Metaglossia: The Translation World

European literary organizations see the Archipelagos project as a way to identify and promote translations from lesser-used languages.

 

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Europe’s ‘Archipelagos’ Project: Supporting Translators and Lesser-Used Languages

In News by Jaroslaw AdamowskiJune 16, 2025

 

European literary organizations see the Archipelagos project as a way to identify and promote translations from lesser-used languages.

 

Participants in a 2024 Berlin meeting of Ukrainian literature translators. Image: Atlas-CITL

 

By Jarosław Adamowksi | @JaroslawAdamows

 

Open for ‘Scouting Residency’ Applications

Today (June 16), a collective open call for scouting residencies for literary translators is announced by European literary organizations working to promote the Archipelagos project. The program is designed to unearth the diversity of literary voices in Europe by offering residencies to literary translators working in lesser-used languages.

Led by France’s Atlas-Citl (International College of Literary Translators), the Archipelagos project has eight main partners from seven countries. They work in 10 languages. There are four associated partners that support the project with dedicated activities such as a summer school for booksellers, seminars for librarians, and translation workshops.

 

The Archipelagos project will offer residencies over the next three years for more than 100 literary translators throughout Europe. There are also to be 10 translation workshops expected to attract as many as 150 participants.

 

The main partners of the project include:

 

Czechia’s Czechlit;

Bulgaria’s Next Page Foundation;

France’s IReMMO;

Germany’s Literarisches Colloquium Berlin;

Poland’s College of Eastern Europe;

Spain’s ACE Traductores; and

The Ukrainian Book Institute.

‘The Translator’s Scouting Activity’

Julie Duthey, who is responsible for communication at Atlas, tells Publishing Perspectives that the Archipelagos project was created to help develop linguistic diversity in Europe’s translated literature marketplace. The key goal is to highlight how literary translators facilitate the discovery of less translated literatures.

 

Julie Duthey

 

“Literature written in European languages other than English,” Duthey says, “is in the minority in this market. According to the Translators on the Cover report, around 60 percent of books translated each year into French, German, or Italian are translated out of English.

 

“A little-known and often unpaid part of the translator’s work consists of finding new voices,” she says, “by funding residencies dedicated to the translator’s scouting activity. Archipelagos recognizes and supports this research. We support translators from all over Europe in their scouting activity, offering them the opportunity to prepare a portfolio and build trusting relationships with publishers.”

 

During their residencies, the project’s participants can work on synopsis and translation excerpts of the books they discover, and their work can be found on the project’s site.

 

“The final beneficiaries of this program,” Duthey says, “are the publishers, who can raise what we call ‘unseen stories,’ giving visibility to diverse experiences of the world, and new perspectives.”

 

Atlas, the French organization, plays an overarching role in the project, according to Duthey

 

“As a lead partner,” she says, “we coordinate the project activities, communications, and deliverables with and for all partners. As one of the residency hosts, we provide successful candidates with an accommodation at the Collège International des Traducteurs Littéraires or elsewhere in Europe, depending on their project, and a bursary to cover their expenses.

 

“We bring together translators for translation and editorial workshops. We highlight their discoveries through public readings and a podcast series.”

 

‘Empowering Translators as Scouts and Connectors’

Established in 2024, Archipelagos is a three-year project. Between 2024 and 2026, the initiative is expected to support more than 25 European languages, through its scouting residencies and workshops.

 

Monica Dimitrova

 

Monica Dimitrova, the communications manager at Next Page Foundation, tells Publishing Perspectives that Archipelagos is “more than a literary project. It’s a cultural act of resistance against linguistic marginalization and a step toward a more inclusive, interconnected European identity through literature.

 

“By empowering translators as scouts and connectors, it not only uncovers new literary treasures but also builds lasting bridges between communities, languages, and readers.”

 

Some of the planned professional and public events to be held this year and in 2026 include: a workshop for translators translating from Lithuanian planned for October in Vilnius; and Adab, a festival on Arabic literatures in December in Paris.

 

“Our next big step is the last open call for a scouting residency in 2026,” Duthey says. “Translators will be able to apply until October 5. Literary translators from across Europe can apply for residencies.”"

https://publishingperspectives.com/2025/06/europes-archipelagos-project-supporting-translators-and-lesser-used-languages/

#metaglossia_mundus

"Speech recognition for interpreters

20/09/2025

 

On Saturday September 20, 2025 Josh Goldsmith, from Techforword, will be giving a one day training on “Speech recognition for interpreters”.

 

 

 

Here are the details:

 

 

Date:                Saturday, September 20, 2025 from 09:00 to 17:30.

 

Location:         Novotel Geneva, Rue Zurich 19, 1201 Geneva

 

Trainer:            Josh Goldsmith

 

Training:         Speech recognition for interpreters (see description below)

 

Participants:  20  (maximum number of participants)

 

Registration fee:

Members of AIIC: CHF 100.00 (EURO - 107.00)

Non-members: CHF 200.00 (EURO - 214.00)

 

 

About this event

Unlock the power of speech recognition and elevate your interpreting skills in this dynamic full-day workshop. Numbers, dates, names, and terminology can be particularly tricky, but cutting-edge AI tools can ease the stress, allowing you to focus on delivering top-quality interpreting. Through hands-on training, you'll explore the best speech recognition solutions for online and onsite meetings, simultaneous and consecutive settings. Get ready to test-drive industry-leading tools, refine your techniques, and gain practical insights

tailored to the needs of interpreters. Join us and discover how AI-driven speech recognition can transform the way you work!

 

About the trainer : Josh Goldsmith

Josh Goldsmith is a UN- and EU-accredited translator and interpreter and AIIC member working from Spanish, French, Italian, Portuguese and Catalan into English. He splits his time between interpreting, translating, and working as a trainer and researcher focusing on the intersection between interpreting, technology and education. As Founder and Geek-In-Chief at techforword, Josh shares tips about technology, translation and interpreting in conferences and workshops, academic articles, the AI in Translation and AI in Interpreting Summits, and at techforword insiders, the premier online community for tech-savvy language professionals.

 

Speech recognition for interpreters

Full-day workshop

Numbers, dates, names and terminology can be especially challenging for interpreters.

But cutting-edge speech recognition tools can help to decrease the stress around numbers and terminology so you can focus on delivering higher-quality interpreting.

 

Join us for this hands-on workshop and explore the ins and outs of speech recognition in interpreting.

 

After this session, you’ll know how to:

● Set up speech recognition for online and onsite meetings

● Pick which speech recognition tool to use

● Use speech recognition in simultaneous and consecutive settings

 

You’ll also get a sneak peak of the newest speech-recognition-powered approach to interpreting, Sight-Consec.

 

Session overview

● Part 1: Introduction to speech recognition

● How speech recognition works

● Sight translation vs interpreting

● Part 2: “Generic” speech recognition tools

● Built-in captions in Zoom and other online meeting platforms

● Market overview: Otter, Web Captioner, and other speech recognition tools

● Deep dive: Maestra Web Captioner for speech recognition in 20+ languages

● Pros and cons of working from a running transcript

● Part 3: Audio routing

● Software for audio routing in remote meetings

● Hardware for audio routing in onsite meetings

● Part 4: Speech recognition tools for interpreters

● The 3 major players: CymoNote, InterpretBank, and SmarTerp

● Speech recognition for numbers

● Speech recognition for named entities

● Speech recognition for terminology

● Force replace

● Part 5: Sight-Consec: Combining speech recognition with note-taking

● How to go from sight translation to Sight-Consec

● Bilingual Sight-Consec with CymoNote

● Automated consecutive note-taking with speech recognition

● How to annotate transcripts while interpreting to boost your interpreting

● What to note down – and what to leave out – in Sight-Consec

● Part 6: The future of speech recognition-enabled interpreting

● Recap: Pros and cons of speech recognition

● What does the future hold?

 

The interactive training will include ample time for hands-on testing of tools and discussion of speech recognition.

 

Please bring a laptop and a headset or USB microphone + headphones. You can also bring a tablet and stylus if you have one.

 

All tools that will be covered include a free trial.

 

Please note:

This proposal is subject to change depending on developments in artificial intelligence.

 

Nevertheless, the session will provide an overview of the most cutting-edge AI-powered tools for interpreters based on available applications, and will include examples that specifically cater to the interpreting contexts and languages used in Switzerland. Please note that the trainer speaks English, French, Spanish, Italian, and Portuguese and can also provide examples in German and Arabic.

 

For registration please send an email to Melanie Klemm at training-ch@aiic.org.

https://aiic.at/client/event/roster/eventRosterDetails.html?productId=746&eventRosterId=9

#metaglossia_mundus

"NCAC: National Language Policy Development Takes Shape with Focus on Minority Languages

As part of its mandate as the National Focal Point for National Languages, the National Centre for Arts and Culture (NCAC) on Tuesday, 20th May 2025, convened a daylong stakeholder workshop focused on the role, contributions, and expectations of minority languages within the emerging National Language Policy.

The workshop, held at the NCAC’s RDD Annex along Kairaba Avenue, was supported by the African Union’s Academy of Languages (ACALAN) and brought together a diverse group of academic and cultural stakeholders.

Key issues discussed included the expectations from a National Language Policy, the potential contributions of minority languages to enrich such a policy, and the challenges and threats facing these languages, challenges the policy aims to address. The forum provided a platform to strategize on the valorization, preservation, and promotion of The Gambia’s national languages.

In his opening remarks, NCAC Director General Hassoum Ceesay commended the participants for their strong response to the centre’s invitation, describing it as a clear sign of their commitment to shaping a National Language Policy Document by mid-2025.

DG Ceesay highlighted that the development of the National Language Policy is funded by ACALAN, a specialized agency of the African Union responsible for the implementation of the Language Plan of Action for Africa (LPAA).

He emphasized that the policy should be inclusive and empowering, reflecting the linguistic diversity of The Gambia.

“Our national languages are rich and hold significant potential for national development. Unfortunately, they remain underutilized. This policy will explore ways to empower, promote, and preserve them,” he stated.

Since the program’s inception in The Gambia in 2023, the NCAC has conducted several activities to raise awareness and advance the drafting of the policy. These include training sessions, sensitization workshops, and creative initiatives such as commissioning a kora maestro to compose a song celebrating national languages.

Speaking at the forum, Mr. Nana Grey-Johnson of the University of The Gambia described the workshop as timely and significant, noting that the eventual National Language Policy will be a major milestone in the country’s cultural and linguistic development.

“This initiative deserves commendation,” he added, thanking the NCAC for taking on the responsibility of coordinating the project on behalf of ACALAN."

By: Yunus S. Saliu
thevoice
14 hours ago
https://www.voicegambia.com/2025/05/23/ncac-national-language-policy-development-takes-shape-with-focus-on-minority-languages/?amp=1
#metaglossia_mundus

"The Dublin City University Centre for Translation and Textual Studies hosted more than 100 research, practitioners and students from over 15 countries as part of the conference.

 

The topics up for discussion included ranged from machine translation, localisation, and accessibility to translation ethics, literary and audiovisual translation, and the role of translators in times of crisis.

 

 

 

 

The two day conference featured high-level contributions, including opening addresses from Professor Derek Hand, Dean of the Faculty of Humanities and Social Sciences, and Professor Michael Cronin of Trinity College Dublin. A key highlight was the Translating Europe Workshop, supported by the European Commission, which offered vital insights into the future of translation policy in Europe. Organized by the Centre for Translation and Textual Studies, the event provided a crucial platform for advancing research and fostering global dialogue in the field of translation and interpreting.  

 

 

 

 

The theme of the conference, which included a European Commission 'Translating Europe', was 'Challenges in Translation and Interpreting'. In an increasingly globalized and interconnected world, the fields of translation and translation studies face unprecedented challenges. This conference examined the complexities and evolving demands of translation in contemporary society, where technological advancements, cultural diversity, ethical considerations, and global crises converge.

 

 

 

 

The conference also featured a dynamic format including 10 minute 'Rapid Fire' presentations designed to set the ground for discussions, 1 hour Hot Topics roundtable discussions, and Hot off the Press presentations of recently published papers."

 

22/05/2025

 

Research news - TSNI conference 2025

 

https://www.dcu.ie/humanities-and-social-sciences/news/2025/may/dcu-research-centres-hosts-translation-studies-network

 

#metaglossia_mundus 

"‘Universities have to become agents of social transformation’

Eve Ruwoko  22 May 2025

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“Universities must move beyond their conventional roles as knowledge providers to become agents of societal transformation. This involves engaging in transdisciplinary research, forming community partnerships, and aligning their missions with global and regional development goals such as the Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and [the African Union’s] Agenda 2063.

 

“ ‘The university we want’ is one that co-creates knowledge with society, addresses pressing challenges in collaboration with communities, and plays a proactive role in shaping equitable and sustainable futures,” Professor Birgit Schreiber told about 30 institutional leaders, including vice-chancellors, deputy vice-chancellors, academic managers and higher education policy-makers from the Southern African Development Community, in Lusaka, Zambia.

 

“Universities are now collaborative spaces, and they are now responsive to and engage more with communities. They want to make their research societally impactful and, therefore, the university renews itself, and becomes a partner in knowledge creation,” said Schreiber, who is the Southern African Regional Universities Association (SARUA) strategic lead on leadership and professional development.

 

 

 

She was speaking at a SARUA pre-conference workshop themed, ‘Leading Higher Education in Africa: Navigating with Impact’, in Lusaka.

 

Schreiber highlighted that, in an era marked with “wicked problems”, higher education institutions across Africa needed to reimagine their roles, reconfigure their systems, and embrace transformative leadership as a critical driver of change, impact and continued relevance.

 

She noted that university leaders must take up the responsibility to address existing challenges such as ethical decision-making, resource constraints, globalisation, social justice, and shifting societal needs by cultivating a forward-thinking approach and leveraging collective strategies to meet institutional and continental goals.

 

 

 

Transformative leadership

 

Leadership development, which has been identified as a key factor in achieving transformative change globally, has also been instrumental in enabling African universities to achieve their institutional purpose that contributes towards their national and regional socio-economic and developmental goals.

 

“To lead effectively in uncertain times, universities must build their capacity for collective democratic and equitable action and strategic foresight. This involves dismantling hierarchical approaches to addressing problems, exploring future scenarios, assessing risks and opportunities, and designing flexible strategies that can adapt to shifting conditions. Foresight empowers leaders to transition from reactive problem-solving to proactive visioning,” Schreiber noted.

 

 

 

“At the heart of transformation lie outdated institutional cultures. Leaders must nurture cultures that support equity, trust, learning and collaboration. Change is not simply imposed; it is cultivated through relationships, shared experiences, and collective reflection.

 

“In culturally diverse settings, intercultural communication and adaptability become essential leadership competencies. Understanding the nuances of high-context and low-context communication is critical to building cohesive teams and inclusive environments,” she explained.

 

Transformation within and beyond universities

 

She emphasised that traditional leadership models centred on control, hierarchy and stability were ill-equipped to address today’s challenges. However, leadership models rooted in equality, integrity, collaboration, and the courage to drive deep, systemic change towards social justice were now crucial.

 

Effective change management included risk-taking, community engagement, and anticipation of setbacks, underpinned by effective communication and value alignment.

 

Transformative change within universities would not be achieved through isolated interventions, but through systemic change which requires a re-evaluation of power structures, a dismantling of hierarchical governance models, and promoting relevant and engaged pedagogical approaches.

