Australia Fights To Save Languages

Posted on May 22, 2013 by Euro London

Australia has more to offer than just beautiful beaches and amazing weather the idyllic country has a number of stunning languages which are sadly dying out. With generations changing and leaving the heritage of Australia in the past, an astonishing 93 per cent of Australia’s indigenous languages have become inexistent. However Australia’s schools will now be provided with guidance when it comes to teaching indigenous languages under a new curriculum document released for public consultation. Other communities in the South of Australia are also doing their part as they are determined that these languages will flourish in generations to come.

Linguist Ghil’ad Zuckermann professor of endangered languages at the University of Adelaide in Australia is on a mission to revive the forgotten languages of the country. With the help of the older generations that still speak the language as well as a 170 year old dictionary; the professor will be strenuously trying to revive the language for future generations. However in order to update the indigenous languages new words will be created to keep up with new inventions since some of these languages had been lost. Words include ‘internet’ and ‘computer’.

It can be argued that when you reclaim a language, you feel empowered. Vincent “Jack”‘ Buckskin stated “It is about self-identity and cultural identity”.[1] Therefore learning a language that has existed for hundreds of years can give you a new found cultural autonomy as you are not only reclaiming a language but also the history of your country and the heritage that it offers.

An example of an indigenous language that has been updated is the Kaurna language which was spoken by the original inhabitants of Adelaide. The language began to disappear from daily use in South Australia as early as the 1860s.

Traditional words

Niinamarni – to say hello to one person; also means are you good
Niinamarnitidli – means good day
Purrunarninthi – means coming alive

Newly-created words

Panpapanpalya – means conference
Warraityi – means phone (literally the voice-sending thing)
Mukarntu – means computer (literally lightening brain) [2]

Does a country you come from have a language that is slowly dying out? If so why not try to preserve it by teaching younger generations.

[1][2]http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-20066624

Does Bilingualism Cause Language Delay?

Posted on May 15, 2013 by Euro London

Parents that are bilingual tend to want to pass the gift of a second language onto their new born child. With so many benefits of languages in the 21st century and the growing demand for them only expanding, why wouldn’t you want to share this wisdom with your offspring? Well in reality some parents actually worry that teaching or even speaking to a new born child in two different languages can cause confusion and consequently lead to language delay.

It has been known in the Western world that speech specialists and even doctors have advised parents who are bilingual, that they should deter from speaking two languages in front of their child/children. But why you ask? Well according to a percentage of the population, speaking more than one language in front of children that are learning to talk is confusing and will put a dent in their development. As a result many parents have been reluctant to try and converse with their babies in more than one language. The language that is less commonly used in cultural surroundings is suggested to be dropped from teaching.

However if we flash back to reality for a second – this does not need to be acted upon. The assumption that bilingualism causes communication disorders such as language delay is one that is incorrect as research shows that bilingual children begin to speak in exactly the same time frame as monolingual children. The only difference between the two is that bilingual children have the advantage of a second language – not bad for a beginner! Colin Baker, a researcher in childhood bilingualism states that raising children bilingually is sometimes believed to cause language delay, though evidence does not support this. [1] Raising children bilingually neither increases nor does it reduce the chance of language disorder or delay.

The most common difficulty a child who is learning two languages at once faces is the minor confusion between which language to choose from in speech. However, this is extremely common and can even carry on throughout life – but even this (speaking two languages at once) can be seen as a stroke of genius. It is also important to remember that regardless of how many languages a child may be learning to speak, each and every learning ability is different for each individual.

Have you ever faced any language difficulties when teaching an offspring a foreign language?

[1] http://www.multilingualliving.com/2010/05/31/does-bilingualism-multilingualism-cause-language-delay/

Two Languages, One Brain.

Posted on May 9, 2013 by Euro London

Learning a new language can be an extremely long process in order to become fluent – even if you are a native speaker. From the day we were born we are on a mission to speak, the curiosity of language to a child is clear to see as they strenuously try to communicate with us via babbles and gurgles. It’s a fascinating memory when a child says their first word, but even more fascinating when they can speak two languages. Some people accomplish learning languages two or three times over making them bilingual, trilingual or more. In fact it’s incredible the way any brain can function between two languages – so how is it actually done?

Scientists are only beginning to look closer at the mind of a polyglot in order to understand learning influences, behaviour and the brain structure itself when a second, third or fourth language is acquired.

