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Language Hacking Guide
Domptez les langues étrangères

(Version française plus bas)

I would like to present to you an e-book I recently had the opportunity to translate from English to French: the Language Hacking Guide (published in French as Domptez les langues étrangères) by Benny Lewis.

At age 21, Benny only spoke his mother tongue, English. He then started to travel the world and learn the languages of the countries he lived in. Today, seven years later, he speaks 7 foreign languages fluently, knows the basics of several more, works as a freelance translator and moves to another country every 3 months.

In his book, Benny explains his very uncommon techniques that have helped him to learn foreign languages very fast and speak them from day one. Oral communication is the most important aspect for him and most of his advice is therefore centered around speaking the language. Benny’s tips will most notably help you to make a detailed study plan, overcome your shyness and speak your foreign language from day one, create an immersion environment even if you are not in a country where the language is spoken, use memorization techniques, prioritize what to learn and make time to study even if you are very busy.

The guide also includes a series of work sheets with exercises that are related to the points presented in the different chapters as well as a series of audio interviews, among others with Moses McCormick who has managed to learn almost 50 languages (!) without ever leaving his native Ohio and professor Alexander Arguelles who has dedicated his entire life to studying languages.

The books is primarily aimed at those who are learning their first foreign language and whose objective is to be rapidly able to have conversations with native speakers, but even real polyglots will find new ideas. Indeed, Benny’s advice does not resemble anything you would find in a traditional course. He has no magic recipe to sell to you and does not hide from you that learning a language will require hard work and a heavy investment, but his tips will make the learning process more fun and more efficient.

If you have become curious, click here to learn more about the Language Hacking guide or Buy Nowfor 49$. You will not only receive the original English version together with the work sheets and the audio interviews, but also the French version (translated by me) and translations into various other languages (Spanish, Portuguese, Italian, German, etc.).

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J’aimerais vous présenter un livre électronique que j’ai récemment eu l’occasion de traduire de l’anglais vers le français : le Language Hacking Guide (publié en français sous le titre Domptez les langues étrangères) par Benny Lewis.

À l’âge de 21 ans, Benny ne parlait que sa langue maternelle, l’anglais. Il a alors commencé à voyager à travers le monde et à apprendre les langues des pays dans lesquels il vivait. Aujourd’hui, sept ans plus tard, il parle couramment 7 langues étrangères, connaît les bases de plusieurs autres, travaille en tant que traducteur indépendant et change de pays tous les 3 mois.

Dans son livre, Benny explique les techniques très inhabituelles qui l’ont aidé à apprendre des langues très rapidement et à les parler dès le premier jour. La communication orale est l’aspect le plus important pour lui et la plupart des conseils prodigués concernent donc essentiellement le fait de parler la langue. Les astuces de Benny vous aideront notamment à élaborer un plan d’étude détaillé, à surmonter votre timidité et parler votre langue étrangère dès le premier jour, à créer un environnement d’immersion même si vous n’êtes pas dans un pays où la langue est parlée, à utiliser des techniques de mémorisation, à faire le tri des choses à apprendre et à trouver le temps pour étudier même si vous êtes très occupé.

Le guide comprend également une série de fiches de travail avec des exercices se rapportant aux points présentés dans les différents chapitres et une série d’interviews audio (en anglais), notamment avec Moses McCormick qui a réussi l’exploit d’apprendre près de 50 langues (!) sans jamais quitter son Ohio natal et le professeur Alexander Arguelles qui a consacré sa vie entière à l’étude des langues.

Le livre s’adresse en premier lieu à ceux qui apprennent leur première langue étrangère et dont l’objectif est d’être rapidement en mesure d’avoir des conversations avec des locuteurs natifs, mais même les polyglottes confirmés y trouveront des idées nouvelles. En effet, les conseils de Benny ne ressemblent en rien à ce que vous lirez dans les méthodes traditionnelles. Il n’y pas de recette magique à vous vendre et ne vous cache pas qu’apprendre une langue étrangère requiert du travail et un engagement lourd, mais ses astuces permettent de rendre l’apprentissage plus amusant, plus ludique et plus efficace.

