what to do? To immigrate to Canada, first, you need to decide on a Province and check on the language they speak there. There are two official languages in Canada: French and English. If you speak either, or both of them, your immigration process will be easier. You will need to take a test to prove your language skills when applying for an immigrant visa. For more information on how to immigrate to Canada check the official website of the Canadian government. Are you relocating for work or moving to Canada on your own? If you want to immigrate to Canada for work, employers usually guide workers and/or help them with the relocation process. Companies who relocate workers to branches in other countries are more familiar with the immigration process. If this is your case, contact the corresponding department in your company. If you are immigrating on your own, then you should start by checking if you’re eligible to immigrate to Canada. What kind of visa does the Canadian government offer? To immigrate to Canda, you need to check on visas first. The Canadian government offers several types. The one you need depends on which... read more

A short review of the History of Saint Patrick

Who was Saint Patrick and what he did. What is the day of Saint Patrick? The day of Saint Patrick is a religious and cultural Irish celebration, held annually on March 17th. Saint Patrick is Ireland’s patron saint. On this day, people in Ireland, as well as around the globe, celebrate Saint Patrick’s traditional death date (AD 385–461). He was a Christian bishop, missionary and apostle in Ireland during the 5th century. Believe it or not, he was not Irish. He was probably born in Scotland, but nobody knows for sure. Why was Saint Patrick famous? Saint Patrick was kidnapped and enslaved by Irish marauders when he was 16. He worked as a herder for the next 6 years. This experience made him very religious. But, one night he had a revealing dream: a mysterious voice asked him to go back to Great Britain, and he did. Once there, he had another revealing dream. In this one, he received a letter titled “The Voice of the Irish”. As he read it, he seemed to hear Irish people claiming his return to their land. He studied to become a priest and then he was appointed as a bishop. What did Saint Patrick do? After becoming a bishop, Saint Patrick went back to Ireland to preach the gospel. He converted thousands of people and built churches. It also said that Saint Patrick baptized hundreds of people in just one day. The three-leaf clover became his symbol as he used one to describe the Holy Trinity. He died in poverty on March 17th, 1461 in a city called Saul. This is the city where... read more

An Unusual Holiday? Read these 12 and celebrate them.

An Unusual Holiday: There is more to celebrate than just Carnival or Halloween. We have heard of many common holidays. They usually refer to important and remarkable moments that happened in history. But, we also celebrate holidays to emphasize an event associated with specific issues. Also, to encourage people to do something that can have a positive impact in their life or just to have fun.  But, what is an “Unusual Holiday”? An unusual holiday is a bizarre, or maybe absurd celebration. Their origins can be related to specific moments in history, like our 9th unusual holiday. They can also be simply made up celebrations to give people a break from stressful days, like our 4th unusual holiday. Here we bring you a list of 12 unusual holidays. There are many more, of course. But, we hope this encourages you to research others celebrated around you. 1st Unusual Holiday: Ditch New Year’s Resolutions Day   January 17th: This is the day people quit their New Year’s Resolutions list for whatever reason. No need to tell you how to celebrate it. It is not clear who started this holiday or when. What seems clear is the fact that it probably is as old as making a New Year’s Resolutions list. 2nd Unusual Holiday: Public Sleeping Day   February 28th: We don’t know who started this holiday. Its first celebration was in 2011. Maybe its creator took a nap while working and forgot to document this detail. The best way to celebrate it? Take a nap in a public place. Or even better, organize a pajama party at a park. You can invite all of... read more

