Business Etiquette

Posted on April 5, 2013 by Euro London

In theory the world is a large place with over 7 billion people living on the planet. However when it comes to globalization (the extending of social relations) the capacity of the world seems rather small. As we have mentioned before in some of our previous blogs (The Trouble With A Lack Of Communication) [1] the development of technology has pushed the boundaries of globalization rather vastly over the years, particularly of recent.

With this development of technology and the increase of globalization, many businesses have used it to the best of their advantage and consequently seriously help international business. However, it is also imperative to remember that with the benefits of globalisation in the business environment it also has possible downfalls and difficulties, particularly if people are unaware of cross cultural differences. Therefore, having knowledge of cultural differences and corporate cultural differences is important to understand before going into business.

Conducting business within two different cultures can sometimes lead to some degree of offense, unintended of course. Therefore by willingly learning the ways that other cultures work within business could subtly help you. For example Germany as a country not only has particular cultural acceptances for the country as a whole but also within different regions. By showing your German colleagues that you understand and respect their methods of conducting business, you also demonstrate your adaptability, deference and effectiveness in the business world.

Here are some examples of German business etiquette tips to when interacting within the German business culture:

Address colleagues formally – Always refer to your colleague within a business meeting by their formal title and surname unless instructed to do otherwise.; this is due to Germans valuing formality as well as authority.

Be punctual – Another paramount for a German business meeting is to definitely be on time, lateness or cancellations can be considered to be extremely rude and may have an extreme effect on your business relationship or in the worse case scenario cost the relationship completely.

Conduct a formal write up prior to meeting – By formally wiring up business meeting notes regarding topics of decisions within a meeting this shows your precision of record keeping and your eye for detail. Further to this, by providing a copy of your notes to your colleagues within the interview (either before of after) your colleagues are able to review what has been proposed and/or said.

Never enter a room unexpectedly – Always knock before entering, it’s common courtesy in general but for the German culture it is very important. Alongside this it is imperative that those of higher positions enter the room first. However if there are more than one person entering the room of the same position then males must enter before women.

Wait to be seated – In Germany you should wait to be seated; this is generally because the most senior ranked individual will allocate seating for each participant.

Business Etiquette Tips for Specific German-Speaking Countries:

Austria: In Austria, large amounts of written communication takes place when conducting business. Further to this it is also important to use formal language, as well as making sure than all translations are 100% accurate; this is to ensure fluent communication within business.

Germany: Make sure you shake hands before and after German business meetings – or at any point when you may have to prematurely leaving the meeting.

Liechtenstein: Avoid business meetings in Liechtenstein in peak vacation months; such as July and August as well as national holidays; particularly Easter and the week of Christmas. Further to this if you are invited to a private dinner business meeting be sure to bring a small gift – this usually consists of chocolates, flowers or non German liquors.

Although this is in relation to business meetings in Germany, the cultural values can be obtained in interviews or even in vacations to the country. It is important to always research into not only the company’s values but the values and beliefs that belong to the country or perhaps other countries that a business may work with or in. In the long run this can be massively beneficial for the building of your own knowledge but also for the company.

So remember – Think globally, act locally.

[1] http://www.eurolondon.com/blog/en/the-trouble-with-lack-of-communication/)

International Day of Francophonie

Posted on March 22, 2013 by Euro London

The 20^th March celebrated the International Day of Francophonie. The day of French language assisted UNESCO to stress the significance and diversity of linguistics of language. Further to this how a language can bring people together and help portray the understanding and respect between different cultures; all in all quite a fantastic and educational day for all celebrating.

French is one of the most spoken languages in the world and is considered to be one of the most beautiful and romantic languages that exist. According to Irina Bokova, Director-General of the UN Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization, “French draws its strength from the diversity of the peoples and cultures that share it and contribute daily to its enrichment and vibrancy.” [1]

UNESCO is an organisaion set up in order to establish peace on the basis of humanity’s moral and intellectual solidarity. UNESCO strives to build networks among nations that enable this kind of solidarity. [2] UNESCO underlines the importance of linguistic diversity as a condition for sincere and authentic international cooperation. Through this, individuality can be articulated, so that each and every person can express their thoughts in their own way without the need to borrow words.

Some facts and the French language:

-The number of French speakers has tripled since 1945 since most former French and Belgian colonies kept French as their language of government, education and science after decolonization.

-French is still one of the largest working languages of the UN, the EU and dozens of organisations across the world.

-French is second only to English for the number of countries where it had official status and with 56 members, La Francophonie is now larger than the Commonwealth which has 53.

-France, Canada, Belgium, Switzerland, Romania, Luxembourg and Monaco are French speaking countries.

There are also a number of other international language days set up by UNESCO, which have been in place since 2010 in order to celebrate multilingualism and cultural diversity. Chinese is celebrated on 20 April, English on 23 April, Russian on 6 June, Spanish on 12 October, and Arabic on 18 December.

[1]http://www.un.org/apps/news/story.asp?NewsID=44441&Cr=multilingualism&Cr1=#.UUxTxBz3OzQ

[2] http://en.unesco.org/about-us/introducing-unesco

Top Languages Used In Business And The Benefits Of It

Posted on January 30, 2013 by Euro London

Have you ever wondered how in demand a language could be? This could possibly be a language you already know or a language you’re thinking of learning in order to help you in the world of business. According to data taken in the UK in July 2012, it reveals which foreign languages can apparently make you most employable, alongside the regions and industries where you’ll find the greatest demand for foreign language skills.

Apparently statistics show that the East Midlands, West Midlands, Scotland, Yorkshire, Northern Ireland and of course the capital, London are the top places to be hired if you possess a language skill. Further to this the most desired languages in the UK consist of French, Dutch, German, Spanish, Norwegian, Flemish, Danish, Italian and Swedish.

However there are still a number of companies out there that despite the benefits of having multilingual employees still almost refuse to move forward and benefit their business. According to the ELAN Study there were almost a shocking 200 companies that lost potential contracts for lack of foreign languages. Out of the 200 companies, 37 valued the lost business at between €8 million and €13.5 million. On top of this a further 54 companies had lost contracts between €16.5 million and €25.3 million, and 10 had lost contracts worth over €1 million. [1] Cultural differences can also be another cost for businesses as it causes communication barriers, a reported one in five European companies have reported problems.

It is important not to underestimate the importance of diverse languages in an expanding business world missed opportunities can cost your business in the current economic climate.

What do you think the most valued language is in the UK job market besides English, of course and how have you as a different language speaker helped a company?

[1] http://ec.europa.eu/languages/languages-mean-business/files/language-guide-for-european-business_en.pdf

It’s Time To Get Lingual With Languages!

Posted on January 25, 2013 by Euro London

Children and most adolescents sometimes don’t understand the importance and advantages that having a second or third language can bring to your life. The realisation of not learning a language can come too late in life when you finally realise it could possibly be tougher than you thought as it has been proven to be harder to learn a language. We asked a number of people what they think should be done in order to rectify this problem and they suggested that action should be taken from a young age in primary schools – something Scotland has realised as the country noticed a rapid reduction in languages and language learning.

Scotland plan to revamp their foreign language teaching in a bid to get children more active in learning languages. By exposing children to languages early it is more likely that fluency will be accumulated. Therefore the Scottish Government has proposed strategies in order to increase the lack of languages.

The main strategic plan was adopted from mainland Europe which includes teaching at least one foreign language starting in the first year of primary school and learning a second foreign language later. This plan is otherwise known as the one-plus-two strategy. A strategy such as this requires teachers to be efficiently qualified and therefore this will be checked upon.

Scotland is considered to be extremely behind in the language learning department, especially when compared to the rest of Europe who have a one plus two route, this consists of countries continuously learning English. The Scottish Government states: “There is no reason why Scotland should not offer children the same opportunities as children in other European countries and many other countries worldwide.” [1]

Could it be argued that English speaking countries, such as Scotland fall far behind in the languages department because other countries are keener to learn English due to its worldwide known status?

[1] http://www.eveningtimes.co.uk/news/city-experts-want-shake-up-to-help-teach-kids-languages-113669n.20004092

The Worlds Happiest Countries…

Posted on January 23, 2013 by Euro London

What would be on your checklist for it to be the happiest country? We all have different preferences which determine our happiness. For example are you a city lover? Do you love the hustle and bustle of a busy place, a coffee shop on the corner of every street, a place where it’s almost impossible to meet the same person twice along with the buzz of a big city that soothes you? Or in contrast are you more of a country type of person? Do you enjoying life away from the dreaded polluted city and would rather a long walk and a peaceful night beneath the twinkle of the stars? Well according to Forbes [1] the following countries are the happiest in the world:

Norway – Voted number 1 as it is one of the richest countries in the world and ranks highly when it comes to safety and security.