Humans have been known to be simple linguists even inside the womb, before birth. This is because brain mechanisms are fully developed from 30 weeks onwards and therefore are able to hear what their mothers say and absorb elements of the language. Elisabeth Cros, a speech therapist with the Ecole Internationale de New York states that “Before 9 months of age, a baby produces a babble made up of hundreds of phonemes from hundreds of languages.” [1]

Learning two languages whilst a child is young is generally easier as they aren’t fully aware of what they are doing. But how do we choose which language to speak in, with more than one language to choose how does our brain function and not constantly mix between languages? The truth behind this is that the brain, regardless of age, does in fact get confused when juggling more than one language. Ellen Bialystok of Toronto’s York University calls it the dog-chien dilemma. [2] This is when a person who speaks two or more languages toggles between two words in order to describe something.

However there have been numerous studies which identity the benefits of knowing more than one language within education, work and even health. For example studies conducted on both monolinguals and bilinguals showed different results when it came to cognitive decisions. Even though both groups performed tasks accurately it was clear to see that bilinguals performed faster as well as more metabolically economical in executing the cognitive mission, using less energy in the frontal cortex than the monolinguals.

The brain is the most complex organ of our bodies with its function to control the other organs of the body, a vital organ that without it we would cease to exist. As previous studies have proved knowing a second language keeps the brain sharper later on in life. [3] Preliminary imaging work suggests that language behaviour can be visible in the brain. Some studies, for example, have shown a thickening of the cortex in two brain regions but most importantly the left inferior parietal. This part of the brain helps code language and gesturing.

Bialystok has also found differences for bilinguals which suggests denser signalling and complexity of functions due to fatty sheathing that insulates nerves and improves ability to communicate – this may account for the decision making when choosing between which language to use during communication.

Do you face any challenges in communication because you speak more than one language?

[1] [2[http://healthland.time.com/2013/04/23/bilingualism/
[3] http://www.eurolondon.com/blog/en/keeping-your-brain-in-shape/

The Future Is Bright For Britain.

Posted on May 2, 2013 by Euro London

Things could finally be looking up for Britain. Not only is the weather looking up for the UK after a disastrous and coldest winter for over 50 years, but the job industry (particularly in London) seems to be getting brighter too! Although job markets are set to pick up, it will be a marathon and not a sprint in terms of recovery.

The economy is set to grow at a steady rate over the next five years; one in every four jobs created will be generated in London. The main markets set to boom with over 300,000 jobs in professional services, law firms, accountant positions as well as hospitality.

The UK economy has avoided falling back into a recession after recording faster-than-expected growth in the first three months of the year. The Office for National Statistics said its first estimate for gross domestic product (GDP) showed the economy grew 0.3% during the first quarter of 2013. [1] Chancellor George Osborne sees this as an encouraging sign for the UK. Nevertheless, Britain’s growth will remain sluggish throughout 2013 due to the continued Eurozone recession and general uncertainty with the economic crisis. But looking ahead to 2014 Britain’s financial services alongside business services are set to help London’s economy bounce back. This should ideally result in a growth of 3-4% within 5 years.

Mark Boleat, policy chairman at the City of London, said: London’s position as a world leading financial centre is crucial to driving jobs and growth across the UK. Although parts of the City are downscaling, other parts including professional services are expanding rapidly. The capital is estimated to have grown almost twice as fast as the rest of the UK.

Dmitriy Gruzinov, an economist at Oxford Economics predicted that industries are most likely to have recovered satisfactorily by 2018.

Keep an eye out for Euro London Appointments Hiring Trends Report 2013 coming soon!

[1] http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-22290407

Where Do Our Career Choices Originate?

Posted on April 25, 2013 by Euro London

Choosing a career is a decision that is somewhat time consuming with the process for many beginning at such a young age. Many decisions may be slightly farfetched from ‘Superman’ to the more attainable career path of a police officer, a doctor or a nurse. But where do these career choices or decision originate from throughout our lives?

Some are simply dreams of course from childhood imagination, (no one can really be Superman, can they?) but others are passed onto them from parents or even grandparents. Choosing a career path that your parents are in is typically an old age tradition which still continues today. But why has the tradition continued over so many years?

First of all there are a number of positives when it comes to inheriting a career path, particularly in the current economic climate. For instance, a parent can be an asset for your career path especially if it is in the same field as theirs. Having access to an expert within an area that you are looking to go into is invaluable; it allows a strong possibility that an opportunity into a company is achievable.