New Year’s Resolutions

2018 Resolutions Did you make your list of New Year’s Resolutions? New Year’s is here, and we cannot yet believe it! The magic of Christmas is still in our hearts, but we are already thinking about what we are going to accomplish in this 2018. A new year always comes with lots of wishes, opportunities and the optimism of a fresh start. Are you ready to take advantage of it? What are New Year’s Resolutions? New Year’s Resolutions are things people want to accomplish in the new year. They go from simple activities like planning a trip to more complex ones like changing a personality trait or losing weight. They are meant to help you improve your life.  Why can’t we stick to our New Year’s Resolutions? Only about 8% of people stick to their New Year’s Resolutions. There are many reasons why, but the main one might be making too many changes at the same time. For instance, a lot of people want to stop eating sugar, but they don’t start cutting it down a bit at a time so the change is progressive. It is a matter of being realistic and knowing ourselves: what we like, what we can do, and what we can achieve. To help you with this, we came up with a list of 5 popular New Year’s Resolutions and some useful tips to actually achieve them.     Losing weight: Stay focused. This is one of the most popular New Year’s resolutions. People always want to be in good shape but it seems to be really difficult for everybody to make it happen.... read more

7 New Year’s Eve Foods That Give You Luck

This time of year is all about food! Yes! Because Christmas and New Year’s celebrations are full of traditional meals, desserts, and drinks to enjoy with family and friends and to celebrate the happiness of being together, we decided to come up with a list of 7 New Year’s Eve Foods That Give You Luck. Around the world, there is a common belief that certain foods can give you luck if you eat them at the right time. Also, there are many superstitions around New Year’s Eve. On New Year’s Eve, people believe that eating certain in a specific order will bring some luck, or help you to earn more money, travel or even find your soul mate. If you are the type of person that likes to do things for luck or if you are just curious about these superstitions.   What do you want for the New Year?     1. Do you want to have one wish for each month of the new year? Eat grapes: In countries like Spain, Mexico, and Venezuela, people believe that you should eat one grape for each of the 12 strikes during the final countdown on New Year’s Eve. If you do so, you will have one wish per month. Don’t miss the opportunity to receive one wish for each month of the coming new year!     2. Do you need good luck and positivity? Eat black-eyed peas: It is a believe that Hoppin’ John, as these peas are also referred to, bring prosperity in the New Year. The ingredients that you use to prepare them represent money, positivity, and... read more

Students, make use of your status and check our list of useful programs

Free and useful programs for students Make use of your student status Dear students, In many countries a new semester is about to start or has already started. We want to share some tips on how to save money during your studies. Many companies provide special offers to students. We will list a few programs that can help you boost your productivity and support you while studying, and also some programs to relieve the stress of being a student. To confirm, we are not sponsored by any of these websites, programs or companies. The purpose of this post is mainly to inform you about these opportunities to save money. Some of the listed programs/offers may vary depending on your location. Do some research in your local area. Be aware, some of the listed programs are only free for a certain period of time (e.g. 6 month free trail and afterward you get a 50% discount) or they are free until you finish your studies. They will tell you that you are able to cancel at any given time, but make sure to check for hidden conditions. Ask your university as well if they have any arrangements. Getting work done Office 365 We would like to begin with the package of programs that become the standard for every student, no matter what you are studying. Office 365 includes Microsoft Word, PowerPoint, Excel and more. You can use these programs on any of your registered devices. You simply need to enter your student e-mail address. Go here for further information. Cold Turkey To avoid getting distracted when you have to prepare... read more

5 Magical Christmas Markets Around the World

Christmas Markets It’s only November but Christmas is already here! There are many Christmas traditions that we love but Christmas markets are one of our favourites. Christmas markets are special markets that are held during Christmas time. This tradition is an important part of Christmas around the world. These are not just markets, they are outdoor events. At these markets you can find gifts, seasonal food, souvenirs, clothes, and many other things. The markets are a good opportunity for small businesses and individuals to sell their products. They are also the perfect place to enjoy Christmas activities such as parades and live music. Full of Christmas lights and decorations, Christmas markets are the best way to start the season while preparing yourself for the happiest days of the year. Take a ride with us to get to know some of the most magical and beautiful Christmas markets around the world. These are sure to get you in the holiday mood! 1. Frankfurt Christmas Market, Germany: This market is one of the largest and oldest in Germany. It is located at Honey House in St. Paul’s Square. Every year, this 300-year-old building is especially booked for the market. The building, along with the decorations and the environment, create the perfect setting for Christmas shopping. It awakens the Christmas spirit in the heart of all visitors. Besides the Christmas lights and decorations that it shares with all others Christmas markets around the world, it includes some features special to Germany: delicious sausages, a wide variety of beer, and many products derived from honey. There are special attractions for kids and lots... read more