Denmark – Denmark is considered to be one of the happiest countries due to its high rank in entrepreneurship and opportunity within the country.

Australia – With a great education system and great natural resources Australia has moved up in the happiness rank since 2009.

New Zealand – The neighbour country of Australia, New Zealand has a sturdy spot at number 2 for its governance, education and personal freedom.

Sweden – With high levels of political participation and social equality combined with environmental protection Sweden is considered to be the 5^th happiest country.

Canada – Based on not only its tolerance and welcoming attitude but also it being a prosperous nation Canada is at number 6.

Finland – Finland ranks high in the happiest countries due its education and entrepreneurship.

Switzerland – Switzerland also has scored top marks in its governance, health and economy. As the country stuck to the Franc instead of the Euro it has helped Switzerland remain stable in a wobbly Europe.

Netherlands – A staggering 90% of the Dutch report that daily enjoyment is derived from their natural surroundings.

United States – The USA is considered to be a great place to start a business, it also ranked number 1 in health, immunizations and clean water.

Other countries that are considered to be the happiest in the world are: Ireland, Iceland, United Kingdom, Austria and Germany.

Let us know what you think makes a happy country?

[1] http://www.forbes.com/pictures/mef45ejmi/110-central-african-republic/

Say Goodbye To The Euro Zone Crisis in 2013?

Posted on January 11, 2013 by Euro London

In 2008 a global financial crisis hit the world, a crisis that is considered to be the worst since the Great Depression of the 1930’s. As many of us know this resulted in great damages including the collapse of financial institutions, the bailout of banks by national governments, housing markets suffering which consequently lead to thousands of evictions and also the worst unemployment figures witnessed in decades. Millions were declared as unemployed across not only Europe but the world.

However in 2012 some good news began to surface across Europe as not only did unemployment rates decease in selected countries but we could also be waving goodbye (and good riddance) to the Euro zone crisis – at long last! Towards the last quarter of 2012 unemployment in the UK fell by a staggering 82,000 – the largest decrease seen since 2001. Similarly Spanish unemployment also fell by almost 60,000 in December 2012. Both results provide optimism to emerge from the recession in 2013.

Optimism is further strengthened to separate from recession as Japan has proposed to buy foreign exchange reserves in order to help Europe in the current recession. It is in Japans best interest to provide this assistance in order to boost the European economy. As Europe is the world’s third largest economy it therefore has had an impact on the Japanese economy. Mr Aso, Japans’ new finance minister said “Stabilising Europe’s financial crisis will eventually contribute to the stability of currency including the yen, and so we plan to keep purchasing ESM bonds using foreign reserves.” [1] Some fantastic news to finally hit us at the beginning of a new year.

So if you’re looking for a career change or even new job opportunities to better the unemployment figures then please keep checking for our regular job updates found either on our website or any of our social media sites: LinkedIn, Twitter and Facebook.

[1] http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financialcrisis/9787987/Japan-to-buy-EU-bailout-bonds-to-ease-eurozone-crisis.html

New Year, New Opportunities.

Posted on January 2, 2013 by Euro London

Christmas has passed, we’ve indulged in enough turkey, chocolate, mince pie and bucks fizz to last us until next Christmas. As the festivities sadly come to an end and we begin to pack away our embarrassing Christmas jumpers and box up the decorations, Euro London hopes you had an amazing Christmas. However, its time to stop the mid afternoon naps by the fire as we set off the New Year with high hopes for 2013!

Achievements may have been made in 2012 making it a brilliant year for lots, sadly it might not have been for others but nevertheless its a new dawn, its a new day and its time to be optimistic and joyous for the forthcoming year. As every year begins there are resolutions to be kept, dreams to me made and opportunities to be fulfilled. So why not let us know what your New Years resolutions are; no matter how big or small they are – perhaps its losing weight, travelling, learning a new language or perhaps even perusing new career opportunities.

Whatever your New Years resolutions are we hope to hear from you and from all of us here at Euro London we wish you a healthy and happy New Year!

Bonne Annee, Prosit Neujahr, Felice Anno Nuovo, Feliz Ano~Nuevo

Embrace Multiculturalism

Posted on November 29, 2012 by Euro London

The Rise Of The Spanish, Portuguese and Italians.

The United Kingdom has for a long time been a diverse and multicultural country. After the Second World War there was a considerable amount of migration and therefore made the UK an increasingly ethnical and racially diverse country.

In 2005 a poll which was conducted by MORI found that 62 per cent of respondents agreed that multiculturalism made Britain a better place to live in, whereas 32 per cent of respondents viewed this as a threat. [1] Could the threat be due to the economic situation and the battle to find jobs?

Here at Euro London Appointments we have recently noticed the vast rise in applicants from multilingual candidates from Portugal, Italy and Spain. Many applicants seem to be in a rush to move and find a job, which isn’t surprising considering the troubles that these countries are facing. Many inhabitants from countries (Spain, Portugal and Italy) feel the financial situation is getting dire. For example earlier this year a staggering 75 billion euros [2] was removed from Spanish banks in fear that the banks wouldn’t survive the financial system. Many families are choosing to uproot to places such as England as they feel there are greater career opportunities for them there.

Do you know the saying ‘every cloud has a silver lining’? We do and we are embracing the positives that negatives can bring. Having a multicultural society not only brings peoples of different cultures together with diverse beliefs and values but also brings those of different languages together. So why not see a multicultural society as advantageous and not as a threat? This can be done by using different language speakers as an opportunity to perhaps learn a new language.

[1] “UK majority back multiculturalism” BBC News. 10 August 2005
[2] http://www.nytimes.com/2012/09/04/business/global/money-and-people-leave-spain-as-economic-gloom-deepens.html?adxnnl=1&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1353690247-Yf/V8QmFRat6auP/D7n+PA&_r=0

English Language is Business Gold

Posted on October 30, 2012 by Euro London

Chinese Mandarin is not only the number one speaking language in the world with over 1.2 billion speakers, but China has the second largest economy in the entire world. Despite these facts, Mandarin is not a required business skill in the workplace in China; surprisingly English is as it is considered to be the ‘marker of the elite’.

In today’s economic world, the English language is thought to be the primary tool for international communication. Without English a number of resources would be unattainable to countries worldwide – the English language has an undeniable impact on the global economy. Dorie Clark believes that English will maintain and grow its dominance as years past to “a basic skill needed for the entire workforce”.[1] The British Council Further suggests that by 2020 a billion people will be studying English, possibly to fit into the growing trend of English spoken in business.

At present, English continues to remain the number one language for businesses. Hafrey, a senior lecturer in communications and ethics at the MIT Sloan School of Management, stated that English “will remain the preferred language for the foreseeable future” when speaking in an interview. However is the English language thriving in the business world due to what the world believes the English language symbolises. In a recent study among students in the United Arab Emirate English “is symbolic of modernity, work, higher education, commerce, economics and science and technology”.

Mandarin Chinese is the most useful language for business after English, followed by French at number 2, Arabic at number 3, then followed by, Spanish ranking fourth, Russian, Portuguese, Japanese, German, Italian, Korean, and Turkish following. [2]
Why do you think the English language is so successful worldwide?

Do you think English as a language will continue to dominate the economy, what are your views?

[1] http://www.smartplanet.com/blog/bulletin/english-as-essential-language-of-business/4030

[2] http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/business/2011/09/top-3-useful-foreign-languages-for-business-excludes-spanish/

‘Be Active – Learn Languages’ – The European Day Of Languages

Posted on September 6, 2012 by Euro London

September 26^th see’s the European Day of Languages take place all over Europe. This will be the 11^th year that the day has taken place and this year it is hoped it will be bigger and better than ever by building on the success of Euro 2012 and the summer Olympics, it wont be hard to beat the attempts of previous years’ [1].

Approximately 3% of the world’s languages come from the European area and with the freedom of movement being an integral building block of the EU; these languages are spoken in towns and cities all across Europe.

