100 posts
Agent Does Guide to EU-Speak
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Concerning English as used in the European institutions, a translator vents. He doesn't valorise it highly, and suggests a training.
How the dominance of English kills the European debate
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Spanishwalker has already argued some months ago that one of the problems of the European blogosphere is the dominance of English. He sees the problem in English being the gatekeeper language between blogging and writing in most other European lang...
EU Commission's translation and information breakdown
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My latest articles in English about the Commission's ”copyright reform” and regarding the Digital Agenda review revealed an unprecedented breakdown of translation services for citizens and the collapse of systematic posting of COM documents on Eu...
EU:n yhtenäispatentin käännösjärjestelyt
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Tarkastelemme sisämarkkinoiden (ensimmäisen) toimenpidepaktenin KOM(2011) 206 toteuttamista, johon blogimerkintä European Council and Single Market Act I tarjoaa yleissilmäyksen. Blogikirjoitukset EU:n yhtenäispatentti solmussa ja Yhtenäispat...
LRE Launch – Ukraine
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Language Rich Europe launches the results of its research in Kyiv, Ukraine on Friday 9 November at the Institute of Social and Political Psychology of the National Academy of Pedagogic Sciences of Ukraine. Ukraine is one of only three non-EC …...
Un XIVe Sommet de la Francophonie sous les feux de la controverse
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Après les tergiversations de plusieurs chefs d’États sur un possible boycott du XIVe Sommet de la Francophonie, la fête a bien eu lieu. Une centaine de chefs d’États francophones du monde entier se sont réunis du 12 au 14 octobre dans la vil...
EU-kommissionens arbetsprogram 2013 nu på svenska
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På Europeiska unionens juridiska portal Eur-Lex finns nu den första volymen (text) av EU-kommissionens arbetsprogram för 2013 på flertalet officiella språk, bland dem svenska: Kommissionens arbetsprogram 2013; Strasbourg den 23.10.2012 COM(201...
LRE Launches in Germany
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Join us today in for our LRE German Launch in Berlin. It is kindly being hosted by the Representation of the European Commission in Berlin Europäisches Haus, Unter den Linden 78 (1. OG), 10117 Berlin Programme 17.30 – 17.45 Introductions …...
EU:n komission työohjelma 2013 nyt suomeksi
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Kuvasin jo aiemmin EU:n komission työohjelmaa vuodeksi 2013 ja selostin Euroopan parlamentin täysistuntokeskustelun ryhmäpuheenvuoroja. Nyt Euroopan unionin oikeusportaali Eur-Lex tarjoaa tiedonannon COM(2012) 629 ensimmäisen niteen (tekstin) u...
New language versions: EU Commission Work Programme CWP 2013
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We already noted the arrival of the EU Commission Work Programme 2013. Both volumes, text and annex, are still available in English, French and German through the web page The European Commission at work > Key documents. Eur-Lex The first volume...
A hearty round of applause to Ashley Fox – the British Tory MEP who addressed the European Parliament entirely in French
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Today in Strasbourg, South West Conservative MEP Ashley Fox delivered a speech in the chamber of the European Parliament. While that fact in itself may be unexceptional, the fact he decided to deliver it entirely in French is. In the presence of th...
Did you know…
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Did you know… that five projects which have shown outstanding performance in promoting the teaching and learning of languages were honoured at the first ‘European Language Label of the Labels Awards‘. The winning initiatives are bas...
Untranslatable words of 'longing' across Europe
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‘Saudade’ and ‘hüzün’ have become famous untranslatable words. They are deeply set in their given cultures, revealing the specific nature and emotion of being Portuguese or Turkish, whilst, simultaneously becoming literary phenomenons. The...
Language Rich Europe Bosnia and Herzegovina Launch – teaching methodology needs to be improved and standardized at country level
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Maja Hadzimehic, British Council Project Assitant, B&H summarises the LRE launch in her country – along with the Ukraine the only other non EC member country participating in LRE. Place: Sarajevo, University Campus Time: 15th October 2012,...
Poliglotti4.eu invites you to its Closing Conference
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Poliglotti4.eu, a project co-funded with the support of the European Commission would like to announce its closing conference One continent, many tongues: a spotlight on Europe’s linguistic wealth in Parma/Italy, 15-16 of November. Bringing toget...
