The Linguist is a languages magazine for professional linguists, translators, interpreters, language professionals, language teachers, trainers, students and academics with articles on translation, interpreting, business, government, technology
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26 The Linguist MONTH/MONTH www.iol.org.uk FEATURES A new language learning tool based on an age-old idea is no flash in the pan, says Jessica Moore S ometimes, the simplest ideas are the best – and FlashSticks are a case in point. These sticky labels are designed to help language learners extend their vocabulary, gain confidence and improve their pronunciation. Packs are available in Spanish, French, German and Italian, with simple, high-frequency words – such as days of the week, colours and parts of the body – emblazoned on Post-it notes. 'It's about making words more present in people's everyday environment,' explains FlashSticks CEO, Veejay Lingiah. 'Some people label everything! The kettle, a cup, their socks… Others just put a selection of words up all around the bathroom mirror so they can learn while they're brushing their teeth.' FlashSticks (www.flash-sticks.com) is a young company, the brainchild of Lingiah and his school friend Richard Allen. It was Allen who first had the idea. While working in the technology sector, he found himself based in a business park in Spain. 'He naively thought that everyone would speak English in meetings. Of course, they didn't,' laughs Lingiah. In an effort to learn vocabulary quickly, Allen did what countless others have done before him: he wrote Spanish words on Post-it notes and stuck them around his hotel room. 'It frustrated him that there was nothing he could buy that was similar.' The pair sought to rectify that – but they needed help. 'Neither Richard nor I have a language background, so input from language teachers and feedback from our audience is critical,' Lingiah acknowledges. 'Language teachers at universities, primary school teachers, private tutors – they've all Making the words stick GOOD PRACTICE Caesar Hotel bar Vin chain revealing that just 40 percent of its UK staff were British nationals. 'The trends we've noticed from applicants, especially from the UK, is that people don't see our industry as a career choice,' said People Director Mike Williams at the time. Online appeal An indication of the importance it places on offering services in clients' languages, H10 has made its website available in six languages, including German, Italian and Catalan. Caesar Hotel is part of the Barcelona-based Derby Hotels group, which also offers six languages, while the website for Caesar is available in English, Spanish and French. It is no coincidence that if you enter 'hotel londres habla español' in Google, these websites are among the top results. They also feature highly on user review- based travel sites in those languages. Such websites have made it easier than ever for customers to share their opinions about products and services with others around the world, and they can have a big impact on companies in the tourist industry. Avoiding public online complaints must be a priority – and language skills can help, says Magdalena. 'If somebody has to complain and they know no one speaks their language, they won't complain at the front desk. As they know there's no one they can communicate with, they don't try,' he says. 'But they might write a comment on the internet. You read comments and they are not always fair, because maybe the guest didn't know that if they ask for a solution we can do something. We prefer to deal with them face-to-face.' Although my search for linguists working in British hospitality was frustrating, good- practice models do exist – in the capital, at least. We can only hope that, in a squeezed tourism industry, fierce competition and a ripple effect from the few hotels offering a good service will mean that more follow suit.