 

Mobilising internal and external stakeholders, cascading values into the system, identifying and elevating champions, upskilling staff, mitigating resistance, anticipating setbacks and managing risks were essential aspects of navigating with impact to achieve transformation within and beyond universities.

 

Schreiber pointed out that many African universities were applying good leadership practices to strengthen their institutions. There were examples in Zambia and Zimbabwe where leadership practices helped to achieve institutional goals, despite challenging conditions such as power cuts, minimal salaries and limited government funding.

 

Professor Paul Gundani, vice-chancellor of the Zimbabwe Open University (ZOU), who was part of the workshop, told University World News that it was essential “that we move away from power hierarchies towards a democratisation of knowledge, where universities become the driver of creating a better life for all”.

 

In response to Schreiber’s call that universities should be drivers of societal change, Gundani said: “Africa needs to redesign the concept of a university with a new approach that is not borrowed from the North and universities must allow students to develop a whole new view of life – and create community wealth instead of just wanting to be employed.”

 

Aligning the institution with social needs and adopting an engaged pedagogical approach, students and faculty members at ZOU have created short courses using the most pressing issues within surrounding communities, such as drug and substance abuse, financial literacy and learning in the digital age.

 

“These courses cut across different disciplines and are being created to help communities understand their own lives and this is done in partnership with our universities,” he said.

 

In addition to highlighting the inclusion of students in the designing of coursework, Gundani stressed that this initiative also confirmed the importance of lifelong learning and of democratisation of technologies.

 

To achieve this through teaching and learning, ease of access was being created through online applications such as YouTube and WhatsApp."

https://www.universityworldnews.com/post-mobile.php?story=20250522061748296

#metaglossia_mundus

'You can't reproduce the language, but you can reproduce the effect it has on you when you read it'

 

"MAY 21, 2025

May 20, 2025 | Jaclyn Severance

 

Beautiful Choices: UConn Makes Its Mark on the World of Literary Translation

'You can't reproduce the language, but you can reproduce the effect it has on you when you read it'

 

 

 

 

 

On its face, the idea of translating a piece of literature from one language to another seems simple.

 

The English word “cat,” for instance, is chat when translated into French. In Spanish, it’s gato. In Turkish, it’s kedi. In Russian, it’s kot.

 

But with most forms of literature, the reality of translation is not so simple.

 

“There’s this equivalency assumption – that I can make an equivalent in the language that I am translating into,” says Catherine Keough, a literary translator and graduate student in UConn’s Department of English.

 

“But once someone starts engaging with the practice of translation, it becomes so clear that every single move that the translator is making to shift this text into the language they’re working in is a choice,” Keough says.

 

Choosing to put one word next to another can change that first word’s meaning.

 

Adding a third word into the mix can complicate things even further.

 

When it comes to a literary form like poetry, there’s also sometimes rhyme to contend with. And rhythm. And attitude.

 

A poem has tone. A poet instills a mood into the language they choose – it’s light, or it’s dark, or it’s somewhere in between. It could be humorous, or joyful, or sad, or none of those things, or all of those things, depending on choice.

 

A chosen phrase, the juxtaposition of words – it’s all done deliberately to convey something.

 

And when those phrases and words are crafted in Mandarin Chinese, or Arabic, or Hindi, the emotions they evoke and the cultural context they reflect typically don’t just translate word-for-word into another language, like English.

 

 

 

 

 

“Whether we’re focusing on the meaning, or the sound, or the rhythm, or the rhyme, or any of the formal features of the writing, every time we make one of those choices, we’re automatically making other choices impossible,” explains Christopher Clarke, a literary translator; visiting assistant professor in UConn’s Department of Literatures, Cultures, and Languages; and editor of World Poetry Review, UConn’s literary translation journal.

 

Because of this complexity, because of the myriad choices each translator must make when attempting to translate a text, translating poetry is as much of a skill and an art as writing original poetry itself.

 

And for the last nine years, UConn’s program in literary translation has been teaching hundreds of graduate and undergraduate students how to undertake translations – and how to do them well.

 

From Pond Hockey to Hockey East

 

Established in 2016, UConn’s program in literary translation has at times had as many as 125 undergraduate and 20 graduate students participating in its minor in literary translation and graduate certificate programs, respectively, or just taking the program’s course offerings as electives.

 

One year, Clarke noted, he had nearly 20 different languages in the undergraduate classroom at once – something that makes UConn’s program somewhat unique compared to others in the U.S.

 

“It is a multilingual workshop environment – everyone comes in with whatever other language they work with, and we build around that,” he says. “There are a few others like this in the country, but not many.”

 

Students in the program range from native bilingual speakers, to new learners of a foreign language, to creative writers looking for new techniques for expression, and they all share one common language to work toward: English.

 

They’re taught the tools and techniques for selecting, translating, and pitching translations, with many students publishing their work in literary journals or going on to pursue book-length translation projects.

 

“World Literature Today, one of the most respected international magazines in the field, has ranked us ‘among the finest translation programs in the world,’” notes Peter Constantine, a professor, literary translator, and editor and the director of UConn’s literary translation program. “This recognition reflects the impressive number of translations and peer-reviewed articles our undergrad and grad students have published, along with the prestigious awards and grants they’ve earned, including the NEA and PEN/Heim translation grants.”

 

World Poetry Review, the biannual literary journal founded in 2017 and based in UConn’s literary translation program, is just one of many outlets for literary translators seeking to have their work published.

 

And while it’s still a relative newcomer in a field that looks significantly different outside of the U.S. – only approximately 3% of all books in the United States are works in translation, compared to 45% in France and even greater numbers in other countries, according to Clarke – World Poetry Review is making its mark in the literary translation world.

 

 

(Word Poetry Review)

Four translations included in the journal’s Issue 10 were longlisted this spring for inclusion in the “Best Literary Translations” anthology, published annually by Deep Vellum.

 

One translation – Kate Deimling’s translation of six poems by the French poet Gabriel Zimmerman – will be included in the anthology’s 2026 edition.

 

The four longlisted works – translations from Deimling, Samuel Martin, Heather Green, and recent UConn alumna Zeynep Özer ’24 MA – competed amongst 400 submissions for inclusion in the anthology, a competition Constantine described as “particularly intense, as the anthology chooses the best translations of poetry, short fiction, and essays, drawn from U.S. literary journals and magazines.”

 

The 2026 anthology will mark the second time that a translation from World Poetry Review has been included in “Best Literary Translations.” The 2025 edition included work by the contemporary poet Yordan Eftimov translated from Bulgarian by Jonathan Dunne. UConn graduate student Xin Xu’s ’23 Ph.D. translation of the Chinese poet Yuan Yongping was longlisted that year.

 

For UConn’s literary translation journal and program, it isn’t quite the equivalent of winning the World Series or the Stanley Cup.

 

But it’s recognition that the program has grown significantly from the humble beginnings of skates on a pond to a team of real players in a growing and dynamic international field.

 

“It’s like if our team was invited to join a popular conference – like if suddenly World Poetry Review got to play in Hockey East,” says Clarke, the journal’s editor. “The bonus for us is that we will have work published next to work from other better-known journals or long-established journals, and our name listed among these many important other publications.”

 

Is the Original Beautiful? Is Yours?

 

There’s no golden rule on the kinds of translations that get accepted to journals like World Poetry Review, explains Clarke.

 

Texts can be contemporary or historical. Translators can be new to the field or established.

 

Every issue is different, though Clarke tries to curate his issues around submissions that complement each other in some way.

 

“We just launched Issue 11, and we’d received a really great submission of contemporary Ukrainian poetry, written in Ukrainian,” Clarke says. “And then, as counterpoint, I had another submission of Ukrainian poetry written in Russian. And then, as a late submission that I also really liked, we had some poetry from Russia, in Russian, and I thought it was a really interesting mix of aesthetic and political commentary to run the three together at the same time.”

 

The journal also launched a bonus dossier featuring 14 different translations of the 1926 poem “J’ai tant rêvé de toi” by the French poet Robert Desnos – a striking example of how each translator’s individual choices can impact the way a reader experiences the original text.

 

“I tell our students: You can translate this, and it might mean the same thing, but ask yourself, is the poem in the original language beautiful? Is yours?” Clarke says. “And if they aren’t both, then you’re doing a disservice and it’s not a good translation, even if it’s very accurate.

 

“You have to translate the way you react to it, and really what you’re trying to reproduce is not the language – because you can’t reproduce the language, you’re using different tools. But you can reproduce the effect that it has on you when you read it.”

 

World Poetry Review will have an open call for submissions for its next issue in August 2025 – an opportunity for both established and upcoming translators, including UConn students, to compete for a space that’s quickly become notable in the field.

 

“Competition for publication in World Poetry Review is considerable,” says Constantine. “World Poetry Review is not a student publication, but it has included outstanding translations by both UConn undergraduate and graduate students, work that holds its own beside that of widely published literary translators.”

 

That includes work like alumnus Michal Ciebielski’s ’20 (ENG, CLAS) translation of Grzegorz Kwiatkowski, which set off a remarkable career for the contemporary Polish poet, according to Constantine.

 

“Thanks to Michal’s translations, Kwiatkowski’s work was discovered outside Poland, leading to versions in German, French, Greek, and Slovene,” Constantine says.

 

“It’s a reminder of how literary translators can open doors and shape careers for the writers they translate, and it’s especially rewarding to see one of our own undergraduates play such a part.”

 

Issue 12 of World Poetry Review will launch in October."

https://today.uconn.edu/2025/05/beautiful-choices-uconn-makes-its-mark-on-the-world-of-literary-translation/

#metaglossia_mundus

"From 15-16 May the Council of Europe partial agreement, the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML), hosted the “Unlocking educational opportunities in sign languages in Europe” (DeafSign) workshop at its premises in Graz, Austria. The event brought together international experts, policy makers and professionals from 25 European countries, all committed to fostering access to education for vulnerable deaf learners - including deaf signers with refugee and immigrant backgrounds, deaf children and their families and heritage signers.

Participants reviewed key findings of a Europe-wide survey comprising over 160 responses from contributors in the education and deaf communities, with the aim of developing guidelines, recommendations, and practical resources for early childhood and adult education sectors.

Among the recommendations discussed at the workshop was the call for deaf-led organisations and deaf experts – especially those with diverse backgrounds – to be meaningfully involved from the outset in developing sign language learning opportunities and assessment tools. Participants also worked on drafting key resources – including a set of recommendations for policy makers to support quality sign language education.

The DeafSign project (2024–2027) is part of the ECML’s current programme, “Language education at the heart of democracy” which focuses on inclusion, quality education, and active democratic participation through language learning. It aligns with recent developments such as the publication of the International Sign Language version of the CEFR (Common European Framework of Reference for Languages) Companion Volume – a milestone that strengthens the visibility and recognition of sign languages across Europe. DeafSign carries forward earlier initiatives in this field and reflects the ECML’s continued commitment to supporting sign language learning as part of its broader mission to promote quality language education across Europe."
19 MAY 2025
https://www.coe.int/fr/web/portal/-/workshop-in-graz-unlocks-educational-opportunities-for-sign-languages-in-europe
#metaglossia_mundus

"How AI could help safeguard Indigenous languages
Published: May 11, 2025 2.11pm SAST
Anna Luisa Daigneault, Université de Montréal
https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-help-safeguard-indigenous-languages-255359

If there are few speakers left of a language, how does a community revive it? In our current era, 3,000 languages are at risk of extinction due to the pressures of colonization, globalization, forced cultural assimilation, environmental devastation and other factors.

According to Canada’s Commission for Indigenous Languages, “research shows that no Indigenous language in Canada is safe and that all are in varying stages of endangerment.”

Our society is also being shaped by the rapid rise of artificial intelligence. Can AI be used for the benefit of Indigenous language survival in Canada and elsewhere?

According to the World Economic Forum, most AI chatbots are trained on 100 of the world’s 7,000 languages. English is the main driver of most large language models.

This scenario leaves the bulk of the world’s languages in the dust. In the coming years, will AI contribute to language revitalization, or language oppression?

A language in a box
In a 2023 TEDx talk, Northern Cheyenne computer engineer Michael Running Wolf shared his design of a cedar box that looks both ancient and contemporary. He described the dragonfly-adorned device as a “cedar-enclosed, offline Edge AI that contains the inner workings of a minimal voice-based language curricula — in other words, a language in a box.”

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He proposed that conversational AI technology, much like Amazon Alexa or Google Home, could help language learners improve their fluency.

Running Wolf is the technical director of the First Languages AI Reality initiative at the Québec Institute for Artificial Intelligence. The program propels Indigenous scholars and technologists towards creating innovative solutions regarding language loss.

A TEDx Talk by Michael Running Wolf on how AI can assist Indigenous langauge learning.
Voice-controlled tools trained via machine learning could serve as AI assistants for speakers who wish to hear unfamiliar sounds pronounced accurately, and practice their own pronunciation. This technology could establish a new means for facilitating oral transmission, which is crucial when there are few fluent speakers left.

At the heart of Running Wolf’s project is Indigenous data sovereignty, which ensures that Indigenous people retain control over their data.

A place in the digital world
Around the world in the Philippines, AI scholar and politician Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo is on a quest to support the Indigenous languages of her home country. She created NightOwlGPT, a new AI-powered translation app.

In an email to me, Lamentillo wrote:

“In the Philippines alone, we are working on nine languages, many of which are endangered. Our goal is to ensure that these languages — not just the dominant ones — have a place in the digital world.”

NightOwlGPT creator Anna Mae Yu Lamentillo. (Arwin Doloricon)
We have seen that in the hands of the powerful, AI software can lead to oppressive forms of control, such as excessive AI-powered surveillance by Amazon and the U.S. government’s unethical data mining tactics.

When it comes to the survival or extinction of languages, it is important to question the power behind AI tools. Who controls them, and who benefits from them?

When I asked about the democratization of AI, Lamentillo noted the need for inclusivity:

“AI’s rapid advancement could parallel historical patterns of colonization. If AI is truly a black swan event — a disruptive moment in history — then what happens when 99 per cent of languages are left behind? This is more than just a linguistic issue; it’s a serious matter of accessibility, representation and digital equity.

If we don’t change who is leading AI development, we risk creating a new form of colonization — one where only a small fraction of the world has the tools to thrive.”

Diversity of voices

Linguistics professor Emmanuel Ngué Um. (Emmanuel Ngué Um)
At a recent workshop series on endangered languages, Emmanuel Ngué Um, a professor of linguistics at the University of Yaoundé I in Cameroon, spoke on behalf of a research team of African linguists.

They are currently using Mozilla’s Common Voice platform to create open-source datasets containing thousands of words and audio recordings in 31 African languages.

The platform aims to make speech recognition and voice-based AI more inclusive by crowd-sourcing a massively multilingual speech corpus. But this process is not without significant challenges in Africa.

Ngué Um noted that building datasets for languages with many dialects is not straightforward. There may not be a standardized spelling or pronunciation that should be used by AI as the accepted norms for the language.

Because of postcolonial changes, many African languages do not have one unified or agreed-upon writing system. This issue can slow the creation of teaching tools, but many local efforts backed by UNESCO are underway to change this.

So, how do automatic speech recognition tools deal with dialectical diversity? And how do text-to-speech models handle competing writing systems?

As Ngué Um wrote in an email to me:

“AI has been instrumental in delivering services that applied linguists have promised but are slow to deliver. This is not due to a lack of will or means on the part of linguists, but rather, because of the linguistic reality in Africa.

