French is such a diverse language and its speakers can prove to be extremely creative. Did you know, for instance, that different French speakers use different words to count, that some of them grow up using French words that have a different meaning to that in Standard French, or that they use different idioms depending on where they come from? Well, if you’re interested to know more about the French spoken outside of France, I gladly invite you to read further.
German is an interesting language, but not always a logical one! One big part of learning any language is understanding some of the many idioms, and German is no exception. Idioms can sometimes be frustrating to learn and not always directly translatable into your native language. However, knowing German idioms will reward you with the sense of having mastered the language, just like a native.
If you are eager to improve your German knowledge, or even if you are just starting to learn the language and want to spice up your vocabulary with some typical idioms, we’ve made a small list for you …
Today, the 6th June, is the UN’s Russian Language Day! This day was created in 2010 by UNESCO to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity within the United Nations’ member states.
The UN Language Days serve to promote the equal use of all six official languages.
We mentioned French language day in a previous post from March, but the special focus today is on the Russian language!
Most of us are aware there there are thousands of languages spoken across the world – but do you know how many alphabets there are?
We’re not just talking about the difference between, say, the Latin alphabet (the one you’re reading now) and the Georgian alphabet (a sample of which you can see below) – we’re talking about the difference between abjads and abugidas, and between syllabaries and ideograms. Confused? Read on to find out more!
Did you know that March 20th is the United Nations’ ‘French Language Day’? It has been recognised on March 20th every year since 2010 and celebrates multilingualism and cultural diversity.
To celebrate, here are some interesting facts about the French Language:
French is one of the United Nations’ official languages. The other five official languages of the United Nations are Arabic, Chinese, English, Russian and Spanish.
The importance of understanding other languages needs no explanation, but even in the most extreme fictional universe language plays an important part for all characters and therefore needs careful consideration by all the writers and producers of major films.
For the majority of Marvel’s blockbuster 2014 film Gardians of the Galaxy one of the main characters, a sentient tree-like creature called Groot has just one line: “I AM GROOT”. This simple phrase for this now popular character has since become a famous pop-culture reference.
Italian is a very rich language, full of idioms and proverbs that are commonly used in everyday conversations. If you are learning Italian, want to sound like a native speaker and want to understand Italians when they speak, you should really make an effort and try to learn at least some Italian idioms. Taking an Italian language course where the language is spoken will definitely help!
As the world looks towards the world cup in Brazil we also take a look at other major events and festivals coming up this summer. If these fascinating destinations are still not on your list, then don’t forget that we offer in-country language courses in 13 different languages and an incredible 159 cities!
According to Psychology Today, more than half of the world’s population is bilingual. This means that 3.5 billion people use at least 2 different languages in their everyday life! Let’s see what these people’s main motivations are, and what they entail…
This week Europe is not only coming together in celebration of the Eurovision Song Contest, but also celebrates Europe Day on Friday! Every year the 9th May marks the birth of the European Union, in commemoration of the Shuman Declaration in 1950. Annually since then communities all over Europe have held parties, festivals, lectures, competitions and film events to make Europe day an unforgettable and special day.
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