The other day going through my grandparents’ books, one stood out among the rest. I don’t know whether it was because I was feeling nostalgic and homesick, but as soon as I saw the title ‘Rule Britannia’ I couldn’t get the patriotic melody by Thomas Arne out of my head. However, what drew my attention the most was that the book was written by Daphne du Maurier, mostly known for novels such as ‘Rebecca’, ‘My Cousin Rachel’, ‘The Birds’, etc….
«No foreign language, no matter how illustrious it may be, can express in our name the intimate feelings, the deep pains and the everlasting hopes of the Galician people; if we are still different and able to exist, it is only thanks to our language.» Castelao (1886-1950) Many people spend their entire lives looking for their sole purpose, yet I have come to understand that it is not something you chase; it is something or several things that…
When you’re in the middle of something, it’s actually hard to see how far you’ve come. Just remember that a little progress each day adds up to BIG results. I hope I have instilled some love for the English language and that you have gained some insight into how and why language matters in the football world. Cando estás no medio de algo, é difícil ver canto se progresou. Basta lembrar que un pouco de progreso cada día termina en…
With World Cup fever under way it’s easy to get carried away by our emotions and lose the plot of what’s really happening on the pitch, even more so with the media being more sensationalist than ever and letting their passion take over. As Jose Mourinho once said, “football is a game about feelings and intelligence,” so there’s no harm in watching the game and supporting your team with passion, but if you want to read the game, analyse what’s…
Funnily enough, the Spanish equivalent of this saying is «Más vale malo conocido que bueno por conocer» and it is widely used in Spain, hence, the lack of progress in many aspects of life. Language shapes the way we think and behave, so whenever a Spanish person faces a difficult choice, they tend to say to themselves, or others, «Better the Devil you know than the Devil you don’t» and end up choosing the safer option, even if it isn’t…