Challenges of Moving Abroad

Things you should know (and research about) beforehand Thinking of moving abroad can be scary for most people. To begin with, you don’t really know where to start. Also, you never know what’s coming ahead. Whether you are moving on your own, or for work, being organized and planning is a must to make your experience a good one. You should start by researching the country you are moving to. Keep reading to know our Challenges of Moving Abroad list. Why move abroad I am a Venezuelan-Italian woman. I lived in Venezuela most of my life, although I grew up exposed to the best of both cultures, languages, and traditions. Since I was little, my biggest dream was to live somewhere in Europe. Despite the fact that I grew up thinking of moving abroad, little did I know that moving to Switzerland would change my life so much. I did some research before moving there, but I went without a job or language training, so trying to start a new life in a new place was a real challenge! Things you should consider when moving abroad: Yes, moving abroad makes you feel out of place, without a safe ground, emotionally speaking, for quite a bit. Whether you are living on your own or moving with family or friends, the feeling of being alone accompanies you most of your day. Things get better as you settle. Use your free time to do something useful regarding your stay. Family and friends. Moving abroad means you leave your life, including family and friends, behind. Luckily, you can stay connected with them with all... read more

Cultural Differences and Translation Problematics

Cultural Differences: this is why translation tools will never get the job done properly Without cultural differences, translating would be less interesting In a previous post, we talked about the basics of translating and had a brief introduction to the problematics that can occur during the translation process. In this post, we’d like to talk about cultural differences. One of our earlier posts covered the fact that there are different dialects, connotations and denotations in any given language.There are also differences in sayings, cultural presuppositions, writing and many more aspects, so much so that a direct translation (1-1) becomes impossible. Therefore, it can be very difficult for the translator to preserve all the little components of meaning when transferring the source text into the target language. Some examples Take a scene from a movie or a book in French for example in which a small part features someone speaking in French Canadian. A French-speaking person will pick up on this difference but a non-French-speaking person will not.  When you translate this scenario into English, you have to choose the right English dialect that will deliver the same desired differences.Another example could be translating a metaphor which does not exist in the target language. Now the translator has to decide if s/he describes the image, or if s/he goes for a more literal translation, or maybe there is a solution where s/he could use a completely different image which still delivers the same meaning. The cultural aspect Cultural aspects are sometimes hard to understand if you haven’t had any first-hand experiences with that culture before. Facial expressions and gestures have different... read more

Latin American Halloween

Latin American Halloween People around the world celebrate Halloween, although, it is not so popular in some places. For example, Latin American Halloween, is not as huge as it is in North America. Halloween is a holiday that many people in Latin America do not know a lot about. In the US and Canada, Halloween is the second most important holiday after Christmas. The traditions around Halloween include decorating houses, trick-and-treating, wearing costumes, and throwing parties. Contrary to the huge celebration in North America, the equivalent celebration in Latin America is very low profile. Except for some countries, in which these festivities have a strong spiritual meaning, like Mexico and Peru. Let’s learn in which Latin American Countries people celebrate Halloween and in which they do not. Time to party? Who celebrates Halloween? Halloween celebrations in Latin America have increased over the years. Lately, the nature of the celebration and traditions of American Halloween has been traveling to Latin America. In some places like Chile, Mexico, Panama, Bolivia, and Colombia, the celebration is similar to the one in North America. In these countries, people go around wearing costumes, asking for candy and partying.  They may even carve pumpkins and decorate their houses. These American Halloween traditions have invaded the last days of October in these Latin American countries. People, especially kids, enjoy these traditions and celebrations, and in particular, the candies that come with them. Despite this, Halloween as we know it is not yet part of Latin American culture. The celebration of Latin American Halloween is even smaller than the one for Valentine’s Day. Who doesn’t celebrate it?... read more

