The Most Amusing Surnames in the World
The article you are reading started out with a narrow focus: Slavic surnames in life and literature. The Russian language provides such a wealth of linguistic diversity and flexibility that even something as practical as a last name can be both whimsical and laden with meaning at the same time. Take for example the names […]
7 Questions to a Linguist: Scott McGinnis
For this edition of 7 Questions to a Linguist, ALTA Language Services interviewed Scott McGinnis, Academic Advisor for the Defense Language Institute, Washington, D.C. branch, and Coordinator of the federal government’s Interagency Language Roundtable. In addition to lending his language skills to support U.S. security, Dr. McGinnis has served as President of the Chinese Language […]
Laughs in Translation: New Web Series Looks for the Funny in Every Country
Don’t let the name fool you — the new web series from comedian Brooks Wheelan is not about how one country’s comedy can be localized to suit another’s tastes. Instead, the globetrotting host – whose credits include a successful 2015 comedy album and a fleeting one-season stint on Saturday Night Live – cozies up to […]
Translation Tip of the Week: Create a Glossary
In this new series, ALTA Language Services will be sharing tips, tricks, and translation best practices. These industry insights are especially helpful for companies and individuals who work with translation agencies on a regular basis, or are in the market for complex translation services. In today’s post, we look at translation glossaries and why every […]
7 Questions to a Linguist: University of Cambridge Professor Henriëtte Hendriks on Language Acquisition
As a specialist in language acquisition, Dr. Henriëtte Hendriks is as much a professor as she is a practitioner. The Head of Cambridge University’s Department of Theoretical and Applied Linguistics, Dr. Hendriks researches the complex interactions between culture, cognition, and the way we learn languages. As a speaker of 6 herself, Dr. Hendriks has a […]
7 Questions to a Linguist: Framing the Issue with Dr. Julie Sweetland
In this installment of 7 Questions to a Linguist, the focus is on an organization that crafts metaphors for more effectively communicating social issues and scientific topics. The FrameWorks Institute, a recipient of this year’s MacArthur Award for Creative and Effective Institutions (the “organizational genius grant” awarded by the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur […]
7 Questions to a Linguist: Vyvyan Evans Shares the Bloody Secret Life of Theories
In the latest installment of 7 Questions to a Linguist, ALTA Language Services had the pleasure of catching up with Vyvyan Evans. Vyv Evans, PhD, is a professor of Linguistics at Bangor University, United Kingdom. The author of more than a dozen scholarly and popular books on language, meaning, and mind, he spoke with ALTA […]
World Language Competency Credits Empower High Schoolers to Honor Their Cultural Heritage
More than 40 million people in the U.S. speak a language other than English in the home. This data, courtesy of the 2011 American Community Survey conducted by the Pew Research Center, should indicate a growing comfort and acceptance among young bilingual Americans and their peers. The reality, however, is that many students prefer to […]
7 Questions to a Linguist: Arika Okrent Follows Her Curiosity
Today’s installment of 7 Questions to a Linguist features a conversation with the popular, prolific, and Klingon-certified writer Arika Okrent, PhD. Not only is Okrent a frequent contributor to Slate, The Week, and Mental Floss, where she takes an entertaining approach to exploring and explaining linguistic phenomena, but she’s also this year’s recipient of the […]
From Head to Toe, Speaking Another Language is Good for You
One day, when I was 8 years old and still spoke with a thick Russian accent, my mother and I sat in the lobby of a dentist’s office. While we waited our turn to have modern dentistry reverse the effects of Soviet toothpaste (no fluoride!), I picked up a magazine at random and, as a […]