Metaglossia: The Translation World

Reading the translated lyrics, you’ll find that different cultures and languages express emotions and experiences differently than you might be used to
Music: A Language On Its Own
"As a native English speaker who, at this point in my life, almost exclusively speaks English, I have always loved listening to music in languages I don’t understand. Maybe it’s the way I was raised- learning French in school, growing up with friends whose parent spoke another language while I was over and having a father who enjoyed Italian opera. There has always been this pull to listen more closely to words I cannot understand.

Some people find it hard to connect to music they cannot understand as they aren’t completely sure what the artist is trying to say, which is a valid argument, but we are living in a world with access to translations.

Apple music and Spotify offer translation features on many song’s lyrics. However, I would recommend listening to the music without immediately trying to figure out what is being said. Instead, allow yourself to feel the beat and rhythm and try to assess the singer’s tone.

There have been times where I’ve been dancing around to songs, listening to them in the car, singing along based off the sounds I’ve memorized and then I finally read the lyrics and find out that it’s the most tragic things I’ve ever read. Sometimes sad thoughts are attached to really good beats. This new information doesn’t change the fact that the song was enjoyable though. It might just change how I emote when I sing in the car.

Listening to music made in languages different than your own allows you to explore different cultures, methods of expressions as well as sounds since our typical ‘do-re-mi-fa-so-la-ti-do’ used in English isn’t the standard scale around the world. Different languages make sounds that English does not have which translates into different methods of singing which I find the most interesting as I get to hear sounds that I forget humans can make. You’ll end up hearing instruments you wouldn’t normally hear in English music as well.

Music from around the world can offer you so many new sounds and listening experiences that can broaden your outlook on music; it can also evoke emotions that could surprise you. You just need to allow yourself to not understand for a few minutes and just let yourself enjoy.

If you do end up reading the translated lyrics, you’ll find that different cultures and languages express emotions and experiences differently than you might be used to. Sometimes, meaning can be giving to mundane things you wouldn’t even think of as an English speaker. This can give you a new perspective when you see how feelings are explained and how someone from across that world can feel the same way as you put process it totally different because that’s the way that their culture taught them to understand their own emotions.

Recently, Rosalìa performed two songs from her album Lux (an amazing album that I totally recommend) on SNL. Both of the songs that she performed were in Spanish which is her native language, but in general, this album features a total of fourteen languages.

The album follows themes of love, religion, devotion and personal transformation so, it makes sense why so many languages were featured; those themes are somewhat universal and not specific to just her world but the world of billions. Languages don’t divide experience they just explain them differently.

Rosalìa herself doesn’t speak all 14 langugaes that she sings in but her making an album that has parts that she wouldn’t normally understand herself is so important and beautiful- all of these words, feelings and expression exist whether or not we know them. She allowed people to understand some of the words she sang better than she understood them herself.

This is so important in music consumption. When you cannot understand it, you have to remember that someone in the world can. The ability to listen to music from around the world is a modern gift that should be exploited. 

Letting yourself explore the world through your headphones can be a nice reminder that you aren’t the biggest thing in the world. It is also a good way to remember that the way you’re feeling isn’t rare or unprecedented, they just come in all different sounds and shapes.

I have found comfort in know that people I would never be able to meet or understand if we started talking one on one can experience the same thing that I am. Through the music we enjoy we can become more connected than we could before but not more alike, not more human to one another. Thankfully there is no original experience. Thankfully we can explore different ways to get to know ourselves."
https://www.hercampus.com/school/mcmaster/music-a-language-on-its-own/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Une étudiante chinoise remporte le premier prix de traduction littéraire grâce à son amour pour Nguyen Nhat Anh.
Le matin du 20 octobre, la cérémonie de remise des prix de la deuxième saison du concours de traduction littéraire vietnamien-chinois et sino-vietnamien, 2026, a eu lieu au Vietnam avec une liaison vidéo en direct depuis la Chine.

Báo Thanh niên
20/10/2026

Mme Tran Oanh Oanh, lauréate du premier prix dans la catégorie traduction littéraire vietnamienne-chinoise, a partagé son expérience en ligne depuis la Chine lors de l'événement du matin du 20 octobre.

Le concours était organisé conjointement par le Consulat général de Chine à Hô Chi Minh-Ville et la société par actions Chi Culture, avec le soutien de l'Université Hoa Sen (Hô Chi Minh-Ville), de l'Université des études étrangères de Pékin (Centre de recherche sur le Vietnam), de l'Association des écrivains chinois, de l'Association des écrivains de Hô Chi Minh-Ville et du Club de lecture de littérature chinoise au Vietnam.

Organisé simultanément au Vietnam et en Chine, ce concours contribue à la découverte et à la mise en valeur des talents de la traduction et à la promotion des échanges culturels entre les deux pays. Il constitue également une activité phare du cycle de manifestations « Échanges littéraires Vietnam-Chine 2026 », qui précède le 76e anniversaire de l’établissement des relations diplomatiques entre le Vietnam et la Chine.