Despite the impact of colonization and the imposition of a monolithic ideal on language reality, Africa reflects the plurality, fluidity and resourcefulness that drive human communication…If AI is informed by these intricacies at all phases of its implementation, it will adequately address the diversity of voices…in Africa.”

It is clear that AI engineers and computational linguists need to integrate thoughtful approaches that take into account unique circumstances of languages.

In the not-too-distant future, using AI tools to learn and communicate in under-resourced languages may become the norm. However, that shift depends on financial backing, accurate training data for machine learning, and community desire to embrace AI. Ultimately, data sovereignty and equitable access must be at the core of AI tools."
https://theconversation.com/how-ai-could-help-safeguard-indigenous-languages-255359
#metaglossia_mundus

"Unlocking educational opportunities in sign languages in Europe

ECML hosts DeafSign workshop in Graz

 

 

 

 

 

From 15-16 May 2025 the European Centre for Modern Languages (ECML) hosted a two-day workshop as part of its ongoing project “Unlocking educational opportunities in sign languages in Europe” (DeafSign). The event brought together international experts, policy makers and professionals from 25 countries across Europe, all committed to fostering access to education for vulnerable deaf learners – including deaf signers with refugee and immigration backgrounds, deaf children and their families, and heritage signers.

 

Building on a Europe-wide survey with over 160 responses from contributors in the education and deaf communities, participants reviewed key findings and collaborated to develop guidelines, recommendations, and practical resources for early childhood and adult education sectors. Among the recommendations discussed in the workshop was the call for deaf-led organisations and deaf experts – especially those with diverse backgrounds such as refugee or immigrant experiences – to be meaningfully involved from the very beginning in developing sign language learning opportunities and assessments for deaf learners.

 

The DeafSign project (2024–2027) is part of the ECML’s current programme, “Language education at the heart of democracy”, which focuses on inclusion, quality education, and active democratic participation through language learning. It aligns with recent developments such as the International Sign Language version of the CEFR Companion Volume – a milestone that strengthens the visibility and recognition of sign languages across Europe.

 

The workshop took place at the ECML in Graz, Austria, and facilitated collaboration across sectors and countries. Participants worked on drafting key resources – including a set of recommendations for policy makers, and outlines for future outputs aimed at supporting quality sign language education.

 

While DeafSign represents a new step forward, it builds on earlier initiatives in this field and reflects the ECML’s continued commitment to supporting sign language learning as part of its broader mission to promote quality language education across Europe.

 

Learn more by visiting the DeafSign project website or the ECML’s thematic area on sign languages."

 

Author: Stefanie Plut/16 May 2025

https://www.ecml.at/en/News/ArtMID/2176/ArticleID/2967/Unlocking-educational-opportunities-in-sign-languages-in-Europe

#metaglossia_mundus

"The 10,000-word Science, Technical, and General English-Tamil Dictionary, compiled by Thiru. Perumal Thirumavalavan, was officially launched at a grand event attended by over 300 people at the Soma Auditorium, Malaysia. The dictionary is the result of more than a decade of meticulous work by the author, who compiled newly created Tamil terms into this comprehensive volume.
The event commenced with a traditional Nadaswaram performance by Isaikalaivani Selvi Anjali Kathiravan, founder of Agaram Tamil Isai Palli, accompanied by Thiru Yugarasan on the Thavil. A video speech by Dr. Sachithanandam, Director of Education and Founder of the International Institute of Higher Education, Tamil Studies, Paris, was screened, in which he shared insights on the importance of the dictionary and its role in Tamil linguistic development. Additionally, an awareness video featuring two students advocating for the importance of speaking in Tamil was also screened, emphasizing the need to preserve and promote the language.
The book launch was presided over by Dato Sri Saravanan, Member of Parliament for Tapah, who formally released the dictionary. As a special gesture, he personally handed copies to attendees who purchased the book. The book was brought to the stage in a palanquin procession, accompanied by children dressed as revered Tamil scholars Tolkappiyar, Thiruvalluvar, Paavanar, and Maraimalai Adigalar, symbolizing the rich heritage of the Tamil language.
Dato P. Sahadevan, former Deputy Minister of Health, and Dato Tan Sri Kumaran of the National Land Financial Co-operative Society Limited, delivered congratulatory addresses.
Dr. Mei Chitra, President of the Tamil Heritage Movement, Hong Kong, and a co-participant in the Tamil terminology workshop with the author, delivered an appreciation speech highlighting the significance of the dictionary. Tamil researcher Thiru Tamilmurasu recited a poem dedicated to the author's contributions, while Thirukkural researcher Thiru C. P. Annadurai presented a detailed book review.
The event also honored prominent figures in Tamil education in Malaysia, including Thiru Munuswamy, Thiru Mannar Mannan, Thiru Iniyan, and Dato Dr. N.S. Rajendran, for their invaluable contributions.
The author, Thiru R. Thirumavalavan, who also serves as the National Head of Malaysia Tamil Neri Kazhagam, delivered the acceptance speech and vote of thanks. Thiru Kanalveeran, General Secretary of Malaysia Tamil Neri Kazhagam, welcomed the gathering, while Thiru Maheswaran coordinated the event.
- Our Overseas Reporter Dr. Chitra"

#metaglossia_mundus 

"Srinagar, Mar 2: To advance research in Indian-language-to-Indian-language (IL-IL) machine translation, the University of Kashmir (KU), in collaboration with the International Institute of Information Technology (IIIT-Hyderabad), organised a four-day workshop on Developing IL-IL Benchmark Data at the varsity from February 25 to 28.
The workshop, part of the HIMANGY (Hindustani Machini Anuvaad Technology) consortium under the broader BHASHINI Project funded by the Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology (MeitY), Government of India, aimed to create benchmark datasets for enhancing machine translation accuracy in multiple Indian languages, including Hindi, Telugu, Kashmiri, Kannada, Gujarati, Sindhi, Dogri, Odia, Punjabi, Urdu, and English.
Vice Chancellor KU, Prof. Nilofer Khan, in her remarks, highlighted the significance of the initiative in strengthening AI-driven language technologies. “Developing robust benchmark datasets is crucial for improving machine translation systems and fostering linguistic inclusivity in the digital era. This initiative aligns with the university’s commitment to interdisciplinary research in Artificial Intelligence and Natural Language Processing,” she said. Prof. Dipti Mishra from IIIT-Hyderabad, emphasized the importance of building strong linguistic benchmarks to support digital inclusivity for Indian languages. “Ensuring representation of diverse languages in machine translation will bridge communication gaps and make digital content more accessible,” she noted.
Prof. Aadil Amin Kak, Department of Linguistics KU, stressed on the workshop’s role in ensuring greater visibility for Kashmiri in the digital space and said that such initiatives would help break linguistic barriers and enhance communication across different language communities. The event saw the participation of 70 researchers from leading institutions across India, including IIT-Patna, Punjabi University-Patiala, IIIT-Bhubaneswar, CDAC-Noida, University of Hyderabad, DAIICT-Ahmedabad, and GCW-Jammu. Experts engaged in collaborative efforts to refine machine translation models, ensuring better accuracy and effectiveness in Indian language processing."
https://risingkashmir.com/ku-hosts-workshop-on-language-machine-translation/
#metaglossia_mundus

"February 7, 2025 - The Language Center, the Office of International Student Life (ISL) and the Writing Center have recently begun collaborating on a student-led project to produce a contribution-based annual zine with submissions in languages other than English. The zine, titled “In Other Words,” will be published annually. Each submission will be printed in its original language along with a translation in English, so readers can appreciate the writer’s work whether or not they speak the language in which it was written. The project is in its pilot year and has been spearheaded by Cici Wang ’26, Taisei Pinc ’28 and Yiming Ma ’27. 

The endeavor began when Wang, an ISL peer leader, and Ma approached Kristen Vogel, the assistant director of the writing center and the coordinator of multilingual writing support, with their idea to put together a publication in various languages. 

“I invited Yiming to do a panel for our writing consultants to help understand international students and their writing experience on campus,” Vogel said. “He was thinking about it, and he was thinking about a friend [Wang] that he had who feels like she loses her ability to express herself in Chinese at Carleton — like she loses part of herself sometimes. She wants to be expressive, but she has no outlet.”

From there, Amy Hutchinson, the director of the language center, and Liz Cody, the director of international student life, joined the project. 

“I just happened to have a meeting with ISL and the multilingual writing coordinator to talk about ways we can collaborate because we have a similar student body and similar purposes on campus. [Kristen] brought up this zine and both Liz Cody and I were extremely excited,” Hutchinson said.

Hutchinson and the language center staff were excited to join the project, as the zine would allow multilingual students as well as language learners at Carleton to have an outlet to share their creative and linguistic skills in another language.

“The zine fit well within what we do in the language center, and in some way, we represent the language [JUMP]learners on campus, people who may be a little bit more apprehensive about submitting because they are not fluent, but we are really trying to get everyone to submit,” Hutchinson said.

Student collaborators are still searching for other students to help translate submissions and provide artistic and design experience.

 Recently, two library staffers — Isabela Oliviera, a reference librarian for the humanities, and Jackie Beckey, a special collections librarian — met with the “In Other Words” team to discuss zine design and help the group with developing a zine format.

 Beckey and Oliviera both have backgrounds in zine collection and design, and they plan to host a collage workshop later in the term to create collages of existing foreign-language magazines to include in the “In Other Words” 2025 publication. 

According to the “In Other Words” website, the goal of the project is to “create a space for free expression and creativity in all languages.” Submissions of fiction or nonfiction prose, poetry and visual art are open to all students, faculty and staff. Works can be submitted in any language other than English. 

Possible languages for submission can include the 10 foreign languages taught at Carleton including Spanish, Arabic, Japanese, French, Russian, Chinese and others. The webpage allows “contributors to explore and express themselves in diverse ways, whether you’re using a language you’re fluent in or one you’re still learning.”

The creators of the zine project also hope to give multilingual students a space to share all aspects of their experience at a place like Carleton, where almost all communication outside of language classrooms is done in English. 

“We have so many students on campus who are multilingual, we have people who are taking languages at Carleton and we also have international students, and currently there is not a place where those students’ voices can be heard in their own language, or in a language other than English,” said Hutchinson.

“We have this awesome ability to be multilingual that might feel undervalued outside of language classes, so we should celebrate that, and so I thought this project was a great idea,” Vogel said.

While submissions are just starting to come in, the organizers of the project have high hopes for the project’s potential to offer a wide range of multilingual representation and linguistic and artistic expression. 

“My dream is for all languages that anyone speaks on campus to be represented, and showing the amazing diversity of language here,” Vogel said. “I would love to see more visual art too, that expresses how it feels to be multilingual at Carleton, how it feels to be not as comfortable in English.”

Hutchinson said she hopes that, like the Poetry Without Borders event that runs every spring, that the zine will be full of multiple different languages, to represent the diversity of linguistic backgrounds that students bring to Carleton. Though she acknowledges that this is a lofty goal. 

“I would like to make sure that we have some of each language, but no language dominates, said Hutchinson. “I’d love to see some languages that are underrepresented or endangered because those languages are rarely reported, if at all at Carleton.”

The student workers of International Student Life, the writing center and the language center were involved throughout the formation of the zine. Several, including some who weren’t involved in the program are considering making a submission to the zine, themselves. 

Farren Groom ’27, a former language center student worker, said “I think this is a great contribution to Carleton’s creative scene. It will really expand the scope of Carleton’s literary arts because of the way different languages can use their own syntax to create unique literary pieces.”

Submissions will be open until the end of the term on Mar. 12. To advertise the opportunity, posters have been hung up in buildings around campus, including the Language and Dining Center outside of language classrooms and the language center, as well as the Writing Center. A collage workshop inspired by German language students making collages out of German magazines is also in the works for later this term and will be open for broader student collaboration."

By Isaac Kofsky, Viewpoint Editor

Writer-translator Lin King, who speaks Mandarin, English, and Japanese, has helped put Taiwanese literature on the international book market map. Her English translation of Taiwanese author Yang Shuang-zi’s Taiwan Travelogue recently won the U.S. National Book Award for Translated Literature.

"
Lin King: Taiwan’s First U.S. National Book Award-Winning Translator
By Ruowen Li
web only
2025-02-05
前往中文版 調整字體尺寸
At just 32 years old, Taiwanese writer-translator Lin King has already made history. Not only is she the first Taiwanese translator to be honored at the U.S. National Book Awards, but she is also a key advocate for Taiwanese literature in the U.S. book market.

Lin King
Born: 1993
Education: Bachelor's in English, Princeton University; Master's in Creative Writing with a minor in Literary Translation, Columbia University
Awards: 2018 PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers; 2024 U.S. National Book Award for Translated Literature
Translated Works:

Taiwan Travelogue by Yang Shuangzi
Cloud Labour by Sabrina Huang
The Boy from Clearwater by Yu Pei-yun & Chou Jian-xin
King grew up in a cultured, middle-class family. Her parents, Gene K. King and Erin C. Shih, are the founders of the renowned Taipei-based architecture firm King Shih Architects. Her father also served as editor-in-chief of an architecture magazine.

King’s grandfather encouraged her to study in the United States, following the path of her cousin. However, her father had different plans for his only child. Believing that a strong foundation in one’s mother tongue is essential, he first enrolled her in Taipei Municipal Guangfu Elementary School.

“Every language has its limitations. Understanding different ways of thinking is very important,” says Gene King, explaining his desire for his daughter to be trained in both Eastern and Western perspectives.

King loved reading from an early age and even wrote wuxia (martial arts fantasy) stories while still in elementary school. By fourth grade, she had already read most of wuxia master Jin Yong’s works. Recognizing her literary passion, her father presented her with a new challenge—enrolling her at Taipei American School.

An American Girl in Taipei
At first, King struggled to adapt to the new environment. Many of her classmates were native English speakers, forcing her to work harder to keep up.

“I was just a regular elementary school student. When I transferred, I suddenly felt like I couldn’t keep up,” she recalls. Back then, she believed that everything in the U.S. was superior, and her ultimate goal became studying at an American university.

Once her English proficiency improved, King discovered her passion for literature and the arts. She became editor-in-chief of her school’s newspaper for two years. Upon graduation, she was admitted to Princeton University’s English department.

An Ivy League Graduate Struggles to Land a Job
(Photo: Hou-Chun Lin)

Despite her literary aspirations, King faced repeated rejections when applying for jobs at publishing houses.

“They told me, ‘There are a hundred applicants just like you. Why should we hire you this year?’”

Ultimately, her fluency in Mandarin, English, and Japanese landed her a role as a project manager at artist Cai Guoqiang’s studio. She assumed this would lead her to a career in the art world. However, in 2018, her short story Appetite, first published in Slice Magazine, won the PEN/Robert J. Dau Short Story Prize for Emerging Writers. The recognition reignited her literary ambitions, prompting her to pursue a master's in Creative Writing at Columbia University.

Singlehandedly Promoting Taiwanese Literature
At Columbia, King minored in literary translation. A professor advised that if she found a work she loved and obtained the author’s permission, she could pitch it directly to publishers.

Her first published translation was Daydream, a short story by the Japanese mystery writer Ranpo Edogawa (1894–1965), which she translated from Japanese into English.

In 2019, during a course at the Asian American Writers’ Workshop taught by Taiwanese author Chi Ta-wei, King encountered Yang Shuangzi’s Seasons of Bloom, a novel set in colonial-era Taiwan. Enthralled by its trilingual richness, she initially sought to translate it, but since the rights had already been sold, Yang suggested she work on Taiwan Travelogue instead.

