Rapport International » Diversity

Top 10 Most Spoken World Languages

Wendy Pease — Fri, 10 Feb 2012 15:15:03 +0000

Chinese – With more than 30% of the world’s population in China, Chinese is on the top of the list. It has several dialects and is spoken as a first language by some 835 million people. An additional 100 million speak it as a second language.
Spanish – The Spanish colonized much of the world leading to many Spanish speaking countries. There are 329 million people who speak the Spanish language.
English – A huge colonial influence can be seen as the root to the spread of the English language. It is estimated the 310 million speak English.
Arabic – It is spoken throughout the Middle East. 221 million people speak Arabic, but it has large regional variations.
Hindi – Hindi is mostly spoken in India, Pakistan, and Saudi Arabia. 182 million people speak Hindi.

Rapport International can provide language translation and interpretation services in these five languages and over ninety five more!

Pepsi Slogan

Wendy Pease — Thu, 08 Dec 2011 19:38:54 +0000

In Taiwan, the translation of the Pepsi slogan “Come alive with the Pepsi Generation” came out as “Pepsi will bring your ancestors back from the dead.”

Shabe-Yalda

Wendy Pease — Fri, 02 Dec 2011 14:39:37 +0000

Shabe-Yalda, is celebrated in Iran during the winter solstice to mark the birth and rebirth of the sun. Having originated in Zoroastrianism, the state religion which preceded Islam, it is still celebrated in Iran today. People typically gather to tell stories and read poetry all night, while eating watermelons, pomegranates, and dried fruits and nuts.

Latin Words

Wendy Pease — Fri, 04 Nov 2011 13:49:54 +0000

As many as half the words in English are derived from Latin, including many words that are of Greek origin and were adopted by the Romans. In addition to Greek, there are numerous French, Spanish, and Italian words of Latin origin that have entered the English language over time.

Some examples of Latin words still used today are:

bonus: good
corpus: body
dies: day
domus: home/house
malus: bad
magnus: great

vivo: live

terra: earth

tempus: time

From: TheNewsConnection.com

http://thenewsconnections.com/

New Americans Agenda

Wendy Pease — Thu, 27 Oct 2011 15:43:53 +0000

In previous blogs, I have spoken about the importance of immigrant integration into our culture. Unfortunately, integration faces many challenges. According to the New Americans Agenda, “The most evident is the rise of virulent anti-immigrant rhetoric in the country. Although most Americans agree that immigrants are valuable assets to local communities, a small minority of individuals feel that America should no longer be a nation open to immigrants.”

A challenge to integration that is unique to the Commonwealth is the great diversity of the Massachusetts immigrant population. Unlike many other states, who welcome immigrants from one or two primary countries of origin, immigrants in the Commonwealth represent dozens of different nationalities; in Boston alone residents speak over 140 languages. The New Americans Agenda claims, “Massachusetts attracts immigrants from very diverse educational, occupational, and cultural backgrounds. Immigrants in Massachusetts are both more likely to hold an advanced degree than the native born population and less likely to have a high school diploma.”

In recognition of this unique and exciting situation, Governor Patrick has signed a number of Executive Orders to create statewide initiatives to better integrate immigrants and refugees into the civic and economic life of the Commonwealth.

To read the full report see The New Americans Agenda at http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/ori/naa_report_1.pdf

New Americans Agenda

Wendy Pease — Thu, 15 Sep 2011 13:39:06 +0000

Rapport International, LLC works hard at keeping informed about all foreign language related issues. Many of these issues arise due to the significant immigrant population in the state of Massachusetts. The New Americans Agenda does a wonderful job at explaining the reasons and benefits of immigrant integration into our society. “Integration, the combining of separate components into a harmonious whole, is fundamental to the success of the Commonwealth and the nation. Our society’s ability to peacefully absorb newcomers and to encourage their full engagement as workers, neighbors, and citizens is the basis for our national history of regeneration, innovation, growth, and prosperity. The importance of an integration focus on immigrant issues is that integration represents a two-way commitment with the host community and the newcomer populations agreeing to work together to create a more prosperous future and a healthier, more secure Commonwealth.”

To read the full report see The New Americans Agenda at http://www.mass.gov/Eeohhs2/docs/ori/naa_report_1.pdf

The Yam Festival

Wendy Pease — Mon, 01 Aug 2011 18:48:28 +0000

The Yam Festival, a popular harvest festival in Ghana and Nigeria, is usually held in the beginning of August to mark the end of the rainy season. Yams are the most common food in many African countries, and are the first crop to be harvested. During this festival, an offering of yams is made to the gods and their ancestors as a show of thanks, after which yams are distributed among the villagers. The festival is also characterized by several days of ceremonies which honor the gods and ancestors, and include dancing and singing. The dances typically each tell a story, and dancers wear traditional masks and clothing.

Global Proverbs and Idioms

Wendy Pease — Thu, 14 Jul 2011 18:45:10 +0000

Here the donkey falls

- German idiom meaning this is the important part

To count stars

-Russian for twiddling your thumbs

To lose the stirrup

-Italian, Spanish for losing your temper

Become famous, then go to sleep.

- South American proverb

Ahimsa

Wendy Pease — Wed, 25 May 2011 18:33:50 +0000

Ahimsa is a Buddhist and Hindu term meaning to do no harm. Ahimsa means kindness and non-violence towards all living things including animals; it respects living beings as a unity, the belief that all living things are connected. Gandhi strongly believed in this principle. Avoidance of verbal and physical violence is also a part of this principle, although ahimsa recognizes self-defense when necessary, as a sign of a strong spirit. It is closely connected with the notion that all kinds of violence entail negative karmic consequences!

Chuseok Festival in Korea

Wendy Pease — Tue, 05 Apr 2011 20:14:38 +0000

Chuseok is a popular Korean festival that occurs during the harvest season. During this time, families visit their ancestral homes and feast together. The festival is also a time to show respect to elders. Offerings are made of newly harvested foods among which crescent-shaped rice cakes stuffed with sesame seeds, chestnut paste or beans is a favorite. During this festival, Koreans also hold memorial services at the grave sites of family members. A traditional ceremony is observed on the night before the harvest festival which is marked by women singing. Archery, wrestling, and singing competitions are common during the harvest festival.