04/01/2009 by stefi.

What makes a good translator?

Preparation, patience and determination are essential qualities in any sectors and are fundamental for a translator.

Acquiring competence
You cannot turn yourself into a translator in a matter of days; even if you possess a good knowledge of foreign languages (source languages) and a perfect competence in your mother tongue (target language) - you need to be prepared in the fields of your specialisation as well as being aware of the strategies behind each translation. For this reason it is important that a translator holds also a university degree (see the indications of the Directorate-General for Translation of the European Commission http://ec.europa.eu//dgs/translation/workingwithus/recruitment/translator_profile_en.htm).

Patience
A good translator never stops learning, and continues to work patiently, day after day; each translation represents a chance to deepen your knowledge and a new challenge to face. With patience.

Determination
This is a fundamental skill: the capacity not to give up when faced by the difficulties and perils which each text inevitably brings.

The job of a translator is like a true marathon, a permanent challenge. Stefania Williams of Williams Language Solutions took this metaphor literally, taking part and successfully completing the Lausanne Marathon 2008 with the time of 4h 20min. A fantastic achievement.

Congratulations!

By Morena Nannetti
(www.traduzionitaliano.eu)

Morena Nannetti is a freelance translator from English, German and French into Italian. For her the best way to maintain a keen language sense is… to keep studying literature. This makes you aware that in a written text even a comma can make a great difference.

Download the video of Stefania crossing the finishing line at http://www.translate-it.org/english/academy.html

Stefania competed in the Lausanne Marathon 2008 (www.lausanne-marathon.ch) and she hopes to finish under 4 hours at the Edinburgh marathon on 31st May 2009. Watch this space!

For the Directory of Marathon races worldwide, visit http://www.42k195.com/ or http://www.marathon-world.com/index.php

Posted in language services, North East News and Events, Traduzioni, Holidays, Translations | No Comments »

24/09/2008 by stefi.

Hello!

I would like to present you the Language Portal Babelyou,
awarded by the German Ministry of Economics and Technology
in the last International Funkausstellung (International Radio Exhibition)
in Berlin.
Language students from the Herder-Institut and the Studienkolleg of Leipzig’s
university are already working in Babelyou.
The Babelyou project, where people from different cultures meet, unites more
than 70 countries and 40 languages. Babelyou is planning to connect the whole
world today in order to create an international network without borders.
With a unique platform Babelyou offers the possibility to establish
international links, this means, getting in touch with people from all over
the world and keeping in contact with them.
Among the typical options of a 2.0 web Babelyou offers the chance to make your
own profile, post photos and videos and create discussion and common interest
groups.
Those who want to learn new languages will have the possibility to find, all
over the globe, a proper language partner through especial searching criteria. I
n our language portal they can learn a language efficiently and without obstacles.
In addition, they can use our translation tool which will allow them to
translate a world into different languages during their learning sessions.
At Babelyou you can get in contact with any country through its own chat room
and you can communicate yourself in different languages and countries immediately.
Babelyou was elaborated by Andreas König in February 2007 and it was launched
online in May 2008. The idea was to unite and connect people from all the
countries and cultures in the new social network Babelyou, regardless of the
language they may speak or the country they may come from.
The registration and the use of Babelyou are totally free of charge.

Contact:
Babelyou
Andreas König
Hainstraße 9
04109 Leipzig
Germany
Tel.: +49 341 9625256
E-Mail: kontakt@babelyou.de
Internet: http://www.babelyou.de
Internet: http://www.babelyou.com

Posted in Languages for Holidays, Corsi di lingua, Holidays, Language Courses, Experience | No Comments »

03/06/2008 by stefi.

Bonjour!

l’été va vite arriver, L’estate sta arrivando, summer is coming!!!!!!!!

Profitez de cette offre spéciale pour acquérir notre guide de voyage (travel dos and don’ts) dans 10 pays, “How to Speak Culturese” (en anglais). 10% rabais pour les actifs de la blogosphère (jusqu’à la fin Juin), seulement £7.19!!!!!. Une idée cadeau originale pour vos amis qui aiment les vacances à l’etranger (frais de livraison pour l’Angleterre [pour une seule livraison à une même adresse] £3.49 jusqu’a 4 exemplaires!!!!!! - pour l’Europe: £5.00 jusqu’a 3 exemplaires!!!!!).

Profitez de notre expérience pendant vos voyages a l’etranger! Aujourd’hui, nous sommes donc fiers de vous servir à point nos fameux “Fais pas ci, fais pas ca”, en France, Italie, Japon, Allemagne, Tunisie, Etats Units, Pays Bas, Hongrie, Russie, Pologne. Apprenez les petits trucs pour vous debrouiller en vacance!!!

