The Lingo-ist
Welcome to The Lingo-ist, Lingo24's monthly newsletter. Please browse the editions below and contact us if you'd like to contribute additional material.
September 2007
"Happy birthday to us, happy birthday to us..." September sees Lingo24 celebrate its 6th birthday. And what an action-packed six years they’ve been! Six years in which Lingo24 has become one of the fastest-growing translation companies in the world. We offer a big slice of virtual birthday cake to all of our clients, new and old, with our thanks for your support in our continuing success. This month’s Lingo-ist articles take a look at new and enterprising ways of promoting foreign language learning - through sport. In contrast, we discover how some of the world’s languages are under threat. As always, ‘Lingo-ist-ics’ is the place to find all things quirky.
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July 2007
School’s out for summer! If you are lucky enough to be off on your holidays, and even luckier to escape motorway gridlock and the interminable airport queues, we wish you fun times. Chances are you’ll have a copy of the recently released Harry Potter tucked into your travel bag (sunglasses will come in handy if you want to maintain your anonymity). Take a glimpse into our HP-related article revealing the mysterious netherworld of translation. On a more serious note (not that Deathly Hallows aren’t), read our article on Government-funded translation services and add your view to the debate. As always, we’ve included a handful of Lingo-ist-ic titbits in case you get peckish for more.
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May 2007
The “Ne’er cast a clout ‘til May be out” lesson is sorely learnt yet again as another rainy May Bank Holiday Monday comes and goes in the UK. No rest though for our Project Managers as Lingo24 has continued to be showered with translation projects from clients old and new. With our network of professional linguists and staff based in many countries around the world, our 24-hour open doors are (hardly ever) shut. Enjoy this month’s Lingo-ist offering of strange-but-true stories and thought-provoking language-related articles.
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April 2007
There can be no doubt that spring has officially sprung, with lambs in the fields and the daffodils in bloom. Your Lingo-ist this month takes a forage into the nature vs. nurture debate to investigate whether we are ‘pre-programmed’ for language acquisition. Human vs. non-human translation is not a new concept but recent advents are food for thought - can a computer program ever successfully produce natural language? And finally, a down-to-earth look at the lighter side of the linguistic landscape in our ‘Lingo-ist-ics’ article.
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March 2007
In the UK, budget announcements abound with the Chancellor’s decisions affecting the pound in your pocket. We at Lingo24 promise to spring no surprises when it comes to your translation project: delivery on time and on budget, without fail! If a penny on your pint of beer is galling, take comfort and look east to the Czech Republic – home of Staropramen lager and so much more - in our International Business Intelligence Bulletin. This month’s Lingo-ist also gives you our tuppence worth on ‘expertise’. And not forgetting your favourite tipple - our ‘Lingo-ist-ics’ article. Talk about value!
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February 2007
February is traditionally the month of glitzy, glamorous award ceremonies, with the Grammys, BAFTAs and Oscars all vying for attention. In the spirit of acceptance speeches, we’d like to thank our clients in the media sector for choosing Lingo24 as their partner. The Lingo-ist this month focuses on the variety of translations required by marketing, media and communications professionals. Modes of transport to far-flung destinations are nominated in our ‘Lingo-ist-ics’ article and Estonia takes centre stage in this issue’s International Business Intelligence Bulletin.
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January 2007
Happy New Year from the Lingo24 team. If the short winter days and dark, gloomy evenings are making you SAD, let this month’s edition of the Lingo-ist illuminate you. We welcome Romania to the EU and spotlight everything you never knew about the economic, social and cultural aspects of this country in our International Business Intelligence report. We’d like to enlighten you about pidgins and creoles and, as a final highlight, invite you to delve into our ‘fascinating thing about languages’ section.
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November 2006
As winter is currently in the process of sneaking up on us and violently mugging us, the American author Robert Byrne’s thoughts on this particular season appear entirely appropriate: “Winter is nature's way of saying, ‘Up yours.’ ” The Lingo24 team has not quite gone as far as stepping outside and swearing back at the weather, but there have certainly been some rather frosty feelings aired about Mother Nature recently. One colleague was even heard to utter the classic line, “Snow joke, this weather”. The old ones are indeed the best. Fortunately for us, it has also continued to rain translation projects, which have kept us busily toasty. This month’s ‘The Lingo-ist’ takes a look at the whole concept of learning languages, and finds that pure, cold luck has some part to play. Lingo24 goes back to its chilly roots with its Scottish International Business Intelligence Bulletin, for those of you hoping to break the ice in this northern European nation. To wrap things up (nice and warmly), the ‘fascinating thing about languages’ section is defrosted once again this month to bring you the world’s best collection of linguistic scoops, stories and slip-ups.
