From our blog
News, developments and articles from Regina Coeli
Chantal Janzen's German
The best way to really learn a foreign language is to start using it in the real world immediately after taking lessons. Actress, presenter and musical star Chantal Jansen can attest to that. Just one week after completing her German course at Regina Coeli, she was already co-hosting the German version of The Voice Kids for German network SAT.1.
Negotiating in turbulent Mexican waters
Being able to negotiate successfully in a language that is not your mother tongue demands a great deal of your linguistic skills. If you want your arguments to be convincing, you have to speak the language very well indeed. Into the bargain, a condition of success in negotiating requires knowledge of the customs and culture of your future business partners so that you can communicate with them appropriately. Bluewater Energy Services BV has obviously got it right.
Why are Spanish surnames so long
Spanish surnames are often impressively long. That is because a child is given the surnames of both parents at birth. The first surname is that of the father, the second of the mother. In principle, then, children never have exactly the same surnames as their parents.
Vocabulary Family relations
If Spanish surnames seem complicated, the exact opposite is true for the Spanish vocabulary for members of the family.
Matar dos pajaros de un tiro
The Dutch often use the saying ‘twee vliegen in één klap slaan’ (to hit two flies with one swipe). As is the case with most sayings, it can’t be literally translated into another language. In Spanish there is a similar saying: ‘matar dos pájaros de un tiro’ which means to kill two birds with one shot.
About the b for vaca
One of the first things to learn in Spanish is the pronunciation of the alphabet, not for the sake of pronunciation but to be able to understand what is being said. Spanish doesn’t hold many mysteries for Dutch speakers but there is one exception that goes against the grain for the Dutch. That is the pronunciation of the letter ‘v’.