Stefania

ORDER FORM

How to speak “Culturese”
“A great tool for the traveller. Gives a rapid inside view on people you are about to meet.”…
“I found your piece on Italy to be really excellent.”
These are just some of the comments from the readers of “How to Speak Culturese”, the guide on dos and don’ts when travelling to 10 different countries, France, Hungary, Italy, Japan, Germany, the Netherlands, Poland, Russia, Tunisia and the USA. Learning the customs and culture of a foreign country signals communication competence and shows a great respect for others, and it is particularly important when doing business and teaching. Culture speaks louder than words. Each text was prepared by an expert consultant with the specific goal of raising awareness about cultural diversities. The illustrations by Fern Wood help to explode stereotypes while offering something very typical of each country The booklet, 56 pages in black and white with colour cover page, is now for sale.

Please Print and Send to the address below together with your cheque (keep a copy for your records)
Order your copy today – SPECIAL OFFER FOR STUDENTS AND PARTNERS OF INTERCULTURAL DIALOGUE 10% OFF LISTED PRICE!
Description Unit Price Quantity Total Price

How to speak Culturese
Paperback (56 pages) 7.99 GBP (9,99 EUR; 15.55 USD)

How to speak Culturese
Download (PDF, 1.5 MB) (> 5 copies) 5.99 GBP (7,55 EUR; 11.66 USD)
Name Address

Organization Email address

Phone Postal Code
Payments: Paypal (stefi@translate-it.org)
I require an invoice Sub Total
Cheques payable to Williams Language Solutions Ltd (in GBP)

Special Delivery UK £5.15
International Recorded £2.60
Bank transfer - details: Bank of Scotland
Sort code: 12-24-82 Account n. 06110353 P&P (please see table)
(for Bulk orders see table)
Accepted payment: paypal, cheque (GBP), bank transfer. Total

Post & Packaging table (FOR PAPERBACK ONLY)
UK £3.49 Rest of the World £7.00
Europe 1 copy
Special Delivery UK
International
Recorded £5.00
£5.15
£2.60 Bulk Orders (UK delivery by post)
5 copies
10 copies
more than 20 £13.00
£19.00
£tba
Please allow 14 days for delivery. Ask for discounts on bulk orders

Posted in Languages for Holidays, Corsi di lingua, Vacanze, Holidays, Language Courses | 1 Comment »

04/04/2008 by stefi.

Illustrations speak more than words!

An Interview with Fern Wood, the illustrator of How to Speak “Culturese”, the booklet on dos and don’ts when travelling abroad by Stefania De Angelis Williams of Williams Language Solutions Ltd.

When did the project start?

I was just finishing off my like 400th illustration for a language course when the phone rang and an Italian accent asked to speak to me. It’s a rare thing for a client to phone me, I’m a computer geek and correspond wholly these days on the net. Stefania [Williams] had seen my silk work in the Aurora catalogue, a North East Artists group and had liked my illustration work on my website www.fern-wood.com which is very different to my freelance silk paintings.

Did you like the idea of illustrating a booklet on dos and don’ts when travelling abroad?
The ‘How to Speak Culturese’ seemed like a great idea and I accepted the job then and there… I admit half of the acceptance was in order to read the booklet. I love travelling and, like most, don’t want to innocently offend anyone in their own country. Although originally aimed at business folk, I think it would benefit any traveller to know those little culture ‘P’ & ‘Q’s’.

How did you create the illustrations?
I got sketching straight away, I wanted a main image that would evoke the country, this was best done by architecture, and my husband’s an architect student so I have access to plenty of books for reference. Then I wanted to show the people, that’s what it’s about after all, I wanted the illustration to set a story, was the person in the illustration the visitor or the native? Could it be the reader? Here showing that with a bit of knowledge one should be able to fit in and relax.
I then thought lots of mini illustrations would work well with headers and hit my first faux pas. Having sent my samples to Stefania she enlightened me that my waving hand icon was considered rude in Greece… amazing, I was learning things all the time.
There’s no doubt that I hit a few stumbling blocks with this project, some countries have such an immediate stereotypical view, which makes them so much easier to illustrate, France with its baguettes and Parisian street artists, Germany and its sausage stalls. I was completely stuck on Poland and Hungary.

Would you like to work again with Stefania on a second edition of How to Speak Culturese? Which countries would you like to illustrate?
Having been born and brought up abroad I’d love to work on the English, Welsh and Scottish ‘Culturese’ booklets because I think that like our neighbours we must be an intriguing bunch of people with strange ‘Dos & Don’ts’.

The booklet “How to Speak Culture” by Stefania De Angelis Williams illustrated by Fern Wood is for sale at at lulu http://www.lulu.com/content/2275452 or by contacting Williams Language Solutions at www.translate-it.org at the promotional price of £4.99.

Posted in Languages for Holidays, North East News and Events, Evoluzione di WLS, Corsi di lingua, Language Courses, Holidays, Experience | No Comments »

07/02/2008 by stefi.