Last year the day passed by relatively quietly in the media. In the UK a few primary schools held assemblies and a limited number of libraries put up presentations about what advantages languages can bring, but on the whole it would have seemed like any other day. There was limited success elsewhere in Europe with the major success story coming from Poland which organised a Gala dinner to highlight the advantages of a second language. With a budget of 30 million euros and organised by the Council of Europe, the European Day of Languages shamefully faded into obscurity on the whole.

So what’s happening this year? In Warsaw, Poland, a mini festival is kicking off on the 24^th of September with language workshops in 70 languages, theatre classes, storytelling, quizzes and film screenings which will be taking place until the 29^th. However, elsewhere around Europe there seems to be a muted response. In the UK there seems to be the unfortunate assumption that organisations and institutions should organise their own activities and events without any central planning or help from councils or government [2]. Elsewhere around Europe the situation is pretty similar with information on events hard to come by.

With only a few weeks to go until the European Day of Languages it seems like another year for the event to pass by with relative obscurity. The ‘Council of Europe’ may evoke imagery of grandeur and importance but in reality it seems they’re about as useful as a chocolate teapot when organising the European Day of Languages.

We’d love to hear what you’ve got planned this year to celebrate the European Day of Languages, have you got any plans for the day?

[1] http://eurolondonappointments.wordpress.com/2011/10/03/european-day-of-languages-is-it-even-worth-the-paper-it%E2%80%99s-written-on/

[2] http://www.europe.org.uk/2011/12/20/european-day-of-languages/

Is Technology Transforming Languages?

Posted on July 30, 2012 by Euro London

Many things distinguish human beings from the animal kingdom whether it’s opposable thumbs or our ability to think rationally, humans have led the evolutionary cycle. One of the greatest attributes of human beings is our ability to communicate clearly, understandably and cohesively through the use of language. Linguistics have changed our human ancestors from hunter gatherers to educated individuals; allowing us to research, invent and build objects and machines that are changing the way we lead our life, conduct our business and interact with our friends. But are these machines now changing our languages?

Many state ‘text speak’ is the main aggravator of our evolving languages; mobile phones are now one of the most ubiquitous items of technology found on the planet with an estimated 5.6 billion handsets in 2012. To cope with surging demand in the 90’s and early 2000’s, networks that carried the phones signal only allowed a certain amount of characters to be used per text, limiting each text to around 160 characters. In an effort to get as much information into a text, it became common practice to simplify communications and shorten words to abbreviations, numbers or simply removing parts of words altogether, messages like “see you tomorrow, laugh out loud” simply became “C U 2mrw, LOL”. Many dictionaries realised that words like ‘LOL’ weren’t just a cultural fad but were becoming a social norm and so started to include words formed through text speak into their most recent publications.

The World Wide Web is now a critical part of our daily lives, it’s almost unthinkable of a world without the internet, but could it be changing our languages too? Instant Messaging, Social networking and information consuming have all developed from a concept created less than 20 years ago creating some of the most recognisable and wealthy brands on the planet; Google, Facebook and MSN have all fuelled human desire to interact. This too has strengthened ‘Text speak’, people communicating quickly and sporadically whilst juggling an ever increasing amount of open tabs has caused some to accuse the internet of developing a less coherent tone to our languages.

Languages will always evolve, sociologists and anthropologists note the difference in the formation our languages from even a few centuries ago and technology may be just facilitating another evolution in linguistics. What do you think? Is it important to preserve the language of today or is it necessary to move with the times?

The Olympics – The Greatest Show On Earth

Posted on July 27, 2012 by Euro London

The Olympics are finally here! 7 years after being announced winners of the games, London will play host to 10,500 athletes from 204 nations competing in 26 sports and 302 independent events in what can be described as the greatest show on earth.

The Olympics were originally formed as a sporting event between rival cities and provinces of Greece in ancient times, competing in athletic events as well as combat challenges and chariot races. During these games any conflicts which were underway between participating states would be postponed until after the games had finished. This manifest in todays Olympics under an agreement called ‘The Olympic Truce’ which has been signed by all 193 members of the United Nations General Assembly and hopes to “pursue initiatives for peace and reconciliation in the spirit of the Ancient Games”.

The ancient Olympics faded into the books of history until the early 19^th century when Greek revival of the Olympics began with the first movement of the modern games taking place in 1859. It wasn’t for another 40 years that the modern incarnation of the Olympics took place in 1896 with 14 participating countries in nine sports and 43 events, far fewer than today. Since then the Olympics has occurred every 4 years with the exception of 1916, 1940 and 1944 due to World War One and World War Two.

Many traditions and symbols have been incorporated with the journey of the Olympics, from the lighting of the Olympic torch, the presenting of the olive branch and host city individual mascots, the most prominent of these may be the Antwerp Flag which was first used at the 1920 Antwerp Olympics, the five rings of the Olympic flag represent the five continents competing in that years games.

The Olympics are a time of celebration in an austere period; the games of London 2012 will be an opportunity for countries and citizens alike to interact, form relationships and competitively compete in a global event which as the London motto says “to inspire a generation”.

It all starts tonight; will you be watching the Olympic opening ceremony? Cast your vote on our Facebook page poll - https://www.facebook.com/questions/10151036967764865/

A Summer Of Sport – Who Are You Supporting?

Posted on June 29, 2012 by Euro London

This years summer of sport is well underway with Euro 2012 already near the finish line and Spain playing Italy in the final, the tennis championships at Wimbledon are almost a week in and there have already been some shock exits, and the Olympics are less than a month away which will see competitors from around Europe and the world competing across a multitude of sporting events.

The Euro’s have seen some surprising results with teams being knocked out before many thought they would, and will see Italy play Spain in the final at the Olympic stadium in Kiev. Italy knocked out Germany in last night’s dramatic game which saw “Super Mario” score two goals against the opposition and Spain defeated Portugal in their close game that was eventually decided by penalties. Whether Spain or Italy win the finals, Ukraine and Poland have put on a brilliant show for the whole of Europe and pre tournament reports of planned trouble turned out to be fictitious inventions by the media [1].

Monday saw the oldest tennis tournament in the world start at Wimbledon lawn tennis club [2]. Favourites of the Courts Rodger Federer, Maria Sharapova and Rafael Nadal were hotly tipped to win the tournament again, but in a shock defeat last night to Lukas Rosol, seeded number 100 in the ATP world rankings, Rafael Nadal was knocked out of Wimbledon in the second round. With a week to go and players from countries all over the world still involved in the contest, it will be a great spectacle to watch, with many young European players emerging from the ranks to compete with what can be seen as the domineering old guard of the last 10 years.

The Olympics are only a month away and with the stadiums built and staff trained it’s now up to the athletes to compete for the title of the best in the world. London 2012 will have sports ranging from Athletics and Diving to Boxing and Table Tennis; a far cry from the first time London hosted the Olympics in 1908 where countries competed in the “tug of war” amongst other sports. It will be great to see Europe and the world work together to compete in what should be a truly memorable Olympics.

The great thing about sports is it can bring nations together in what can be austere times, it can show inter country cooperation at the highest levels i.e. Ukraine and Poland and it can raise our spirits when supporting our players, teams and nations. Which Country are you supporting?

[1] http://www.eurolondon.com/blog/en/euro-2012-the-beginning-of-a-summer-of-sport/

[2] http://www.eurolondon.com/blog/en/multilingual-tennis-players/

Eurobarometer – 98% Say Learning Languages Is Good For Their Children

Posted on June 22, 2012 by Euro London

The European Commission released a study into languages this week which showed that 98% of parents think that knowing an additional language would be useful for their children [1]. The study was carried out in 14 countries of the EU which included Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, England, Estonia, France, Greece, Malta, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Slovenia, Spain and Sweden.

Almost 9/10 EU citizens believe that the ability to speak another language, separate to their mother tongue, is useful. However the report highlights a skill gap between these aspirations and reality as tests carried out across the EU showed that only 42% of EU citizens are competent in a second language and 25% in a third. It also highlighted the difference between countries, for example in Malta and Sweden 82% are competent in their second language whereas in France only 14% were competent in a second language and a staggeringly low 9% in England.

Austria has seen a considerable improvement in the amount of citizens able to speak a second language with a 16% increase since 2005 to 78% along with Finland showing 6% growth to 75%. However Slovakia has seen a noticeable decline according to the European Commission survey down 17% to 80% competency (Still an awful lot better than a lot of countries) as well as Hungary down 7% to 35%.

