Online newspapers: to pay or not to pay

In today’s earlier post I mentioned that The Sunday TImes will be charging users for online access, starting in June 2010. Depending, I assume, on readers’ reactions, other newspapers and magazine will follow suit. How do you feel about paying for online access to your favourite paper? And how often would you prefer to pay? …

Signing up to The Sunday Times…+

tarting next month, the Sunday Times will be charging for access to its online edition. One day’s access will cost £1, a week’s subscription £2. The weekly subscription will include special digital services, such as an e-paper and new applications. Judging from the following invitation (in today’s “Culture” supplement), those new applications might give subscribers …

Top 100 Language Blogs 2010 – we’re well chuffed!

“Words to good effect” is one of the winning blogs in the Top 100 Language Blogs 2010 competition organised by LexioPhiles and Bab.La. We came 42nd overall, and 9th in the Top 10 Language Professionals category. We’re delighted! A big Thank You to everyone who voted for us! By Marian Dougan  

Spreading the language love (2) – Careers Days

For any of you thinking of taking part in language learning initiatives at your local schools, I thought it might be useful to describe in more detail some of the events I’ve attended. So that you know what you’re letting yourselves in for! Careers Day The Careers Day I attended was for 2nd year pupils …

Marketing? Some boy telephoned…

…and he’s wishing he hadn’t. The phone rang. I answered. Me: Hello, Marian Dougan speaking. Caller (male): Hello, can I speak to the Managing Director? Me: Who’s calling, please? Caller: I’d like to speak to the Managing Director. Me: Yes, but who’s calling? Caller: It’s a business call, I’d like to speak to the Managing …

Spreading the language love (1)

If you work with language and love your job, one way to share your enthusiasm is to take part in career days or simply talk to pupils at your local school about your work and why you enjoy it. As I mentioned in yesterday’s post, language teachers will thank you for your efforts. I’ve attended …

Teaching the language love

A number of recent articles in the UK and US press point to a lively interest in foreign language learning and teaching that isn’t necessarily reflected in our school pupils’ language uptake. Some of those articles are listed here: Foreign language study vital to U.S. students by Gene A. Budig (a former president of three …

Love your job and tweet about it? Take part in our poll

One of the things I like about Twitter (and there are lots) is that nearly all the translators I follow there seem to love their jobs. I don’t know if there’s some sort of self-selection going on here, with translators who embrace social media being more engaged with and enthused by their work. There’s the …

Book covers (2): an archive of book cover designs and designers…

…for the purpose of appreciation and categorisation. Or, if you like book covers, a website to get lost in: The Book Cover Archive.  The beautifully designed Archive is run by Ben Pieratt of General Projects and Eric Jacobsen of Whisky Van Gogh Go. You can search the archive by designer, title, author, art director, photographer, illustrator, genre, …

Book covers (1): transformed in translation

“Birdsong”, by Sebastian Faulks. UK version (left) and Chinese version (right) A recent Observer newspaper article warns us, Don’t judge a book by its cover, particularly in France. Books are routinely given completely different covers abroad, often with baffling results. This doesn’t just apply to foreign language versions. When I lived in Rome and shopped …