Hi, everyone!

Today, I would like to tell you about a French Language Club in Sunderland.

·         Based in the Centre of  Sunderland, “Fun French Language Club” is a dynamic club that provides French language tuition to school children and their parents throughout the local area.  Parents can come along with their children  to learn French through games, crafts and songs.

·         The French club also offers tuitions with a professional teaching service. With new IT facilites and native speaker staffs, the service is designed to make French language learning enjoyable.

·         The French club has now a few years experience in the language tuition sector and has native speaking tutors who are qualified to a high standard.

For further information, visit http://funfrench.googlepages.com or contact Janie 0777 951 6947 

 Au revoir!

Stefania

Posted in Languages for Holidays, North East News and Events, Corsi di lingua, Vacanze, Holidays, Language Courses | No Comments »

23/11/2007 by stefi.

Ciao,

 a friend of mine went on holiday in Italy and came back with a nice bottle of wine. “Stef, could you help me translating the label? I speak a bit of Italian, but…I don’t understand wine-tongue!”. “Corposo, ideale con selvaggina…..colore paglierino….” could you teach me some wine-tongue?

Here I am now, designing and developing an online course for everyone who loves wine, Italy, and Italian. Parli vinese? will be one of our courses based on interests, rather than Language knowledge. “When you speak about something you like, time goes fast…and you learn quickly!”

I am preparing the topics now, and the glossaries. What would you like to see and learn in this course?

All comments welcome!

 Buon fine settimana.

Stefania

Posted in Evoluzione di WLS, Languages for Holidays, North East News and Events, Corsi di lingua, Vacanze, Experience, Language Courses, Holidays, Translations | 2 Comments »

20/10/2007 by stefi.

Williams Language Solutions presents La Strada (The street), a guide to Italian language and culture (Book and CD). Based on real life situations and with audiorecordings by a voice-over specialist, the course is a vital tool for successful international business. The course is designed to meet the needs of both independent learners and those studying in a class. Divided into 11 Modules, the book presents facts about Italian lifestyle, etiquette, manners, and useful information about Italy (travelling, employment legislation, history), which are critical elements for international managers, executives and employees. La Strada is a source of information and resources that you can immediately use during your next Italian business contacts and overseas travel. In fact, you may wish to bring a copy with you during your next international flight, and import the content of the CD into your i-Pod. The knowledge of cultural differences is the key for a successful business outcome. It only takes £9.99 to be ahead of the competition!

YOU CAN ORDER YOUR COPY OF LA STRADA USING THE ORDER FORM BELOW.

ORDER FORM

Beginners’ course in Italian language and culture (Book and CD).
La Strada is an introduction to Italian culture and language. The course (book and CD) is designed to meet the needs of both independent learners and those studying in a class. Divided into 8 Chapters and 3 Appendixes (104 pages), the book contains lots of information about Italian lifestyle, traditions, uses and customs and interesting facts. There is also a chapter (L’insegnante risponde) where the questions of previous students have been answered by Italian experts (for example: what is the origin of the word “Mafia”? or “what is the meaning of the word “prego”?) The aim of this book is to approach you to the Italian culture and language. A CD with 12 audiorecordings will help practise your pronunciation (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages: A1, Breakthrough).

Please Print and Send to the address below together with your cheque (keep a copy for your records)
Order your copy today
Description Unit Price Quantity Total Price
La Strada (book +CD)
Beginners’ Italian culture and language course £9.99

Special offer valid until 31st December 2007
Name Address

Organization

Phone Postal Code
Cheque no. I require an invoice Sub Total
Please make cheques payable Williams Language Solutions Ltd

P&P (please see table)
(for Bulk orders see table)
Signature Total
Post & Packaging table
UK £2.95 Rest of the World £7.00
Europe 1 copy
Special Delivery UK
International
Recorded £4.00
£5.15
£2.60 Bulk Orders (UK delivery by courier)
up to 10
up to 20
more than 20 £10.00
£19.00
Special Delivery UK £5.15
International Recorded £2.60
Please allow 14 days for delivery

Please send your order to: info@translate-it.org (Ref: La Strada) or post it to Williams Language Solutions, 22a Woolsington Gardens, Woolsington, Newcastle upon Tyne NE13 8AR

Posted in Languages for Holidays, North East News and Events, Corsi di lingua, Vacanze, Language Courses, Holidays, Experience | No Comments »

15/07/2007 by stefi.