Shuang-Zi Yang (right), and Lin King (left). (Source: AP)

King had a tough schedule. At the time, she was teaching undergraduate English writing while also working on her own creative projects. She dedicated her nights and weekends to translating, drafting proposals, and pitching the book to publishers—all without any financial compensation.

“It’s extraordinary,” says Taiwanese author Kevin Chen. “Most translators work through literary agents, but King secured a deal on her own. It speaks to her proactive nature.”

What Makes Taiwan Travelogue Stand Out?
Breaking into the U.S. market is no small feat. Translated literature accounts for less than 5% of published books, making it incredibly difficult to stand out.

1. King submitted Taiwan Travelogue to seven publishers—only two responded. After discussing with Yang and the book’s Taiwanese publisher, SpringHill Publishing, she chose Graywolf Press in Minneapolis. The editor, Yuka Igarashi, had previously worked with King on her award-winning short story.


2. “She truly believed in this book and was willing to take the risk with me,” says King.


3. Yang had originally written Taiwan Travelogue under the pseudonym Aoyama Chizuko, framing it as a "pseudotranslation"—a novel that reads as though it was translated from Japanese despite being written in Chinese.


4. The book follows Japanese writer Aoyama Chizuko and her Taiwanese interpreter, Chizuru Wang, as they travel around Taiwan by train in 1938, indulging in local cuisine. While the novel subtly explores colonialism, gender, and national identity, it does so in a lighthearted, conversational manner.


5. This aligned perfectly with King’s literary taste—she prefers stories about ordinary people’s everyday lives over grand historical narratives.


6. Translating from Three Languages into English
   To immerse herself in the novel’s historical setting, King studied works by Japanese colonial historian Seiji Shirane and read an anthology of Taiwanese literature edited by Harvard scholar David Der-wei Wang.


7. Her translation is particularly inventive. She maintained the original pronunciations of Mandarin, Hokkien, and Japanese terms. For example, Japanese dishes retained their Japanese names, while Taiwanese dishes were transcribed using the Taiwanese Romanization system. Even "Taipei" was rendered as "Tohoku," the Japanese pronunciation of the city’s name during colonial rule.


8. King also introduced "dual annotations"—in addition to Yang’s footnotes, she provided her own, helping Western readers unfamiliar with Taiwan’s history better understand the cultural context.


9. (Photo: Hou-Chun Lin)


10. Furthermore, she insisted that the book’s title be directly translated as Taiwan Travelogue, ensuring "Taiwan" remained prominent.


11. Winning the "Oscars of Translation"
    When Taiwan Travelogue won the U.S. National Book Award for Translated Literature, King was overwhelmed.


12. “It felt surreal, but we worked hard for this. We both deserved it,” she says. Aware that many skilled translators may never receive such recognition, she feels incredibly fortunate.


13. Before the award, King had struggled with self-doubt. She aspired to be a novelist, but her fiction manuscripts faced roadblocks. This led her to invest more energy in translation.


14. “People like her are rare,” says Kevin Chen, praising her ability to fluidly navigate both Taiwanese and American cultural spheres.

Looking ahead, King plans to split her time between Taipei and New York. While she remains committed to becoming an author, she also takes pride in her work as a translator. Currently, she has several Taiwanese literary translation projects in the pipeline.

“We need to cherish her,” says Chen."
https://english.cw.com.tw/article/article.action?id=3944
#metaglossia_mundus

Du 22 octobre 2025 au 24 octobre 2025

Appel à communications ouvert jusqu'au 2 mai 2025.

Appel à communications ouvert

Après une première journée d'étude liminaire à l'automne 2024 consacrée à l'interpénétration du langage et du politique, nous souhaitons désormais organiser un colloque qui prenne pour objet le langage sous toutes ses formes les plus nouvelles, en le confrontant aux prismes d'analyse les plus nouveaux.

Le langage, qu'il soit verbal, visuel ou multimodal, constitue depuis l'Antiquité le socle des interactions humaines. Dans un contexte marqué par une transformation rapide des outils de communication et par une globalisation des échanges, de nouvelles formes de langage émergent et redéfinissent les manières dont nous interprétons, transmettons et manipulons les significations. De telles modifications se sont néanmoins produites à toutes les époques et méritent l'étude. Ce colloque propose d'explorer les enjeux liés à ces évolutions, tant sur le plan linguistique que politique, culturel et social.

Les dernières décennies ont par exemple vu l'émergence de formes d'expression inédites, telles que les GIFs, les emojis ou encore les deepfakes. Ces outils multimédias, comme les BD ou encore les graffitis antiques ou contemporains, repoussent les limites traditionnelles du langage en associant texte, image et même mouvement, suscitant des questionnements pluriels :

• Comment ces nouvelles formes de langage redéfinissent-elles la grammaire et les conventions linguistiques ?


• Quels en sont les impacts sur les pratiques sociales, diplomatiques et politiques, où la communication joue un rôle crucial ?


• Quels nouveaux enjeux d'interprétation et de réception apparaissent dans des contextes transculturels ?

Les évolutions linguistiques et communicatives ont stimulé l'apparition de nouvelles branches d'étude. La pragmatique, par exemple, s'intéresse à l'usage contextuel du langage et au poids de l'implicite dans les échanges. D'autres disciplines, comme la sociolinguistique numérique, explorent l'impact des technologies sur les pratiques langagières. À cet égard :

• Comment les outils modernes influencent-ils la façon dont le langage est analysé et théorisé ?


• Quelles nouvelles dimensions épistémologiques sont ouvertes par ces approches ?

En outre, la suggestion, à travers des figures telles que l'euphémisme, l'insinuation ou le silence, constitue une forme puissante de communication indirecte, comme on peut le constater dans les productions littéraires de toutes les époques. En politique et en diplomatie, ces stratégies langagières servent souvent à détourner l'attention ou à faire passer des messages implicites, de telle sorte qu'il semble intéressant de se poser les questions suivantes : 

• Quels sont les mécanismes de suggestion et leur rôle dans la communication persuasive ?


• Quel est le potentiel subversif de ces pratiques, notamment dans des contextes de censure ou de régimes autoritaires ?

Le langage peut en effet être manipulé à des fins diverses : langue de bois, discours vulgaire, insultes ou encore propagande. Ces pratiques questionnent les frontières éthiques et fonctionnelles du langage, ce qui peut nous conduire à nous demander : 

• Comment ces formes de détournement redéfinissent-elles les normes sociales et linguistiques ?


• Quelles en sont les conséquences sur la perception de la vérité et de l'authenticité ?


• Jusqu'où le langage peut-il être utilisé comme un outil d'aliénation ou de libération ?

Ce colloque articule les thématiques liées à l'image et au langage dans leur fonction politique et sociale. De l'usage des médias visuels dans les campagnes électorales à la réécriture des codes grammaticaux, par exemple dans les espaces numériques, il s'agit d'interroger comment le langage, dans ses multiples formes, à toutes les époques, devient un moyen d'action et de transformation.

L'objectif est de stimuler une réflexion interdisciplinaire, mobilisant entre autres, sans volonté d'exhaustivité, linguistes, littéraires, historiens, géographes, politologues, sociologues et professionnels des médias, afin de décrypter les mutations du langage et leurs conséquences. La perspective de cette manifestation scientifique est résolument diachronique et sollicite des interventions de spécialistes de l'Antiquité, du Moyen Âge, de l'Époque moderne et de l'Époque contemporaine. Les contributions pourront porter sur des analyses théoriques, des études de cas empiriques ou des perspectives prospectives.

Les communications pourront s'inscrire dans les axes d'étude suivants :

Axe A - Nouveaux langages, nouvelles formes de communication.

À l'ère d'internet, des réseaux sociaux et de l'instantané, l'on fait face à une mondialisation grandissante qui n'épargne pas le langage. L'anglais, par exemple, prend une place de plus en plus importante dans la pratique linguistique quotidienne, invitant parfois au mélange avec les autres langues (créoles, lingua franca, code switching, …) et à la création de mots nouveaux (néologismes, calques, …), un processus pourtant ancien que l'on retrouve déjà dans la littérature antique, comme chez Homère ou Aristophane, ou encore médiévale, comme dans les chroniques, et moderne, comme chez Shakespeare. De la même façon, contournant la barrière de la langue, de nouvelles formes de communication apparaissent et disparaissent : smileys, emojis, mèmes, autant de nouveaux modes de discours qui s'affranchissent parfois des mots eux-mêmes, ce qui n'est pas sans rappeler les mosaïques et graffitis antiques. Face à ce constat, l'on peut poser la question de la valeur de ces nouveaux langages : signalent-t-ils un appauvrissement de la langue, ou davantage un usage renouvelé, en constante évolution à travers inventivité et création, qui donne toute sa place au langage, même lorsque les mots disparaissent ? Dans cet axe, l'on interrogera les pistes suivantes :

• Mondialisation du langage : l'hégémonie d'une langue en temps que lingua franca (grec 

et/ou latin dans l'Antiquité et au Moyen Âge, français en son temps, anglais à notre époque) est-elle un facteur de disparition pour les autres langues ou bien de redéfinition, à travers une forme d'hybridité créative ? Ces questionnements s'inscrivent également dans un contexte éminemment politique et questionne la portée nationale et nationaliste du langage, en rejoignant les préoccupations du domaine de la politique linguistique.

• Redéfinition des codes sociaux : le développement de nouvelles formes de langage pose 

la question de l'emploi de ses usages, qui reflètent des rapports sociaux en évolution. Quels sont les impacts de cette redéfinition, dans les domaines sociaux, politiques, ou encore diplomatiques ?

• Création de communautés restreintes : la redéfinition des codes sociaux a également

une portée discriminante à partir d'abréviations, de smileys, d'emojis, de mèmes mais également d'acronymes (qu'ils soient institutionnels, comme ONU ou NASA, ou discursifs, comme MDR ou WTF), créant des communautés restreintes, séparant les initiés des non-initiés, de même que la maîtrise du latin était un marqueur de statut pendant le Moyen Âge. Ces barrières générationnelles ou sociales sont-elles définitoires pour une même communauté linguistique ?

• Nouveaux outils de communication : la réinvention des outils et des voies de  communication donne lieu à une modification des rapports entre les individus, qui sont désormais en lien de façon plus rapide et plus efficace. Cette réinvention n'est en soi pas nouvelle, puisqu'elle existe déjà au moment de la République des lettres (à partir du XVe siècle) et se renouvelle ensuite à travers les nouvelles technologies, du télégraphe à la messagerie instantanée. Quel est l'impact de cette réinvention sur les rapports humains, mais également sur les échanges eux-mêmes ? 

Axe B - Les nouvelles productions de langage et les outils de traitement

L'essor de l'intelligence artificielle et des technologies de synthèse, telles que les deepfakes, transforme radicalement les modalités de production et de diffusion du langage. Ces outils, capables de générer des textes, des discours ou des contenus audiovisuels crédibles, soulèvent des enjeux inédits au croisement de la linguistique, de l'éthique et des sciences sociales. 

De tels outils coexistent avec d'autres plus traditionnels que sont les bases de données, qui ne sont plus une nouveauté, même si les dernières années ont vu l'émergence de nouvelles formes de corpus : les corpus diachroniques (Base de français médiéval, Penn Parsed Corpora of Historical English, …), qui requièrent la création d'outils de lemmatisation propres, les corpus parallèles (MaCoCu), les corpus spécialisés, les corpus oraux, les corpus issus de réseaux sociaux, … Les bases de données textuelles ont connu au cours des quinze dernières années un important développement en raison de la création de corpus empruntés à toutes les époques. Outre la diversification des types de corpus, la linguistique de corpus a également bénéficié des avancées informatiques en ayant accès à des corpus toujours plus vastes et toujours mieux annotés. Les bases de données en ligne sont nombreuses de nos jours, allant du grec archaïque, au français moderne, en passant par le latin médiéval. Ces corpus constituent en outre une source inégalée de données quantitatives qui peuvent nourrir les outils de traitement informatique du langage, et qui permettent d'apporter un regard quantitatif à des questionnements classiques. Le développement de ces nouveaux outils s'inscrit par ailleurs dans de nouvelles problématiques : les intelligences artificielles, dont le perfectionnement et la démocratisation s'accélèrent d'année en année, ôtent aux humains le monopole de la production du langage et tendent à s'intégrer aux interactions humaines, que ce soit par les IA conversationnelles, capables de prendre en considération et de recréer ou de pasticher des corpus propres à toute époque, ou par la part toujours plus importante de langages générés par IA dans notre environnement. Ces outils font émerger de nouveaux points de questionnement, allant de la capacité à identifier les langages générés par intelligence artificielle aux questions juridiques telles que le copyright, la propriété intellectuelle, le plagiat, voire l'auto-plagiat. Ces technologies sont ainsi une porte d'entrée vers des réflexions linguistiques, littéraires, sociologiques ou éthiques – entre autres – et invitent à une reconsidération pluridisciplinaire de notre rapport au langage, sans compter que le langage de l'image connaît lui-même des développements voisins.

Cet axe vise à encourager une réflexion critique et pluridisciplinaire sur les opportunités et les menaces provoquées par ces nouvelles productions de langage et leur traitement, tout en explorant leurs effets à long terme sur les sociétés, de l'Antiquité à nos jours.

Cet axe invite à examiner les implications de ces nouvelles formes de création langagière autour des questionnements suivantes :

• Nouveaux outils:

- Dans quelle mesure la création de corpus et de bases de données a-t-elle permis un renouveau des interrogations classiques sur le langage de toutes les époques ?

-Comment les données quantitatives apportées par ces outils ont-elles infirmé ou confirmé des analyses antérieures des langues ? 

• Authenticité et confiance : 

- Comment distinguer le contenu authentique de la production synthétique dans un monde saturé par des textes et des images artificiellement générés ?

- Quels nouveaux défis ces technologies posent-elles à la notion de vérité dans le discours public ?

- Créativité augmentée ou imitation automatisée : dans quelle mesure l'IA permet-elle d'élargir les horizons créatifs de l'humanité, et jusqu'où se limite-t-elle à imiter ou à reproduire des structures linguistiques et narratives préexistantes ?

- Conséquences politiques et sociales : quels sont les impacts des deepfakes et des textes générés par IA sur la manipulation de l'opinion publique, les stratégies de désinformation, ou encore les pratiques politiques et diplomatiques ?

• Réinvention des codes linguistiques : 

- Ces technologies redessinent-elles les règles du langage et de la grammaire, notamment dans les interactions homme-machine ? 

- Quelle est la portée de ces changements sur l'évolution des pratiques langagières quotidiennes ?

