The Business of Language East Midlands issue 24 - March 2009
RLN secures funding until 2011 After talks with UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) and East Midlands Development Agency, the Regional Language Network (RLN) East Midlands is very pleased to announce that funding for language and cultural business support has been secured until March 2011. As part of this package the RLN brand will cease in the East Midlands from 31st March 2009. Instead, the work undertaken with exporters will come under the UKTI brand and work with other business sectors and education will be badged as required by the individual funding organisation. Aside from a change in brand, customers will see no change to the nature and scope of the language and cultural business support in the region - in short, it is business as usual! Manager of the RLN East Midlands, Suzannah Hutton, said: "We are really pleased that the importance of good international communication and the work of the RLN have been recognised by the offer of funding over three years. "The RLN brand disappearing signifies that language and culture should no longer be seen as a standalone issue, which companies may choose to ignore. Rather it will become an intrinsic, embedded part of business support in the East Midlands. As such we look forward to working ever more closely with our partners in all parts of the region." Customers should note that the RLN contact telephone number will remain the same - 01332 826432, so if you would like to discuss any language or cultural issues please give us a call.
It's all in the translation... Russian media have been poking fun at US Secretary of State, Hillary Clinton, over a translation error on a gift she presented to her Russian counterpart. With relations between Washington and Moscow cooling over recent years following Russia's role in the war in Georgia and US support for the entry of Georgia and Ukraine to Nato, this was perhaps not the best time to be making a bad translation. Efforts to heal the rift got off to an awkward start on Friday as the two sides met in Geneva and Mrs Clinton presented Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov with a green box tied in green ribbon and assured him her staff had worked hard to ensure the gift was accurate. When presented with the mock 'reset' button, symbolising US hopes to improve the situation, Mr Lavrov said the word they had chosen - 'peregruzka' - meant 'overloaded' or 'overcharged' rather than 'reset'. At a joint news conference after two hours of talks the two joked about the error: "We reached an agreement on how 'reset' is spelled in both Russian and English - we have no differences between us any more." Mr Lavrov said through an interpreter. Source: BBC News If you are planning a business trip in the near future and want to avoid similar embarrassment make sure you swat up on culture and business etiquette before you go. Visit our website to download a range of cultural briefings to help you make a good impression overseas.
Organisation urges more families to consider foreign exchanges ALLEF, the charitable group which organises six-month foreign exchange programmes for children aged between 8 and 11, has been relaunched at a time when the number of students studying a modern language in British schools has slumped. Since the Government decision to scrap compulsory languages in 2002, there has been a decline in the number of GCSE and A level language candidates. A league table to be in place by 2010 will show the competence of students in different EU countries at the end of compulsory schooling - it is widely accepted that Britain will be near the bottom. And so, considering this, it is good to hear of initiatives and programmes that are encouraging young people to see the value of continuing with languages and also to enjoy the learning process. ALLEF, the Association for Language Learning En Famille, ensures that almost all of the 8-11 year olds who take part in their exchange programmes return to the UK fluent in either French or German, with cultural knowledge and life experience they will never forget. Janet Turley, event co-ordinator, said: "About 300 kids from the UK have completed our programmes but interest is waning, hence the relaunch. There is greater interest in France and Germany so we need more youngsters in the UK to pair up with children abroad." All children who wish to participate in exchanges must go through the rigorous vetting procedure to ensure they are happy to be away from home, as Janet says: "It is usually much tougher for the parents!" She goes on to explain the benefits of the programme: "The cultural benefits are huge, the children's confidence grows enormously and naturally they become fluent in a foreign language at an early age. Their understanding and tolerance of people who are not their own family also improves greatly. The earlier families get in touch with us regarding an exchange the better." These sentiments are shared by Rebecca Fawcett, from Sheffield, who went on an ALLEF exchange to Sevigny when she was ten and went on to gain an A* at GCSE, an A grade at A Level before becoming a trainee solicitor with DLA Piper: "I would recommend ALLEF to everyone but get it organised quickly - if you leave it too long it will be too late. Don't think about it too much, just do it and then enjoy the benefits. It won't all be easy but it will definitely be worth it." For further information please visit the ALLEF website.
Learn Mandarin for business or pleasure The Confucius Institute in the School of Contemporary Chinese Studies at the University of Nottingham are offering a series of Mandarin courses for students at all levels from beginners to advanced. Whether you want to learn for business purposes, leisure or pleasure, there is a course to suit you. Courses cost £50 for 10 weeks of 2-hour lessons and will be held at International House on the Jubilee Campus at the University of Nottingham. Choose from: For further information or to register for any of the above courses please contact Ms Xiaojing Ji at xiaojing.ji@nottingham.ac.uk
Welcome to the 24th edition of The Business of Language - the free monthly ezine from the Regional Language Network East Midlands. In this issue we bring you news of an exciting new development at the RLN, learn about the benefits of school exchanges and find out why some good intentions are lost in translation.