10 Amazing Latin American Movies

Latin American Films A movie portrays how someone perceives the world, and in turn, educates us about the culture of the place where it was made. Lately, we have been hearing a lot about Latin American cinematography and the Latin American way of doing cinema. Full of political and religious content combined with a colloquial approach, Latin American movies typically focus on the strong religious ties of their people or criticism towards politics and politicians. However, these are not the only topics that may be addressed. In just one Latin American movie, you can find comedy, horror, drama, mystery, and so on. Clearly, the way they tell their stories is unique; they know how to make you laugh, how to be serious, how to give you the creeps, and certainly how to make you cry. In this top ten you will find Latin American movies worth watching that represent their respective countries in their own unique way. Let’s take a tour! 1. Frida (2002, Mexico): This movie tells the story of Frida Kahlo, a Mexican artist whose life was full of tragedy and beauty. Due to the use of colour and music as cinematographic elements it introduces you to Mexican society, culture, traditions, and values. Frida will take you to Mexico while entertaining you with a really great plot.   2. Maria Full of Grace / María, llena eres de gracia (2004, Colombia): The tragic journey of a young woman with money problems. She takes the first opportunity to earn and ends up involved in the Colombian drug traffic industry, gaining many more problems than when she began. Do you want to... read more

Challenges that come up when translating, can anyone handle them?

Challenges for translators, why translation can’t be done by just anyone In a past blog we tried to define the essence of the word “translation” in simple terms. At its core, “translation” is the transfer of a message from one language to another, but there is much more to the process. It is a highly demanding activity and translators face many challenges. Translating requires a lot of research and preparation. To start, we have a pair of languages, one the “source” text and one the “target” text. The source is the language of the original text and the target is the one you translate it to. Now we can begin… Challenges in translation First it is important to know that there is more than just one type of translation. Each type attends to the different communicative needs that we have in our lives. Among the types of translation that exist, we have: legal translation, academic translation, scientific translation, audiovisual translation, technical translation, and so on. Understanding the type of translation is the first challenge in translating a written text. To get a proper translation by translator contact us. The second challenge is figuring out the purpose of the translated text. It affects the format, vocabulary, word choice, and level of research required in order to to be prepared. This leads us to the third challenge, the topic of the written translation. This is one of the biggest hurdles of the job. Depending on the topic, the vocabulary and format of the text will vary. There are other exceptional cases, for example the translation of jokes or idioms. These can... read more

The Word on the Street Festival

The Word on the Street Festival During the month of September, Canada is the host of The Word on the Street Festival. It celebrates and promotes Canadian literature, reading, writing, and literacy. This festival occurred for the first time on September 30, 1990 in Toronto. Attendance was surprisingly good and the event quickly became an important event nation-wide. Nowadays it is celebrated in Halifax, Toronto, Saskatoon, and Lethbridge, and there is also a preview event held in Kitchener. It is the largest literary festival in Canada. Get further information here. Who attends this Festival? Every year, authors, publishers and readers from all over Canada and other countries come to The Word on the Street. The festival provides opportunities for authors to promote their work, sign books, do readings, and attend meet and greets.  It is also an opportunity for people to meet their favorite authors, buy new books, and celebrate literature and literacy. The festival attracts people of all ages and interests. There, you can find different types of  books and magazines of any genre, such as poetry and fiction. This is a win-win situation for authors, readers and publishers. What makes this Festival so amazing? Besides the obvious attraction, the books, you will also find a bunch of activities that will catch your attention and entertain you. You can attend authors’ events such as book signings, giveaways, and conferences. You can also enjoy presentations as part of the Spoken Word Showcase that includes a Q&A at the end to get to know the poets and their stories. On the other hand, if you are interested in buying, there... read more

