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thelinguist.uberflip.com APRIL/MAY 2016 The Linguist 25 REVIEWS At this free half-day workshop, Begoña Rodríguez de Céspedes (University of Portsmouth) and Vicent Montalt (University of Jaune, Spain) gave an insight into the underlying academic principles of distance learning. There are many practical advantages: e-learning enables small classes where students can discuss their specialised learning needs; it is cost-effective and flexible; and the knowledge acquired is no less than that gained in traditional learning environments. Although participants do not meet regularly, they continuously support each other online. The European Commission's Translating Europe workshops are designed to address skills gaps in the language industry and make translation graduates more employable. Begoña and Vicent discussed best practice and innovative methods in lifelong learning, offering advice to universities, and analysing e-learning tools and resources. The second part of the seminar focused on practical issues, such as compiling your own manual, using moodle (a free open-source learning management system or e-learning platform) and participating in forums. Begoña and Vicent encouraged the linear approach to learning adopted by the DPSI (Diploma in Public Service Interpreting) online manual. This approach allows students to study one topic after another at a sensible pace, making the volume of information easier to absorb and less overwhelming. The topics might contain discussions, reading materials, sight translations, and translating exercises that are easy to upload and correct, as well as to evaluate on moodle. Dr Andrea Denby MCIL There was a time when national symbols, such as flags and anthems, were on the wane. This process was reversed thanks to the growth of sporting competitions, as well as political upheaval in many parts of the world. The response to the terrorist attacks in Paris showed how such affirmations of identity have become crucial in the minds of many people as a way of showing support for their country and demonstrating their opposition to what they view as alien ideas or peoples. National anthems have a more complex history than meets the eye. Who would know that God Save The Queen has been adopted by more than one country as its royal anthem – or that the tune is still used in Liechtenstein? Some anthems, such as The Star-Spangled Banner and Marseillaise have become iconic. Others, including the one written by the President of Kazakhstan, are less well known. As Alex Marshall notes in this fascinating book, anthems can be curiously controversial – take Japan's, which, although based on a seventh-century poem, has become enmeshed with the country's imperial past. Even odder, the tune was composed in 1869 by an Englishman who found himself in Yokohama forming a group of Japanese soldiers into a brass band. Most anthems, of course, have words – except for Spain's, due to a concern that people would object if their regional language was not included. The second verse of the British national anthem is no less uncomplimentary about the Scots than the rarely sung last three verses of The Star-Spangled Banner are about the British. On a more sinister note, Marshall discusses the anasheed jihadiya, which attach jihadi verses to classical Islamic poetry. Marshall has gone to enormous lengths, and travelled thousands of miles, to compile a quite remarkable array of information about the anthems of the world, ranging from Paraguay to Nepal. Republic or Death! is written more in the style of a travelogue than a serious documentary, but it gallops along with all the brio of the allegro movement of the Argentinian anthem. It is full of witty observations with a remarkable amount of detail, which makes for a very interesting read. Professor Tim Connell FCIL CIOL Vice-President Republic or Death! Travels in search of national anthems Alex Marshall Penguin Random House UK, 2015, 346pp; ISBN 9781847947413 Hardback, £14.99 Regional Workshop on e-Learning and Employability Translating Europe Europe House, London, 12 February P 1 G 2 M 3 S 4 F 5 A 6 S 7 O N A T A A 8 D I E U X L L R U A R L 9 E G O T 10 U N G S T E N R Y A C V M 11 A 12 D E I R A R 13 O B O T M S P 14 I K 15 A P U 16 T V 17 A M P 18 I R E R R E 19 P A D 20 I S A S T E R S 21 K A 22 T L L H I C R E 23 L N I N O K 24 H A K I S O C S A L A Crossword solution Puzzle, page 33 UÉÉ~áBxäxÇàá © EUROPEAN UNION , 2010/S TUART WILSON