General

New FBI Twitter Account

A new, Spanish-language Twitter account was launched by the FBI on 1 July 2016, with the username @miFBIHouston. It was set up by the Houston Field Office in the hope of interacting more effectively with local residents of Hispanic background.

Spanish speakers in the USA

It is estimated that there are over 40 million native Spanish speakers in the USA, representing around 13% of the country’s total population. So you can see why the authorities feel the need to address them more directly. The city of Houston, Texas specifically has a population of around 2.2 million, and it is thought that over a third of those residents are native Spanish speakers.

Importance of social media

It is the Bureau’s first social media account to exclusively target Spanish speakers. One survey recently claimed that over a quarter of all Hispanic adults on the Internet use Twitter, so it seems a good choice to have chosen that networking service.

Special Agent Turner from the Field Office in question, commented: “In the global environment we live in, social media is the preferred method of communication for a large number of our population, both young and old. Social media has become a principal source for news and information. It makes perfect sense for us to expand our use of social media to engage the public we serve, including the Spanish-speaking social media users.”

He went on, “In order for the FBI to accomplish its mission, which is to protect the American people, we have to identify and implement effective ways to communicate with the diverse communities we serve.”

Business Language Services is based in the UK, so by default we use British English when submitting English-language translations and texts. However, we work for a variety of clients around the world, and are often asked to translate into American English for a US audience. Below are the four main differences between the two variations.

1. Spelling

There are a number of words which are spelt differently in the USA. The table below presents some of the most common differences.

2. Vocabulary

There are plenty of words that are simply used differently, or not at all, between the two countries. Below are a few of our favourite examples.

3. Verb use

The distinctions in this category are generally more subtle.

4. Prepositions

In our increasingly globalised world, English is becoming more ‘international’, and many Britons would no longer think twice about hearing or using expressions that a decade ago would have sounded like real Americanisms. However, below are a few that would still raise eyebrows if you got them the wrong way round.

As we’ve shown, there is a multitude of minor - and a few major - differences between British and American English, and it definitely pays to localise your texts to your target audience to avoid miscommunication.

For many Brits, French seems just a distant memory from schooldays, but you may be surprised to realise that you know a lot more of the language than you think. There are hundreds of phrases used in the English language, and officially accepted into our vocabulary, which actually stem from French. Below are some examples.

English phrases influenced by French

• When we sit down for a tasty meal, we don’t wish each other a ‘good appetite’ but rather ‘bon appetit’.
• Experimental or innovative works are known as being ‘avant-garde’, not ‘advance guards’.
• A private conversation between two individuals may well be introduced as a ‘tête-à-tête’, but not a ‘head to head’, which has different connotations.
• In this country, if you live on a dead-end residential street, you live on a close, or a ‘cul-de-sac’ – literally, the ‘bottom of a bag’.
• A kids’ pastime involving glue-soaked newspaper left to harden is referred to as ‘papier-mâché’, or ‘chewed paper’.
• When we want to relax and put our feet up, we need more than just a standard chair, but perhaps not quite a settee; we need a ‘long chair’ – a ‘chaise longue’.
• That feeling of familiarity, when we experience a moment in time that we’re convinced we have ‘already seen’, is usually described as ‘déjà vu’.
• A foreign, young, live-in, part-time nanny and domestic help is called an ‘au pair’, from the French meaning ‘equal to’.
• When a writer uses a pseudonym, it is known as a ‘pen name’, but just as commonly a ‘nom de plume’.
• A selection of snacks served with drinks before a meal are called ‘hors d'œuvre’. The literal translation from the French would be ‘outside of the work’.
• Collections of curios to display as ornaments are commonly referred to as ‘bric-a-brac’, originating from the French meaning ‘random’.
• When there’s something about something that sets it apart from the rest, but you can’t quite put your finger on it, these days we might say it has the X factor, but the perfect phrase to use would be the ‘je ne sais quoi’. It sounds a bit more sophisticated than just ‘I don’t know what’!

The European Union

Following the referendum on 23 June 2016, when the UK voted to leave the European Union (EU), how many of us can claim to actually know how and when the Union came about? Below is a potted history of the Union to arm you with the facts you need.

It all began in 1950, when France, Germany, Italy, Belgium, the Netherlands and Luxembourg decided to put the unrest of World War II behind them and sign a deal to pool resources and foster economic cooperation, in the hope of preventing future conflicts. The European Economic Community (EEC) was established in 1958 by virtue of a treaty signed in Rome. The idea was to establish a common market for free movement of goods and services. Its remit has since extended beyond economic policy, to promoting human rights, protecting the environment, minimising regional inequalities, and investing in education and research.

In 1973, the group expanded to include three new members: Denmark, Ireland and the United Kingdom. In 1993, the EEC became the EU. Today there are 28 member countries covering much of the continent. The most recent country to join was Croatia, in 2013. EU citizens can travel freely within Europe, and live and work in any other member country.

The EU comprises four key institutions: the European Commission, the European Parliament, the European Council and the Court of Justice. The Commission is divided into departments known as Directorates General, each focusing on a specific policy area or service. These are mostly based in Brussels or Luxembourg, where you will also find the Parliament and Council buildings.

