English-speaking Australian Required to ...

On the surface, new Australian regulations requiring all foreign nurses to pass an English proficiency test before they begin working sound like a great idea. After all, communication breakdowns between nurses and doctors or nurses and patients can have devastating consequences. However, for Gerard Kellett,...

Accents Make Speakers Seem Less Trustwor...

Sad, but true…according to researchers at the University of Chicago, when you speak with a foreign accent, people are less likely to believe what you say. The researchers designed a study in which people  were asked to rate the truthfulness of various statements spoken by people both with and...

Milkman Learns Gujarati At Work...

Some people spend months in language classes without becoming fluent, but the Daily Mail recently published an article about John ‘Jimmy’ Mather, a Lancaster milkman who became fluent in Gujarati just from listening to his customers talk. Mather has been delivering milk since 1960. When...

Number of Non-English-Speaking Household...

A newly-released report from the US Census Bureau shows that the number of non-English-speaking households in the US has increased significantly. According to the report, which uses data collected in 2007 as part of the American Community Survey, 55.4 million Americans speak a language other than English...

Welsh Language Activist Denied US Visa...

Arfon Gwilym, a Welsh folk singer, author and the director of Gwynn Music Publishers, has been denied a visa to visit the United States, according to Celtic News. Mr. Gwilym had been invited to perform at the Smithsonian Institute’s cultural festival, which takes place next week. However, the...

Foreign Language Ban Enforced by Postmas...

A Postmaster from Nottingham has banned foreigners who can not speak English. According to the BBC Mr Deva Kumarasiri said that he could not serve people if he was unable to understand what they were asking for. He claims to have refused service to six customers as they were unable to communicate effectively...

Foreign Footballers Face Language Test...

January can be a stressful month for any British football manager, as the transfer window opens clubs have 31 days in which to sell and buy players. New immigration laws which came in to affect in autumn 2008 will make things even harder. The new points based visa system means that any players who are...