Today’s Language Rich Europe launch – Bosnia and Herzegovina
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Language Rich Europe launches its results for Bosnia and Herzegovina today at the Centre for Cultural and Media Decontamination, University of Sarajevo Campus. Participants will be welcomed to the event by Larisa Halilovic, Director British Council...
European Day of Languages
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26th September marked the 11th European Day of Languages. The EDL, organised by the Council of Europe and the EU, was launched in 2001 and has the following objectives: 1. Alerting the public to the importance of language learning and diversifying th...
Single Market Act II now in 22 EU languages
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First published in the three working languages of the EU Commission, the communication Single Market Act II COM(2012) 573 is now available on Eur-Lex in 22 official languages. This is how the Commission describes the SMA II communication (English v...
Andra inremarknadsakten nu på svenska
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Den 3 oktober 2012 publicerade EU-kommissionen ett nytt paket med planerade åtgärder för att utveckla den inre marknaden. Den andra inremarknadsakten COM(2012) 573 (Single Market Act II, SMA II) lovar tolv nyckelåtgärder (förslag) under följan...
Toinen sisämarkkinoiden toimenpidepaketti nyt suomeksi
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Kirjoitin hieman EU:n komission toisesta sisämarkkinapaketista COM(2012) 573 (suomeksi täällä ja täällä, ruotsiksi täällä sekä englanniksi täällä, täällä ja täällä). Noin viikossa on tapahtunut edistystä yleisön kannalta. Vars...
Language Rich Europe launch – Wales
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At a time of globalisation, troubled economies and increasing migration, knowledge of foreign languages is critical to building social bridges, improving job prospects and enhancing competitiveness in Europe. How well is Wales responding to these cha...
Seven Days in Europe
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Tuesday was the European Day of Languages, which was celebrated across the continent with various events including language workshops, film screenings, performances for children utilising language, audiovisual translation seminars and school visits.
LRE wishes you a very happy European Day of Languages
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This Language Rich Europe activity is once again springing up across Europe as we celebrate the European Day of Languages. In Germany 1200 children from state primary schools across the city have taken in mini language courses, games and and activit...
How many languages do you speak?
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Today is the European Day of Languages, when Europe celebrates its rich linguistic heritage: the EU’s 23 official languages, the 60 or so regional languages, and the languages spoken by people who’ve come to Europe from other parts of the world.
European Day of Languages 26 September 2012
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Tomorrow, 26 September 2012 is the annual European Day of Languages (on Facebook), intended to encourage us to learn more languages and to achieve greater intercultural understanding. Here are a few tips for European netizens' daily consumption.
Language Rich Europe launches – France, Bulgaria and Estonia
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After a summer break, Language Rich Europe is back on the road as we launch the results of our research in France, Bulgaria and Estonia. It is a busy time as we will also be celebrating the European Day of … Continue reading →...
Twitter Acronyms and Language: Essential Guide from The Next Web
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Twitter Symbols @ - Twitter address symbol, e.g. @law_pundit # - hashtag, groups all identically hashtagged Tweets by topic, e.g. #law or #patents RT - retweet RT@law_pundit MT - modified Tweet MT@law_pundit DM - direct message (only between recipro...
New Multilingual Synopsis of the European Training Thesaurus
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We have just heard about this exciting new tool for training professionals and wanted to share it with you. This article originally appeared in Europa news on languages. New Multilingual Synopsis of the European Training Thesaurus - Are you a train...
Events: Supporting multilingualism through language assessment
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The European Parliament together with ALTE and University of Cambridge ESOL Examinations invites you to a series of events on Supporting multilingualism through language assessment. You can find out more about it, including how to attend, on the Euro...
EC 2013 Call for Proposals – The multilingual challenge for the European citizen
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Aneta Quraishy, LRE Senior Project Manager, shares some key points from the EC 2013 Work Programme SSH.2013.5.2-1. The multilingual challenge for the European citizen call for proposals 2013. In this year’s European Commission call for proposals th...
Young People, Technology and the Welsh Language
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An increase in the percentage of young people able to speak Welsh has coincided with some profound technological transformations. While the presence of the Welsh language in these technologies will not by itself save the language, an absence of the l...