There are signs of improvement around the EU as governments across Europe are highlighting the importance of learning a language through their schooling systems; there are also signs of improvement technologically as the number of Europeans who regularly use foreign languages on the internet increased 10% from 26% to 36% since 2005.

The report highlights that the most widely spoken second languages remain English, French, German, Spanish and Russian.

More than half of those surveyed use languages at work, with 45% believing they got a better job in their own country thanks to their foreign language skills. Do you believe that knowing a second language has helped you at some point in your career?

[1] http://europa.eu/rapid/pressReleasesAction.do?aged=0&format=HTML&guiLanguage=fr&language=EN&reference=IP/12/679

Mind Your Language

Posted on June 7, 2012 by Euro London

There were clashes between protesters and police last Tuesday as a controversial bill passed through first reading in the Ukrainian parliament, or Rada. The draft law allows languages spoken by “minorities” of more than 10% the right to be considered a regional language and would allow children to be taught in the language spoken by their parents as well as reducing the need for knowledge of Ukrainian in certain professions.

The debate is a contentious one in Ukraine and when the government tried to pass the bill last month, the opposition formed a human chain around the speaker to obstruct the process. These actions provoked a violent response by opposing members of parliament and several politicians were taken away by ambulance after a clash within the Rada. This month it was the current governing party’s turn to form a human chain around the speaker so the proceedings could not be disrupted and the first reading of the bill was passed by a margin of 234 votes for the bill out of 450 seats. This led to protests outside parliament to turn hostile as eggs and bottles were thrown during clashes with the police. Language is a contentious issue in Ukraine, where languages such as Russian are spoken widely in certain parts of the country due to Ukraine’s history within the USSR. However it’s not just Russian that would benefit; 17 other languages including, Bulgarian, Yiddish, German, Polish and Hungarian would also be advantaged.

Ukrainian is the mother language to just over half of Ukraine’s native population, primarily located in the West of Ukraine. One of the current government’s election promises was to grant Russian speakers greater language rights, however, opposition have voiced their outrage to the plan saying that it is only being done as an attempt to fulfil an election pledge to win back voters with an increasingly unpopular government in a tough economic climate.

Activists have announced the protests will continue until the bill is dropped and with Euro2012 starting this weekend in Poland and Ukraine, there could be some disruption.

What are your thoughts, do our native languages need to be protected in law or should practicality of a globalised world take precedent?

Euro 2012; The Beginning Of A Summer Of Sport

Posted on June 6, 2012 by Euro London

This week sees the Kick off of one of the biggest sporting events in the world and the start to a summer of sport! This is of course the European Football championship, the 14^th European tournament to be played since the tournament started in 1960 and will see the 16 nations who made it through the qualifying rounds contend in Poland and Ukraine to become the European football champions.

The UEFA European Football Championship was first proposed in 1927 by Henri Delaunay, a French football administrator; however it was not until 1960 that the first championship occurred, Three years after Henri’s death. As a tribute to him the winners lift the Henri Delaunay Trophy which has received a modern redesign for this year’s championship. A lot has changed since the tournament was first held in France in 1960, back then the Soviet Union won the competition and Yugoslavia came runners up with Czechoslovakia coming third. Televisions have become a mainstay of the modern home which combined with the internet and websites such as YouTube and Facebook has meant that games can be analysed, discussed and replayed constantly. Cheaper travel has also the seen the travelling army of fans increase bringing an international feel to cities lucky enough to host the event.

This year Croatia, Czech Republic, Denmark, England, France, Germany, Greece, Italy, Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Republic of Ireland, Russia, Spain, Sweden and Ukraine, will all contend for the chance to win the European Championship.

Unfortunately, the event has already been marred by allegations of racism, anti semitism and xenophobia, which has seen governments and sports personalities alike calling for people to take “extra care” if planning on visiting the football stadiums.

With a summer of sport lined up including Euro 2012, the Olympics and the Paralympics, which country will you be supporting?

Jubilee Weekend; A Very European Affair

Posted on June 1, 2012 by Euro London

This weekend will see the British Queen, Elizabeth the 2^nd; celebrate 60 years on the throne. Undoubtedly Queen Elizabeth has seen more change in her reign than any one of her predecessors. In the last 60 years alone the invention of the computer, the internet, the mobile phone, putting a man on the Moon and Television sets being present in almost every household has changed the way we live completely and the Queen has been a constant figure in the world for all of it.

The wedding of Prince William and Catherine (Kate) Middleton last year for instance was watched by an estimated 2 billion people around the world as well as 72 million streaming it on the internet and almost 4000 tweets per second about the wedding being posted at its peak.

Queen Elizabeth is not only head of state to the United Kingdom she is also Queen to seven countries, Queen Regent to a further 16 states and head of the Commonwealth countries. Along with her titles Queen Elizabeth is the second longest serving monarch in British history 2^nd only to Queen Victoria who reigned for a massive 63 years 216 days.

The Queen’s ancestors descended from various German roots, with the royal family changing their name from the House of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha to the House of Windsor in the early 20^th century due to the outbreak of World War One. The house of Saxe-Coburg and Gotha ancestry was due to Queen Victoria’s husband, Prince Albert; the Queen herself was a descendant of the House of Hanover but the family name changed after Queen Victoria died and her son, King Edward the 7^th took the family name of his father. The House of Saxe-Coburg Gotha was a branch of the House of Wettin which has ascended the thrones of various European Countries including Portugal, Bulgaria, Saxony and Belgium; only the British and Belgian Monarchs retain their thrones today. Queen Elizabeth’s husband, Prince Phillip, was also Prince to Denmark and Greece and is a descendant of House of Schleswig-Holstein-Sonderburg-Glücksburg, (The House of Glücksburg for short) who were kings of Iceland, Norway, Denmark and Greece historically. Monarchs across Europe may have disappeared in the 20^th century but Queen Elizabeth’s ancestry is a very European affair.

Celebrations this year will be viewed all over the world with the largest river flotilla since the reign of Charles the 2^nd sailing on the river Thames and a four day weekend allocated as public holiday.

Has The Eurovision Song Contest Become To Political?

Posted on May 25, 2012 by Euro London

This Saturday will see the 57^th Eurovision song contest take place in Baku, Azerbaijan. The competition, which started in 1956, was set up by the European Broadcasting Union to bring together a Europe which was still recovering from the Second World War. Since then we have seen hundreds of acts try to win the contest for their country but very few succeed.

Ireland holds the record for most wins with 7, followed closely by Luxembourg, France and the UK in a joint second with 5 wins. However this is mainly attributed to fewer countries participating in the early years; only 7 countries participated in the first contest 56 years ago compared to 42 entries this year.

In recent years though the Eurovision song contest has seen a fall in it’s viewers; Some attribute this to digital TV, but it could also be attributed to political voting or so called “bloc voting”; this is where countries with interlinked history and culture vote for each other, rather than other countries based on merit.

Azerbaijan’s win last year also meant that it was automatically eligible to host the event, which it more than happily accepted. But Azerbaijan’s human rights record is questionable and there are also certain questions to be raised about the ruling party’s participation in democracy with the current president taking over the role from his father in 2003 who had himself held power since 1993.

Should politics play any role in the Eurovision song contest? Or should we just use the night to enjoy an eclectic mix of music?

One thing is for sure, it’s great seeing the European community together singing in a multitude of different languages. Will you be watching the Eurovision song contest this year and if so who will you be supporting?

Is Technology The Future Of Language?

Posted on April 16, 2012 by Euro London

Over the last 20 years the internet has provided us with a communication device equal to none within human history. It has changed the way we socialise, the way we shop and the way we think; psychology studies are showing that our brains are changing to become more adept at finding information rather than storing it [1]. With these massive technological advancements global projects have been set up by businesses that are beginning to break down language barriers. Google translate has collected words and translations from all over the web, enabling you to translate text based communication pretty accurately within seconds of typing the words, (although it is by no means perfect yet).

In March this year Microsoft showed off advance stage software that can learn the sound of your voice and then use it to speak a language that you don’t. Microsoft demonstrated the ability of the software showing it reading written text from one language and then speaking aloud in another language synthesized to the presenter’s voice [2]. Microsoft have announced plans for this current software to be researched further, which they hope one day enable you to speak into a device in one language and that device will translate what you said into another language.

Technology is already helping some people learn languages with software from companies such as Rosetta Stone. But will Technology become so advanced that it makes the demands of learning a language obsolete? We certainly hope not. Languages offer so much more than the ability to simply speak another language [3]). But with technology like this already being developed at an intermediate stage, where will the technology end up?

