Latest news with #bilingual
The Sun
4 days ago
- Lifestyle
- The Sun
We ditched the UK for Cyprus & now get year-long sun, bills are so cheap, we work half as much & have even bought a home
A MUM has revealed why she packed up her life in the UK for sunny Cyprus. The mum-of-two took to social media to share how they moved to the country after Brexit. 3 3 3 In one clip, shared on The Mann's TikTok account, she and her partner said their plan A was to stay in England. Describing her life pre-Cyprus, she said it was a comfortable life and they could go on one to two holidays a year. But she said the limited hot weather and 'overworked' culture was something they wanted to ditch. They then decided they wanted more and headed to the sunny island to live out their dream. Now, they get hot weather all year round and no longer need to go on holiday abroad as there's so much to do on the island. She said they also had a better quality of life out there which was more slow-paced. The mum was also happy to say that her two children, who are in primary school, are now going to a local Greek school and have become bilingual. The mum revealed that they rent out properties in the UK to make income and she also works as a wedding planner in Cyprus. She revealed you need to earn £36,000 a year to live in Cyprus and you can work in the country if you are self-employed. The family have gone on to buy a house there to make it their forever home, and she says bills are super cheap too. All the free activities Cyprus has to offer For electricity, they spend around £87 a month, £17 on water, £13 on gas and £100 on council tax in a single year. Before buying their own property, she said rent for a two-bed villa with a pool was around £1,300 a month. The mum said that their 'plan B' for life has been going very well for them, and they don't see themselves heading back to the UK anytime soon. She said: "It's such a massive decision to leave your 'normal', weighing up all the options, writing down lists of pros and cons (we actually did this). "But we didn't want to live with any regrets and we always knew that the UK isn't going anywhere. If it didn't work out, at least we tried! Luckily it has!" The clip was posted to their TikTok account @ themannsofficial and went viral with over 138k views and 3,200 likes. Moving house hacks 1. Declutter Before You Pack Sort through your belongings and get rid of anything you no longer need. Donate, sell, or recycle items to lighten your load. 2. Create an Inventory Make a list of all your items. This helps keep track of everything and ensures nothing gets lost in the move. 3. Use Quality Packing Materials Invest in sturdy boxes, bubble wrap, and packing tape. This will protect your belongings during the move. 4. Label Everything Clearly label each box with its contents and the room it belongs to. This makes unpacking much easier and more organized. 5. Pack a 'First Day' Box Include essentials like toiletries, a change of clothes, snacks, and important documents. This will keep you from rummaging through boxes on your first day. 6. Take Photos of Electronics Setup Before unplugging your electronics, take photos of the wiring setup. This will make it easier to reconnect everything at your new place. 7. Use Suitcases for Heavy Items Pack books and other heavy items in rolling suitcases. This makes them easier to transport and reduces the risk of injury. 8. Colour-Code Your Boxes Use different coloured stickers or markers for each room. This will help movers quickly identify where each box should go in your new home. People were quick to share their thoughts in the comments. One person wrote: "This is so helpful! The price on council tax, water and gas, pennies compared to the UK!" Another commented: "I used to work in Rhodes and would love to go back! Since Brexit, I thought it would not be possible. This gives me hope, so thank you!" "Currently in the process of Plan B! Writing this from Cyprus on a house hunt," penned a third. Meanwhile a fourth said: " ,' claimed a fifth Someone else added: "
CBC
6 days ago
- Entertainment
- CBC
200 years after Great Miramichi Fire, a non-profit explores the tragedy's connection to Bathurst
This summer, the Maison Doucet Hennessy House in Bathurst is putting on weekly bilingual performances about some of the people whose lives were affected by a fire that spread through Miramichi and beyond in 1825.
Arab News
15-07-2025
- General
- Arab News
Between Yalla! and Let's go!