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October 2006
“Upon that night, when fairies light,” Burns wrote, and as Hallowe’en approaches, the Lingo24 team has had the spooky feeling that the spiritual magic that is at its most potent at this time of year is having a strange but positive effect on sales, as we continue to be inundated with frighteningly fascinating translation requests. Appropriately enough, ‘The Lingo-ist’ has both some tricks and treats for you this month. The tricks come under the guise of a terrifyingly interesting article on source texts and of our Turkish International Business Intelligence Bulletin, for those of you hoping to make a business breakthrough in that particular part of Europe. As for the treats, the ‘fascinating thing about languages’ section is back with a scarily superb selection of topical toffee apples.
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September 2006
Albert Camus said that 'autumn is a second spring when every leaf is a flower.' Given the busy spring we enjoyed this year, Lingo24 team members have found that autumn has indeed been a repeat of that earlier season. No flowers here, though - just lots of fascinating translation projects to keep us from feeling sad about the leaves falling from the trees outside. As the days are shortening by the minute, we thought we'd start this month's 'Lingo-ist' with a rather tricky topic that'll keep you occupied in the long nights ahead - that of dialects. For those of you who plan on doing some autumnal business in Greece, our Greek International Business Intelligence Bulletin should be a true equinox epiphany for you. To finish things off, the 'fascinating thing about languages' section is back with a ripe harvest of flippant fall foliage.
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August 2006
While August has always traditionally been the time of year when large parts of Europe down tools and head for la playa, Lingo24 team members have found this month to be as busy as ever in terms of translation, with a plenitude of projects to keep our minds off the holiday allocation we had already used up by March. This month's 'Lingo-ist' makes a flying start with our resident technical genius, Christof Schneider, who takes a look at word counts, Germans and the financial situation of a 19th century French monarch, in that order. For those of you who are wishing to do business in Egypt, our Egyptian International Business Intelligence Bulletin should make you want to pack the old suitcase and head out there right now. Finally, we know you love it when a plan comes together, so the 'fascinating thing about languages' section is back to round things off with another bumbag of blended bletherings.
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July 2006
It's been a sweltering, scorching month for the Lingo24 team. In between regulating the settings of the air conditioner and timing the arrival of the ice cream van to the second, our project managers, in-house linguists, designers, developers and support staff have been doing what they do best – making Lingo24 the fastest-growing, best-value translation company on the Web. This month’s sizzling selection starts with a look at the Lingo24 'Style Guide', a hot new development that will help us to better understand the stylistic requirements of your translation projects. If the reported temperatures in Portugal appear more bearable than where you are at the moment, our Portuguese International Business Intelligence Bulletin will make doing business there even more bearable. Last, but never least, this month's 'fascinating thing about languages' section provides a veritable oasis of linguistic news and humour.
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June 2006
While World Cup fever has gripped Lingo24 team members this month, we have been just as intrigued by the glut of translation, localisation and interpreting projects we've been dealing with as by the entertainment on show in Germany. The 'Lingo-ist' line-up this month kicks off with our resident safe pair of formatting hands, Christof Schneider, who takes a look at the various formatting problems we regularly solve. For those of you who are thinking about doing business in Norway (3 World Cup Finals appearances to their name, for those interested in the statistical side of things), our Norwegian International Business Intelligence Bulletin should get the ball rolling for you. Finally, our attack is spearheaded by the 'fascinating thing about languages' section. This month's footy-related selection contains yet more linguistic trivia to bore your friends with in the pub...
