Language Insights

Here I’m drawing on my own experience as a language learner, as an English language teacher, from working abroad and with organisations based in countries other than the UK. In addition you’ll find links to resources I’ve found useful in uncovering the most useful insight, whether to do with language skills and learning in general, learning the art of conversation, or specific aspects of grammar, vocabulary and idiomatic surprises.

These InternationalEyes pages offer insights into languages other than English. They focus on vocabulary, grammar and usage of particular relevance in the businesses of hospitality, tourism, sport, leisure and events.

Spanish and French are the main languages in this section, but other languages are included where insights might be useful for those seeking experience further afield.

Spanish (Castilian)

The main, official language of Spain, Castilian Spanish is nevertheless one of a rich variety of languages and dialects spoken by Spanish nationals, with further varieties spoken worldwide, e.g. in Mexico or Cuba.

This variety includes Catalan, spoken in the region of Cataluña, while the islands of the Balearics and the Canaries each have their own dialect closely related to Catalan. Other regional languages recognised by the Spanish government are Galician and Basque, while Aranes (a relative of Occitan) is spoken in a small region of NW Spain.

French

The International Monetary Fund put French at the top of the list of languages for business purpose. The French language is one of the official languages of international diplomacy alongside English, Spanish, Russian, Chinese and Arabic. As a ‘romance’ language it is also linked by heritage to Italian, Spanish and Romanian, and it has strong historical links to English through the conquests and ‘more friendly’ relations over the years. 

Further languages

Languages you’ll see here include Romanian, Portuguese, Italian, German and Greek, as the section develops further and new insights come to light. For example, in the section Common Courtesies, you’ll find out how to show thanks, respect and courtesy in general in a growing variety of different languages.