To which degree do you agree with these statements?All over the world, wherever you go, people are basically the same. Globalization means that there is now only one business culture. When in Rome, do as the Romans do. I don´t think about cultural differences – I treat everyone...
Cultures can be very different: not only between nations and continents, but also within the same country, city, company and even Familie.What is intercultural competence? Whenever we study a new language, we automatically learn some cultural aspects of the people who speak the language. But if...
In my last Bloge Post I discussed the excessive use of unnecessary anglicisms in the modern German language. Due to popular demand, I will share with you more examples of this increasing trend in this Post. I will just mention some more, since there...
I like English as much as the next guy. In fact, I am involved in the language training business and English is the main language we teach at our institute (https://www.i-diom.at/). The advantages of learning and using English are familiar: it is practical, has simple...
Take our free online test and find out!English is now without doubt the most important language for business and international communication. A high level of English competence can really influence your career prospects and is, therefore, not merely a desirable investment in the near future,...
Do we need some additional motivation when it comes to language learning?We all know that learning languages can be an enjoyable and richly rewarding experience. However, serious learners also encounter moments of frustration, when progress is slow and time and effort do not seem to...
Can there be too much of a good thing? Certainly not with languages! As I mentioned in my previous post “Why do we study foreign languages?” there are many useful cognitive skills we can develop, aside from the known benefits of learning a...
The obvious reason why we study foreign languages is to be able to communicate with others. But, according to Noam Chomsky, an authority in modern linguistics, language really originated to allow Homo sapiens to think independently and not merely plan the next successful hunt with...
I have a confession to make: I am still not as effective at speaking German (let alone at writing in German) as I would like to be, even after many years of living in Austria. My normal excuse is that German is the fourth language...
There are many good reasons to learn a new language. These can usually be grouped into two categories: for business or pleasure. Here I will focus on business reasons or those that can further your career.Wikipedia informs us that the five most commonly spoken languages...