Cette année, le concours a attiré plus de 1 200 participants venus de Chine et du Vietnam.

Deux étudiantes ont partagé le premier prix.
Dans la catégorie traduction vietnamien-chinois pour les candidats chinois, le premier prix a été décerné à Mme Tran Oanh Oanh (陈莹莹), étudiante diplômée de l'Université des langues étrangères du Sichuan, pour sa traduction du poème « Printemps mûr » (Han Mac Tu) et d'un extrait de l'œuvre « Je vois des fleurs jaunes sur l'herbe verte » de l'écrivain Nguyen Nhat Anh.

« Ce prix est non seulement une reconnaissance, mais aussi une grande source de motivation pour moi afin de continuer à apprendre et à explorer la littérature vietnamienne. J'adore "Je vois des fleurs jaunes sur l'herbe verte " et j'ai également vu son adaptation cinématographique. Je connais aussi d'autres œuvres de l'auteur, comme "Donne-moi un billet pour l'enfance ", " Passe une bonne journée " et "Yeux bleus "... Ce sont des œuvres très innocentes et intéressantes qui me rappellent ma propre enfance », a confié Mme Tran.

Le deuxième prix a été décerné à Che Shihao (车世豪), de l'Université des langues étrangères du Sichuan, et à Shang Jiaqi (尚佳琦), de l'Université des langues étrangères de Pékin. Le troisième prix a été attribué à Liao Jingfei (廖竞菲), de l'Université du Yunnan, et à Chen Minjia (陈敏佳), de l'Université normale du Yunnan.

En outre, le comité d'organisation a également décerné des prix de consolation à Lu Xuanlin (吕轩霖), de l'Université des études étrangères de Pékin ; Duan Yangxi (段杨熙), de l'Université des nationalités du Yunnan ; Luo Fen (罗芬), de l'Université normale du Yunnan ; Chen Huaiying (陈怀瑛), de l'Université d'économie du commerce extérieur ; et Yang Lamping (杨岚平), de l'Université des nationalités du Yunnan.

L'étudiante Nguyen Ngoc Kim Anh a remporté le premier prix dans la catégorie traduction littéraire sino-vietnamienne.

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Dans la catégorie traduction chinois-vietnamien pour les candidats vietnamiens, le premier prix a été décerné à l'étudiante Nguyen Ngoc Kim Anh de l'Université des sciences sociales et humaines (Université nationale du Vietnam à Hô Chi Minh-Ville) pour sa traduction du poème « Aux Amérindiens » (de Cat Dich Ma Gia) et d'un extrait de l'œuvre « La Peinture des arbres » (de Dong Tay).

« Grâce à ce concours, j'ai compris que la traduction littéraire ne se résume pas à transférer des mots d'une langue à l'autre. C'est un voyage à la recherche d'une harmonie entre deux cultures, afin que chaque mot, lorsqu'il franchit la barrière de la langue, conserve l'émotion et l'âme de l'œuvre originale. Ce prix est à la fois un cadeau et un tremplin pour la suite de mon parcours », a déclaré Kim Ánh.

Le deuxième prix a été décerné à Nguyen Khanh Huyen de l'Université pédagogique n° 2 de Hanoï et à Nguyen Thi Bao Nhi de l'Université Dong Thap. Bach Thuy Kim Ngoc de l'Université des sciences sociales et humaines (Université nationale du Vietnam à Hô Chi Minh-Ville) et Tran Thi Thanh Hoa de l'Université pédagogique n° 2 de Hanoï ont partagé le troisième prix.

En outre, les prix de consolation ont été attribués à Doan Thi Phuong Linh, de l'Université ouverte de Hanoi ; Tran Thi Bich Vy, Université des langues étrangères et des technologies de l'information de Hô Chi Minh-Ville ; Nguyen Quynh Nhu, Université de Hanoï ; Tran Thi Yen Linh, Université Thu Dau Mot ; et Nguyen Quyen Quyen, Université des langues étrangères et des technologies de l'information de Hô Chi Minh-Ville.

Voici la traduction en chinois d'un extrait de « Je vois des fleurs jaunes sur l'herbe verte » par Mme Tran Oanh Oanh.

PHOTO : NGOC LONG

Un pont pour les échanges culturels.
Lors de son intervention, M. Tu Chau, consul général par intérim de Chine à Hô Chi Minh-Ville, a souligné que la littérature est un pont essentiel entre les esprits et les intellects. Par conséquent, les traductions littéraires de qualité transmettent non seulement la beauté de la langue, mais aussi la profondeur de la pensée et la richesse de la culture. « J’espère que vous profiterez de ce concours pour donner un nouvel élan à l’amitié entre nos deux pays, la perpétuant ainsi de génération en génération », a déclaré M. Tu.