The 10 best books that will awake your interest in reading

10 books that will awake your interest in reading! Can books compete with today’s technology? With today’s modern technology, people seem to have lost interest in reading… well, books anyway. When it comes to books it is necessary to have more than a good story to catch readers. The books in this list have a good story, exceptional characters, a fluid narrative, plus that something special, in some cases magical, that it takes to make you read until the very end and wish there were more pages. Here is a list of ten books that can awake your interest in reading no matter how old or young you are. 1. Harry Potter (the series) by J.K. Rowling It is almost 100% certain that you have, at least, heard of Harry Potter. If you’ve heard that Harry Potter is just for kids, and believed it, rethink that. This book series is full of magic and values which will surprise you. Rowling weaves an amazing plot and you will marvel at the depth of the fictional world she has created.   2. Anne of Green Gables by Lucy Maud Montgomery The story of a dreamy girl that teaches us that with a good attitude, a smile, and a little bit of imagination, we can face anything that may befall us.   3. Digital Fortress by Dan Brown Brown has a talent for keeping you on the edge of your chair, reading as fast as you can to find out what’s going to happen with his characters, and this book is no exception. A fictional story full of adventures and technology that... read more

How to go from an amateur translator to a professional translator

A Translator’s Tale Once Upon a Time… …there were translators. But they were translation students or amateur translators. We’re sure you’re familiar with that feeling of not being good enough and fearing that you won’t find work. Many of us are told during our studies that the world of translation is difficult and cold. Some professors even say that we’d be better off becoming language teachers or finding other work because it is impossible to make ends meet working as a translators. This mix of pessimism and closing doors makes amateur translators feel lost and helpless. However, opportunities exist and once you find one, you will discover that the world of translation is very rewarding­. You will find wonderful colleagues who will share your interests. You’ll realize how cool it is to always keep learning through the texts you translate. This is something they don’t teach you during your translation degree. Decisions of Translators The biggest, scariest question for amateur translators or for translators who just finished a degree (or master’s degree) is “so what now?” Let’s walk in an amateur translator’s shoes for a moment. You finish your degree knowing that there are much more experienced translators than you in the labour market. Two things can happen at this point: you are determined to thrive as a professional translator from the very beginning, or you keep studying to gain more experience. Many translation students decide to complete a master’s degree, which gives them one or two more (safe) years to make up their minds on what they want to do in the future. Nonetheless, the master’s degree comes... read more

World ‘s 10 most popular places to visit on Instagram

Popular places in the world on Instagram Summer is here and it’s time for you to book your holidays. If you want to make your followers jealous, here are the 10 most popular places in the world on Instagram. Let’s be honest, when we are on holidays we try to take our best photos to send it to family, friends and colleagues and show them how lucky we are to be travelling. Even if you are not a real photographer, taking a good photo in any of these beautiful places would be easy! Are you ready to hit “like”? Disneyland, California, United States Disneyland, California, United States This is the classic dream spot where everyone including children and adults should go at least once. It’s no surprise that Mickey wins first place!  Eiffel Tower, Paris, France Eiffel Tower, Paris, France The quintessential romantic place. Paris and the beautiful Lady Eiffel are a dream come true!  Walt Disney World, Orlando, United States Walt Disney World, Orlando, United States Another Walt Disney Park in the top three. The house of Mickey is definitely the place to go!  South Beach, Miami, United States South Beach, Miami, United States Nicknamed SoBe, South Beach is a trendy destination that mixes beach, party and art deco.  Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany Berlin Wall, Berlin, Germany This is a very emotional place. The Berlin Wall was built to separate East and West during the WW2 and was destroyed in 1980.  Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, United States Las Vegas Strip, Las Vegas, United States Look at all those lights! The Vegas Strip is home to the craziest... read more

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

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... read more

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

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... read more

A Cock Story by a Russian Translator

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... read more

Bilingualism: all the reasons and advantages for becoming bilingual

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... read more