Archive for September 30th, 2010
Studying for an exam can be a nail-biting ordeal. However, foreign languages require a slightly different approach than many other subjects. Here are some tips that will help you score higher on your next test. Many of the tips can be applied to other fields of study as well.
Prepare Well in Advance
Don’t procrastinate until the night before a test to crack open your notes and textbooks. Careful preparation can save last-minute anxiety and pressure.
Even if you have a good command of English sentence structure and rules, you should purchase a comprehensive grammar textbook. An excellent knowledge of your own language will make any foreign tongue easier to learn.
Whether you find it on the internet or in a library, make sure that you have access to some foreign language prose. Short stories in parallel translation are an excellent choice. Spend a few minutes every day reading. Be sure to say each word aloud or whisper the words as you speak. This will reinforce foreign language speech patterns.
Familiarize yourself with the pronunciation and syllable emphasis of unknown words. To accomplish this, you must have a high-quality foreign language dictionary.
Whenever you encounter unfamiliar lesson material, skim through it and make mental note of new grammatical concepts and vocabulary. Then go through it again, slowly and comprehensively.
Prepare your written assignments as soon as you receive them. The time interval between preparation and due date will allow you to reflect on what you have done, making corrections and revisions, and thereby receiving a higher mark.
If you are experiencing difficulty with specific words or phrases, develop a mental-image jogger. For example, if you cannot remember that the German word for ‘crow’ (die Krähe) is feminine, think of a big black crow with large red lips and curly blonde hair. The more outrageous the image, the more likely you will be to remember the material.
Try preparing your own self-quizzes. The entire process is educational, and will quickly reinforce your learning.
Save every piece of paper handed out in class. What seems inconsequential at first may later prove to be of great value.
Capitalize on Empty Time
How much time do you spend watching television? Every hour of North American TV contains about 20 minutes of commercials. Don’t raid the fridge or daydream during commercial breaks – study! Amazingly, your brain will correlate these sandwiched breaks with material you are watching on the tube, and your learning will progress – even during the 40 minutes per hour of viewing time.
If you spend more than a few minutes every day on bus or subway commutes, be sure to take along some study notes. Even in ‘standing room only’ you can often accomplish a few minutes of effective studying with a clipboard and a few pages of vocabulary printouts.
Forget the Last-Minute Rush
Ensure that your notes are always up-to-date. Spending a few minutes daily hitting the books is much more effective than last-minute cramming. Not only will you be less stressed, but the knowledge is more likely to remain with you over the long term.
Reviewing notes just before bedtime works well. Your brain is adept at collating, correlating, and filing while you sleep.
24 Hours Before the Examination
The night before your exam, go to bed on time and get a good sleep. If you have some information rolling around in your head that is likely to keep you awake, jot it down and review it the following morning.
Just before you write your exam, eat a light meal that has a good combination of carbohydrates (for immediate brain glucose) and protein (for delayed glucose release). Try something like a whole-grain bagel with ham accompanied by a piece of fresh fruit. Go easy on the coffee and soda. A full bladder during an exam can be uncomfortable and extremely distracting. (Don’t forget to use the restroom before sitting down at your desk!)
Get organized – right now – and you will be rewarded with higher marks on your next quiz or test.
Love, is where two hearts meet and knit together through happiness and sadness. Love can make many hearts skip with excitement yet love can also cause many broken hearts. It takes little effort for one to become a romantic partner. The many creative and interesting ways to add romance in relationship can be readily found in books, magazines, and the internet. It takes great effort for those in pursuit of a deeper love relationship that could survive many unprepared and unexpected storms. Many will readily say “yes” when asked whether they are romantic lovers. However, few will admit that they are consummate lovers that does not seek the returns of love but are willing to devote their lives in giving true happiness to the person they love.
Whether you are in love, falling out of love or have never been in love, it is never too early or too late to learn the greatest language of love. Learning to love is a growing process. It always starts off with the special feelings that could not get your mind off from thinking about the special person. If such feelings are experienced by the two persons who are about to fall in love, it leads to an eclectic stage where both eyes and hearts are strongly magnetized towards each other. Great deal of time is now spent together as the sparks of love turn into burning flames; where romance is at its peak. However, this journey of love which initially took off to Caribbean beach; surrounded by sunset and paradise, soon landed on the pathway of reality. The flames of love have gradually smothered as the demands and expectations of life set in.
