Why does language matter? Why is it important and beneficial for people to have very good language skills? Postmodern culture theorists will tell you all notions are socially constructed, and that language is used not only to reflect, but also to co-create realities. In a sense, all reality is textual: it depends itself on language … Continue reading Language and Logic: Deconstructing Political Discourse (I)
Tag: international copywriting
2016 Translation News
Only three more days until 2017! But before we leave 2016 behind to embark on new adventures, here are some of the most interesting linguistic news directly from the ATA headquarters: Wikitongues, a non-profit organization based in New York, wants to help preserve and record linguistic diversity. It has volunteers in 40 countries, who have recorded over … Continue reading 2016 Translation News
How many languages are there in the world?
An exciting topic, which first begs the question "what is language?" According to linguists from the Leiden University in the Netherlands, language is a system of communication defined by three main characteristics: discrete infinity displacement joint attention, and as such is typical only of human beings. Discrete infinity means that language is made up of individual … Continue reading How many languages are there in the world?
What is meaning?
The crux of every successful translation and human communication is how to accurately and effectively convey meaning. When the meaning intended by the speaker or by the producer of the text is not understood or interpreted correctly by the recipient of the message, communication breaks down and can even lead to conflict. But how is … Continue reading What is meaning?
Happy International Translation Day!
Es ist wieder soweit! September 30 is International Translation Day! Our profession has come a long way: "From fountain pens to typewriters to speech recognition. From index cards to electronic dictionaries and the knowledge highway" (you can read the full IFT communiqué here). The market for translation services is truly global in scope and nature, and … Continue reading Happy International Translation Day!
Why We (Still) Love Language: A Plea
Because we do, don't we? Or we should. Every time we pick up a good book or a great article it exerts this peculiar fascination on us, and we give in and we're no longer suspended in ambiguous dry limbo. We swim, we dive, we submerge in full enjoyment of the written text. We rediscover. … Continue reading Why We (Still) Love Language: A Plea