Axe C – Nouveaux prismes d'analyse du langage

Les études s'intéressant aux insultes existent depuis plusieurs décennies. La future tenue, en septembre 2025, du colloque « What the fuck!? » à l'Université d'Artois, invitant à réfléchir sur les usages et mésusages du terme ordurier fuck, dans ses dimensions à la fois socio-linguistiques, morphologiques et pragmatiques, confirme l'intérêt universitaire porté aux « gros mots », dimension déjà largement étudiée en relation avec les pièces antiques d'Aristophane ou les farces médiévales. Dans le cadre du colloque que nous proposons, nous souhaitons lier langage injurieux et langage politique, en portant une attention particulière aux injures prononcées à demi-mot et aux insinuations, lors de débats ouverts ou de discours officiels, en littérature ou sur la scène plus ouvertement politique à l'instar du discours de la seconde investiture de Donald Trump. Les obscénités signalent la perméabilité des frontières de la morale et nous proposons d'en étudier les usages et représentations, en politique, pour choquer l'auditoire et dénoncer les adversaires. Dans la même veine politique, la langue de bois nous semble être un sous-axe d'analyse pertinent pour nous pencher sur les nouveaux prismes d'analyse du langage, grâce à la grande variété de phénomènes qu'elle prend en compte, notamment : la mauvaise foi, la démagogie, le « politiquement correct » ou encore la désinformation. Le langage grossier non verbal, polysémique, constitue également une piste de réflexion pertinente, avec par exemple l'usage du « doigt d'honneur » à des fins injurieuses, provocatrices, agressives ou encore drôles et sarcastiques. Usuellement associé à la rivalité franco-anglaise durant la Guerre de Cent Ans, le doigt d'honneur était en réalité pratiqué dès l'Antiquité. On en trouve un usage dans L'Assemblée des femmes d'Aristophane, où le majeur en l'air symbolise le phallus et le reste de la main, les fesses. Le théâtre comique, en Grèce ancienne, est ainsi un espace de subversion où des doigts d'honneur sont réalisés. 

Par ailleurs, les « gros mots » et autres interactions n'intéressent pas seulement les spécialistes de pragmatique synchronique. Les dernières années ont vu le développement de nouvelles approches linguistiques (submorphologie, polysémie évolutive, …) qui fournissent de nouvelles clefs d'analyse du langage. Parmi elles, la pragmatique historique invite à interroger l'évolution de l'emploi du langage, soit en considérant un état de langue historique, tel que l'emploi des insultes dans le théâtre de Plaute, soit en proposant une étude diachronique d'un phénomène, par exemple l'évolution de la politesse dans la langue anglaise. Les difficultés posées par l'accès à un corpus très fragmentaire et exclusivement écrit, comme celui qui nous est parvenu de divers auteurs de Grèce archaïque ou de la Rome du IIIe siècle avant notre ère, incitent les chercheurs à développer de nouvelles méthodes pour combler cette lacune, en mêlant par exemple micropragmatique, analyse quantitative de corpus et étude du métadiscours sur les pratiques langagières. Autre domaine de recherche en plein essor, la linguistique informatique – ou « computationnelle » – a vu son domaine progressivement élargi au gré des avancées méthodologiques et technologiques : le développement des techniques de deep learning a notamment permis une rapide amélioration des performances du traitement informatique des langues, permettant de traiter toujours plus de données et toujours plus de critères. Les dernières années ont ainsi vu le développement de l'analyse informatisée de sentiments (ou opinion mining) ou de la détection assistée du sarcasme, éléments qui doivent pouvoir être étudiés dans les textes de toutes les époques.  

On pourra par exemple interroger les pistes suivantes: 

• Les espaces du langage injurieux, verbal et non verbal, dans les arts et à toutes les époques.


• Langage injurieux et langage politique : articulations, représentations, interrelations.


• La langue de bois et le spectre des phénomènes qu'elle comprend.


• Nouveaux prismes d'analyse : comment les nouvelles disciplines de l'analyse du langage permettent-elles de renouveler notre compréhension de langues et de textes, contemporains,  modernes, médiévaux et antiques ? 


• Analyse informatisée: dans quelles mesures les avancées technologiques et techniques dans nos méthodes peuvent-elles être employées pour analyser le langage ? En quoi ces nouvelles méthodologies ont-elles renouvelé notre compréhension du fonctionnement du langage ?

Axe D – « On ne peut plus rien dire ». Langage discriminant, langage de résistance : quel(s) usage(s) pour les minorités?

Le quatrième et dernier axe proposé concerne la place des nouvelles formes de langage, dans une perspective à la fois sociale et politique, en tenant compte de l'évolution de la société en France et à l'international. Depuis quelques années, le débat public semble envahi par une ritournelle : il paraîtrait qu'« on ne peut plus rien dire ». Ce qui est présenté comme un constat par certains milieux est devenu récemment, en particulier depuis la pandémie de Covid-19, un objet d'étude fécond. Inévitablement associée au courant « woke », l'idée d'une liberté d'expression entravée, voire rendue impossible dès lors qu'il s'agit de minorités gagne espaces publics et privés. L'émergence du puissant mouvement #MeToo a encouragé la libération de la parole des victimes jusqu'alors invisibilisées et fait des réseaux sociaux des espaces de dénonciation ouverts, dont la portée réelle a toutefois été réévaluée. L'ouverture aux luttes féministes, dépassant les milieux militants traditionnels, a éveillé une prise conscience collective tout en indignant des milieux jugés plus conservateurs et la notion d'intersectionnalité, liée au féminisme noir, de s'inviter dans l'évolution du langage. 

Les personnes atteintes de handicap sont également victimes d'un langage discriminant faisant du validisme une prétendue norme sociale. Le discours sur L'invalide, du métèque athénien Lysias, qui propose des représentations de l'invalidité, a par exemple été l'occasion de moqueries liées aux personnes handicapées. Enfin, pensons aux discriminations liées à l'âge, nommées génériquement âgisme, aux querelles entre anciens et modernes, jeunes et vieux, lesquelles sont un sujet d'humour à travers toute la littérature. D'un point de vue épistémologique, il convient de s'interroger sur la façon avec laquelle la prise de conscience des notions de genre et d'intersectionnalité fait évoluer les travaux de rec herche sur langue et langage, en France et à l'étranger. Nous souhaitons élargir notre compréhension des marges et des marginalisés, des minorités et des minorisés, dans une perspective diachronique. 

Les communications pourront se pencher notamment sur :

• Genre et langage: de quelle(s) façon(s) s'articulent-ils, dans leurs dimensions linguistique, historique et épistémologique? 


• Comment l'humour, en tant que langage, peut-il être à la fois dénonciateur, résistant et discriminant ? Pensons notamment à la dépréciation du féminin par l'humour dans le théâtre et la poésie antique, ainsi qu'à l'humour lié à l'étranger et aux minorités dans les épigrammes antiques ou la satire d'époque moderne.


• Comment le langage peut-il se manifester en tant qu'outil de résistance (incluant les pratiques langagières minoritaires face aux langues dominantes) ?


• Les formes de langage et d'écriture inclusifs (point médian, évitement du genre et des épithètes genrés) en français et dans d'autres langues. Par exemple, le recours au « e » ou au « x » en espagnol dans une dimension inclusive : « todxs » au lieu du masculin générique « todos ». Pensons également au langage inclusif qui lutte contre le capacitisme ou le validisme, lesquels discriminent les personnes atteintes de handicap. 


• Les positions institutionnelles, à l'instar du Sénat qui, en 2022, a adopté une proposition de loi « visant à protéger la langue française des dérives de l'écriture dite inclusive, nº122 ».


• Comment se manifestent les limites et les possibilités du langage inclusif ?


• Le langage du « politiquement correct » et ses représentations dans les milieux militants et politiques, de tous bords et à toutes les époques.

 

Conditions de candidature

•         Rédiger une proposition de communication (300-400 mots).


•         Rédiger une courte biobibliographie (200 mots max.).


•         Les propositions de communications peuvent être rédigées en anglais ou en français.

Comité d'organisation et scientifique

Adrien Bresson, docteur en langue et littérature latines à l'Université Jean Monnet Saint-Étienne, au sein du laboratoire HiSoMA.

Blandine Demotz, doctorante en études anglophones à CY Cergy-Paris Université, au sein du laboratoire Héritages.

Benjamin Dufour, doctorant en linguistique historique à l'École normale supérieure, au sein du laboratoire AOrOc.

Zoé Stibbe, doctorante en études hispaniques à l'Université Paris III, au sein du laboratoire du CREC.

Envoyer les propositions de communication d'ici le 2 mai 2025 à l'adresse suivante : graphelabojunior@gmail.com 

Les réponses sont prévues aux alentours du 15 mai 2025. 

L'objectif est aussi, à l'issue de ce colloque, de rassembler les communications sous la forme d'articles pour la publication d'un ouvrage collectif.

 

Bibliographie indicative

Aroni, Gabriele, 2024. The Semiotics of Architecture in Video Games, Londres : Bloomsbury.

Bard, Christine, 2018. « On ne peut plus rien dire… » in Féminismes: 150 ans d'idées reçues, 275-286.

Bennett, Karen, Angelo Cattaneo, 2024. Language Dynamics in the Early Modern Period, Londres : Routledge.

Burke, Peter, 2004. Languages and Communities in Early Modern Europe, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Cave, Steven, Dihal Kanta & Dillon Sarah, 2019. AI Narratives: A History of Imaginative Thinking about Intelligent Machines, Oxford : Oxford University Press.

De Blasio, Emiliana & Selva Donatella, 2024. « Gender, Media and Culture wars » in Gender and Culture wars in Italy, 13-56.

DiAngelo, Robin, 2018. White fragility. Why it's so hard for white people to talk about racism, Boston : Beacon Press.

DiMatteo Larry, Poncibò Cristina & Cannarsa Michel, 2022. The Cambridge Handbook of Artificial Intelligence: Perspectives on Law and Ethics, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Diskus Frédéric, 2024. Le Système d'Information – De l'Antiquité à ChatGPT, Paris : Le Lys Bleu.

Domouzi, Andriana & Bär Silvio, 2024. Artificial Intelligence in Greek and Roman Epic, Londres : Bloomsbury.

Evans, Mel, 2020. Royal Voices: Language and Power in Tudor England, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Fischer, Sophie, 2004. « L'insulte: la parole et le geste » in Langue française, 49-58.

Fitzmaurice Susan & Taavitsainen Irma, 2007. Methods in historical pragmatics, Berlin : Mouton de Gruyter.

Fracchiolla, Béatrice, 2011. « Injure » in Dictionnaire de la violence, 706-710.

Ghosh, Aniruddha & Veale Tony, 2016. « Fracking Sarcasm Using Neural Network » in Proceedings of the 7th workshop on Computational Approaches to Subjectivity, Sentiment and Social Media Analysis, 161-169.

Jucker, Andreas, 2020. Politeness in the History of English, Cambridge : Cambridge University Press.

Lagorgette, Dominique, 2009. Les insultes en français: de la recherche fondamentale à ses applications (linguistique, littérature, histoire, droit), Chambéry : Université de Savoie.

LaGrandeur, Kevin, 2013. Androids and Intelligent Networks in Early Modern Literature and Culture, Londres : Routledge.

Levasseur, Aurelle, 2015. « Obscénité et droit au Moyen-Âge » in Obscène Moyen-Âge, 47-75.

Lüdeling, Anke & Kyto Merja, 2008. Corpus Linguistics : An International Handbook, Berlin : Mouton de Gruyter.

Mitkov, Ruslan, 2022. The Oxford Handbook of Computational Linguistics, Oxford : Oxford University Press.

Nowicki, Joanna, 2018. « La langue de bois » in Hermès la revue, 220-226. 

Rendu, Jean-Baptiste & Robert Richard, 2024. Une brève histoire du droit d'auteur : de l'Antiquité à l'intelligence artificielle, Paris : Flammarion.

Gew Reports & Analyses Team, Karoui Hichem, 2024. The Singularity In Antiquity: AI And The Ancient Mind, Londres : Global East-West.

Spolsky, Bernard, 2021. Rethinking Language Policy, Edinburgh University Press : Édimbourg

Trovato, Noémie, 2021. « Repenser #MeToo au prisme du langage », Dièses, https://dieses.fr/repenser-metoo-au-prisme-du-langage. 

Weissman, Benjamin, 2024. « Can an emoji be a lie? The links between emoji meaning, commitment and lying » in Journal of Pragmatics, 219, 12-29

"by Brooke Newberry
Feb 04, 2025 | Filed in News & Features

Check out our latest batch of board book reviews, featuring a great mix of topics that will engage and educate little ones. From learning basic concepts and discovering animals to understanding emotions and celebrating inclusion, these books are perfect for sparking conversation and imagination. Children should prepare for a reading journey full of fun and discovery.

 

Fiction

ABERY, Julie. Baby Triceratops. illus. by Gavin Scott. 20p. (Baby Dinosaurs). Amicus Ink. Aug. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9798889880110.
Toddler-K–A rhyming text tells the story of a little triceratops during her day. She has a brush with danger when another dinosaur appears, but everyone escapes harm. The book ends with the dinosaur family looking for food. Descriptive words like nubby, stubby, and herbivore elevate this text. Expressive illustrations complement the story. VERDICT Follow a baby triceratops in this fun-filled romp for most collections in this purchase for most library shelves.

CHEN, Kat. Play Games with Me. illus. by Lorraine Nam. 24p. (A Playdate Book). Penguin Workshop/Rise X. Nov. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9780593659755.
PreS-K–Let’s play! This lively board book follows Alex, a small Black child, who engages readers by asking questions like, “What’s your name? What a great name! Would you like to play some games with us?” This title can help children who are anxious in social situations, allowing them to practice responding to questions along with Alex. The bright illustrations are very appealing to children in a title intended to help children grasp some of the tools they need to make friends. VERDICT Developing social-emotional skills is crucial for this age range, making this book a first purchase for libraries.

CONLON, Mara. Big Kids Don’t Bite (Padded Board Book). illus. by Vin Vogel. 24p. Peter Pauper. Jun. 2024. Board. $5.99. ISBN 9781441343758.
Toddler-K–In this engaging title that addresses a common toddler problem, the refrain “NO BITING. Biting hurts,” is sure to resonate with both children and caregivers. The young animal narrator presents relatable issues, such as having tooth pain, feeling jealous, or being frustrated, and acts on these emotions by biting someone. Each time, caregivers gently admonish and guide the narrator to apologize. The book also includes an author’s note filled with practical and useful information for caregivers. VERDICT An easy book to recommend, this is a title that adults will be delighted to see on the shelf.

CONLON, Mara. Just One More!: A Bedtime Book (Padded Board Book). illus. by Vin Vogel. 24p. (A Bedtime Book). Peter Pauper. Jun. 2024. Board. $5.99. ISBN 9781441343741.
Toddler-K–Bedtime battles are a universal experience, and this delightful title captures the familiar refrain of “just one more!” perfectly. A young chupacabra is being put to bed and keeps requesting just one more thing. “I love you, Dear. Now settle in. How good—but looooong—today has been./ Just one more thing? At least, I think. A cup of water from the sink?” A sweet ending shows the parents checking in just once more after their small child falls asleep. VERDICT Caregivers and children alike will giggle and relate to this charming story. A great purchase for most libraries.

DETRICK-JULES, St. Clair. My Hair Is Like Yours. illus. by Tabitha Brown. 20p. Chronicle. Oct. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781797221854.
Toddler-Gr 2–This vibrant book features stunning photographs of Black children with a variety of beautiful hairstyles. Afros, cornrows, buns, and more are showcased in this title, while rhyming couplets add a musical quality, making it perfect for both story time and one-on-one readings. “My hair is like my sibling’s, curly and bouncing with glee. My hair is like my uncle’s, long and loc’d and free.” VERDICT A celebration of Black joy and Black hair, this book is a first purchase for all.

HABIB, Grace. Suki Cat: Dancer. illus. by the author. 8p. (Suki Cat). Nosy Crow. Sept. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9798887770901.
Toddler-K–Suki Cat saves the day in this interactive board book. The volume features a slider mechanism that aids children in developing fine motor skills while keeping them entertained. As Suki Cat prepares for the big show, the star performer gets injured. “Suki knows just what to do. ‘I could dance the moves for you!’ People cheer with all their might…Suki’s dancing saves the night!” VERDICT For sheer playfulness, this title is a valuable addition for most libraries.

