Languages Prove A Point

A chain reaction of uprisings and protests spread across Arab nations in Northern Africa and the Middle East following the initial revolts in Tunisia this past spring. The cry for equality and government reform was heard all across the world. Both language as well as social networking played an important role in the struggle against tyranny.        

 Japanese ranks as one of the world's most important languages with over 126 million speakers. Of these, the vast majority, about 124 million, reside within Japan and the island group of Okinawa.

  

Japan is made up of a series of islands along the coast east of China, Korea, and parts of Russia that have been heavily influenced by various cultures migrating from Asia's mainland. These various ethnic groups spoke a blend of dialects, the Japonic dialects, which are believed to hold further clues to the origin of the Japanese language.

 

 

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Language Humor: How Smart Is Your Dog?  

  

In the past, dogs were commonly bred to serve a specific purpose whether for tracking, hunting, herding, or as guard dogs.

A surprising hidden talent behind these wonderful animals was recently revealed. A border collie in South Carolina was reported to have been successfully trained in identifying 1,022 English pronouns. This discovery has sparked the interest of scientists as it may hold clues to human language acquisition. 

 

Lost in Translation:  International Slogans

  In trying to market the Nova car in Latin America, General Motors discovered the importance of localization.  

"No va" in Spanish means, "It Doesn't Go"

Successful international marketing requires accurate, quality translation that has been culturally adapted for the target audience.  

Mistranslations, although sometimes humorous, can cost companies dearly. Even some of the most prominent companies have had to learn this lesson the hard way.

Check out a few funny mistranslated advertisements   

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