What Gets Lost Between Languages (Even When the English Is Near Perfect)
In multilingual research environments, “good English” is often seen as the end goal. If a paper reads fluently, clearly, and without obvious errors, it is usually considered ready. But fluency can be deceptive. Because what is lost in translation is not always visible in the final text. A sentence may be: while still failing to […]
What Reviewers Really Notice (Even If They Don’t Say It)
When a paper is reviewed, feedback usually focuses on the big things: methodology, argumentation, contribution. But smaller language issues often play a quieter role in how that work is perceived. Not necessarily consciously—and not always explicitly stated. A sentence that is slightly ambiguous.A claim that feels just a little too strong.An explanation that requires a […]
AI summaries – succinct but misleading?
A recent BBC News article highlighted a shift in how information is discovered online. Instead of lists of links, users are increasingly presented with AI-generated answers—summaries that extract and synthesise content from multiple sources. For researchers and academic institutions, this raises an important question: What happens when your work is no longer read in full—but […]
Fluent ≠ Precise: The Hidden Risk in Academic Writing
In academic writing, fluency is often taken as a sign of quality but….
When “Clear Enough” Isn’t Clear at All
In academic writing, clarity is often assumed rather than tested.
Lost in Translation: The Curious Language of Easter
Easter is not just a cultural and seasonal marker—it’s also a surprisingly rich linguistic landscape. Take the names of the days themselves. Good Friday is perhaps the most puzzling. Why “good” for such a solemn occasion? The term is thought to derive from an older meaning of good as “holy” or “pious”—a reminder that words […]
From Translation to Transcreation: How Our Role Has Evolved in the Age of AI
Not long ago, translation was a straightforward craft: taking words from one language and conveying their meaning in another, as faithfully as possible. Today, that landscape has changed beyond recognition. With machine translation (MT) systems and generative AI tools now capable of producing text in seconds, the human linguist’s role is no longer simply to […]
From Porridge to Panicky Horses
This blog looks at Slovak expressions and the importance of their human transcreation into the English equivalents.
AI-poetry: more human than human?
AI Poetry: Revolutionizing Perceptions of Creativity A groundbreaking study has revealed that AI-generated poetry is rated more favorably than classic works by human poets like Shakespeare or Dickinson. Non-expert readers were largely unable to distinguish AI poems from human-authored ones, with many perceiving AI creations as “more human than human.” The study found that AI […]
10 Tips for Stylish Writing to Attract Readers
Attracting a reader to your content is the first step. But how to keep them reading when they are on your webpage, blog, or reading your article or book? There are certain principles that I follow – which I developed when working on Google blogs for the US and UK market – that can give […]