Technology like this may have seemed unbelievable 10 years ago, but today it is a very real possibility that this may be with us in the near future. After all, Microsoft’s technology is based on text input being converted to language output and we already have voice enabled mobile phones which convert your voice into information shown on your phone i.e. Apple’s Siri.

Whatever the advancement in technology, in our opinion there will always be a demand for language in the work place. In the coming year’s, technology may be able to translate your words, even using your voice to do so; but will it be able to convey the emotion in your voice and the specific semantics in your speech? We think not. What do you think? Will technology ever replace the need for languages?

[1] http://mashable.com/2012/04/10/brain-internet-infographic/

[2] http://www.technologyreview.com/computing/39885/

[3] http://www.eurolondon.com/blog/en/12-reasons-to-be-proud-of-knowing-a-second-language/

15 Amazing Language Facts

Posted on March 29, 2012 by Euro London

1. Human speech organs are capable of producing over 800 sounds when we are born. In infancy a child learns which sounds are important to his or her native language and to disregard the rest. The older we get, the harder it becomes to learn the sounds that are part of a different language causing an accent to form.

2. There are around 6500 languages spoken in the world today, however about 2000 of these languages have less than 1000 speakers, with around 500 of those languages almost extinct.

3. Mandarin has the most native speakers of any language with approximately 1200 million, followed by Spanish (approximately 400 million). Only 5% of the world population natively speak English (approximately 350 million), however English has approximately 1500 million speakers including those who know it as a second languages and as EFL.

4. There are only about 225 native languages of Europe about 3% of the worlds total amount of languages.

5. Most languages can trace their language family tree through languages with a common ancestor. There are 8 language families for Europe’s 225 languages to be split into. Including the families of Romance language (Italian, French and Spanish) Germanic language (English, German and Scandinavian) and Slavic language (Russian, Polish and many other eastern European countries). However some languages have no known language family such as Basque, these are called Language Isolate.

6. The most common languages used in Europe that are not of indigenous decent are Arabic, Chinese and Hindi; each one with their own writing system.

7. There are around 300 languages actively spoken in the London alone.

8. Although gestures shown by body language can change meaning depending on the culture and country, there are gestures that are universal which include expressions to show happiness, sadness, boredom, fear, anger, surprise and disgust.

9. Many languages have more than 50,000 words however we use just a fraction of these in everyday conversation.

10. German has the most native speakers in Europe being an official language in Austria, Switzerland and Lichtenstein as well as Germany.

11. After Latin, the Spanish language is most heavily influenced by the Arabic language due to Spain’s naval trading history.

12. One of the greatest playwrights of the English language, William Shakespeare, invented the words obscene and puking. He also reputedly came up with the word “eyeball” as there is no known use of the word before its appearance in “A Mid Summer Night’s Dream” as well as the name “Jessica” where the name is first referenced in “The Merchant of Venice”.

13. French is an official language of Luxembourg, Haiti and more than 20 other African countries. The second largest French speaking city in the world isn’t in France, it’s Kinshasa the capital of the Democratic Republic of Congo.

14. Although Latin is still used much in Law and science, Vatican City is the only country that has Latin as an official language.

15. Languages evolve all the time. The internet has not only added new words to dictionaries such as “lol” it has also added new meanings to old words; an internet “troll” is now commonly used to describe someone who uses inflammatory language or goes off topic in discussion.

St Patrick’s Day

Posted on March 16, 2012 by Euro London

Around the world, Saturday 17^th of March will be celebrated as the national day of Ireland, St Patrick’s Day.

St Patrick’s Day is celebrated more than most cultural and national holidays around the globe! Cities close entire streets to hold national parades and landmarks are painted, dyed and illuminated in the colour green, a practise

not surprisingly known as “greening”. In the city of Chicago, USA an eco friendly green dye is released into the rivers, in London, UK, Trafalgar Square’s water fountains are dyed green and the parade usually finishes there and this year even Italy’s leaning tower of Pisa is being lit up green to celebrate the day for the first time.

One of the main reasons for the near global appreciation and celebration of St Patricks day is due to migration. In the 19^th and early 20^th century the industrial revolution changed the world. Communities began to move in the search for work and when they did they’d not only bring their culture but also their identities. Communities were set up in towns and cities around the world, Chinatowns and other neighbourhoods began to form as communities looked to support each other.

Just like other nationalities the Irish began to move, not only because of choice but because of necessity. The Irish emigrated all over the globe, from Europe to America, Asia to Australia, taking their culture and traditions with them.

Nowadays, St Patricks Day is celebrated around the world, by the Irish and non Irish alike, different nationalities, cultures and religions come together to celebrate a day of integration and celebration.

For the last century people have been relocating to find work, from country to country and continent to continent. This has been made ever easier by not only the globalised economy but the technology to support it as well. What would have taken a 10 day journey to cross the Atlantic now takes 10 hours (+ the delay in the flight lounge that we all come to expect), a letter that would have taken weeks to deliver and respond to has now transformed into interaction at a click of a button with email, Facebook and Skype . With a wide array of support from sources such as the Internet, Libraries and Consulates on the subject of migrating, there has never been an easier time to relocate.

Take The Plunge For Your New Career

Posted on March 14, 2012 by Euro London

Are you craving a new challenge? Perhaps you’ve been working at the same company for 10 years or in the same sector for what seems like an eternity. You wonder to yourself what happened to those childhood dreams? Ok, being an astronaut was a big ask, but what about the feeling of accomplishment at the end of the day and the knowledge that when you’ve finished for the week, you won’t be dreading going back to work on Monday. Sound like you? Only you can change it.

Starting out in a new career can be daunting; there is no hiding from that fact. New people, new responsibilities, new work schedule, new work culture but aside from being daunting it can also be exhilarating and thrilling. So how can you take control of all these emotions and take control of your job hunt. We’ve put some tips together to help you find that new job.

Firstly decide whether on not to swap: It may seem like an obvious option but moving job or starting a new career can be a big step. It’s not something we’d recommend you do half heartedly; It’s therefore highly advisable that you think through your options, your financial stability and your social mobility etc. (i.e. can you move to a new area easily).

Analyze market trends: How is your job sector performing in the current climate? Are the jobs moving abroad? If your career sector is on the up it may be easier to find a new job than if the jobs are disappearing. I say “may” as it is currently a very tough climate for jobs across nearly all sectors in much of the world; however we are seeing a small recovery in the economy in 2012 so if you have decided to swap jobs, now maybe the perfect time.

Find a career; consider a niche: Once you’ve decided on a new job or career path, analyze what your strengths are and use them to your advantage. A niche is a great advantage if you’re an expert in a particular field, it usually comes with more autonomy and responsibilities in a role; however, once you have started working within a niche role it can be very hard to change career paths later on, something definitely worth remembering.

Find a way in: Once you know what kind of job you’d like to move into you need to find a way to get yourself there. You may not even have to change organisations. If you currently work for a large company and you’d like to change departments why not have a word with your HR department about job availabilities. Use social media as well to keep an eye on current vacancies through sites such as LinkedIn and Twitter.

You can use recruitment agencies such as Euro London Appointments to find current jobs, quickly. Not only will we keep you up to date with the latest roles, we can also give you access to a wide array of roles and some tips on interviewing and etiquette.

Changing your job is never easy, changing your career can be a whole new experience with a totally new role to aspect of business to learn quickly, but if you feel you’d like a new experience and challenge, get in contact today.

Using Your Languages In The Workplace

Posted on February 28, 2012 by Euro London

Here at Euro London Appointments we specialise in multilingual and international recruitment, therefore the vast majority of our roles require knowledge of at least one other language.

There is however a common misconception that if you can speak more than one language there are only two careers you can go into; teaching and translating. I can assure you this is not true, the success of Euro London Appointments over the last 22 years can vouch for that.

There are a range of opportunities in the jobs market where knowing a language will be a distinct advantage, if not a necessity for your career.

Over the last 22 years we’ve not only opened offices around Europe, but also new departments to deal with the demand in multilingual job opportunities as well. We currently have ten departments covering different work sectors around Europe and other parts of the world.

Whether you’d like to work in the public or private sector, being multilingual will certainly open doors.

Knowledge of a second language in the public sector offers you opportunities to gain employment in Government departments, Diplomatic positions and working directly within the European Union itself.