D'après M. Tu, le concours de cette année a attiré 1 000 étudiants issus de 52 universités et établissements d'enseignement supérieur vietnamiens, ainsi que 288 étudiants provenant de 30 universités et établissements d'enseignement supérieur chinois. L'ampleur et la diversité de cette participation témoignent du vif intérêt que portent les jeunes des deux pays à la langue et à la culture de l'autre, et reflètent également le dynamisme croissant des échanges littéraires sino-vietnamiens, a déclaré le consul général de Chine.

M. Xuzhou prend la parole lors de cet événement.

PHOTO : NGOC LONG

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Les enfants de l'école primaire Nguyen Tri Phuong suivent fièrement les enseignements de l'oncle Ho.

L'Académie politique récapitule les concours organisés pour célébrer le 75e anniversaire de sa fondation.

À compter du 1er décembre, les élèves de 5e, 9e et 12e année passeront des examens communs dans certaines matières.
Le traducteur Nguyen Le Chi, vice-président du Conseil de traduction littéraire de l'Association des écrivains de Hô Chi Minh-Ville et directeur de Chi Culture JSC (Chibooks), a indiqué que lors du concours de cette année, les participants ont eu l'opportunité de démontrer leurs compétences en traduction d'œuvres célèbres d'auteurs vietnamiens et chinois, tels que Liu Zhenyun, Dong Xi, Li Yueyue, Fan Yiping, Yang Qingci, Tian Xiang, Yang Ke... et Nguyen Binh, Che Lan Vien, The Lu, Han Mac Tu, To Huu, Xuan Dieu, Bang Viet, Le Minh Khue, Nguyen Nhat Anh, Nguyen Huy Thiep, Ma Van Khang...

« Grâce à cette expérience, les participants ont acquis une meilleure compréhension du Vietnam et de la Chine, de leurs peuples, de leurs cultures et de leur richesse spirituelle, ce qui les motive fortement à poursuivre leurs efforts dans l'apprentissage des langues étrangères. Nous espérons et croyons que ce concours contribuera à rendre la jeune génération des deux pays plus confiante, plus aimante et plus généreuse… », a déclaré Mme Chi.

Le professeur agrégé Nguyen Tan Duc, vice-recteur de l'université Hoa Sen, a déclaré que ce concours offrait aux œuvres littéraires vietnamiennes une plus grande visibilité auprès des lecteurs chinois. Réciproquement, de nombreuses richesses de la littérature chinoise étaient également mieux diffusées auprès du public vietnamien. « La langue n'est pas seulement un moyen de communication, mais aussi un pont entre les cultures », a affirmé le professeur Duc.

Mme Tô Oánh Oánh, directrice de l'Institut asiatique de l'Université des études étrangères de Pékin, a également indiqué que les lauréats de 2026 perçoivent la traduction non seulement comme une compétence de conversion linguistique, mais aussi comme une vocation noble, un vecteur de dialogue entre les civilisations. « Vous avez contribué à rapprocher les cultures chinoise et vietnamienne par-delà les frontières, touchant ainsi le cœur de chacun », a-t-elle déclaré."
https://www.vietnam.vn/fr/nu-sinh-trung-quoc-gianh-giai-nhat-dich-van-hoc-tu-niem-yeu-thich-nguyen-nhat-anh
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

L'Institut coréen de la traduction littéraire participera aux Utopiales 2026 à Nantes
20.10.2026 à 11h24

"SEOUL, 20 oct. (Yonhap) -- L'Institut coréen de la traduction littéraire (LTI Korea) a fait savoir ce mardi qu'il participerait à la 27e édition des Utopiales qui aura lieu à Nantes, en France, du 29 octobre au 1er novembre.

Les Utopiales, un festival international de science-fiction, considéré comme l'un des plus grands événements du genre en Europe, ouvrent les imaginaires et les horizons à la croisée des sciences, de la littérature, du cinéma, de la bande dessinée, des mangas et des jeux.

Lors de l'édition de cette année, quelque 280 personnes, dont des écrivains, des traducteurs et des scientifiques, participeront à l'événement, où 124 programmes sont prévus.

LTI Korea y participera autour du thème «La littérature imaginaire coréenne» et les romanciers Kim Bo-young, Park Seo-ryeon et Dolki Min prendront part à sept programmes, dont un sur la «science-fiction coréenne», afin de rencontrer des lecteurs.

Les trois écrivains monteront sur scène avec des auteurs de science-fiction de renommée internationale, comme Robert Jackson Bennett, lauréat du prix Hugo du meilleur roman, et Audrey Pleynet, lauréate du prix Rosny aîné.

Ensuite, les trois romanciers coréens rencontreront des lecteurs à la librairie Les Nouveautés, située dans le 10e arrondissement de Paris, le 2 novembre, afin de présenter leur démarche créative et leur univers littéraire à travers leurs ouvrages traduits en français, «De l'origine des espèces» de Kim, «Magical Girl» de Park et «Prendre Forme» de Min.