Selfish? Moi? Teaching English in Ukraine
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Well dear readers. I have been accused of being selfish! Moi? I have been approached, not for the first time, with a request to teach English to some of the local rich folks on a one-to-one basis. It seems some wish to be free from classrooms a...
Portuguese, a Global Language?
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A community page on Facebook, Língua Portuguesa: Uma Língua Global? (Portuguese Language: A Global Language?) [pt], provides a diversity of materials to promote the debate about the expansion of Portuguese language and its consequences. Several cri...
The Ukrainian Language: Losing its Voice
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A new law may ultimately bring about the demise of the Ukrainian language and strengthen the split between western and eastern Ukraine.
Speak Your Mind on the ECHA Term Database
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The European Chemicals Agency launched the ECHA-term database last year. It serves up key REACH and CLP terms in 22 EU languages. Audience is across over 30 countries. So here's your chance for feedback. We endorse giving feedback when possible...
Key findings: Languages in pre-primary education
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Language Rich Europe research provides a rich source of cross-national insights into multilingualism across the education sectors. Today we focus on pre-primary education. Many European Union and Council of Europe documents underline the importance...
Wales: From Prison, Activist Campaigns for Welsh Language Rights
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Activist Jamie Bevan of Merthyr Tudful, Wales, is currently serving 35 days in prison after refusing to pay a fine for which the summons was issued in English only. He is a member of Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg, the protest movement which this month...
Key findings series 1: Official Documents and Databases
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Language Rich Europe research provides a rich source of cross-national insights. In the first part of the LRE survey we examined whether official documents and databases on languages were present in the countries/regions surveyed. We believe that the...
Schnell, schnell! Let the German A-level fightback start here | Samira Ahmed
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Fewer students are taking German A-level. Yet it's the language of Europe's powerhouse – and might get you your first snogIn 1958, with the memory of the war still strong, the British film industry made a romantic comedy to rehabilitate the image o...
Olympics perfect platform to boost language learning
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The London Olympics have been a celebration of international sporting talent and achievement – but also the perfect opportunity to improve the state of the UK's language abilities, writes Humair Naqvi...
The language law – Extraordinary session of Odessa City Council
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Not so very long ago I wrote about the then pending language law in the RADA, the implications of it and the effects it would have on the people of Odessa. Well, as of a few days ago, that law is no longer pending and has been signed by the President...
Fourth international meeting of the EDiLiC community
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The fourth international meeting of the EDiLiC community (EdiLiC stands for Education et Diversité Linguistique et Culturelle – Linguistic and Cultural Education and Diversity) took place from 16 to 18 July 2012 at the University of Aveiro, Portug...
Italy, Macedonia: Funny (and Inappropriate) Country Name Translation
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Macedonian portal Press24 published [mk] a photo posted by a Facebook user who discovered that instead of Macedonia, a display with telephone country codes at Milan airport featured the words “Fruit Salad” - which is synonymous with ̶...
Who reads this blog anyway?: Conclusions from two months of bilingual blogging
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It has been just over two months since I relaunched this blog (my it feels longer). As it’s been quite a shift in terms of style, substance and method, I figure it’s a good time to take stock and assess … Continue reading →...
The Welsh Language's Digital Toolbox
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A key challenge for the United Kingdom's Welsh language has been to develop resources so that people can use it easily on the web and in digital media. Experienced terminologist Delyth Prys describes the current tools available for Welsh speakers onl...
Discover your linguistic and cultural paradise
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Runner up of last year’s Languages Speak up! competition, Sophie Reece-Trapp blogs about her experience of discovering her ‘linguistic paradise’ and encourages others to do the same. After falling in love with all things German duri...
ECMI Kosovo kicks off language courses for municipal officials
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In June, ECMI Kosovo started to provide Albanian and Serbian language classes to officials of three municipalities. Continue reading →...
Spain: A year teaching English
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In the UK and 14 countries around the world, Language Assistants are preparing to move to a new country to teach their native language and to improve their own language skills and cultural awareness. Jennifer Murray from Glasgow, Scotland who is ...