In the private sector there are a much wider range of job opportunities involving languages; multinational companies are embracing the use of languages to help improve their business forward through increased communication. Nowadays a car may be made from parts from one side of the world and those parts built from raw materials sourced from another side of the world; businesses need communication to survive, function and thrive in this ever globalised world we live in, something that multilingualism plays a vital role in.

You will find roles for all types of jobs through our various departments whether you’re looking for work in Banking and Finance, Sales and Marketing, Engineering, Human Resources, Accountancy and Law, Betting and iGaming, IT and Telecoms, Call Centre and Customer Service, Secretarial and Support, Interim and Executive Management.

The knowledge of a second, third or fourth language will unlock a wealth of opportunity for you and your career.

12 reasons to be proud of knowing a second language

Posted on February 16, 2012 by Euro London

Do you need a good reason to be proud of knowing more than one language? How about 12?

Here at Euro London Appointments we’ve put our thinking caps on to outline what we think are the top reasons for knowing a second language.

It increases intelligence – Whether you learn a language as a child or later on in life, there is an increasing amount of evidence that being multilingual provides an added advantage in communication, cognition and social interaction than those who can’t speak a second language [1].
It increases your understanding of your own language – “Those who know nothing of foreign languages know nothing of their own” – Goethe. This is true! Monolinguals rarely think of how to use a word and congregate a sentence as it seems natural; bilinguals understand the structures of their own language a lot better.
It increases your enjoyment of culture – Of course you can enjoy culture with only one language, but those of us who can speak a second language usually are able to enjoy it a bit more.
It increases your resistance to mental illness – There is evidence that knowing a second language may decrease the risk of mental illness. There is also research showing that the ability to speak more than one language may reduce the susceptibility to Alzheimer’s [2].
It enables you to stand out from the crowd – Gaining entry to the best colleges and universities is a challenge, aspects of your life have to stand out from the crowd. Knowledge of a second language is a great way to stand out.
It enables you to study overseas – You may like to enhance your international outlook and take your studies overseas. This will almost certainly mean knowledge of the language you are travelling to will be essential as lectures and seminars will be held in the language of the host country.
It increases employability – It’s an incredibly competitive job market at the moment, wherever you are. Recruiters are looking for the crème de le crème and they have a lot of applicants to pick from, knowing a second language will make you stand out. It also increases opportunity to roles you wouldn’t have had the option to apply for as they require languages as a must.
It gives you greater mobility – Thinking about emigrating? Want to work in a new foreign city? Knowing the native tongue will almost certainly be essential. Even if they use English in the office, getting around town, going out in the evening and activities at the weekend will require interaction in that countries native language.
It allows you to discover entertainment from around the world – You can gain access to a new multitude of cinema, books and music. A whole new media is available to you in your new language.
It enables travelling – Want to go travelling? Perhaps take a year out or a sabbatical? Knowing a language may not be essential; well trodden back packer routes have some great tourist organisations and companies set up to cater to you. But if you fancy going off the beaten track and exploring somewhere new, not in the tourist brochures; knowledge of the countries language will be of great assistance. You can converse with the locals and really get to know them.“If you talk to a man in a language he understands it will go to his head, if you talk to him in his language it will go to his heart” – Nelson Mandela
It allows you to engage in business globally – Globalisation has meant that businesses coordinate their efforts all over the world; international organisations need to be able to communicate with each other to function and this means speaking to each other. Unfortunately we don’t all speak the same language, a trait that’s not going to change soon, so knowing different languages helps communication within business.
It’s just plain sexy – Let’s be honest, people who speak more than one language are considered more attractive and intelligent. It’s just sexy.

Why did you learn a second language?

[1] http://www.cam.ac.uk/research/news/bilingualism-is-good-for-learning/

[2]http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2011/feb/18/bilingual-alzheimers-brain-power-multitasking

Valentine’s Day Around Europe

Posted on February 14, 2012 by Euro London

What are you doing this Valentine’s Day? Whether you’re spending it with your better half or you have the day all to yourself, you might want to make it a memorable day. So instead of writing a blog on “how to say I love you in a thousand languages”, which I’m sure everyone else will do, we thought we’d compile a list of what we think the top seven romantic places around Europe are. Some may be the old clichés, but some you might never have heard of or thought about doing before.

Let’s start with the Plitvice Lakes National Park in Croatia. This is the oldest national park in Southeast Europe, added to the UNESCO World Heritage register in 1979; it was one of the first natural sites worldwide to register and yet is still relatively unknown and unspoilt.

This beautiful World Heritage site is known world wide for its 16 lakes which are

renowned for their distinctive colours and cascading waterfalls, seems like the perfect location for a romantic stroll.

If you fancy a bit more of a city break, why not head to Amsterdam in the Netherlands? Famous world wide for its culture of riding bikes around the beautiful city; you can hire bikes from the various hire shops relatively cheaply and take a ride down along the canals. If you’d like to relax, jump on the local river cruises along the canals of Amsterdam, taking in the local sights of the historic city.

If you want something a bit more traditional head to France and take a stroll down the Avenue des Champs-Élysées in Paris, known as the most beautiful avenue in the world, it has plenty of cafes on the walk if you fancy a break! You can make the most of Paris’ well known attractions, but if you have a fear of heights or want to miss the hustle and bustle of Paris’ tourist hot spots, take a view of the city skyline from the Sacré-Cœur Basilica instead of traversing up the Eiffel tower.

Fancy a trip to the United Kingdom and feeling energetic? Take a romantic stroll around London. Walk along the Embankment which runs parallel to the river Thames and take in the views of the London Eye and the Houses of Parliament. Then take a walk down the Mall from Trafalgar Square to Buckingham Palace. Maybe you’re feeling a bit lazy? Jump on one of the many sight seeing buses then jump back on and off all day at everywhere you want to visit.

Perhaps you’d like to experience the pinnacle of culture and travel to Italy. Take a ride on the world renowned gondolas around the rivers and canals of Venice, the specially trained men and women have been plying their trade for 100’s of years and can give you an insight into the city, or if you’d prefer to have some personal time you can cuddle up at the front of the boat. Whilst Venice is a sea city there is a lot to be seen on land, visit St Marks Square and take in the wonders of St Marks Basilica, Climb the Campanile to take in the breath taking views of the city.

If you’re looking for a fairytale, visit Neuschwanstein Castle in Germany. The Castle is famous around the world, even if you don’t recognise the name, you will recognise the architecture!

Built in 1866, it has been the inspiration of many films including the Disney

fairy tale Sleeping Beauty and the classic film, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang; Views of the lower valleys and the river running alongside are simply breath taking.

If you want to see a bit of history, visit the Czech Republic’s capital city, Prague! The city has well known heritage sites such as the Charles Bridge and Prague Castle to view and has now mixed old with new to encompass a city with a lively night life and enough restaurants and bars for all moods.

What do you think is the most romantic place in Europe? I hope you have an enjoyable Valentine’s Day.

Network Your Way To The Perfect Job

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Euro London

Since the beginning of time, humanity has strived to communicate with each other. This was initially done through grunts, gestures and body language, before becoming more civilised; forming words, sentences and the written language. Then came international interaction; tribes became allies and these allies formed countries, trade routes sprouted as empires formed and expanded. The wish to trade goods formed, as did a need to communicate with each other. This saw the initial need to learn a second language and translation take place, a lesson not lost on our part today. Over the last century, International cooperation and increased technological innovation has led to the biggest increase in breaking down barriers in human history. Boats became trains; trains became planes and in the last 20 years the biggest innovation since… well, what do you think the most important inventions of history have been? No matter what preceded the Internet as the latest important technological breakthrough, you can’t deny it has been the defining invention of the last 20 years! Since you are reading this you will almost definitely have some kind of access to the Internet, undoubtedly the biggest communication network ever created. It’s changed the way you hear the latest news, read the latest articles and share the latest information with your friends. Through this mass communication ability, a whole new ability to interact has sprung up, labelled the social networks. The undoubted kings of these are Facebook, the micro-blogging service of Twitter and the professional network of LinkedIn. Here for the first time in history we now have the ability to communicate with people or companies around the world in just a matter of seconds. Many international corporations have Facebook and Twitter pages you can like and follow; Starbucks has 29 million likes on Facebook alone. If you have access to any of these channels you can take a proactive position to look for a job! Joining professional networks to interact with possible contacts, making sure you keep up to date with latest industry news and developments within your field can really show your commitment to any potential employer.

