Auteur: Paul Van Zanten

As more and more companies do business in international markets, they often encounter unforeseen challenges that can lead to hilarious and, at times, cringe-worthy blunders. It is imperative to triple check your work, making sure you’re taking the necessary cultural perspectives into account. From mistranslations to cultural insensitivities, these unintentional...

Have you ever considered how the languages we speak shape our world, offering colour and narrative to the complexity of the human experience? The Sapir–Whorf hypothesis, also known as the hypothesis of linguistic relativity, discusses just this. To make a long story short, it was first proposed in 1929 and...

Are you prepared for the future of international business? As automation and changing demographics impact labor pools and access to markets, organisations worldwide should be up-to-date on European labour market trends. To combat smaller labor pools, both legislative incentives and educational support are explored to encourage immigration and integration into...

Do you shake someone’s hand when you meet them? Hand-shaking is a common practice in the United States when meeting someone for the first time. Are you comfortable blowing your nose in public? Japanese culture does not appreciate public displays of mucus, thus blowing your nose is best saved for...

As providers of language courses and intercultural communication training we at Language Partners have clients from varying backgrounds, industries and organisations. Even with such variety, we see several themes that are consistent across organisational demographics. In this article, we’ll share our top-five pressure points which have led to many mutually-beneficial...

Whenever something new is introduced, there are inevitably criticisms. DEI (diversity, equity, and inclusive culture) practices are no different. As this relatively new approach to people and culture management is adopted by more and more organisations, some criticisms and critiques have stood out. The following list offers answers to 7...

Dutch influence can be seen in many places: from a Dutch-themed amusement park in Japan, to the creation of donuts and gin as well as in vocabulary and place names. In this article we’ll explore 10 commonly used English words, which come from the Dutch language. Bluff – Often used...

When making any change in behaviour, it is important to think it through: why are you changing your behaviour and how are you going to do it? For our example, we’ll take a look at behavioural change behind learning a new language This takes a varied approach. Repetitive practice and...

The boy with his finger in the dike. Sasquatch. Rapunzel. Leprechauns. You might recognize some of these myths and legends. Their stories told have been passed down through the ages, though that doesn’t make them true. In this article we’ll tackle some of the most common myths about learning a...

Ever call someone sir or ma’am only to get asked, or told, not to? In America, people are sometimes offended when addressed formally as sir or ma’am as it implies they are of a certain age. Depending on where you’re from or what language(s) you speak, your connection to formal...