ALTA Language Services

More than 50 countries around the world use English as an official language. But you might be surprised to learn that some large English-speaking countries, like the United States, are not on this list. So why do certain countries use English as an official language while others do not? https://www.altalang.com//countries-with-english-official/

From an ancient Celtic tradition that started Halloween to a festival with an official keg tapping, we look at some of the popular October celebrations around the world. https://www.altalang.com/beyond-wo/global-october-holidays/

If you continue being patient and putting the time into your language studies, a full range of expression will come soon enough. In the meantime, though, you might want to try supplementing your language practice using some of the following techniques, including layering and storytelling. https://www.altalang.com//intermediate-speakers-advanced-/

Dirt on your head! Son of an owl! Hit your head on a corner of tofu and die! These phrases would probably be censored if written in the original Farsi, Hindi, or Japanese. Relieved of their cultural weight, however, they sound about as serious as if they’d been lifted out of a Monty Python movie https://www.altalang.com/b/swear-words-different-languages/

From homemade signs to balcony sing-alongs, communities have found more novel ways to communicate and come together during the pandemic. https://www.altalang.com/beyo/power-of-words-in-a-pandemic/

Arabic, Icelandic, and many other languages make use of sounds that English does not - which can make learning them a challenge for English speakers https://www.altalang.com//difficult-sounds-for-english-sp/

Travel restrictions and safety precautions may prevent you from going abroad during a pandemic. But there are plenty of activities you can do from the safety of your own home to broaden your view of other cultures. https://www.altalang.com/beyond-/culture-without-traveling/

Some of the deadliest accidents in aviation history have been caused by language barriers and miscommunications. Aviation English was created in an effort to avoid tragic situations like these. https://www.altalang.com/beyond-w/what-is-aviation-english/

Considering learning another language? If the ease of picking up that language is a priority, here are five languages that might be a good fit for English speakers. https://www.altalang.com//the-5-easiest-languages-for-eng/

Fly rinks and fiddlesticks? We take a look at slang and how it's evolved since the 1600s. https://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/8-outdated-slang/

Finding yourself at home more lately? Watching a movie or TV show in another language, especially with captions enabled, is an opportunity to brush up on your language skills. https://www.altalang.com//listening-comprehension-captions/

As new nouns are added into a language, governing organizations of the language review linguistic precedent to determine which grammatical gender to assign to each noun. How did they decide what gender to use for COVID-19? https://www.altalang.com/beyo/languages-gendering-covid-19/

If you primarily interpret on site, the pandemic has likely had a huge impact on the way you work. We've put together some resources for those making the switch to remote interpreting, including some tips on how to adjust and a more in-depth (and free) webinar with suggestions for equipment and finding a job. https://www.altalang.com//transition-to-remote-interpreti/

False cognates are linguistic terms used to describe pairs of words that sound similar in two languages but have different meanings. False cognates can cause language learners to use words incorrectly. However, in healthcare, confusing these words can be more than embarrassing it can also be dangerous. https://www.altalang.com/beyond-/false-cognates-healthcare/

In English, spelling does not always equal pronunciation. And one of the culprits behind this disconnect is the schwa, every American-English speaker’s best friend. https://www.altalang.com/beyond-words/meet-the-schwa/