Like many of these companies, we also have our own Social Media channels we communicate through to try and help you. So if you have Facebook, Twitter, LinkedIn, YouTube or Google+, follow these links and let us know what you think!

You Know The Language, But Do You Know The Culture?

Posted on February 8, 2012 by Euro London

Throughout the world we all speak different languages and live by different cultural norms. To this end, it is not only important for us to learn the language of the country we are visiting, but also taking into account their way of interaction.

There are various social norms upon first meeting and greeting someone within a business or social environment. In much of the West a handshake is the culturally acceptable normality upon meeting someone, however even here there can be differences. In Northern Europe, a quick handshake of only a few seconds would be considered normal, whereas, in Southern Europe and Latin America, a longer warmer embrace will take place and cheek kissing may also occur as a welcome. In Africa, the normality is that handshakes vary on time, but the strength of the grip is usually softer and in Japan the greeting is normally a bow.

You may also want to check what the normal amount of eye contact should be. In Europe and North America showing eye contact is important! Whether it’s intermittent or continuous; it’s important at conveying your attention and interest to the recipient of your conversation. However, in many African, Asian and Latin American cultures it is traditionally considered that continuous and extended eye contact is rude and that it should be kept brief; the opposite of what can be considered of the Middle East where holding each others gaze conveys trust and sincerity.

Taking note of the different gestures in cultures should save you risking offending someone or misinterpreting what they are saying! Nodding your head may be seen as acknowledgement, acceptance and agreement in most countries; however, in Bulgaria, Greece and Turkey it often means the opposite. What you consider harmless may be considered rude by certain cultures. Making a circle with your thumb and forefinger, widely acceptable in Europe and North America, indicating the “O.K” gesture means something totally different in Brazil, where it can be considered on a par with giving the middle finger, from a European point of view.

Most importantly remember that interaction varies from country to country, continent to continent and culture to culture, so reading up on different cultures before a visit is advisable; don’t risk offending someone unintentionally. If you are not sure on how to act, let the other person lead the interaction and follow their lead.

Time and Transition

Posted on February 2, 2012 by Euro London

Time is continuous not incremental, sometimes you don’t notice how much things have changed until you look back and remember how things used to be.

Look at technology! 10 years ago Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook didn’t exist, the latter of which has been discussing an IPO (initial public offering) this week which sees the company valued around $100 billion. Dial up internet was the norm (remember the dial up ringtone! It still gives me shivers), any sniff of wireless or 3G was considered futuristic and too far off to contemplate. Mobile phones only had the game “Snake” available rather than a huge variety of apps you can get now. Smart phones can browse the internet, hold your music library, take pictures and record videos; the list goes on and on.

Unlike time, transition happens in stages. The two are however inextricably linked by the fact you will always be affected by time, but transition is something you chose to do. You can choose to upgrade your mobile, you can choose to move house and can choose to make the transition from one job to another. Whether you choose to is up to you, yet time will always keep moving! Perhaps you feel that the economy is too unstable to consider change, perhaps you are hesitant to the idea of change itself, it is only natural. However what we are seeing now is a slow rebound in the economy, there are jobs out there, you just have to stand out from the crowd! If you have the skills, the experience and are considering a change of jobs, being multilingual is a great way to differentiate yourself from the crowd. Are you considering a move? Have you got the skills and experience for a new job? Don’t let time pass you by!

Germans go for gold

Posted on June 22, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

The credit crunch has had many effects on Germany, its economy and its employment, but the latest development is a rather unexpected one. With the recession causing a loss of confidence in many investments, there has been an increased interest in gold. The result? Gold vending machines. Yes, according to the FT, a Stuttgart based company wants to install ‘Gold to go’ machines in airports and railway stations across the nation and other German speaking countries. Thomas Geissler, owner of the TG-Gold-Super-Markt company says “German investors have always preferred to hold a lot of personal wealth in gold, for historical reasons. They have twice lost everything. Gold is a good thing to have in your pocket in uncertain times.” So, if you’re planning a trip to Deutschland soon, you may be able to pick up something a bit more exciting than a chocolate bar when you land. Just be warned that it’ll cost you a bit more – a 1g wafer of gold can be purchased for €30 or you can splash out on a 10g bar for €245.

Munich’s First International IT Networking Event

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Social networking is the talk of the town and more and more companies are jumping on the metaphorical bandwagon to reach customers in new, innovative ways. Whether it is via Twitter or Facebook, LinkedIn or YouTube, the methods are constantly diversifying. But while we support the social networking revolution and its importance in relationship building, here at Euro London we also believe that it is vital to meet people face to face to build lasting connections.

After all, we should not forget that all business, especially recruitment, is all about people. And while a tweet, a Facebook message or a Google+ post can keep you in touch, building a solid and long-lasting relationship requires a good old-fashioned personal meeting. This is why at Euro London it’s not all about social media and networking 2.0!

Our Munich office has been holding its candidate networking events regularly ever since it opened back in 2006 and this July saw the launch of its first ever “International IT Networking Event”. The event was a huge success and saw Munich IT specialists from all industries come together to network. It was the perfect opportunity for those involved to relax with a beer, build relationships and catch up on the latest industry news. The candidates who attended emailed us the day after to say what a successful networking event it was and even asked us to exchange their contact details so they can stay in touch with each other.

Euro London will now continue to hold it’s newly established “IT Stammtisch” on a regular basis to expand Munich’s Information Technology network.

What better reason to learn French – to win the X Factor of course!

Posted on August 2, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

When we came across this story at Euro London, we couldn’t help but read on. A British student winning the French X Factor?! It sounds absurd, but Matthew Raymond-Barker touched the European nation’s hearts with his renditions of pop classics in the native language. Although admitting being less than perfect at the language when he arrived in the country, with the X Factor winner’s crown at stake Matthew quickly found his fluency with French.

The story is a perfect example of how language learning can open up opportunities that you may never have dreamt possible. Ok, this is a rather exceptional example but nonetheless illustrates that you do not need to let language be a barrier to your ambitions.

Learning a language may just be the X Factor you need to find your dream job!

German appeal

Posted on March 28, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Why did the English speaker from Canada come to Germany to learn about North America in English? Sounds like the start of a corny joke, but many English-speaking students are flocking to German universities as a range of English language courses prove more appealing than those in the UK and the States.

Germany was recently named in an international league table as the most supportive country for overseas students. The appeal? English-speaking students never have to utter a word of German in order to complete their degrees.

As it stands, Britain ranks third in the same table, but risks losing this spot due to government policies making it harder for overseas students to study in the UK and to stay in the UK afterwards, whereas there are very few barriers for international students in Germany.

Tuition fees in Germany are significantly lower than the UK and far lower than in the US, where tuition fees can be as high as $50,000.

Germany is currently at the forefront of true internationalism in its education system, with many university lecturers being so proficient in English that an outside observer might not be able to tell who is a native speaker and who is not.

Since the cap on tuition fees in the UK has been lifted and universities can now charge up to £9000 per year, as opposed to a price in many German universities of 500 Euros per semester, will more UK-based students opt for an English-speaking degree from a German university?

It remains to be seen, although if you’re planning to trade in life in England for a German adventure, we’d recommend learning the language, as it’s a really valuable skill to bring home to the UK jobs market!

Battle of the bands

Posted on March 8, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Once a year, there is a battle in Europe. Every country carefully and democratically selects their warriors well in advance, subjecting them to rounds of gruelling competition and then months of strenuous training. The pride of every European nation falls on their contestants coming out on top, as there is no greater measure of success or popularity. Yes, we’re talking about the Eurovision song contest.

In line with a proud British tradition of Eurovision entrants, including Jemini, Gina G and Javine Hylton, the people of Britain have selected worthy and established boyband, Blue, to try to bring home the prize.

However, they may be beaten to the post, as the people of Ireland have chosen a seemingly infallible pair to compete in Eurovision 2011. These two are thick-skinned, energetic and have hair as bright as the sun and as tall as the sky – and they’re going to win (according to Louis Walsh)! We are, of course, referring to John and Edward Grimes, better known as ‘Jedward’.

For those of you who have the misfortune of being unfamiliar with Jedward, the identical teenage twins rose to fame during 2009’s X Factor competition in the UK. Week after week they stunned judges and viewers alike with their resilience. Like the villain in a horror movie who just won’t die, Jedward could not be voted off – even winning the protection and approval of Simon Cowell himself. They achieved all of this, despite the conspicuous absence of their vocal abilities.