JEWITT, Kathryn. How Do You Hug? illus. by Danielle Mudd. 14p. (Little Softies). Abrams/Appleseed. Nov. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781419769207.
PreS-Gr 1–This delightful touch-and-feel book is a hug-palooza, filled with equal parts softness and sweetness. Featuring a variety of animals, it beautifully describes how each one hugs. For instance, a spread with two giraffes and two mice hugging is paired with the text, “A looooong, loopy hug…or a teeny-tiny one?” Bold illustrations and a simple palette make this book especially appealing to the youngest patrons. VERDICT Despite some possible wear-and-tear issues, this title is sure to be popular on all board book shelves.

KOPONEN, Libby. Is That the Bus? illus. by Katie Mazeika. 24p. Charlesbridge. Sept. 2024. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9781623544744.
PreS-Gr 1–In this vehicle-heavy board book, a young boy waits for his big sister. He plays throughout the day but continually looks out the window at each new noise. “Is that the bus? WAAA! WOOOOO! But it’s not the bus. WAAAA! WOOOOO! The fire truck wails away.” A variety of vehicles, including a garbage truck, dump truck, and motorcycle, make appearances in this title. VERDICT The soft lines, bright palette, and sparse text make this a first purchase for libraries.

KUBLER, Annie. Row, Row, Row Your Boat. illus. by Sarah Dellow. 12p. Child’s Play. Sept. 2024. Board. $6.99. ISBN 9781786287557.
Toddler-K–Kubler’s text and Dellow’s delightful illustrations return in this board book version of the classic song. A diverse group of toddlers play together, while a single lyric to the song is displayed on each page. The charming images feature children engaging in imaginative play with boxes and playing all together, with small boat icons found on each page. Notably, one child is depicted with a feeding tube, which is a rare and emphatically welcome inclusion in board books. VERDICT This is a must-have for most libraries.

MCQUINN, Anna. Leo at Lunch. illus. by Ruth Hearson. 18p. Charlesbridge. Sept. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781623544089.
PreS-K–In the latest offering from a beloved board book series, Leo visits a restaurant with Nana G. and Daddy. Leo’s stuffed animal, Mr. Seahorse, makes an appearance in each spread, providing a fun seek-and-find element for little readers. Hearson’s uncluttered illustrations in a classic palette will keep children engaged. VERDICT This gentle board book works best where the series is already popular.

PIXTON, Amy. Sesame Street: Let’s Take a Bath! 12p. Workman. Sept. 2024. pap. $5.99. ISBN 9781523523160.
Toddler-PreS–Sesame Street favorites make an appearance in the newest “Indestructibles” series offering. Beloved characters help little ones get ready for bed and take a bath. Children will love recognizing their favorite characters and will enjoy the sparse text accompanying each page. This is a purchase for any library stocking the series on their shelves and would make a great giveaway for reading programs. VERDICT For new fans or old ones, this will be a hit and circulate well in library collections.

PIZZA, Andy J. Feel Calm: An Invisible Things Book. illus. by Sophie Miller. 20p. Chronicle. Oct. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9781797215235.
PreS-K–Children will enjoy this gentle meditation disguised as an interactive book. Readers are introduced to Chaos, “a busy, mess, loud Thing,” and are encouraged to help him unwind. Each spread includes instructions for tracing a finger through ups, downs, and loops. By the end of the book, children and caregivers alike will feel calm and relaxed. VERDICT For the younger end of the SEL shelves, this is a great choice for libraries looking to add to their mindfulness collection.

SALAZAR,Aida. When Water Flows. illus. by Caribay M. Benavides. 26p. (My Living World). Penguin Workshop/Rise X. Oct. 2024. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9780593659205.
PreS-Gr 2–Explore the mesmerizing celebration of water and its wonders in this lyrical board book. The text, interwoven with Spanish words, features an older woman explaining the different facets of water to a young girl. While the word count is higher than is typical, this board book will appeal to a variety of ages. The vibrant art complements the text and will keep readers engaged. VERDICT With the inclusion of both Spanish and English words, this is a useful and beautiful title for all libraries.

Let’s Go, Stinky Trucks! 12p. (Spin Me). Scholastic/Cartwheel. Aug. 2024. Tr $8.99. ISBN 9781338899634.
PreS-Gr 1–Get ready for a wheel-spinning adventure with this interactive board book, where lively trucks introduce themselves through catchy rhymes and playful illustrations! This title features tactile wheels that can be spun by a child’s hand on every spread. The rhyming couplets on each spread conclude with a truck identifying itself, such as: “I help the farmer day to day, I carry stinky pigs and hay. I am a farm truck.” VERDICT This fun title about an array of trucks should find a home in every library.

STILWELL, Steph. You Deserve Everything. illus. by the author. 22p. (Delish Delights). little bee. Oct. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9781499817126.
Toddler-K–Bagel puns abound in this hilarious offering. Each page turn features a different bagel heaping praise—on readers. “There are so many raisins that you deserve praise. You’re super spectacular in so many ways.” While many of the puns may go unnoticed by the younger children, caregivers will enjoy rereading it for the humor and uniqueness. VERDICT If the punning and joke book shelves for this age group are running a little low, here’s a new title.

VAN FLEET, Matthew. Bedtime Blitz! illus. by the author. 22p. S. & S./Paula Wiseman. Sept. 2024. Board. $24.99. ISBN 9781665958295.
Toddler-K–Chaos reigns in this delightful romp of a board book. A group of animal friends get ready for bedtime with playful rhymes and hilarious illustrations. Readers will love the interactive tabs as they help the animals take a bath, brush their teeth, and have a pillow fight. A small mouse hidden on each page will further delight observant children. VERDICT A first purchase for libraries.

VINCENTE, Antonio. Did You Hear That? illus. by Miguel Ordóñez. 20p. Brown/Michael Sampson. Jun. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9781612546841.
Toddler-K–Dive into a day full of delightful sounds as readers follow a young child on adventures. “Chomp chomp/ It’s me eating some cheese. Ding dong/ Someone is ringing the doorbell.” Clear digital illustrations provide context clues for little ones, making this a highly browsable book. VERDICT Filled with onomatopoeia, this title will be a favorite for story hours—noisy ones—and one-on-one readings.

WILLIAMS, Sophy. Feelings Are Wild. illus. by Gavin Scott. 32p. Odd Dot. May 2024. Tr $18.99. ISBN 9781250343239.
PreS-K–This unique concept book combines both plot and counting! Readers follow a variety of animals as they experience different emotions and later find resolutions to their issues. “Four crocs feel frustrated. They’ve just run out of chalk./ Four crocs feel cheerful. They’re playing with a ball.” With a soft palette and sparse text, this title is a purchase for most libraries. VERDICT If you’re having trouble tempting little ones and their caregivers to the counting book shelves, this one will entice.

Yeah, Baby! 20p. (Baby Firsts). Flowerpot Pr. Sept. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781486724130.
Baby-PreS–Join babies on their daily adventures as they celebrate small victories and milestones. “You said your first word. Yeah baby!/ You learned to dance! Yeah baby!” Each spread features two photographs of a diverse selection of real babies accomplishing each task. Young children will delight in this book and the diversity represented throughout. VERDICT With full-color photos and an upbeat narrative style, this is a purchase for most libraries.

 



 

Nonfiction

 

ALFARO, Mike. My First Bilingual Library: A Spanish-English Vocabulary Board Book Set of Colors, Numbers, Animals, ABCs, and More. illus. by Gerardo Guillén. 220p. (Sí Sabo Kids: Bk. 2). Blue Star. Sept. 2024. Boxed Set. $29.95. ISBN 9781958803837. BL
PreS-Gr1–Caregivers seeking a Spanish/English language primer will find this library collection invaluable. Each page features high-contrast artwork depicting a single animal or object, accompanied by the Spanish term and its English equivalent. Additionally, a pronunciation guide is provided at the end of each volume. VERDICT This collection is a worthwhile addition for libraries aiming to enhance their language sections.

 

BILAL, Rumaisa. Our World: Pakistan. illus. by Nez Riaz. 20p. (Our World). Barefoot. Oct. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9798888592328.
PreS-Gr 1–Explore the daily life of a young child in Pakistan with this engaging and visually appealing title. Readers will accompany the child through morning routines, meals, travels, and other daily activities. The book features a soft palette and vibrant illustrations that will captivate readers of all ages. Additionally, educational end notes and pronunciation guides are thoughtfully integrated throughout. VERDICT This insightful and gentle introduction to Pakistani culture, authored by individuals with firsthand experience in the country, is a valuable addition to any collection.

 

COYLE, Finn. Firefighters: A Lift-the-Page Truck Book. illus. by Srimalie Bassani. 14p. Flowerpot Pr. Oct. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9781486727834.
PreS-Gr 1–Firefighters take the community helper spotlight in the latest addition to the “Finn’s Fun Trucks” series. A diverse group of firefighters describes their essential roles by introducing various firefighting vehicles and explaining their functions. “This is a Fire Tanker. Can you guess what it does? A fire tanker is a large truck that can hold lots of water so firefighters can put out fires when hydrants cannot be used or aren’t available.” VERDICT Children fascinated by firefighting will return to this book time and time again, making it a purchase for most libraries.

 

DEGENNARO, Gabriella. Ford: Colors. illus. by Emilie Lapeyre. 16p. (Ford). Penguin. Nov. 2024. Board. $7.99. ISBN 9780593750667.
PreS-K–Get ready for a thrilling race at the Ford racetrack. This title introduces readers to each Ford-branded car by name and color. Car enthusiast caregivers will love this book, while little ones will delight in identifying the colors and predicting the winner. “The Yellow Ford GT is driving fast. And the Green Bronco vrooms by.” VERDICT Yes, it’s an advertisement, but with its vibrant illustrations and dynamic storytelling, this book can at least be a supplemental addition for most libraries with car fans.

 

IDLE, Molly. Flora and Friends Colors. illus. by the author. 26p. Chronicle. Sept. 2024. Board. $12.99. ISBN 9781797200576.
Toddler-K–Explore the world of colors in this vibrant board book. Basic colors are presented, with an accordion fold that shows the colors mixed together. The eye-catching illustrations invite rereads, and children will delight in seeing each new flock of birds. VERDICT his masterful use of colors makes it a purchase for most libraries.

 

KRAUTHAMER, Janet & Christiane Engel. Body Detective!: Decode Your Sensory Signals. 22p. (Interactive Science Surprises). Barefoot. Oct. 2024. Board. $19.99. ISBN 9798888592212.
Toddler-Gr 1–Let small children put on their detective hats and start decoding the human body in this engaging board book. Each spread features a child explaining a problem they are experiencing in their body on the left page, with the solution revealed under an interactive panel on the right. “My mouth and throat feel dry and sticky. My lips are getting chapped. My body signals tell me that I am feeling… Thirsty.” The interactive riddles, pull-tabs, and lively illustrations keep this moving right along. VERDICT Sure to fascinate toddlers through very early elementary children, this title is a must-have for most libraries.

 

LARUE, Nicole. Count On New York City: Baby’s First Book About the Big Apple. illus. by Nicole LaRue. 22p. Gibbs Smith. Apr. 2024. Board. $12.99. ISBN 9781423665281.
Toddler-PreS–New York natives as well as those who have never visited the city will enjoy this counting book equally. Each spread features an iconic aspect of New York City, from bagels and pigeons to pizza slices and hot dog carts, making it enjoyable for everyone. The clear digital illustrations make this appealing even to the youngest children. VERDICT For collections low on board book counting titles, this suits; otherwise it’s a supplemental purchase for most libraries.

 

My First Book About Water. illus. by Åsa Gilland. 22p. duopress. Nov. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781728295961.
K-Gr 1–This nonfiction title takes on the wonders of water. Readers will learn a variety of facts about water and discover practical tips for conserving it. The book also includes instructions for making a rain collector at the end. Caregivers seeking to teach their children about the importance of this essential resource will find this title valuable; young readers will enjoy the bright digital illustrations. VERDICT This is a worthwhile addition to any library’s collection.

 

PAQUETTE, Ammi-Joan. My Feet Go. illus. by Sabrena Khadija. 24p. (Body Power). Penguin Workshop/Rise X. Sept. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9780593660461.
PreS-Gr 1–Celebrate the amazing power of feet in this delightful rhyming board book. This title features diverse physical attributes of feet, showcasing their capabilities and accomplishments. “Feet for climbing trees and rocks. Feet for balancing in socks!” It thoughtfully acknowledges the unique ways feet can look, including a spread featuring a prosthetic foot. The warm art palette invites readers to immerse themselves in the wonders of feet. VERDICT This book will be a hit during story time and for one-on-one reading.

 

SMITH DESPRES, Mk. First Friends: Shapes. illus. by Aya Watanabe. 18p. (First Friends). Barefoot. Nov. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9798888592267.
PreS-K–Dive into a world of shapes with this engaging seek-and-find board book. Rhyming pages tell the story of a daycare class as they play throughout the day, introducing shapes through child-friendly, bright images. “We stack squares to make a town. Let’s build it high, then knock it down!” Alongside common shapes, additional ones like an arc, star, moon, and heart are presented. VERDICT This is a great addition to the concept shelves.

 

SPIRO, Ruth. Baby Loves Paleontology. illus. by Irene Chan. 20p. Charlesbridge. Jun. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781623543976.
PreS-K–The newest offering in the “Baby Loves Science” series delves into the world of paleontology. This topic, often a favorite among young readers, will captivate children as they learn more about it. Dinosaurs are always a hit, and this board book is no exception. Informative text and bright illustrations will appeal to all readers. VERDICT Aimed at a preschool and older audience, this board book is a valuable addition to most library collections.

 

VICKERS, Roy Henry & Lucky Budd. A Flock of Gulls, A Chorus of Frogs. illus. by Roy Henry Vickers. 24p. (First West Coast Books). Harbour. Sept. 2024. Board. $12.95. ISBN 9781990776502.
PreS-K–This vibrant board book introduces children to the fascinating collective nouns for groups of animals on the West Coast. The highlight is Vickers’s stunning printwork, which captivates children with sharp forms, bright colors, and imaginative lines. Educators as well as caregivers will also enjoy learning new collective nouns: “A den of bears snuggles in a log. A frog chorus croaks in a bog. A rave of ravens squawks in flight. A pack of wolves howls at night.” Children will come away enamored of the animals and perhaps a little more interested in evocative language. VERDICT This beautifully illustrated book deserves a place on every shelf.

 

WENZEL,Brendan. Hello Hello Opposites. illus. by Brendan Wenzel. 38p. Chronicle. Oct. 2024. Board. $9.99. ISBN 9781797219981.
PreS-Gr 1–Discover a world of opposites, animals, and unique word pairings in this captivating concept book. Readers are introduced to a variety of animals and opposites in this compelling board book. “Hello bright, Hello dull./ Hello empty, Hello full.” An author’s note at the end explains that each featured animal is under threat, providing age-appropriate details of the species and specific breed. A key indicates whether the animal is near-threatened, vulnerable, endangered, or near extinction. VERDICT This is a great purchase for libraries looking to expand their animal or concept collections, and a wonderful way to introduce an essential aspect of environmental studies for the young.

