cafebabel.com

Babelblogs on music: Charlie Winston wins 'European border breaker award'

('Dave Keating',) — Mon, 18 Jan 2010 12:07:00 -0000

... but what are these awards? A press release alerted me to the existence of an award show put on by the European commission for European music acts that 'cross borders'. Interesting idea, but the way it is structured is kind of silly

French citizens ‘Balkan-level’ skill at the English language

('Tim Mac an Airchinnigh',) — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 15:07:08 -0000

The nineteenth-century attitudes to language learning here are not just wasting people’s time, but wasting an extraordinary amount of their money, opines a young Irishman who teaches English in Paris, capital of a country which an 'archaic' education system

Languages: Dutch amidst French in bilingual Brussels

('Sarah Truesdale',) — Tue, 02 Jun 2009 17:27:21 -0000

On the footpaths of Brussels your ears catch a litany of languages. In this European city, the official status of the bilingualism can be seen everywhere, especially in job advertisements. Is this a question of identity or discrimination in recruitment?

Iran, Russia and the British council: getting geopolitical with Shakespeare

('Lindsey Evans',) — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 06:15:00 -0000

The United Kingdom’s primary institution for representing its culture and language internationally has been embroiled in a diplomatic struggle for the past two years. Russia is pushing for the closure of its offices in Moscow and St Petersburg