Si j’ai éveillé votre curiosité, cliquez ici pour en apprendre davantage sur le guide Domptez les langues étrangères ou cliquez sur le bouton suivant Buy now pour l’acheter directement au prix de 49$. Vous ne recevrez non seulement la traduction française avec les fiches de travail et les interviews audio (en anglais), mais également la version originale en anglais et plusieurs traductions dans d’autres langues (espagnol, portugais, italien, allemand, etc.).

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Posted in Language resources.


How to become a specialized translator?

The first question to ask is: does a translator have to specialize at all? My answer would be no, but it is certainly preferable. While I don’t doubt that it is possible to make a decent living as a freelance translator translating only general texts (“general” being extremely difficult to define and a text that one translator would classify as general could well be considered specialized by another, so let’s just say that “general” texts are those that do not require specialist knowledge in a certain field), the most successful freelance translators are generally those that have expert knowledge in one or a few specific areas. Why is that so? If you are an expert in a specific field with proven experience in your specialization, you will be more credible and inspire more confidence to a potential client. If I were a client requiring a legal translation for example, I would certainly choose a translator who has a law degree and has worked for courts and lawyers over one who doesn’t have such a specialization or claims to translate everything from legal to technical and medical. Specializing also helps you to become more productive. If you have translated texts in a specific field for years, you know the terminology inside out, you hardly need to research anymore and you can work much faster than when you are working in a field you are not familiar with. You can translate faster and the quality of your translations increases, which usually means that your income also increases.

But how does one become an expert translator in a certain field? And where to start as a beginner fresh out of university?

Here is what I would recommend:

First of all, you have to identify the area or areas you are going to specialize in. Start with what you already know well.

  • What areas do you have previous work experience in? For example, if you worked as a tourist guide before becoming a translator, you could specialize in translating texts related to tourism.
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Posted in FAQ for translators.


Top 100 Language Blogs 2010 – Vote for Polyglot Blog!

I am very honored to be nominated once again in the “Language Professionals” category of Lexiophiles’s Top 100 Language Blogs 2010 contest. If you enjoy Polyglot Blog, vote for me! Don’t forget to vote also for your favorite blogs in the other categories: Language Technology, Language Learning and Language Teaching.

Vote the Top 100 Language Professionals Blogs 2010

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Posted in Miscellaneous resources.


Vacancy: Portuguese-English translator/interpreter, UN, East Timor

The United Nations Integrated Mission in Timor Leste is currently looking to recruit a Portuguese-English translator/interpreter.

Duties: translate documents from Portuguese to English and from English to Portuguese, consecutive and simultaneous interpreting from Portuguese to English and from English to Portuguese
Requirements: excellent knowledge of English and Portuguese (knowledge of Tetum is an advantage), high school diploma as a minimum (further education or diploma in translation is an asset), at least six years of experience in translation and interpreting
Location: Dili, Timor Leste
Application deadline: 4 June 2010

More information on the United Nations human resources website.

To see more jobs for translators and interpreters, visit the Language and Translation Job Board.

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Posted in Translation & interpreting jobs.


German language tests and diplomas

If German is not your first language, it is highly likely that you will have to take a German language test or obtain a German language diploma as proof of your German skills if you want to work or study in a German-speaking country. The following is an overview of the most well known German language tests and diplomas:

Goethe Institut

The German language diplomas from Goethe Institut are the most well-known German language qualifications around the world. They are recognized in many countries and can be taken in Germany and abroad.

