In this second series on troublesome words, I want to look at common problems for people learning English as a second language.

Raising bilingual children can be challenging, but it is also rewarding — for parents and children alike.

I discuss the evolution of English between the Middle Ages and the Modern Era

Legal English is often so obscure that it has its own term: legalese.

Ambiguity in communication is inevitable given the limitations of language, the arbitrary nature of signs, variability in how they are interpreted, and the evolution of meaning.

It’s one of those odd quirks of language that makes true bilingualism so difficult to achieve; in French, the person who will be missed (“tu”) is the subject of the verb and the person experiencing the feeling (“me”) is the object, whereas in English it is the opposite.

I consider myself very lucky to have dual nationality; I have two countries. Two cultures. Two languages? It’s complicated…

How compassionate management can create happy, flourishing employees who are more productive, more loyal, and less likely to move on.

“ Activité ” is another one of those words that is superficially similar to its English equivalent, with the same etymology and many...

Bill Bryson claims that “200,000 words are in common use” in the English language compared to “a mere 100,000” in French. The case of “métier” certainly goes some way to helping me believe that statistic.

“ Efficace ”: What does it mean? Effective? Efficient? Efficacious? All of these things? What it the best way to translate it? Let's...

The word "enjeux" originally meant the sum you are willing to gamble in a game. This blog discusses how to translate it in a modern context.

There are subtle differences in how the word “performance” is used in French and English, which can be seen in the difference between the...

After previously fretting about the perils of solidarity , it may seem somewhat alarmist or imprudent of me to now go after generosity,...

A light-hearted look at translators’ troubles with problematic prose. #translation #traduction

Today, I want to look at a word of business jargon that frequently crops up in discussions of organisational design: “transversal”.

Research suggests that 3 in 5 consumers worldwide want to learn more about where their food comes from and how it is made . Conscious of...

“Solidarité” is one of those curious terms that – although it translates word-for-word into English – is just far more common in French.

Another look at false friends and misleading mates.

In this third instalment of my series on worrisome, wearying words I want to look at “ intervenant ”. Larousse provides the following...