RIYADH: In Saudi Arabia's increasingly globalized society, especially among young people in major cities, there is an easy blending of languages, often switching between Arabic and English in the same conversation. This phenomenon, known as code-switching, has become a linguistic norm that reflects shifting social dynamics, culture and identity. A 2024 study conducted by Kais Sultan Mousa Alowidha at Jouf University found that bilingual Saudis often switch between Arabic and English depending on the context, particularly in casual or professional settings. Saudi students who have studied or grown up abroad find themselves flipping between languages almost unconsciously. Abdullah Almuayyad, a Saudi senior at the University of Washington, Seattle, who has spent more than half his life in the US, spoke to Arab News about his experiences with both languages. 'Comfort really depends on context,' he said. 'Day-to-day I'm equally at ease in either language, but the setting matters.' • The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has launched several initiatives to strengthen Arabic fluency, both for native speakers and non-native learners. • A 2024 study from Jouf University found that bilingual Saudis often switch between Arabic and English depending on the context, particularly in casual or professional settings. In business settings, he defaults to English because of his education and professional exposure, but casual or family settings feel more natural in Arabic. 'Sometimes my friends tease me because I'll begin a sentence in Arabic, hit a complex business concept, and flip to English mid-stream.' This mental switching, he explained, is often tied to topic-specific language associations. Some topics are assigned to a specific language in his brain. 'Once the topic surfaces, the corresponding language follows automatically.' At an institutional level, efforts to preserve and promote Arabic are gaining traction in Saudi Arabia. The King Salman Global Academy for Arabic Language in Riyadh has launched several initiatives to strengthen Arabic fluency, both for native speakers and non-native learners. Through academic partnerships, digital tools, and training programs, the academy is playing a key role in ensuring Arabic remains a vibrant and accessible language. The institute reflects a broader national push to reinforce cultural identity amid the linguistic shifts brought on by globalization. Majd Tohme, senior linguist at SURV Linguistics in Riyadh, told Arab News that code-switching is 'a very multi-dimensional issue.' He emphasized that the debate should not hinge on whether code-switching is good or bad. 'What we need to ask ourselves is, does code-switching work in the everyday context? And if it works, isn't that the purpose of any linguistic pattern?' He added that language purism might miss the point entirely. 'You don't have to get involved in that language puritanism … and code-switching is not really something new. Languages are living organisms that evolve,' he explained. Many words we consider native today, he noted, have foreign origins, such as from Persian or European languages, particularly in science and technology. Still, there are concerns about the erosion of Arabic. Tohme acknowledged the threat but said it is not exclusive to Arabic. 'It is a threat to all languages,' he said, especially in the era of globalized communication where the internet has become a shared space dominated by English. 'You now have one internet that the world is sharing,' he explained. 'It's like one huge playground where you have 8 billion people trying to communicate with each other.' And yet, there are signs of balance. Almuayyad, for instance, actively challenges himself and his peers to preserve Arabic fluency. 'In eighth grade, even though my friends and I preferred English, we agreed to speak only Arabic until it felt natural,' he said. 'Later, when my Arabic caught up, I switched and spoke only English with friends who wanted practice.' For many, especially in Saudi Arabia's larger cities, bilingualism no longer means choosing between one language over the other. The constant nudge to challenge each other keeps both languages active and growing. The Jouf University study found that bilingual Saudis strongly identify with both languages and do not believe that speaking English negates their cultural identity. It also concluded that code-switching is often required in larger cities due to the abundance of non-Arabic speakers in public and professional environments. Therefore, code-switching, especially in the Kingdom, appears to be less about identity loss and more about functionality. As Saudi Arabia opens up globally and embraces multiculturalism under Vision 2030, this blending of languages could be seen not as a dilution of heritage, but a reflection of its outward-looking generation. According to Tohme, the psychological impact of going abroad for a few years then returning to your home country also cannot be understated. Students develop a certain nostalgia for home while spending so many years abroad speaking extensively in a foreign language. They may develop the determination to make a conscious effort to strengthen their Arabic-language skills again. Almuayyad is someone who can relate to that and says if he had spent his whole life in the Kingdom, his language development might not have been that different. 'I see a lot of people in Saudi who use English freely because global media and online content are so dominant,' he explained. Yet, he admits that growing up in one place can limit the push to step outside of your linguistic comfort zone. 'My exposure to two cultures forced me to practice that stretch constantly.'
BreakingNews.ie
14-07-2025
- Business
- BreakingNews.ie
Courts Service launches first Irish language strategy
The first Irish language strategy for the Courts Service in Ireland has been published. The service said the aim of the strategy is to evolve it into a 'genuinely bilingual organisation'. Advertisement Irish language strategy manager Donal O Gallachoir said: 'The goal is that the public will experience an active bilingual offering without delay or difficulty. 'We also aim that staff use of the first national language is actively welcomed and encouraged.' The strategy contains 44 actions across six priorities and provides a vision for the development of the Irish language across the next three years in the organisation. It aims to develop a centralised Irish language office, improve quality and availability of an Irish language service and bring about parity between English and Irish in all service provision in the Courts Service. Advertisement The service said it will work to actively recruit those with Irish language skills, alongside the development of a comprehensive tailored Irish language training programme. It also said it will develop a framework for providing Irish language service to the public online, in person and on the phone.
Irish Times
13-07-2025
- Business
- Irish Times
Courts Service launches first Irish language strategy
The first Irish language strategy for the Courts Service in Ireland has been published. The service said the aim of the strategy is to evolve it into a 'genuinely bilingual organisation'. Irish language strategy manager Dónal Ó Gallachóir said: 'The goal is that the public will experience an active bilingual offering without delay or difficulty. 'We also aim that staff use of the first national language is actively welcomed and encouraged.' The strategy contains 44 actions across six priorities and provides a vision for the development of the Irish language across the next three years in the organisation. It aims to develop a centralised Irish language office, improve quality and availability of an Irish language service and bring about parity between English and Irish in all service provision in the Courts Service. The service said it would work to actively recruit those with Irish language skills, alongside the development of a comprehensive tailored Irish language training programme. It also said it would develop a framework for providing Irish language service to the public online, in person and on the phone. – PA