Goethe Institut offers the following tests and diplomas:

  • Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Fit in Deutsch 1 (for young people) – basic language skills. Contains a written examination and a short oral examination
  • Goethe-Zertifikat A1: Start Deutsch 1 – basic language skills. Contains a written examination and a short oral examination
  • Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Fit in Deutsch 2 (for young people) – ability to understand and be understood in simple German. Contains a written examination and a short oral examination
  • Goethe-Zertifikat A2: Start Deutsch 2 – ability to understand and be understood in simple German. Contains a written examination and a short oral examination
  • Goethe-Zertifikat B1: ZD für Jugendliche (German certificate for young people) – sound basic knowledge of everyday German. Contains a written examination and a short oral examination
  • Goethe Zertifikat B1: Zertifikat Deutsch – sound basic knowledge of everyday German. Contains a written examination and a short oral examination
  • Zertifikat Deutsch für den Beruf (German certificate for professional purposes) – independent command of the language. Contains a written examination and an oral examination
  • Goethe-Zertifikat B2 – advanced language skills- Contains a written examination and an oral examination
  • Test Deutsch als Fremdsprache (Test of German as a foreign language) – advanced level B2-C1. The TestDaF exam is the language qualification that facilitates admission to university and is recognized by every university in Germany. The test components are reading comprehension, listening comprehension, a written examination and oral expression.
  • Prüfung Wirtschaftsdeutsch International (International business German test) – knowledge of business German at an advanced level (C1). Contains a written examination and an individual oral examination
  • Goethe-Zertifikat C1 – very advanced language skills. Contains a written examination and an oral examination. At many German universities and further-education institutions, foreign applicants with a Goethe-Zertifikat C1 are exempted from the language entrance test.
  • Goethe-Zertifkat C2: Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung – highly advanced linguistic skills. Contains a written examination and an individual oral examination. The Goethe-Zertifikat C2: Zentrale Oberstufenprüfung enables foreign students to apply to German universities.
  • Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom – very highly advanced linguistic skills. Contains a written examination and an individual oral examination. The Kleines Deutsches Sprachdiplom enables foreign students to apply to German universities.
  • Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom – mastery of standard German to the highest level. Contains a written examination (including questions on set books the candidates have to read in advance) and an individual oral examination. The Großes Deutsches Sprachdiplom enables foreign students to be admitted to German universities, qualifying them for courses there in the social sciences and German.

Continued…

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Posted in Language tests & diplomas.


Vacancy: Russian translator/reviser & interpreter/translator at FAO

The Food and Agriculture Organization (FAO) of the United Nations is currently looking to recruit:

- a Russian translator/reviser
Duties: translate from English and French or Spanish to Russian
Requirements: University degree, 5 years of relevant experience in translation, excellent knowledge of Russian and professional working knowledge of English and French or Spanish

- a Russian interpreter/translator
Duties: interpret simultaneously and consecutively primarily into Russian, translate from English, French or Spanish to Russian
Requirements: University degree, 7 years of relevant experience in simultaneous and consecutive interpreting, excellent knowledge of Russian and professional working knowledge of English and French or Spanish

Location: Rome, Italy
Duration: 12 months (extendable)

More information for the post of Russian translator/reviser on the FAO website
More information for the post of Russian interpreter/translator on the FAO website

To see more jobs for translators and interpreters, visit the Language and Translation Job Board.

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Posted in Translation & interpreting jobs.


Jornadas de Asetrad en la UPO

Jornadas de Asetrad en la UPO
«Traducción, interpretación y mercado: medidas prácticas para momentos difíciles»

Sevilla, 14-15 de mayo de 2010

Organizadas por el Departamento de Filología y Traducción de la Universidad Pablo de Olavide y la Asociación Española de Traductores, Correctores e Intérpretes

Temas: gestión de proyectos, obligaciones fiscales, perfiles profesionales, corrección, presencia en Internet, gestión de la carrera profesional del traductor autónomo, la nueva normativa de la profesión de traductor-intérprete jurado, busqueda de clientes y otros

Mas información en la página Web de Asetrad

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Posted in May 2010.