In some cases this is not always attainable, but there are still fantastic opportunities for you to get some great networking opportunities to those that work within the industry. Remember the saying “it’s not what you know, it’s who you know?” Therefore it could be argued that having someone as a source of knowledge and expertise, as well as someone who can open doors, is the main reason for children following in the footsteps of their parents. With the recession still lurking around every corner in the European Union and its effect of certain markets it has become an incentive to seek opportunities that are closer to home.

On the other hand what a number of young adults forget is that the world is forever changing and skills, qualifications and what is needed in todays economy is diverse to what some parents grew up with. Multilingual jobs are all over the job market and continue to grow across every continent in the world and in sectors other than teaching and translating.

Language skills can be useful in many different fields including IT roles, support roles, sales and marketing, just to name a few. Businesses are branching out vastly across the world and are seeking language speakers to assist them in traditional roles. So even if you follow in the footsteps of a member of your family – why not add something new to the table and keep up with the world by learning a language?

Could Simplified Communication Lead To Language Extinction?

Posted on April 19, 2013 by Euro London

Is the art of learning languages soon to be a thing of the past? Over years linguists have tried a number of different ways to simplify communication between cultures; this is usually done via the pictograph (signs and symbols).

Pictographs originate from the Ancient Sumerian, Egyptian and Chinese. These early pictographs were ideograms which essentially conveyed meaning via symbols. Pictographs are often used in writing and graphic systems in which the characters are to a considerable extent pictorial in appearance.

Today pictographs are used in similar ways throughout the world in order to communicate at ease between different countries that do not speak the same language. For example ‘emergency exit’ signs, the sign with the little man throwing something in a bin or ‘hazard’ signs – anyone who sees this no matter what language they speak automatically understand the meaning of it. Signs and symbols will only increase as time goes on, but will this leave the population of the world not learning languages?

In many parts of the world pictographs are used on a daily basis at public toilets, airports, around cities and towns when it comes to directions and even now on mobile games such as Angry Birds which is navigated by arrows and not language. Linguists are predicting that as communication becomes more digital and visual, the future of language as the use of symbols and signs are on the increase. What will happen to the use of language leaning if language barriers can be reduced in day to day situations?

There are both advantages and disadvantages of pictographs. A significant advantage is that it can communicate to a large audience of a number of languages and still convey meaning. On the other hand, the disadvantage is they can unfortunately only convey a minuscule amount of information.

Undeniably pictographs make travel significantly easier; helping visitors navigate with ease around the country to see landmarks and sites. But in reality although signs and symbols allow some form of ease within communication, it doesn’t actually assist in human interaction. But general human interaction still counts for a lot for a significant amount of the population. Foreign languages are seen as a successful career tool, particularly with the growing demand for multilingual skills within businesses.

Nevertheless could it be argued that despite the growing need for multilingual skills within businesses, laziness could take over language learning? What do you think? Share your thoughts with us.

Where Have These Words Derived From?

Posted on April 17, 2013 by Euro London

Have you ever thought where words such as ‘booze’ originated from? No? It’s not surprising as many actually think that words such as ‘booze’ are typical British words and therefore originated from there. Astonishingly, this happens in a number of cases due to thousands of decades of languages becoming merged together.

Marmalade, royalty, bungalow are also considered to be typical English words when in fact these just like most other common words do not belong to us at all.

The English language originally derived from German dialects though there are many other individual languages where English has borrowed words from and added to its vocabulary. For example zombie and vampire – ever-popular characters in English-speaking films have roots in West Africa and Hungary.

John Worne, director of strategy at the British Council, said that examining the roots of these words can offer an insight into our history. ‘Many of our most popular and evocative English words – words we couldn’t live without – came from other countries and cultures,’ he said. ‘When we look at their roots, we get a fascinating insight into how the language has been influenced throughout its history. English is not just “our” language – it truly belongs to the whole world, and brings real benefits to anyone who can speak it. [1]

So how did loanwords become a fixture in the English language? In fact it’s all down to myths. Myths that have been told for years upon years make it seem as if these loanwords originated from a particular country due to the story behind it. For example an urban myth implied that the word bungalow was invented when a builder was told to ‘bung a low roof’ on a house after running out of bricks. However, it actually originated in the Bengal region of India.

Here are a few words which are listed in the English language but are in fact loan words derived from other languages across the world:

1. Dollar (German)

2. Booze (Dutch)

3. Bungalow (Hindi or Bengali)

4. Tomato (Aztec Nahuatl – Mexico)

5. Zombie (West African via the Caribbean)

6. Vampire (Hungarian)

7. Parka (Russian)

8. Shampoo (Hindi)

9. Magazine (Arabic)

10. Avatar (Sanskrit).

Have you come across any words that are similar to your native language whilst learning another language?