«Cet événement constitue une occasion importante de faire découvrir aux lecteurs français l'originalité et le potentiel d'expansion de la littérature imaginaire coréenne», a déclaré la présidente de LTI Korea, Chon Soo-young. «A l'occasion du 140e anniversaire de l'établissement des relations diplomatiques Corée-France, nous continuerons à présenter diverses œuvres et voix de la littérature coréenne à la France.»
rainmaker0220@yna.co.kr
(FIN)"
https://m-fr.yna.co.kr/view/AFR20261020001200884?section=sports-culture/index
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Oxford University Press (OUP) have this month added a variety of new words to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).

Dictionary includes new words from around the globe
Freddie Russel
Oxford University Press (OUP) have this month added a variety of new words to the Oxford English Dictionary (OED).Oxford City Guide

As the English language becomes more global, usages from around the world have become vital to include in a dictionary, and this OED release is no exception. New words include “Shadeesh” from Bermuda to refer to chorizo, and “hamma”, a friendly Bermudian address term.

Caribbean and East African words added include the Trinidadian word “Canboulay”, referring to the celebrations that were the island’s carnival predecessor; the Ugandan term “Campuser” referring to a university student and borrowed from America in the early 20th Century; and the Ethiopian word Azmari (1865) for a type of Ethiopian poet.

The word “Kiwi”, referring to a fruit or a colloquialism for New Zealanders, has been updated with a new definition, as a colloquialism for the Maori language too. This is not the only addition from the antipodes, with the Maori loan word “whakapapa” initially a noun used to refer to lineage, added to the newest edition.

Closer to Oxford, folklore of the British Isles is reflected in this new update, with “Bwbach”, a word for a Welsh supernatural creature with usage dating back to 1724 included for the first time. Other Welsh words have been added, including twpsyn, meaning an idiot or a fool.Oxford City Guide

The modern world too has influenced the OED’s choice of new words – trends like “overnight oats” and “hot yoga” now have official dictionary entries, and after a decade where social media seemed inescapable, the social media sense of a “timeline” as a collation of posts has now been added.

Etymologies too have been updated, with new links and lineages shown for words. The etymology of “foster” has been linked back to Old English, originating from the word for “food”, as to foster means to provide for someone, historically including sustenance.

The dictionary has also updated a variety of etymologies, adding new Middle English borrowings. Yet as much as the OED may seem a timeless and steadfast institution, OUP more widely is today facing various difficulties. Over the last few months, the Press has faced strikes over plans to offshore nearly 50 finance jobs to India..."
https://www.oxfordstudent.com/2026/10/18/oxford-university-press-dictionary-new-words/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Under-resourced Hausa language tools routinely miss idiom, innuendo and praise poetry, raising the risk of false translations, moderation errors and misguided newsroom decisions.

"
AI can translate Hausa words but still misses what they mean
Noah Wire
19 Oct 2026

Cartoon · AI-generated

Under-resourced Hausa language tools routinely miss idiom, innuendo and praise poetry, raising the risk of false translations, moderation errors and misguided newsroom decisions.

In newsrooms increasingly tempted to lean on artificial intelligence for translation and verification, Hausa remains a sharp reminder that fluent-looking output can still be badly wrong. The core problem, as Legit.ng’s head of the Hausa desk Salisu Ibrahim argues, is not simply that machines misread words; it is that they miss the cultural logic that gives those words meaning. A phrase, a proverb or a praise chant can easily be flattened into a hostile or misleading label when the system has no grasp of local idiom, social context or rhetorical convention. Research on Hausa NLP has long pointed to the same structural weakness: the language is still under-resourced, with too little annotated data and too little model support for reliable automated handling.

That matters because Hausa is not a marginal language. It is spoken by more than 100 million people across West Africa, yet it remains poorly represented in the datasets that shape moderation, translation and fact-checking tools. The result is a predictable pattern: systems trained mainly on English tend to misclassify Hausa posts, particularly when they rely on idiom, metaphor or political allusion. Hausa AI Studio has argued that this remains a live quality-control problem, and in July 2026 it said benchmarking of leading models still produced errors within ten prompts, underlining how fragile current performance remains.

Ibrahim’s article uses Hausa rhetorical forms to show why literal reading is so dangerous. Karin magana, the language’s proverb tradition, often encodes meaning indirectly, while habaici, or innuendo, can carry criticism that appears harmless to an outsider. Kirari, the praise-poetry tradition, can sound like bravado or even violence to an automated system even when it is simply honouring a person or cause. That cultural depth is precisely what general-purpose tools struggle to detect, and it helps explain why researchers working on offensive Hausa datasets have stressed the difficulty of distinguishing banter, coded insult and genuine threat. The weakness is not confined to translation quality; it goes to the heart of whether the machine understands what kind of speech it is reading.

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The editorial risk is heightened by the confidence with which these systems answer. As Legit.ng notes, a tool that does not know it is uncertain can prompt editors to act on a false classification as though it were settled fact. That danger becomes larger in a media environment where many users already treat AI-generated summaries as fact-checks. The article points to previous public examples in Nigeria and elsewhere in which automated tools misread events, mislabelled content or failed to recognise the context in which a post appeared. This is not just a technical limitation; it is a newsroom governance problem, because a confident wrong answer can shape publication decisions, takedowns or accusations before a human expert has intervened.