For some, the flames have smothered into shimmering sparks similar to that found in the fire flies. These sparks are soon carried by the fire flies to ignite another flame with someone else. This is when love causes heartaches and trust, betrayed. Yet for many, the flames have smothered into dust, leaving the relationship dry and dull. This is when the very core of love is tested. The survivability of the relationship is no longer depended on whether roses are given or romantic candle light dinner is prepared. It is about whether the relationship can survive the storm with determination and commitment to help each face the storm; as well as unconditional and sacrificial love to give hope and faith in surviving the storm together.
In facing such relentless storm that could break or build the relationship, what is the greatest language of love? Most conservatists will opt for the most classic language that is widely spoken, from youthful passions to mature companionships, a language that has touched and warmed many hearts: “I Love You”! As simple and classic as it may sound, some took great bravery to confess it; some said it casually to create momentary romance that soon fades away; while many have said it again and again, to the point of death that life has ended well because of the power of love.
This indeed is the greatest language of love. Not spoken with selfish and manipulative intentions but with the deepest desire to cherish the moments spent with your loved one, to be a pillar of strength though various seasons of life, and to hold on tightly to each other even at the point of diminishing hope, because after the storm is gone, sunrise and sunset will soon appear. The storm is here but a moment. The sunset and sunrise last a life time for as long as both hearts keep guarding the flames and never put it off……“till death do us part”.
As a translation services manager on the client side you are probably aware of the many questions you should ask when hiring translation services companies. Your department is centralized with linguists and project managers specialized in the area. But often, especially in many smaller companies, employees are tasked with sub-contracting large translations under the assumption that their task should be simple thus ignoring due diligence and causing mayhem.
Typical problems often ignored include differing file formats requiring different engineering tasks and ensuing costs. On the linguistic side there are many considerations to be taken into account to ensure quality such as the volume and deadline, the translation agency quality procedures and the flavor of the language into which the document is being translated.
The following is a series of questions and answers to consider when outsourcing your translation services needs:
1. What is the source language and target of the document? One must bear in mind that certain language combinations are harder to come by than others which has a bearing on availability and cost. Translating from English to French is a much easier outsourcing process than from Zulu to French.
2. What is the flavor of the target language? For instance a French translator from Paris translating into Algerian French can lead to a lot of quality issues.
3. What is the reason for the translation? For instance in the case of a legal translation, does the translation need to be sworn or certified.
4. What is the standard required for the translation? Will it be published and be the corporate face of the company or is it just for internal purposes only?
5. Is there a particular style of the translation? For instance does it have to adhere to an in-house style guide? Are there particular terms for the translation to adhere to? Perhaps the layout has to adhere to a particular in-house style?
6. What is the field of translation? Is it a legal, business or medical translation? In this case ensure the translator has the relevant experience translating in this particular field, ask the agency for a translator profile.
7. Check and see if you can provide the translation services company reference material such as previous translations, glossaries etc.
8. What format is the document in? Depending on the format there maybe additional engineering costs for the target language. Do you have the capacity to do these tasks in-house or is it more cost beneficial and realistic to outsource these tasks? Ask for a quote and ensure that you understand the additional engineering costs that are involved and decide from there. If you have done your homework in advance you will often get a feel for the level of professionalism and expertise that the client has.
9. Be aware of the translation metrics involved in translation and it’s engineering tasks. If your deadline is too soon you may have to realize that this will have an effect on quality and consistency
10. Will you have to send updates of the files after the agency has started translating? Has there been a system devised to cope with these updates between you and the client. Are you prepared for the extra costs of the updates and advised your boss?
11. Do you require Translation Memory technology to be used by the vendor? Are their Translation memory rates as competitive as other vendors? Shop around and get other translation quotes.
12. It often helps to proofread the source text before being sent to translation. This avoids updates and poorly written texts which lead to poor translations
13. Is copyright to be retained or transferred?
14. What are the payment terms?
15. Is there a set of business terms and conditions?
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