Current Events

The Oscar for Best Foreign Language Film is awarded for excellence in world cinema and is considered one of the most prestigious awards for feature-length, non-English films produced outside of the United States.

Which foreign language film will win the Oscar this year?

» Read More of 2010 Foreign Language Film Oscar Nominees

The 2010 Academy Awards had surprise winners in several categories, including Best Foreign Language Film.

The winner of the foreign language film category was “El secreto de sus ojos,” or “The Secret in Their Eyes.” The Argentine film beat out four other nominees, including the front-runner from Germany, “Das weisse Band” (“The White Ribbon”).

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Schools in Manchester, England banned slang in schools last month, as professors claiming the slang language is hampering students’ abilities to decide what language is appropriate for certain environments.

But how can we tell when language is slang? Many words that used to be considered slang language have now become accepted as a common addition to English lexicon, and would be considered acceptable on any occasion.

» Read More of Banning Slang?: Language in Transition

Think about the gestures you made today: Did you wave hello? Scratch your head? These actions can say a lot, especially when you’re talking to chimps.

Researchers have discovered two interesting developments in the origins of language, thanks to our primate ancestors. In a recent study, researchers at Ag­nes Scott Col­lege in Geor­gia observed 70 chimps for 10 months, looking at their hand use and gestural communication to tell us a little about our own language use.

» Read More of Chimps Hint at Origins of Language

Canadian military personnel in Afghanistan recently learned that, due to a communication barrier and inexperienced interpreters, innocent Afghans may have been jailed for supposed Taliban connections.

In the Canadian Parliament’s investigation, some Afghans labeled Taliban militants were jailed in Sarpoza prison after interacting with unreliable interpreters during questioning or detainment procedures.

» Read More of Communication Barrier in Afghanistan

This month, a debate has been brewing across the pond over the importance and relevance of Irish language translation.

Irish language- sometimes known as Gaelic, Gaeilge or Erse – is the first of Ireland’s two official languages. The other, English, is far more commonly spoken, prompting debates over whether the government should bother with Irish language translation at all.

» Read More of Do We Need Irish Language Translation?

Europe is closer than ever to creating an easy, affordable patent protection program, but the issue of patent translation still remains a problem.

There are 23 official languages of the EU, and industry ministers remain uncertain about how to select one official language for EU-wide patents or how to cover patent translation costs.

» Read More of EU Patent Plan Has Translation Issues

With the 2010 Academy Awards approaching, many people are making predictions and organizing office pools and viewing parties. But lots of people stop short when it comes to the foreign language film category, not knowing enough about the foreign films as the other Oscar-nominated films.

The Academy Awards’ foreign language film category has different rules and restrictions than any other category at the awards.

» Read More of Foreign Films at the Academy Awards

Some of the trickiest translations are of government language, where nuance is everything and accuracy is a must.

Subtle differences in government language can carry a big weight – politicians and legislators know that they make a powerful impact on the ways people respond to policy.

» Read More of Government Language Poses Pitfalls

The New Zealand service Crimestoppers, a British-owned hotline that allows individuals to report crimes, has new plans to offer callers access to interpreters over the phone.

Telephonic interpreting can be a convenient solution for those conducting multilingual conversations with someone far away — and might even be able to help fight crime!

» Read More of Interpreters on the Phone to Fight Crime