 

WILSON,Katie. Think. illus. by the author. 20p. (A Celebration of Mindfulness). Flowerpot Pr. Nov. 2024. Board. $8.99. ISBN 9781486727780.
PreS-Gr 1–Spark endless conversations with this engaging title, where readers are invited to explore and reflect on collaboration and creativity. Each page encourages children to pause and think. “Think about what you can do. Think about what they can do. Think about working together.” Simple illustrations accompany the sparse text, depicting three children building with a cardboard box. This gentle title will prompt conversations, exploration, and creativity. VERDICT This work will be enjoyed by many and could be a first purchase for libraries.

 

Brooke Newberry is the public services manager at La Crosse Public Library in La Crosse, Wisconsin."

Vanamala Vishwanatha recalls her journey into translation.

Written by Arnav Chandrasekhar 

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Bengaluru | Updated: January 21, 2025 19:08 IST

Acclaimed Kannada translator, Vanamala Viswanatha and her book Bride in the Hills. (Image: Penguin.in/hydlitfest.org)

For a millennium and longer, Kannada has been a language of culture and literature – and the past century has been no exception, with Karnataka having no shortage of great writers. But for those from other states or countries wishing to read these works, a language barrier might stand in the way. These readers have found an ally in translator Vanamala Viswanatha. A long career as an English professor, intricate knowledge of Kannada, and even a stint as a newsreader eventually led her to this craft – with her latest translation being of the great Kuvempu’s Malegalalli Madumagalu or Bride in The Hills as the translated edition is titled. But this is by no means her only work – over the years she has worked on books by authors such as P Lankesh and Sara Aboobacker, to name just a few, and translations of archaic Kannada writing.

 

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One of the major pieces of literature that Vanamala Vishwanatha translated was the medieval Kannada poetic work ‘The Life of Raja Harishchandra’, which was published by the Harvard University Press for the Murty Classical Library of India. She had also retired from Azim Premji University as a Professor of English studies.

 

Looking back on her connection to Bengaluru, Vanamala Viswanatha said, “I moved to Bangalore 51 years ago for my postgraduate course in English… the big cities provide you a certain anonymity, while the smaller cities provide their own sense of warmth. Bangalore was a mega city for me after smaller towns like Mandya and Mysore. The exposure that Bangalore offered to a larger world enabled several things. It was not the internet age, where you could sit in a village and still access the world. Working in premier institutions such IISc… and the Regional Institute of English, both these places provided a lot of exposure. There were always interesting events in Kannada as well where I felt rooted.”

 

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On her journey into translation, Vanamala Viswanatha recalled, “We had a whole tradition of bilingual scholars who were English teachers but working in Kannada through the last century – perhaps it is only now that the two paths have diverged… it used to be very syncretic. The Karnataka Sahitya Academy and so on used to bring out a journal in translation. Dr B C Ramachandra Sharma was one of the editors. Now and then he would give me a short piece to translate, largely prose. That was in the mid-80s. The turning point was in 1990 when Ramachandra Sharma, K B Suppanna, and K V Tirumalesh came together to run an intensive 10-day workshop for translators. We became more conscious about the process and its politics… that year, I moved to Bangalore University where I could teach Translation Studies as a paper.” By 2000, she had already published several translations.

 

Before her most recent translation of Kuvempu’s work, Viswanatha had already translated some of his literature – a couple of short stories, an essay, some poems, and songs such as “Doni Saagali Munde Hogali”. On Malegalalli Madumagalu, she said, “This particular work was so huge, and the gravitas it had – it is somewhat forbidding to translators… around 2019, after I finished a novel translation for Oxford University Press, I wanted to do something ambitious… a couple of publishers thought it was too big for their bandwidth. But Penguin showed interest. The Kuvempu Pratishthana offered support by way of helping me acquire copyright material and other support.”

 

On the unique aspects of translating Kuvempu’s work, she said, “Kuvempu had centuries of Kannada at his fingertips and was able to bring it into a layered text with all these characters speaking their dialects which are very typical of their location. The language of the narrative itself is Modern Kannada, along with the authorial comment since it is written from an omniscient perspective – and this comes with a lot of Sanskrit words.”

 

To anyone looking to translate Indian literature, Vanamala Viswanatha has this to say, “It is important to like what you do. Otherwise, it is drudgery. Once you enjoy the process – no compromises there… we are at a time when translations are coming into their own and receiving a lot of attention. The publishing industry is also more open to it. Earlier people would go around with manuscripts and find a publisher for translations. These days you can find a publisher first and interest them in what you want to do… when you have a contract in hand there is an edge to it that helps keep up your enthusiasm and discipline. A translator also has to disseminate – because there is such an explosion of information in all media today, the reading culture is losing its original base. Unless people know you have done this work, it may quietly go away.”

"with Sarah Wheeler

February 8, 2025, Saturday

10 AM Pacific/ 1 PM Eastern time

[USA and Canada]

on Zoom

As the interpreting profession evolves due to globalization, remote platforms, and increasing multilingual demands, interpreters—both spoken and signed—must manage linguistic complexities and emotional dynamics during high-pressure assignments.

To meet these challenges, interpreters must develop a strong foundation in Emotional Intelligence (EI)—the ability to understand and manage their own emotions and recognize and influence the emotions of others.

This dynamic, interactive workshop will provide participants with practical tools to strengthen their interpreting skills while navigating the complexities of emotional and cultural dynamics. Through real-world scenarios, guided reflection, and actionable strategies, interpreters will build confidence and empathy in their roles.

Workshop Objectives:

Explore Core EQ-i Competencies: Emotional self-awareness, empathy, adaptability, and stress tolerance, and their impact on interpreting outcomes.
Analyze Emotional and Cultural Nuances: Uncover the emotional and cultural dynamics that shape effective interpreting.
Develop Growth Plans: Encourage participants to identify opportunities for improvement and create actionable steps for professional development.

Key Takeaways for Participants:

By the end of the workshop, participants will:

Gain insights into the emotional and cultural dynamics that influence interpreting.
Strengthen EQ competencies to improve their professional effectiveness.
Leave with practical strategies they can apply in their work."
https://myemail.constantcontact.com/New-TAALS-Webinar---The-Emotional-Resonance-Advantage--Nuance-and-Cultural-Competence-in-Interpreting--.html?soid=1134391967527&aid=WvrJhfdQVzM
#metaglossia_mundus

ABU DHABI, 7th January, 2025 (WAM) -- The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has revealed the longlist of 16 novels in contention for the 2025 prize.

The longlist has been chosen from a total of 124 submissions by a panel of five judges chaired by Egyptian academic Mona Baker. Joining her on the panel are Moroccan academic and critic Said Bengrad, Emirati critic and academic Maryam Al Hashimi, Lebanese researcher and academic Bilal Orfali, and Finnish translator Sampsa Peltonen.

The selection includes three authors who have been previously longlisted by IPAF: Rashid al-Daif (2012, 2024), Sausan Jamil Hasan (2023) and Taissier Khalaf (2017), alongside one previously long- and shortlisted author, Azher Jirjees (2020, 2023 respectively).

The other twelve authors feature on the list for the first time: Aqeel Almusawi, Inam Bioud, Ahmed Fal Al Din, Jan Dost, Iman Humaydan, Hasan Kamal, Ahmed Al-Malawany, Mohamed Samir Nada, Nadia Najar, Haneen Al-Sayegh, Sumar Shihada and Ayman Ragab Taher.

Mona Baker, Chair of the 2025 judges, said that this year's longlist is remarkable in its diversity of both theme and literary form.

Professor Yasir Suleiman, Chair of the Board of Trustees, stated that the longlist continues the trend of recent years of exploring the past to comment on the present from multiple perspectives.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction is an annual literary prize for novels in Arabic, which will award $50,000 to the winner. It is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

The six shortlisted titles will be chosen by the judges and announced on Wednesday, 19th February 2025, at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt.

The winner of the prize will be announced on Thursday, 24th April 2025, in Abu Dhabi.

This year, IPAF will launch its inaugural editing workshop, which aims to develop the skills of professionals in the Arab publishing world and encourage excellence in the industry. It will take place from 18th to 22nd January in Jordan, at the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation.

ISLAMABAD, Jan 04 ( APP):Allama Iqbal Open University’s Center for English Language and Translation Studies organized a one-day training workshop on lexicography to preserve Pakistan’s endangered languages.

 

On this occasion, resource person Ameer Haider highlighted the intricate process of compiling dictionaries.

 

The workshop provided specialized training to scholars for preparing dictionaries for various languages, with a particular focus on those at risk of extinction.

 

Participants, including Ph.D. scholars and other experts, were introduced to the modern FLEx software, designed to assist in linguistic documentation and dictionary compilation.

 

Dr. Ghulam Ali, Director, Center for Language and Translation Studies, welcomed the participants and emphasized the significance of this workshop in safeguarding linguistic heritage.

"The College of Liberal Art’s translation studies minor allows students to heighten their language proficiency in professional and community settings.

The program, which is housed in the Clorinda Donato Center for Global Romance Languages and Translation Studies on campus, was named after program director and Italian and French professor,  Clorinda Donato....

“A translation studies minor informs students about the increasingly wide ranging field of translation studies and interpreting, two aspects of the same area which is translating or interpreting messages, texts, video, film from one language to another or multiple languages,” Donato said.

The center advises that a student already has proficiency in the language they choose to apply for translation specialization.

The required classes for the minor are:

An elective in a language (3 units) or a score of 4 or 5 on an AP Language Exam or by taking a language proficiency exam in an elected language.
TRST 201 – Meaning in Transit: An Introduction to Translation Studies
TRST 301 – Translation: Ethics, Theory, and Practice
TRST 401 – Translation Workshop
An elective in the student’s major (3 units)
The first two courses, Translation Studies 201 and 301, give students a theoretical foundation, while Translation Studies 401 is a workshop that gives students technological and technical tools. Audiovisual, subtitling and computer assistant tools with translation memory are also introduced in the class.

If a student has fulfilled the language requirement/elective but wants to learn another language, it is highly encouraged as translators are often asked to work in another language besides their two studied primary languages.

“We recommend that student’s learn in language families because you can learn more quickly,” Donato said.

She said that the more languages a person knows the better because a person’s ability to learn and make connections heightens...

#metaglossia_mundus

"We are delighted to announce the 2024 University of Sheffield French Translation Competition for Year 12 and Year 13 students!

 

About the competition

Students of French in Years 12 and 13 in the UK are invited to submit their translation into English of the original short French text below.

About the Text

Grégoire Bouillier, Le syndrome de l’Orangerie (Flammarion, 2024)

On seeing for the first time Claude Monet’s monumental work, Les Nymphéas, at the Orangerie, Grégoire Bouillier is suddenly and profoundly perturbed. Unable to explain this disquieting experience to himself, in the guise of his detective alter-ego, Bmore, he sets off to investigate what triggered his malaise and whatever dark secrets Monet’s work might conceal… The novel is shortlisted for this year’s Prix du Roman Fnac.

For a short presentation in French (no subtitles, 3 mins) of the book by Grégoire Bouillier, see here.

The source text itself looks deceptively simple at first glance (like Monet’s Waterlilies?) but the translator has to pay particular attention to register, idiom, ‘voice’.

Text to Translate

C’est drôle.

Ou ce n’est pas drôle.

Mais l’autre jour, je suis allé au musée de l’Orangerie.

(C’était il y a pile une semaine.)

C’était la première fois que j’allais voir les Nymphéas de Claude Monet.

(Il faut un début à tout.)

Cela ne s’était jamais trouvé auparavant.

Jamais je n’avais vu les Grands Panneaux de l’Orangerie.

Vu de mes yeux vu.

Et il s’est passé un truc bizarre.

J’ai été pris de vertige, d’angoisse.

Je me suis senti terriblement oppressé.

Cela a été immédiat.

Tout juste si je n’ai pas fait un malaise.

Ce n’était pas du tout prévu.

Ce n’était pas ce à quoi je m’attendais.

Surtout concernant les Nymphéas de Claude Monet.

Ce n’est qu’une fois sorti de l’Orangerie, une fois dans la rue et à l’air libre, une fois loin des Nymphéas de Monet, que j’ai commencé à me sentir mieux. Voici que je respirais de nouveau normalement.

J’étais redevenu léger.

Preuve que si mon angoisse disait quelque chose de moi, elle disait aussi quelque chose des Nymphéas, puisqu’ils en étaient la cause.

Disait quoi ?

D’où cette angoisse ?

Quel lien avec les Nymphéas ?

Que cachaient ceux-ci d’angoissant, s’ils cachaient quelque chose d’angoissant ?

Était-ce lié à mes examens médicaux ?

Car je ne cherche à convaincre personne : je témoigne simplement d’un choc pictural qui m’a moi-même surpris, au point d’aggraver le malaise que j’avais ressenti en me le rendant parfaitement incompréhensible.

Que s’était-il passé lors de ma visite à l’Orangerie ?

Qu’avais-je vu ?

The prize

The authors of the ten best entries will be invited to take part in a special Translation Workshop organized by the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Sheffield, involving academics from the School, MA students in Translation Studies and alumni who work in translation-related fields. The workshop will be held online in January 2025 (date to be confirmed). The authors of the three best entries will additionally each receive a prize of a £25 Amazon voucher.

The judges

The translations will be read and judged by a panel of experts from the School of Languages and Cultures at the University of Sheffield. 

How to enter

Please translate the text above into English. Please also append a brief note in English (roughly 100 words) describing how you dealt with a particularly intriguing challenge as you translated the text. This note will not be assessed, but we will post a selection of the most illuminating comments anonymously on this website after the winners are announced. 

Entries must be submitted via the Competition Entry Form.  You must complete the form and upload your entry via the link on the form or your entry may not be considered. Entries must be uploaded no later than 11:59pm GMT on Friday 29 November 2024.

Translations must be the original work of individual students. Only one entry per student is permitted.

Winners will be notified by Monday 16 December 2024.

A fair copy of the translation, based on the best entries, will be available on this website in January 2025. We regret that we cannot provide feedback on individual entries.

Bonne chance !"

#metaglossia_mundus

"Interpreters will interpret in situations about which they may have internal conflicts. Deaf individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, or queer face numerous significant barriers in accessing healthcare.

ICRID 2024 Annual Conference

 

• When
  05 Oct 2024
• 8:30 AM - 10:00 PM (EDT)
• Location
  Indiana School for the Deaf, 1200 E 42d St, Indianapolis, IN 46205

Registration

• 1. Early Bird with CEUs – $85.00
  Interpreters signing up before September 15th, 2024 seeking CEUs
• 2. Interpreter with CEUs – $100.00
  Interpreters signing up after September 15th seeking CEUs. Those that sign up after September 28th are not guaranteed meals during the conference.
• 3. Student/Non CEUs – $60.00
  Registration for students or individuals not seeking CEUs. Those signing up after September 28th are not guaranteed meals during the conference.
• 4. Evening Events Only – $35.00
  Register for this if you will only be attending the evening activities (including dinner, entertainment, and CEUs).
  
  Those that register after September 28th are not guaranteed dinner.
  
  If you register for this option, you will not be able to attend the workshops happening during the day. If you would like to attend all day, please select another registration option.
• 5. Deaf Community Member - Evening Event
  If you are d/Deaf and would like to join us for dinner, speed networking, and entertainment. Please select this option!
  Those that register after September 28th are not guaranteed dinner.
  If you are an interpreter or seeking CEUs, please select another option.
• 6. Volunteer Networking Interpreters – $68.00

  (Registration code required)

  This option is for the interpreters that have volunteered for our speed networking event Saturday evening.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

ICRID is looking forward to hosting 2 workshops during our annual conference! We are excited to welcome our presenter, Bee Gehman. Bee is the founder of Jooux, the Deaf Sexual Wellness Center. They will be presenting on Sex Education: for Interpreters (0.3 CEUs) and Working Effectively with Sexual and Gender Diverse Communities (0.3 CEUs). 