[1] http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2303517/How-English-languages-popular-words-booze-zombie-originated-overseas.html?ITO=1490&ns_mchannel=rss&ns_campaign=1490

Overlooking Temporary Positions? Don’t!

Posted on April 12, 2013 by Euro London

The job market over the last few years due to the financial crisis has been somewhat, unreliable. Europe has witnessed first hand some of the highest unemployment figures it has ever seen accompanied, every so often, by shiny glimmers of hope as the job market rises. So why is it that a number of job seekers seem to be letting countless, (perfectly good might we add) jobs slip through their fingers when it comes to temporary roles?

Now we’re not on a different planet and we do in fact understand why a number of people tend to overlook temporary positions; one of the main reasons usually being the lack of stability due to short term contracts. However, by skimming over these positions you could actually be missing out on some fantastic opportunities within your career and here’s why…

Whether you’re in-between jobs trying to find a new career path or job or even a student looking for a foot in the door, temporary job positions allow you to gain some valuable work experience. A temporary job can range from any time frame from 1 day to 6 months. It is important to remember that at the end of the job you will be able to add a new set of skills to your resume and build upon your employment which can ultimately help shape, or even change your career path.

Not only can you gain experience from working in temporary positions but you are able to network within the industry you are in. Meeting, working and even socialising with professionals within work can generate references for the future or further networking connections or opportunities when you’ve found a more permanent job.

Due to todays current economic crisis many companies take on temporary recruitment in order to test the water in order to see how well the job can be done. Always go into a new temp job with an open mind set as it is a possibility that you can be called back if another job becomes available again or even offered a permanent position within the company! Even if the company doesn’t have a position that is available immediately, if you prove yourself to be a hardworking individual it is possible the company would think of you straight away once a position becomes open.

When it comes to employment (and your CV for that matter) there is nothing worse for an employer to see than long periods of time where you have been out of a job. As a result temporary positions can be a brilliant way of filling gaps between you trying to find a more permanent position. Temp jobs show other potential employers that you are actively seeking a new position. It also helps keep your skills up to date so you are ready for the next opportunity.

Temp jobs can keep your perm job hunt alive as finding permanent positions for some, can slightly more difficult than others. It can also keep your interpersonal skills alive – being in a working environment and mind frame instead of being at home watching mind numbingly dull afternoon TV is a far better situation (although some may still disagree).

So, remember to keep the focus on the job and not keep the emphasis on the temporary. Whether or not it is temporary or permanent, in some form or another whether it is getting out of the house or having some form of an income, it is aiding you.

Verbal Vs. Sign Language

Posted on April 9, 2013 by Euro London

Language, whether spoken in French, English German or even Tagalog is an amazing cognitive ability in which we (as humans) understand, learn and produce. One of the more amazing discoveries is that even with over 3,000 spoken languages in the world today dozens of similarities in characteristics between each and every language. Language can be defined as a systematic way to convey meaning using symbols and sounds.

Speech is the dominant means of linguistic communication – many people have come to think that language and speech are the same thing due to their similarities. However, Sign Language definitely suggests otherwise. So, why is this? Well, those that belong to Deaf communities create language using manual gestures, but at the same time in doing so their language shares the same design and mechanisms that spoken languages possess.

Research into sign language and verbal language was conducted by Professor Iris Berent at Northeastern University in Boston, Massachusetts to discover the flexibility of the human language. A paper written by Professor Berenet and her team provide evidence that English speakers can easily learn and recognise key structures of American Sign language, even though there have been no previous exposure or familiarity with this language. [1]

American Sign Language is the predominant sign language that is used within the deaf communities in both the United States and also the English speaking areas of Canada. [2] ASL also meets all of the criteria that a language should have, this includes generativity and syntax. Scans of the brain have been taken by researchers; this imaging scan demonstrates that the same areas of the brain that are activated in people who hear spoken language are also activated in deaf individuals when they use sign language.

Surprisingly to many, sign language and spoken language share a number of similar characteristics. Further to the brain activity spoken and sign language both construct words via syllables which are ‘meaningless.’ A research group decided to examine whether or not non signers would be able to discover the structure. The results suggested that participants extended their linguistic knowledge from spoken language to sign language. This finding is significant because it shows that linguistic principles are abstract, and they can apply to both speech and sign.

Can you communicate via sign language, if so what other similarities can you tell us about with regards to verbal language?

[1]http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/04/130403200208.htm
[2]http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/American_Sign_Language

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/)