It's that time of year again -- time to focus on the good deeds and charitable giving initiatives of the language services industry. How did translation and interpreting companies give back and pay it forward over the past twelve months? Let us count the ways:

Helping disseminate linguistic and cultural...

Admit it. At one point or another, the words "Learn a new language," have appeared on your list of New Year's Resolutions. Like most resolutions made with the best of intentions, this one frequently fizzles out well before the year comes to an end. But speaking multiple languages is not...

Most people have heard about Doctors without Borders, an organization that enables doctors and nurses to provide urgent medical care in countries to victims of war and disaster. Far fewer individuals are aware of Translators without Borders, an organization that seeks to bring information to people in many...

Like many children, Mae Alice Baird can sing a song, play a game, or tell a story. The difference is that she can do it in Wampanoag (Wôpanâak). If the name of this language sounds vaguely familiar to you, chances are that you heard about it at some point in...

"It takes more than having two hands to be a good pianist. It takes more than knowing two languages to be a good translator or interpreter."

These are the closing words of a recent piece by Professor François Grosjean in the Psychology Today blog.

Grosjean is...

"Tomorrow is zero hour." These are the words of warning that were issued in a communication from al-Qaeda operatives on September 10, 2001. The message, written in Arabic, was intercepted successfully by U.S. intelligence on the same day. U.S. intelligence did not translate the message until September 12,...

It's almost noon, which, on a typical day, means that I've already communicated with people in at least a dozen countries. Some of those countries, such as India and Sweden, are places where I have co-workers, and in the others I have clients. I step into the hallway, but the...

What does it feel like for 8.4 million viewers to hang onto your every word as you make your case to Donald Trump? How about giving an acceptance speech at the Oscars, when it seems like the whole world is listening? It comes naturally to Marlee Matlin, an acclaimed actress...

Will advances in translation technology ever enable us to live in a society free of language barriers? I recently had the pleasure of conducting an interview with the well-known inventor, author, and futurist Ray Kurzweil to ask him this and other questions about his views on the future...

China
All the way to New York
I can feel the distance getting close

Fans of Tori Amos will remember these lyrics from "China," a song on her 1992 album, Little Earthquakes. Nearly 20 years later, China no longer seems so distant to many countries throughout the world....

As I drive into work this morning, I find myself listening to a fascinating interview with a renowned scientist. However, I find it hard to concentrate on what she is saying, because the interviewer's Boston accent keeps getting on my nerves. "Change accent to Midwest," I say. For the next...

It's a travesty, really. International Mother Language Day is celebrated just once per year, but languages face extinction every single day. But there's hope. I recently had the privilege of interviewing Dr. David Harrison, director of research for the non-profit Living Tongues Institute for Endangered Languages. Dr. Harrison...

"We labor in obscurity." These are the words of a literary translator who contacted Nina Sankovitch recently, as reported in her excellent post, "Found in Translation: Honoring Literary Translators." If you can't name the Swedish-to-English translator of "The Girl Who Played with Fire," just imagine who's...

Is breá liom an Ghaeilge. I really, really do. It was the language in which I spoke my wedding vows, a language that's important to my heritage, and a language I'm still trying to learn. My grammar isn't perfect, and my pronunciation may not be the greatest, but here I...

"Mind your manners." "Eat your carrots." "Practice your Mandarin." The first two phrases are often uttered by the average American parents. The last one is heard in far fewer homes, but it could become more popular if the president and the first lady have their way.

In a radio...

As John F. Kennedy once said, "for of those to whom much is given, much is required." The language services industry has certainly been given plenty in 2010 -- it grew at a rate of more than 13 percent, at a time when many sectors suffered. In a...

Lady Gaga, who was recently crowned CNN's most provocative entertainment icon of 2010, is well-known for her creative costumes and performances. Now, she's planning to mix things up from a language perspective. According to Lady Gaga's promoter, Ralph Simon, her forthcoming album in May 2011 may...

In today's interconnected world, is language really still a barrier? The answer is yes, but not for long.

The world's population is projected to reach seven billion by the end of 2011. Nearly two billion of these individuals have internet access. The majority of online users (80...

Last Friday, President Obama announced that Gen. Jim Jones is stepping down as White House national security adviser, to be replaced by Tom Donilon. Changes in staff often serve as opportunities to take a fresh look at longstanding issues. Where should he begin? Language.

Consider the following series of events:

With dozens of U.S. Congressional seats at risk of changing hands in the upcoming November elections, candidates from both parties intend to coax each and every voter to head to the polls and cast a ballot in their favor. But will those potential voters actually be able to understand the...