There are also broader platform consequences. Automated translation is often used in moderation systems, but poor Hausa handling can lead to either wrongful removal of legitimate speech or the failure to detect harmful material. The article cites cases in which extremist or misleading content in African languages circulated because systems did not parse it properly, a risk that academic work on Hausa NLP has repeatedly linked to limited training data and weak language representation. In parallel, the wider African AI market is beginning to respond: TechRadar recently reported on MORENA, a 1.5 billion-parameter model from Vambo AI built for 12 African languages, including Hausa, as evidence that more tailored systems may outperform larger general-purpose ones. Even so, the article’s underlying point stands: better tools are emerging, but newsroom practice is still lagging behind the reality of linguistic complexity.

The practical response, Ibrahim argues, is to slow down before deploying AI on Hausa content. That means insisting on human sign-off from Hausa-speaking editors, using native speakers in annotation and calibration, testing tools against real idioms before trusting them operationally, and setting uncertainty thresholds so low-confidence outputs are escalated rather than treated as final. It also means logging human overrides so repeated failure patterns can be identified, and supporting broader data-building efforts rather than waiting for commercial platforms to solve the problem unaided. The most recent work around Hausa transcription and special-purpose quality assurance points in the same direction: specialised language support works better than generic automation. For now, the lesson for newsrooms is simple. If a tool cannot understand the language’s subtleties, it should not be allowed to decide what those subtleties mean."

Noah Wire

19 Oct 2026

https://tomorrowspublisher.today/news/ai-can-translate-hausa-words-but-still-misses-what-they-mean-a8a60e641c92/index.html
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Ahmet Ümit will welcome 20 translators and nine publishers who have brought his works to readers in different languages to Istanbul from Oct. 20 to 22.
Prominent Turkish author to host int’l translators, publishers in Istanbul

"According to a statement by Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts, a panel titled “From Istanbul to the World: Ahmet Ümit’s Journey Through Words” will be held at Yapı Kredi Culture and Arts on Oct. 21.

Organized under the theme “Translation, Publishing and Reader Stories from Around the World,” the event will explore how Ümit’s works have been received in different cultures, the linguistic and cultural challenges encountered during translation and the international circulation of Turkish literature.

Focusing on the author’s journey across the literary world through translations ranging from Chinese and Portuguese to German and Mongolian, the panel will bring together translators and publishers to share their experiences.

Following an opening address by Tülay Güngen, general manager of Yapı Kredi Culture, Arts and Publishing, Ümit will deliver a speech titled “The Journey of Stories.”

The first session, “Bringing Ahmet Ümit into Other Languages,” moderated by Nermin Mollaoğlu, will examine the challenges of translating the author’s works, cultural transfer and the translator’s role in recreating a literary text.

A second session under the same title will focus on translating Ümit’s literary world into Russian, the literary bridge between Türkiye and Italy established through translation and the publication of his works in Spanish and Slovenian.

Moderated by Ayça Çakmak, the session “Ahmet Ümit Through the Publisher’s Eyes” will examine the publication of Turkish literature in countries including Pakistan, Bulgaria and Croatia, as well as publishers’ experiences of introducing the works to local readers.

Another session led by Çakmak, titled “Istanbul, History and Memory,” will explore how the city’s multilayered character is reflected in translation, cultural exchange through literature and the role of crime fiction in understanding historical events.

The day’s final session, “Beyond the Boundaries of Crime Fiction,” will address how suspense and atmosphere are preserved in translation, the genre’s capacity to encourage critical reflection and literature’s contribution to dialogue between Türkiye and Greece.

Moderated by Zehra Dilaver, the session will feature experiences from translators working in English, Arabic and Greek."
October 19 2026 09:16:09
https://www.hurriyetdailynews.com/amp/prominent-turkish-author-to-host-intl-translators-publishers-in-istanbul-228265
#metaglossia #metaglossia_mundus

Lauréat-es de l'édition 2026 du concours de traduction Saint-Jérôme, organisé chaque année par les Nations unies

Amélie Guffond, fraîchement diplômée de la Faculté de traduction et d’interprétation (Unité de français), et Matthew Trojić, étudiant en master à l'Unité d’anglais, sont lauréat-es de l'édition 2026 du concours de traduction Saint-Jérôme, organisé chaque année par les Nations unies. Connu pour avoir réalisé la Vulgate, la traduction officielle de la Bible en latin à partir des textes originaux en hébreu et en grec aux IVe et Ve siècles, Saint-Jérôme est le saint patron des traducteurs et traductrices. Il est célébré chaque année le 30 septembre."
15 octobre 2026 - UNIGE
https://www.unige.ch/lejournal/distinctions/printemps-2026/amelie-guffond-matthew-trojic/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