Conference Timeline

Registration: 8:30am - 9:00am

Session 1: 9:00am - 12:00pm (.3 CEUs)

Lunch: 12:00pm - 12:30pm

Board Meeting: 12:30pm-2:15pm

Session 2: 2:30pm - 5:30pm (.3 CEUs)

Dinner Doors Open: 6:00pm

Dinner: 6:30pm - 7:00pm

Speed Networking: 7:00pm - 8:30pm (.15 CEUs)

Booths and Social Time: 8:30pm - 9:00pm

Entertainment: 9:00pm - 10:00pm

Lunch and Dinner will be included for those registered prior to September 28th, 2024.

Workshop Descriptions

Sex Education: For Interpreters (0.3 CEUs)

This workshop will prepare interpreters to address awkward, embarrassing, and uncomfortable situations appropriately in ways that do not interrupt Deaf client's ability to fully receive information. Participants will exercise their sexual health interpreting skills, which will cover topics such as birth control, sexually transmitted infections, HIV, relationships, and more. Participants will also learn appropriate and effective tools to aid in becoming more comfortable with interpreting sexuality content. 

Working Effectively with Sexual & Gender Diverse Communities (0.3 CEUs)

Interpreters will interpret in situations about which they may have internal conflicts. Deaf individuals who identify as lesbian, gay, bisexual, transgender, intersex, asexual, or queer face numerous significant barriers in accessing healthcare. This training will assist interpreters knowledge and vocabulary to impartially assist this unique group of patients and provide interpreters with a framework for incorporating LGBTQIA+ issues in interpreting work, including respectful vocabulary, that will allow clients and their family members to feel comfortable in opening up to their healthcare provider, regardless of the situation. 

 

 

This conference is intended for working interpreters and students and the entire conference will be conducted in American Sign Language (ASL). We ask that everyone respect the language policy of this conference.

Non-Discrimination Policy: ICRID promotes learning environments free from discrimination and bias, wherein participants demonstrate mutual respect. This Professional Studies program is being offered at .75 CEUs at the Some Content Knowledge Level.

Requests for accommodations made at least two weeks in advance of the activity will generally allow us to provide seamless access, but ICRID will make every effort to meet requests for reasonable accommodations made at any time.

Cancellation/Refund Policy

1. Early Bird Registration: To qualify for the early bird discount, registrations must be completed by Septmeber 15th, 2024. Early bird cancellations before this date will receive a full refund minus a $25 processing fee. 

2. Standard Registration: Cancellations made between September 16th and September 23rd, 2024 will receive a 50% refund of the registration fee

3. No Refunds: Cancellations made after September 23rd, 2024, will not be eligible for a refund. 

4. Event Cancellation by ICRID: If ICRID cancels the event, a full refund will be issued to all registered participants. "

#metaglossia_mundus: https://icrid.org/event-5846517

 

"The theoretical framework proposed here will distinguish different categories of agents which take part in the (inter)mediation process: intermediaries, translators, and mediators. These distinctions allow us to better circumscribe labour division in the two production and reception stages.

08/27/2024 11:13

Lecture by Gisèle Sapiro: Intermediaries, Translators, and Mediators. The Making of World Authorship

Helena Rose Pressestelle
Kulturwissenschaftliches Institut Essen (KWI)

Tuesday, 10 September 2024, 18:00 (CET)
Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen (KWI), Gartensaal
Goethestraße 31, 45128 Essen

Who creates the world author? While Foucault’s question „What’s an author?“ opened the path to the study of censorship and copyright, Bourdieu’s interrogation, „Who creates the creator?“, turned the attention to the network of cultural intermediaries who produce writers and artists, especially publishers and gallerists. Like at the national level, world authorship is shaped by a network of individuals and institutions.

The theoretical framework proposed here will distinguish different categories of agents which take part in the (inter)mediation process: intermediaries, translators, and mediators. These distinctions allow us to better circumscribe labour division in the two production and reception stages. However, making world authorship requires specific skills and agents that specialize more or less in intermediation across cultures. These specificities appear when one focuses on translation, which has become, after 1850, the main mode of transcultural circulation of literary works, in close relation to the nationalization of culture.
The event is part of the workshop “Controversial Literary Prizes”.

SPEAKER
Gisèle Sapiro, Professor of Sociology at the École des hautes études en sciences sociales (EHESS) in Paris and Research Director at the Centre national de la recherche scientifique (CNRS)

ORGANISER & MODERATOR
Paul Buckermann, Thyssen@KWI-Fellow

PARTICIPATION
Participation is free of charge. There is no registration necessary.

ORGANISATION
The event is organized by the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities Essen (KWI).

About the Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (KWI):
The Institute for Advanced Study in the Humanities (KWI) Essen, Germany, is an interdisciplinary research centre following the tradition of international Institutes for Advanced Study. In its role as an inter-university institution connecting the Ruhr-University Bochum, the Technological University Dortmund and the University of Duisburg-Essen, the institute works together with researchers and scientists from its neighbouring universities as well as other partners from the federal state NRW and places in- and outside of Germany. Within the Ruhr area, the KWI is a place to share and discuss the questions and results of ambitious research with interested parties from the city and the greater region. Currently, work at the KWI focusses on the following areas: “cultural studies of science and science policy making”, “sociology of literature and culture”, “science communication”, “visual literacy” and a “teaching lab”. Projects in the established research field “culture of communication”, as well as individual projects, will be continued.
www.kulturwissenschaften.de

More information:

https://www.kulturwissenschaften.de/veranstaltung/intermediaries-translators-and... Event on the KWI website

Criteria of this press release:
Journalists, Scientists and scholars, Students
Cultural sciences, Language / literature, Media and communication sciences
transregional, national
Miscellaneous scientific news/publications
English"

#metaglossia_mundus: https://idw-online.de/en/news838683

 

"In the age of AI, we must encourage critical thinking

Sonia Ben Jaafar

 

Dr Ben Jaafar is chief executive of the Abdulla Al Ghurair Foundation for Education

19 August, 2024

The UAE is globally renowned for its ambitious vision to become a leader in artificial intelligence-driven innovation across sectors, including smart cities and health care.

AI technology is rapidly revolutionising the education sector, too. I’ve witnessed changes firsthand over the past decade. AI-powered applications can now provide personalised learning experiences for pupils and analyse educational data to enhance teaching methods. New technologies will transform classrooms for years to come.

This new age for educators holds incredible opportunities for the youth but also brings significant challenges. As AI becomes increasingly ubiquitous, it is crucial that the K-12 curriculum emphasises the development of an essential human skill: the capacity to think critically.

 

Fostering a culture of critical thinking in schools goes beyond the classroom

Integrating AI into schools requires nurturing active, analytical thinking rather than merely creating passive consumers of technology. An over-reliance on AI risks stifling essential human skills, leading to a generation overly dependent on technology and misguided by the notion that machines can think for you.

 

Critical thinking involves analysing information objectively to form reasoned judgments. It requires questioning assumptions, identifying biases, assessing evidence and making logical connections between ideas.

In today’s information-rich but discernment-poor reality, teaching pupils critical thinking skills is more important than ever. The rapid advancement of AI presents opportunities to revolutionise education. But without a deliberate focus on fostering critical thinking, we risk creating a generation overly dependent on technology.

To address these challenges, I urge education policymakers to implement national standards for critical thinking that align with AI education goals, including mandatory courses on AI literacy and ethics. This is not simply a matter of imposing this revolution on educators; it requires informed and thoughtful planning.

Policymakers and school administrators play a crucial role in this transition and must be well-informed and prepared. Curriculum reforms should reflect the necessity of fostering critical thinking alongside AI proficiency. This means integrating critical thinking exercises and projects across all subject areas, from mathematics to art, incorporating AI where appropriate.

Professional development for educators is fundamental to collective success, meaning it must be integrated into pedagogical learning, not merely offered as an add-on workshop. Teachers need strategies to effectively integrate critical thinking into their classrooms, considering AI use cases. Professional development programmes should include hands-on workshops, collaborative planning sessions and access to AI tools that educators can experiment with in a supportive environment.

This includes training teachers to introduce discussions that encourage deep thinking, designing assignments that require critical analysis and creating an environment where questioning and exploration are valued. Additionally, teachers should be provided with resources and ongoing support to develop their skills in practice. They cannot be expected to figure this out on their own, especially amid the hype and group anxiety around assessments.

Imagine a classroom where AI seamlessly integrates with daily lessons, providing real-time feedback while pupils analyse data to solve complex problems. This is the future we're aiming for, but it requires a foundation of critical thinking.

Assessments must measure the application of critical thinking in various contexts. Traditional testing methods that do not capture a student's ability to think critically are a disservice to collective development. Assessments should include tasks that require pupils to analyse information, draw conclusions and justify their reasoning with or without AI.

Project-based assessments, where pupils work on real-world problems and present their findings, can provide a more accurate measure of their critical thinking abilities. These types of assessments encourage pupils to engage deeply with the material, understand the underlying principles, and apply their knowledge creatively and thoughtfully. By working on tangible projects, pupils learn to balance the use of AI with critical analysis and ethical considerations, ensuring they develop a well-rounded skill set.

Moreover, fostering a culture of critical thinking in schools goes beyond the classroom. It involves creating an environment that encourages curiosity, where pupils feel safe to express their ideas and where diverse perspectives are valued. Schools should promote activities that stimulate critical thinking, such as debates, problem-solving competitions, and collaborative projects. Encouraging pupils to take on leadership roles and engage in community service can also help them apply their critical thinking skills in real-world situations. This is what great schools already do, but we now need to do it with AI.

As the only country with a dedicated Ministry of Artificial Intelligence – a university in Abu Dhabi dedicated to AI – the Mohamed bin Zayed University of Artificial Intelligence (MBZUAI), 22 chief AI officers across Dubai government entities, and numerous other government-led initiatives, the UAE is well-positioned to balance AI advancements and critical thinking skills in the classroom. The goal is to create a balanced approach where technology supports learning, but the core focus remains on nurturing the intellectual capabilities of pupils.

While AI offers remarkable educational advancements, the heart of learning must remain human. By prioritising critical thinking, we prepare pupils not only to navigate but to thrive in the complex world ahead. Critical thinking is not just an academic skill; it is a life skill that prepares pupils to face the challenges of the future with confidence and competence.

Updated: August 19, 2024, 6:23 PM"

#metaglossia_mundus: https://www.thenationalnews.com/opinion/comment/2024/08/19/critical-thinking-schools-ai-uae/

 

"Ruthvika Rao recommends books that bridge the gaps of language to share stories about the most complex human emotion

Aug 14, 2024

Ruthvika Rao

Because a love story must occur between two particular people, in a particular society that the characters need to appease or disregard or acknowledge in some way, it also becomes a rich social portrait of that particular place in time; which makes the novels on this list—from a young boyhood romance in 1970s Brazil to unresolved tension between a hotel guest and his guide in South Korea—as much about love as about the entanglements of love and place. And if this place is inaccessible to the English language? It doesn’t matter. The experience of reading fiction is mysterious and unpredictable, full of deceptions and slanted truths and the unexpected pleasures of imagination. In that way it only ever speaks one language.

 

My own novel The Fertile Earth is a love story between Vijaya and Krishna. When they meet for the first time as children, their connection is magnetic and intense and results in a fateful adventure into the hills surrounding their village; the repercussions of which echo across their lives and the lives of their families. Set in rural Telangana, in the volatile early decades of post-independence India, the novel occurs in a time and place which is totally inaccessible to the English language. But this book exists—by luck and chance and all the people who’ve helped me along the way—yet essentially because English is my first language when I write, though it is my second when I speak.

Here are seven novels, their hearts threaded around a love story, inaccessible to the English language had it not been for their translators’ love of two languages.

 

The Road to the City by Natalia Ginzburg, translated by Gini Alhadeff

Delia and Nini have been around each other their whole lives. They are both poor, imprisoned in a provincial village that limits their possibilities in life, but there is one road that connects their home to the city; only Delia and Nini have different ways of arriving there. Will they still end up together? This novel is 94 pages long. It is perfect and complete and too poignant and too emotionally rich to be called stark. For longtime Ginzburg fans, it will be gratifying to know that this was her debut, published under the pseudonym Alissa Tornimparte. 

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The Post-Office Girl by Stefan Zweig, translated by Joel Rotenberg

This novel’s tagline “Cinderella meets Bonnie and Clyde” sounds like a page turner. Indeed, Wes Anderson considers The Grand Budapest Hotel to be influenced by Stefan Zweig’s work. And it is—a page tuner—but for all the right reasons. The novel opens with Christine—our post office girl—sitting in her chair in the middle of a silent afternoon in post-Great War Austria. How will Christine’s path cross with the wounded war veteran Ferdinand? Will their lives head toward happiness or tragedy?

The Love of Singular Men by Victor Heringer translated by James Young

Camilo and Cosme are two boys who unexpectedly fall in love one summer in 1970’s Rio de Janeiro. This novel is a portrait of first love found and lost, and the years that follow, set against a beautifully rendered depiction of Brazilian society during the military dictatorship.

 

Winter in Sokcho by Elisa Shua Dusapin, translated by Aneesa Abbas Higgins 

In this novel, the unnamed narrator is a young French Korean woman who spends her days working at a rundown guesthouse in Sokcho, a small town in South Korea that sits on the border with North Korea. Yan, a French cartoonist, arrives one night to begin an extended stay, looking to Sokcho for inspiration for his artwork. Helplessly intrigued, she and Yan travel together, exchange stories and histories, yet remain complete enigmas to each other. A vivid and mysterious and utterly surprising novel.

 

The Housekeeper and the Professor by Yoko Ogawa, translated by Stephen Snyder

Every morning, a housekeeper and a professor are introduced to each other; the professor has a traumatic brain injury that allows him only 80 minutes’ worth of short-term memory. Sometimes, the housekeeper brings her son to work with her. Can you forge familial bonds without history? This is a tender, warm-hearted novel about chosen families, what they give you no matter how fleeting your time together.

 

Kairos by Jenny Erpenbeck, translated by Michael Hofmann

This is a love story set in East Germany in the years before the fall of the Berlin Wall. There is a looming suspicion from the very first page that the relationship between 19-year-old Katharina and 50-year-old Hans will turn insidious—it does—and the hurt will land on only one of them. But which one? The novel is inventive, yet has terrific velocity. Cruelty, passion, self-destruction; these traits are never judged or philosophized, yet the reader understands perfectly how a relationship like this works. 

Ties by Domenico Starnone, translated by Jhumpa Lahiri

Aldo and Vanda, long married, return home to Naples after their annual seaside holiday. They find their home robbed and the cat missing. Ties is about family love: Between Aldo and Vanda, between Aldo and the woman for whom he leaves Vanda, between Aldo and his children. What remains of a family broken and put back together? The structure of this novel is intricate and masterful, and like the finest made structures, it is shaped by the storytelling and not the other way around.  

 

About the Author

Ruthvika Rao is a graduate of the Iowa Writers' Workshop, where she was a Truman Capote Fellow and recipient of the Henfield Prize in fiction. She was born in Warangal district, Telangana, and grew up in Hyderabad. Her short fiction has appeared in the Georgia Review, the Southern Review, New Letters, StoryQuarterly, and elsewhere."

#metaglossia_mundus: https://electricliterature.com/7-love-stories-in-translation/