Some interesting articles and websites on foreign languages and traveling that I’ve come across in the past week or two:
- In Troubled Spain, Boom Times for Foreign Languages: more Spaniards learning languages in order to find jobs abroad
- Scandinavians Rule, Russians Low in English Language Skills: ranking the proficiency of English among 44 countries and territories where English is not the native language, by EF Education First
- BBC’s Foreign Language Services have been sacrificed to budget cuts: a “profound loss for Britain”
- Break down the language barriers: expat Anthea Rowan on the many benefits of learning a new language
- Being Bilingual May Boost Your Brain Power: bilinguals have known this for a long time!
- Why We Travel: an argument for travel during turbulent times
- Global Entry: expedited clearance for pre-approved, low-risk travelers upon arrival in the United States ($100, valid for 5 years)
- Chip and PIN Cash Passport: travel in Europe easier thanks to chip-enabled cards (available in euros or British pounds) which are the norm outside of North America
- Single visa to boost ease of travel within Asia?: it will be a few years before this becomes reality, but it sounds like a good idea
Lastly, Brainscape has just updated their French Vocab Genius mobile app to include web synching to your online account, so if you haven’t already downloaded the app, it is free for a while!