«Dieu n’a pas de frontières», affirme le cardinal Koovakad depuis Londres
Lors d’une messe présidée ce dimanche à la cathédrale de Westminster, le préfet du dicastère pour le Dialogue interreligieux a invité chacun à rester fidèle à son identité chrétienne, «afin de pouvoir rencontrer les autres sans crainte ni confusion ». Le dialogue entre personnes de confessions différentes, a-t-il souligné, permet de surmonter «l’ignorance et les préjugés» et de collaborer à la résolution pacifique des conflits.
Edoardo Giribaldi – Cité du Vatican

La figure biblique de Cyrus, roi de Perse et non israélite, donc étranger au peuple élu mais néanmoins désigné par Dieu comme son libérateur, montre à quel point l’action divine peut surprendre et n’est pas limitée «par les frontières géographiques, l’ethnie, la culture ou l’appartenance religieuse» a affirmé le cardinal George Jacob Koovakad, préfet du dicastère pour le Dialogue interreligieux, alors qu’il présidait la messe célébrée dimanche 18 octobre, dans la cathédrale de Westminster, à Londres. Le cardinal se trouve dans la capitale britannique depuis le 13 octobre et y restera jusqu’au 22 pour participer à une série d’événements à caractère interreligieux. Son séjour à Londres est l’occasion de réaffirmer que, dans «un monde de plus en plus multiconfessionnel, il est plus nécessaire que jamais de promouvoir des relations cordiales entre les différentes religions».

Reconnaître le «vrai et le saint»
Ce qu’affirme la déclaration conciliaire Nostra Aetate concernant la capacité de l’Église à reconnaître dans les autres religions ce qui est «vrai et saint» ne signifie pas renier sa propre foi, a précisé le cardinal dans son homélie. Cela signifie plutôt jeter des ponts par le dialogue, concrétisant ainsi le souhait du Pape François «afin que chacun puisse trouver en l’autre non pas un ennemi, ni un concurrent, mais un frère à accueillir et à embrasser».

La grandeur de l’action divine
Le cardinal Koovakad a ensuite évoqué la figure de Cyrus, protagoniste de la première lecture, pour rappeler comment l’action divine peut transcender toutes sortes de frontières. Cela ne signifie pas pour autant que les différences religieuses sont sans importance ou que toutes les confessions sont identiques. La foi invite plutôt à «reconnaître que l’action de Dieu est plus grande que notre capacité à la comprendre».

Les vertus du dialogue interreligieux
Les trois vertus théologales évoquées par saint Paul dans la Première lettre aux Thessaloniciens sont également essentielles pour construire des relations et favoriser des rencontres interreligieuses authentiques, selon le cardinal. Tout d’abord la foi, qui permet de rester «fermes dans notre identité chrétienne, afin de pouvoir rencontrer les autres sans crainte ni confusion». Ensuite, l’amour, qui signifie ne pas réduire son prochain à une étiquette ou à un stéréotype, mais reconnaître la personne, avec sa tradition et son histoire. Enfin, l’espérance: croire, comme l’a rappelé Léon XIV, que «Dieu peut transformer les cœurs et faire naître l’amitié là où régnait auparavant la peur».

Léon XIV: «Face à la radicalisation, chrétiens et musulmans doivent œuvrer pour la paix»
25/03/2026
Léon XIV: «Face à la radicalisation, chrétiens et musulmans doivent œuvrer pour la paix»
À César et à Dieu
Le cardinal s’est ensuite attardé sur le passage de l’Évangile lu pendant la célébration eucharistique, dans lequel Jésus prononce la célèbre phrase: «Rendez donc à César ce qui est à César, et à Dieu ce qui est à Dieu». Un «ordre clair des priorités». «La pièce de monnaie porte l’effigie de César, affirme le préfet, mais chaque être humain porte en lui l’image de Dieu». Si l’on peut remettre une pièce à l’empereur, il est fondamental de se donner soi-même à Dieu. Un enseignement qui «revêt une importance particulière pour les relations interreligieuses».

“Si chaque être humain porte en lui l’image de Dieu, personne ne peut être traité comme un ennemi et les différences religieuses ne peuvent en aucun cas devenir un prétexte à la haine, à la discrimination ou à la violence.”

La nature du prochain
La collaboration entre les différentes confessions constitue donc un «service rendu à toute la famille humaine». Lorsque des personnes appartenant à des religions différentes se rencontrent en toute sincérité, a souligné le cardinal, «elles peuvent surmonter l’ignorance et les préjugés, dissiper les malentendus et identifier des domaines d’intérêt commun. Elles peuvent collaborer en vue d’un règlement pacifique des conflits et pour mettre fin aux guerres et à la violence». Il ne s’agit pas simplement de diplomatie ou de courtoisie sociale, mais de l’Évangile vécu concrètement: «Le prochain n’est pas seulement celui qui appartient à notre communauté ou qui partage nos convictions de foi. Le prochain est la personne que Dieu place devant nous pour qu’elle soit aimée et dont nous sommes appelés à reconnaître, respecter et apprécier la dignité».