Wales: The State of Welsh Language Blogging
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In the 1990s, William Owen Roberts, a Welsh author and playwright, remarked that writing in Welsh is akin to "writing on the edge of catastrophe". If that is the case, a Welsh language blogger might be half way off the edge already.
The Importance Of Conference Translation
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Languages are diverse and therefore difficult for an individual to fully understand and conceptualize each one of the available languages. Through conference translation, understanding foreign languages is made simpler with interpretation personnel w...
EC commits to multilingualism - in French only
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(And even gets that wrong) The European Commission is often on a hiding to nothing in its efforts to cater for as many languages as possible. Now wrestling with 23 official languages, Brussels often has to ration its translation and interpretat...
Language Rich Europe launch in Greece
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The Language Rich Europe launch in Greece took place on 21 June 2012. Zoi Tatsioka, South-East European Research Centre, summarises the key points from an event which couldn’t ignore the current political and economic situation in the country.
Cengiz Aktar: Kürtçenin eğitim sistemine katılması
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TweetKürtçenin eğitim sistemine katılması Başbakan 12 Haziran Meclis AK Parti grubu toplantısında “öğrencilerimiz, Farklı Dil ve Lehçelerin Öğrenilmesi Hakkında Kanun kapsamında, yaşayan diller ve lehçeler adı altında, yerel dil...
Today’s launch: The UK
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Language Rich launches in England today at the London School of Economics. Below is a quick summary of the keynote speeches from LRE Project Manager, Aneta Quraishy. Baroness Jean Coussins, Chair, All Party Parliamentary Group Modern Language Barones...
Language Rich Europe Austria launch
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Language Rich Europe Austria launch took place on 19 June 2012 in Vienna, Austria. The article below is written by Martin Gilbert, Director British Council in Austria. “In Austria we are not in heaven but we have senior attention on … Con...
Romania launch
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Romania: Current trends in language policies and practices Did you know that… “There are 20 national minorities officially recognized (or with official political representation) in Romania, representing more than 11% of the population. The larg...
Join the discussion by taking part in our UK Launch!
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To help us kick off our project at the London School of Economics on 28 June we want to open up the debate and get ideas from across the twittersphere on one of our major topics of discussion and even … Continue reading →...
UK launch
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Did you know that… “A flourishing voluntary “complementary” sector provides opportunities for children to learn languages spoken in their communities. This serves both primary and secondary school children (and earlier). A 2005 survey (Commun...
AG Kokott on Multilingualism
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Given that I already blogged twice in recent weeks about multilingualism, why not make it three? Today, in Italy v. Commission, AG Kokott sided with the Italians and told the Commission to redo their homework. Just because a job requires excellent k...
Aveugles of the world, unite!
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Encouraged by the smashing success of his Philippicae against the use of English by EU-economists, Jean Quatremer managed to find time in his busy schedule of reporting on the Eurozone crisis to take on the cause of Europe’s blind people. Appar...
Today’s launch: Basque Country
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Did you know about… Basquisation “A special aspect of education in the Basque Country is the linguistic Basquisation of adults. For centuries, the relationship between Basque and Spanish or French was one-way. Many Basque speakers abandoned their...
Linguistic Complaints
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BY CC umjanedoan.As a lazy English-speaker, I can't complain when it comes to the EU and language: there's no doubt about it, I'm in the privillaged group when it comes to communication. So there's very little I can add to Martin Holterman's re...
Euro area recommendations in 22 languages
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On the EU Commission's web pages for the Europe 2020 (EU2020) growth strategy you can find three language versions of the recommendations published 30 May 2012 for the euro area as a whole COM(2012) 301: English (EN), French (FR) and German (DE). The...
Stabilitet, tillväxt och sysselsättning – på tre språk
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Den 30 maj 2012 publicerade EU-kommissionen sina förslag till rekommendationer utgående från det stabilitetsprogram eller konvergensprogram samt det nationella reformprogram varje medlemstat har lagt fram. Dessutom offentliggjorde kommissionen sam...
Today’s launch: Vilnius, Lithuania
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“Languages, Culture, Globalisation” Today’s Language Rich Europe project launch is hosted at the International Conference “Languages, Culture, Globalisation” in Vilnius. The first day of the conference is held at the Parliamen...