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May 2006
Well, summer is supposedly upon us, yet no-one appears to have informed Mother Nature. Of course, a sunny disposition is a prerequisite for Lingo24 team members, who have recently had a plethora of exciting translation, interpreting and localisation projects warming the cockles of their hearts. This month our formatting expert Christof Schneider brightens your day with a look at the many formats we can handle at Lingo24, comparing today's ultra-technical communication age with the translation methods of yesteryear. For any of you out there who do business or are thinking about doing business in Poland, our Polish International Business Intelligence Bulletin should put the wind in your sails. Incidentally, summer temperatures in Poland can get as high as 36 degrees Celsius. Finally, no rainy day would be complete without the 'fascinating thing about languages' section of 'The Lingo-ist'. This month's selection is sure to make you forget about the weather, especially as it includes monkeys, linguistic bloopers and possibly the worst translation-related joke ever published...
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April 2006
As nature springs fully into action this month, the birds are certainly not the only ones who are busy! Life is similarly frenetic here at Lingo24, with a wide range of interesting translation and localisation projects to keep our project managers out of mischief. Meanwhile on the technical front, XTM - Lingo24's joint initiative with XML International - is now at the pilot stage and should hopefully be fully up and running soon. This month Christof tells us more about this exciting new tool which will offer Lingo24 clients numerous benefits including compilation of in-house terminology databases and substantial savings on translation costs. And for those of you who have business interests in the Netherlands - or who are thinking about setting up a branch there, our Dutch International Business Intelligence Bulletin should definitely be of interest. Finally, there's a slight change of format this month when we swap the customary language anecdotes for a Lingo24 competition...
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March 2006
During recent St Patrick's Day celebrations, Lingo24 staff were inspired to embark on a voyage of discovery, investigating the history and current status of some of the Celtic languages still spoken today. We've now compiled the wealth of fascinating information gathered on our journey into the Celtic language focus featured in this month's issue of The Lingo-ist. On the techni-lingual front, IT whiz Christof brings us news about Lingo's exciting new translation tool. And of course, no issue of "The Lingo-ist" would be complete without a little linguistic light relief, so for this issue's "fascinating thing about languages" section, we asked a selection of colleagues what really "gets their goat" language-wise. The results certainly make interesting reading.
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February 2006
Time for another helping of translation-related food for thought from Lingo24. This month for starters, we're serving up a guide to XLIFF carefully prepared by our own IT guru Christof Schneider. Then comes a taster of our new International Business Intelligence bulletin, featuring an appetising assortment of info and advice for any of you who have plans to expand into Lithuania either now or in the not-too-distant future. This might be just the chance you've been waiting for to get your brochures translated as we're also offering 10% off all Lithuanian translations until March 16th! We've even included a few useful phrases so you can break the ice more easily when you meet your Lithuanian counterparts! And finally to round off this month's issue, a few linguistic morsels of general interest...
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January 2006
A very happy New Year from everyone at Lingo24! If you've not yet made your New Year's resolution (or are looking for one to replace the one you've already broken...), we may just have the perfect [re]solution to ensure that 2006 is a prosperous year for your company. Meanwhile, as January gallops by, it'll be Valentine's Day before we know it - a time for contemplating "matters of the heart". Well, when it comes to "matters of the computer", it seems that our resident expert Christof has no doubt where our affections should lie... If you have questions or would like to know more about any of the issues raised in this month's edition of The Lingo-ist, please don't hesitate to ring or email us!
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November 2005
Welcome to the third issue of Lingo24's e-zine, The Lingo-ist, bringing you a quick cyberblast of language-related information to help you plan your company's translation and localisation strategies. Alternatively, if you'd like to be transported far from your bulging in-box for a couple of minutes, you could always start off by dipping into our latest collection of linguistic anecdotes before you tackle the weightier stuff!This month Translation software specialist Christof Schneider guides us through the XML maze; Lingo24 MD Christian Arno gives us the low-down on translation for the global travel industry; and the 'fascinating thing about language' section features another eclectic mix of language-related fun and fact
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October 2005
Highlights from this edition of the newsletter include: our formatting wizard Christof Schneider offers a few useful tips on how to create translation-friendly formats; we look at the language-related challenges faced by employers of Britain's vast foreign workforce; and our "the fascinating thing about language" section features some amusing anecdotes and unlikely tales to brighten your day!
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September 2005
Highlights from this edition of the newsletter include: The secret of good translation...is a good source text; Why website translation makes sense (especially to your clients!); and The fascinating thing about language