La diversité au Royaume-Uni
À cet égard, Mgr Koovakad a rendu hommage au Royaume-Uni, et à Londres en particulier, pour les exemples qu’ils offrent quant aux opportunités et aux défis liés à la diversité religieuse. «Cette diversité peut devenir une grande bénédiction lorsqu’elle s’accompagne de respect mutuel et d’un engagement pour le bien commun. Elle peut toutefois aussi devenir une source de tension, lorsque les différences sont instrumentalisées pour alimenter la peur ou la division.» La communauté chrétienne est donc appelée à rester fidèle au Christ et, dans le même temps, à aller à la rencontre des personnes d’autres religions «avec humilité et respect», en reconnaissant en chacune d’elles l’image de Dieu. En début d’après-midi, le cardinal a participé à un événement interreligieux avec des représentants de la communauté juive, à nouveau dans la cathédrale de Westminster sur le thème «En prière pour la paix».

Dans son homélie, le cardinal a salué l’archevêque de Westminster et président de la Conférence épiscopale d’Angleterre et du Pays de Galles, Mgr Charles Phillip Richard Moth; l’archevêque de Birmingham et coprésident de la Commission internationale anglicane-catholique (ARCIC), Bernard Longley, ainsi que l’évêque de Nottingham, Patrick McKinney."

«Dieu n’a pas de frontières», affirme le cardinal Koovakad depuis Londres - Vatican News https://www.vaticannews.va/fr/vatican/news/2026-10/cardinal-koovakad-dialogue-interreligieux-londres-jainisme.html
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

“Lore” crowned the 2026 social media word of the year, according to Sprout Social
'Lore' received over 10 million mentions as social users shift from surface-level content to deeper narrative and context

CHICAGO, Oct. 14, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Sprout Social (Nasdaq: SPT), a leading AI-powered Social Intelligence platform, today released its second annual Social Media Dictionary, a comprehensive analysis of the words, phrases and viral movements that shaped global culture in 2026.

The report analyzes public social media posts across major platforms throughout the year to reveal the key words shaping online culture. Sprout’s analysis breaks down what this changing language tells us about shifting user preferences, evolving consumer behavior, and broader cultural trends, highlighting a clear move away from quick, surface-level content toward depth, real community, and human effort.

The Top Words of 2026

At the top of the list, Lore was named Sprout's 2026 Word of the Year after generating over 10 million social mentions. Driven by everyday trends like "realizing your friend has lore," the term's rise reflects a broader cultural shift away from fast, surface-level posts toward content rich in context, history, and narrative. McDonald’s proved the commercial value of this shift by tapping into The Backrooms, a viral internet mythology that inspired an A24 film. The brand's lore-inspired campaign earned over 16.6 million views and 744k engagements.

"Lore isn't just a viral moment, it's a signal of how audiences want to engage with brands and culture in 2026," said Scott Morris, Chief Marketing Officer at Sprout Social. "The future of social strategy isn't about chasing surface-level attention or fleeting trends. It's about understanding the deeper context and narrative that audiences are craving, and showing up with content that rewards that curiosity rather than exploiting it. When brands invest in that kind of depth, relevance and connection can grow exponentially."

The other top words of 2026 included Slop, which generated 8.8 million mentions across platforms as audiences continued to push back against low-quality, mass-produced AI content.

The year also saw Niche become a badge of honor, mentioned 4.2 million times as communities retreated from algorithm-driven feeds into smaller corners of shared interest. Meanwhile, Maxxing reached 3.5 million mentions and broke into frontline news coverage, appearing in over 67k news articles as media outlets tracked culture's obsession with optimization.

The Year's Top Marketing Words

The Dictionary also identified the terms marketers leaned on most in 2026. These concepts moved from social feeds directly into campaign briefs, executive approvals, and brand positioning, reflecting the strategies that shaped marketing throughout the year.

Unhinged emerged as a key term with 4.6 million mentions, describing the chaotic brand voice popularized by consumer brands, such as Grillo’s Pickles, whose viral "pickle sees the Statue of Liberty" stunt generated $8.5 million in Earned Media Value. Meanwhile, Episodic content gained strong momentum with 115,960 mentions, as 57% of social users expressed a desire for original, multi-part brand video series that mirror TV storytelling.

Looking Ahead to 2027

While the Dictionary looked back, it also looked forward to the words set to define digital conversation in 2027. Polyester (264,424 mentions) is being used figuratively by Gen Z to describe anything cheap or over-polished, signaling a sharp sustainability and content backlash against synthetic marketing.

Meanwhile, terms like Influencer Fatigue (62,238 mentions) reflect growing audience weariness with paid influencer posts, and viral conversation surrounding MySpace (203,070 mentions) underscores a broader hunger for nostalgic, less-algorithmic corners of the internet.

"Looking toward 2027, we are seeing an incredible opportunity for brands to stand out through genuine creativity and effort," added Morris. "Audiences are craving content that feels thoughtful, authentic, and distinctly human. Success in the year ahead will belong to brands that lean into bold, creative storytelling, leverage nostalgia, and create meaningful experiences that build lasting, trust-based relationships.”