We feel that these qualities of perseverance and determination guarantee that Ireland will avoid the dreaded nil points at Eurovision. Although Blue are strong contenders, Britain has a reputation for sinking with half-hearted has-beens and this could be the year that Ireland comes out on top. We’ll even go so far as to say that 2011 could one day be referred to as ‘the year of Jedward’.

As much as Eurovision promotes healthy competition, it also unites us in a mesh of cultures bound together by a commitment to tuning problems and flamboyant outfits – and at the end of the day, no matter who comes out victorious, the whole of Europe will be tuning into Dusseldorf at the same time, brought together by a tradition so ancient it’s practically innate. Viva Eurovision – may the best obscure, C-list pop star win!

Beards for Belgium

Posted on February 7, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

It’s not the first time a celebrity has got involved with politics – we’ve had Arnold Schwarzenegger in California and Wyclef Jean in Haiti. But this time, there’s a bit of a twist involved.

Belgian actor Benoit Poelvoorde is urging his fellow countrymen to grow beards until Belgium forms a government. A caretaker government has been running the country since June 2010, which sets a post-war record for a period without government.

Although I’m not sure how many Belgians will put down their razors as a way of supporting the cause, it is positive to see that a prominent figure is using their fame to try and help their country. Hopefully his plea will raise awareness and go some way to encouraging Belgium’s political parties to move forward. Would you grow a beard for your country?

Battle of the booze

Posted on February 1, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

Next time you have an occasion to celebrate, will you be popping some champagne? Well, maybe not. Wine experts say that for the first time, Italian sparkling wine is outselling its French rival, with the British equivalent not too far behind.

As of New Year’s Eve it was estimated that Italian bubby outsold champagne by 10 million bottles, after a bad harvest in France and with champagne being substantially more expensive than its international counterparts – usually at least double the price.

So do we have a battle on our hands? Who will have the biggest selling bubbly of 2011? When you’re celebrating that promotion or engagement, what will be your drink of choice? I’m not sure that champagne will be toppled from its throne that easily, but Italian and British wines certainly do provide a cheap and cheerful alternative. Who is your money on?

Longer hours in France?

Posted on January 24, 2011 by Steve Shacklock

How long is your working day? As the song goes, a lot of people work 9-5, although here in the UK it’s not unusual for people to be in the office until 6pm or 7pm. However our neighbours in France are renowned for their 35 hour week. Could this be set to change?

A potential future leader of France’s opposition Socialist Party (PS), Manuel Valls, is calling for this tradition to be abolished, saying it holds the economy back. “The world is changing fast, and it is the responsibility of the left to reconcile the French with this need for change. The 35-hour rule affects this country’s competitiveness and it needs to go” he’s quoted as saying.

With France still recovering from the downturn which hit its economy significantly, will this idea get Mr Valls a bigger following? And will the 35 hour week eventually disappear? It was in fact only brought in during the 1990s to try and boost employment anyway. Time will tell, but it could certainly be a good idea to make companies in France more competitive.

No GCSE in languages, No place in our sixth form!

Posted on November 22, 2010 by Steve Shacklock

Is this the way forward? Simply not allowing pupils into a particular sixth form if they have not studied a language at GCSE? Well according to two schools in Essex it is the very answer! Both schools have claimed that from 2012 no pupils will be accepted into their sixth form unless they have at least one GCSE in a language – furthermore they have to have gained at least a C grade!

Harsh or fair you may ask? Can you really turn pupils away if they do not fit this requirement? Apparently so and the reason the two schools are giving is the deepening language crisis in the UK. The news has been filled with stories in recent months about a reduction in the number of pupils taking up GCSE’s in languages – after all it is now no longer compulsory and we have blogged on the subject very recently. Continue reading →

From skyscraper to sausages

Posted on September 24, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

_46402711_sausage-man The recession – it has affected different people in different ways. For some it’s been an opportunity to buy a house at a great price. But for others it has meant losing their jobs, and that’s what happened to Thomas Brause, an ex-trader from Frankfurt. We recently came across this story and thought we’d share it – it’s not your everyday career move!

When he was made redundant from his six figure salary job in December of last year, instead of harnessing his skills in a job paying around half his previous salary, Mr Brause decided to make a radical career change. He now sells Bratwurst on the street near his old office, from a converted bus he bought online. According to the BBC he said, “These are real things, not abstract things. You can touch them. I deliver something and I get something in return. It’s more satisfying…As soon as people get to management level they dream of this, and this was a dream of mine for a while because I was pretty fed up with my job too. The office politics was terrible.”

So it seems that this career move was a good one for Mr Brause – although he admits that he’s still stressed and works 14 hour days! So, if you’re not happy in your job or find yourself a victim of the downturn, be reassured that there is always another option.

However we can’t help but think that if he’d have used a recruiter he could have got some career advice and perhaps taken a slightly less drastic change in direction. If you’re job hunting but don’t like the idea of selling sausages, come and speak to Euro London!

Best paid city?

Posted on September 4, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

ubs

Need some more money in your bank account? It’s not surprising according to a recent UBS survey on the highest paid workers in Europe, which shows that London has slipped into 21^st place, when only three years ago it occupied the number two spot. “The falling pound has made London employees for multinational companies around 25% cheaper in the first half of 2009 than they were three years ago” according to Forbes.

However if you’re after a higher paid job, pay a visit to our Swiss office – the two best paid cities in Europe are Zurich and Geneva, in first and second position respectively. Workers in Zurich earn an average of $22.60 per hour, compared to a poor $2.40 in Kiev, which equates to being able to buy an IPod Nano in nine hours compared to eighty two – quite a shocking statistic.

It’s good to know that four of the top ten locations are also home to Euro London offices – Zurich, Luxembourg, Munich and Frankfurt. The survey also looks at number of days holiday, tax and wages in over 70 countries worldwide, although all figures are quoted in US dollars. For a full copy of the ‘Price and Earnings’ report, click here – it makes an interesting read.

German politics turns to employment

Posted on August 19, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

With Germany feeling the effects of the credit crunch like much of the rest of Europe, political talk has been addressing the issue of unemployment.

The SDP, or social democrats, have promised to create four million jobs if they win the election in September, by transforming Germany into its own version of California’s Silicon Valley and end unemployment by 2020. The FT reports that Frank-Walter Steinmeier has a 67-page “Deutschland Plan”, detailing “how he would create 2m industrial jobs, 1m jobs in the health sector and 500,000 jobs in both the creative and services sectors.”

However the bad news is that most analysts say that the SDP has little or no chance of success in the elections. Let’s hope that whoever is victorious has unemployment near the top of their agenda.

‘Twittern’ – the new German words

Posted on July 23, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

A new, 25^th, version of the Duden German language dictionary has now been launched, featuring 5000 new words. It’s always interesting to see what new English words make it into the dictionary, but what new vocab have the Germans been using?

New words include twittern – to twitter and komasaufen – literally translated as ‘to drink into a coma’, but more commonly known as binge drinking. A more German related entry is Abwrackprämie, a ‘car scrapping premium’ of €2500 for those that scrap their cars which are over nine years old.

Which other words would you like to see added?

2010 for French recovery

Posted on July 13, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

France, like the rest of the world, has suffered at the hands of the global recession, but Prime Minister Francois Fillon has said that there is light at the end of the tunnel.

He recently told Parliament that the French economy would gradually improve next year, which would also help the employment market. “The year 2009 will be very difficult for the employment program. It will be only during the course of 2010 that we see a very gradual [economic] improvement that will permit an improvement in the employment market.”

It’s positive that there is now more optimistic discussion going on, and although there is a long way to go yet, hopefully we are on the road to recovery.

Spanish day

Posted on June 25, 2009 by Steve Shacklock

Many of us in the UK can only manage a few words of Spanish, the most common ones being ‘hola’, ‘adios’ and ‘una cerveza’, I would imagine. So to celebrate and promote the Spanish language, the Cervantes Institute has launched the first international Spanish Language Day, or ‘el día del español’ which took place on Saturday 20^th June.

With events planned in 43 countries, including concerts, films and storytellings, the Institute plans to hold the Spanish Day every year. It was officially launched this year at the Institute’s headquarters in Madrid where a cannon fired out thousands of pieces of paper with Spanish words written on them.

This seems like a great way to promote language learning around the world and something that schools and businesses could really get involved with. We’ll get thinking about ideas for 2010.