Hello!
There is a special offer on the online language and culture course Destination Italy at £7.99 until 31^st July 2007. A perpetual licence key offers great advantages: it lasts forever, it does not get damaged, content of the course can be printed, and audiorecording can be downloaded on your mp3 player. Just email info@communicate-it.co.uk to have your special order form or visit our Promotion page in our website at http://www.translate-it.org/english/promo.html.
Why do I recommend Destination Italy at www.communicate-it-co.uk to everyone who wishes to know more about Italian culture and everyone who is learning Italian?
Destination Italy is not simply a language course, it provides users with the Language of the Mind as well, the Italian culture!
Why have I designed and developed this course?
I started to get involved in cultural consultancy in 2000, and in 2004 I became preferred supplier of business behaviour modules under the Passport to Export scheme of  UK Trade and Investment. The modules are delivered to potential and current exporters. Statistics show how a poor knowledge of a culture can have adverse effects on commercial relationships. This is true both for outbound and inbound international relationships. Business relationships are like a first date, if we like each other, it’s fine, but if we are not sure, if we don’t know the language of the mind, the culture of the others, every little mistake can drive people apart. Not knowing the culture can prove a huge barrier to developing international business relationships, but busy business people rarely have the time to fit a class into a tight schedule. In a technologically fast moving world, I realised that the ideal solution would be an online course which can offer cultural knowledge, basic language (what you need as an ice-breaker, as English is the international business language, and Italians /foreigners in general who come to England want to learn or improve the language).
Learning in your own office or in your home at your own pace is the thinking behind Destination Italy, a web-based course which provides all the important tools needed to give Italian visitors the warmest welcome. Designed as an online communicator, the course has been approved and described by users as a vital tool for tourism providers as well. I am therefore now promoting it also as an online overseas tourism communicator. The Italian state tourist board and the Italian Consulate in London have also endorsed the course. Before visiting a foreign country, we should find information about that country, the culture, what to expect, the weather…In other words, we should do our cultural homework, we should take out a “cultural passport” because we are enthusiastic about our holiday, our visit. By obtaining information about their culture, their people, we will be on the same wavelength. This is the thinking behind Destination Italy at www.communicate-it.co.uk.
In other words, as a famous Italian writer says, let’s get inside the head (meaning the mind) of Italians. Destination Italy will take you inside the head, the mind of Italians.
THE VISUAL of the course: it shows illustrated pictures from my city, with a newsagent, a baker, and a coffee shop. A typical start of the morning setting in an Italian city. The businessmen are meeting in front of a virtual business centre.
THE OPEN CONTENT: This is the content which can be accessed without registering. The text gives lots of information on the need for cultural consultancy to overcome cultural issues. The course contents present how the course will appear to users.
The site contains many audiorecordings provided for us by one of the most famous communication and voice-over companies in the North of Italy, lavoce.net.
REGISTRATION: Keys are for individual use only.
Module 1 is about culture
For example, food: it tells you when Italians eat, at what time. In the  language of food you will find all the information which can be very important, for example, for British B&B providers who have Italian guests. A question such as “We know you have dinner very late in Southern Italy. We usually have tea at …” Will it be ok for you?” could be the start of a very comfortable stay. Italians will appreciate that you know about Italian culture, and they will feel at home. Other life-saver sentences could be around coffee. Italian coffee is irreplaceable. Tourism providers may use this as an ice-breaker “Our coffee is nothing like Italian coffee, would you like to try English tea, as English make it”? Or something”like that.
Stereotypes can affect business relationships. It all about “How Italians see Britons” ” Are Italians as we see them”.
Module 2 is about language. By learning this basic Italian conversation, you will be on the same wavelenght of your Italian counterpart.
You may need to write to your Italian contacts by email, or letter. The course gives information on how to address people in letters. We provide translations for this purpose for our clients.
Gestures: My favourite topic. Italians use gestures as a great part of their communication. It is a cultural sign language. By learning what the most common gestures mean, you will be closer to them.
Module 3 is the assessment. I suppose you are now ready to take the assessment and obtain your cultural passport?
One question which was recently asked was the following:
an online course on Italian culture and awareness may be of interest to my potential customers but can’t they find information on the web for free?
I don’t totally agree. Although some of the information can be found on the web, a team of Italian linguists, cultural consultants with 10 years’ experience, and experts on Italian business communication (not linguists) have worked for 18 months to collate, comment on, and present in the most effective way the information contained in Destination Italy.
I could answer: why spending hours looking for information on the web when a course has been designed to offer all of this at the touch of the mouse? Time is money, and our course, at the special price of £7.99 until 31^st July 2007, costs as little as a cappuccino a day for a week…….and gives you much more “caffeine-like effect”.
The web is a means of communication, not a source of information. The information is not always vetted. To put it another way, it’s just the same as a phone call: you need to trust whoever is at the other end of the phone. Our course has been checked, edited, and more.
See you in our know-how hotel! With Destination Italy, Italy is your destination!
More information and order form available in our website at
http://www.translate-it.org/english/promo.html
CIAO!
Stefania

Posted in Evoluzione di WLS, Languages for Holidays, North East News and Events, Corsi di lingua, Vacanze, Language Courses, Holidays, Experience | No Comments »