The European Currency

The common European currency, the Euro (€), was launched in 1999 as a virtual currency, and then in 2002 coins and banknotes were introduced. Nineteen of the 28 member countries currently use the Euro, collectively known as the Eurozone – over 300 million people every day!

Languages of the European Union

There are 24 official languages of the EU, and the Commission maintains one of the largest translation and interpreting services in the world, employing over 6,000 linguists. All legislation and key documentation must be available in all 24 languages, and anyone corresponding with the Commission can do so in any of those languages.

The EU’s motto is “United in Diversity”, and it was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize in 2012.

The languages tend to get a bad rap at schools, with ever decreasing student numbers further proof of that. But there are so many advantages to speaking another language, so why aren’t we better at encouraging our children to get on board? And why do less than a quarter of the UK adult population speak anything other than English?

Speaking another language broadens your horizons. Imagine being able to converse in Spanish to your waiter on the Costa del Sol, or negotiate a private tour of the Coliseum in Rome… Or how about further afield? If you speak a little Portuguese you’ll be able to chat to locals in Angola or Mozambique, while French fluency will help in Madagascar and Senegal. Of course, wherever you go in the world, the likelihood is that you’ll come across someone who can speak English to you, but never underestimate the power of a ‘s’il-vous-plaît’ or ‘gracias’ in someone’s native tongue. Quite apart from the obvious benefit of avoiding being overcharged in the market, being able to hold a conversation with someone in their own language can open so many doors. You can learn so much more about people, and their country and culture; hand gestures only go so far.

Language skills are also a great professional asset. Global organisations are twice as likely to employ someone with a second language. Not only can they be put to good use internally, for example deciphering emails from international clients or organising foreign travel, but they are prime candidates for transfer to offices in other countries. And who wouldn’t want to be seconded to San Marino? For business purposes, the best languages to study would be French, German, Spanish, Polish or Mandarin.

If you need another reason, speaking another language makes you smarter. It has been proven to improve brain function and aids your cognitive process for other tasks such as problem solving and negotiating. It also boosts your memory power – the brain is like a mental muscle, and the more ‘exercise’ it gets, the stronger it becomes.

So what are you waiting for? Business Language Services offers bespoke language training at all levels, and we’d love to discuss your requirements to see how we can help get you on the road to multilingualism.

The Wales Book of the Year shortlists have recently been announced, following months of deliberating by the 6 judges. The aim of the awards is to promote the richness and diversity of contemporary Welsh literature.

There are 2 shortlists; one for English-language and one for Welsh-language titles.

Within each language there are 3 categories: poetry, fiction and creative non-fiction. Each category in each language has 3 nominees, so in total there are 18 nominated books from the 90 entries received.

English-Language Shortlist 2016

Roland Mathias Poetry Award

Love Songs of Carbon, Philip Gross (Bloodaxe Books)
Boy Running, Paul Henry (Seren)
Pattern beyond Chance, Stephen Payne (HappenStance Press)

Rhys Davies Fiction Award

The Girl in the Red Coat, Kate Hamer (Faber & Faber)
We Don’t Know What We’re Doing, Thomas Morris (Faber & Faber)
I Saw a Man, Owen Sheers (Faber & Faber)

Open University in Wales Creative Non-Fiction Award

Losing Israel, Jasmine Donahaye (Seren)
Woman Who Brings the Rain, Eluned Gramich (New Welsh Rarebyte)
Wales Unchained, Daniel G. Williams (University of Wales Press)

Welsh-Language Shortlist 2016

Aberystwyth University Welsh-language Poetry Award

Nes Draw, Mererid Hopwood (Gomer)
Hel llus yn y glaw, Gruffudd Owen (Cyhoeddiadau Barddas)
Eiliadau Tragwyddol, Cen Williams (Gwasg y Bwthyn)

Welsh-language Fiction Award

Norte, Jon Gower (Gomer)
Y Bwthyn, Caryl Lewis (Y Lolfa)
Rifiera Reu, Dewi Prysor (Y Lolfa)

Open University in Wales Welsh-language Creative Non-Fiction Award

Pam Na Fu Cymru, Simon Brooks (Gwasg Prifysgol Cymru)
Dyddiau Olaf Owain Glyndŵr, Gruffydd Aled Williams (Y Lolfa)
Is-deitla’n Unig, Emyr Glyn Williams (Gwasg Gomer)

Several of the nominees are no strangers to the awards and will be hoping to repeat former glory. Owen Sheers won the main award in 2014 for his book of poetry, ‘Pink Mist’. He also won back in 2005. Jon Gower was shortlisted in 2013, but had won the main award in 2012. Similarly, Philip Gross was on the shortlist in 2012, having won in 2010.

The awards ceremony takes place on 21 July in Merthyr Tydfil, with cash prizes for the winners of between £1000 and £3000. Tickets are available from Literature Wales (http://www.literaturewales.org/) and cost just £5, making this prestigious event very accessible to the general public.