Read the full 2026 Social Media Dictionary [here] or learn more about Sprout Social [here].

About Sprout Social

Sprout Social is a leading AI-powered social intelligence platform, built on the belief that All Business is Social℠. Powered by Trellis, Sprout’s proprietary AI agent, the platform is designed to transform real-time social media signals into actionable insights that drive business forward. Consistently recognized as a top software by G2, Sprout enables brands to deliver smarter, faster business impact through a suite of solutions including comprehensive publishing and engagement, customer care, influencer marketing, advocacy and predictive media intelligence. Sprout’s software operates across all major social networks and digital platforms. For more information about Sprout Social (NASDAQ: SPT), visit sproutsocial.com."
October 14, 2026 09:01 ET  | Source: Sprout Social, Inc
https://www.globenewswire.com/news-release/2026/10/14/3380805/0/en/lore-crowned-the-2026-social-media-word-of-the-year-according-to-sprout-social.html
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Les GML répondent différemment d’une langue à l’autre
Pour éviter les biais culturels, les managers ont intérêt à tester leurs questions dans plusieurs langues

Une nouvelle étude révèle que la langue que vous utilisez pour interroger l’IA générative peut avoir un impact sur ses réponses. Pour éviter les biais culturels, les managers ont intérêt à tester leurs questions dans plusieurs langues.

Les GML répondent différemment d’une langue à l’autre

Par Harvard Business Review France
Publié le 18 octobre 2026 à 08h00.

Une nouvelle étude révèle que la langue que vous utilisez pour interroger l’IA générative peut avoir un impact sur ses réponses. Les chercheurs ont analysé plus de 10 000 réponses de deux modèles de pointe : GPT, d’OpenAI, et Ernie, de Baidu. Ils les ont questionnés sur deux concepts fondamentaux de la psychologie culturelle : l’orientation sociale (la manière dont les individus se définissent par rapport aux autres) et le style cognitif (la manière dont les individus traitent habituellement les informations)..."

https://www.hbrfrance.fr/innovation/les-gml-repondent-differemment-dune-langue-a-lautre-61391
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Volume 5, Issue 2 (2026)

 

2026.  iii, 118 pp.

Publishing status: Printing; Print edition expected October 2026
Published online on 15 October 2026

© John Benjamins Publishing Company

 

https://doi.org/10.1075/tris.5.2

 

Subscription info

Table of Contents

Articles

• 
  
  
  

  Emplotting the self: Migrant self-translation in digital transnational spaces

  
  
  
  
  Sara El-Sayed & Salah Basalamah | pp. 159–184
  
  


• 
  
  
  

   

  
  
  
  
  
  

  Bibliomigrancy from periphery to semi-periphery: Hispanophone and Hispanic Caribbean literature in Swedish translation, 1990–2015

  
  
  
  
  Yvonne Lindqvist | pp. 185–210
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  Translation and imperial ambitions: Language dynamics in the Italian colonization of Libya

  
  
  
  
  Mohamed Ebrahim Alafi Alshniet, Mustafa Abdullah Abdulrahman Bashir, Haani Belhaj & Hamza Ethelb | pp. 211–236
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  From reality to simulacra: Eco-translation and the visual representation of the environment

  
  
  
  
  Ali Arjmandi & Samin Salajegheh | pp. 237–261
  
  

Book reviews

• 
  
  
  

  Claire Chambers & Ipek Demir (eds.). 2024. Translation and Decolonisation: Interdisciplinary Approaches

  
  
  
  
  Reviewed by Siri Nergaard | pp. 262–264
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  Ali Almanna & Juliane House (eds.). 2023. Translation Politicised and Politics Translated

  
  
  
  
  Reviewed by Angyang Li & Yan Qin | pp. 265–270
  
  


• 
  
  
  

  Regina Rogl,Daniela Schlager & Hanna Risku (eds.). 2025. Field Research on Translation and Interpreting

  
  
  
  
  Reviewed by Zhaolong Liu | pp. 271–276
  
  

Subjects and metadata

Main BIC Subject

CFP: Translation & interpretation

Main BISAC Subject

LAN023000: LANGUAGE ARTS & DISCIPLINES / Translating & Interpreting

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29 chapters and more than 60 exercises and activities covering vocabulary, grammar, and everyday conversations
The textbook aims to address a shortage of updated educational resources for Haitian Creole, the third-most-spoken language in Florida

"A University Of Florida Professor Creates Haitian Creole Textbook To Preserve Language And Culture
The textbook aims to address a shortage of updated educational resources for Haitian Creole, the third-most-spoken language in Florida

A University of Florida professor is working to modernize Haitian Creole education with a new textbook designed to address outdated learning materials while strengthening language accessibility and cultural representation, The Independent Florida Alligator reports.

Benjamin Hebblethwaite, a professor in the university’s Department of Languages, Literatures and Cultures, collaborated with University of Alabama assistant professor David Tezil to develop Kreyòl pale, a Haitian Creole textbook published in August 2025 following nine years of work.

"We wanted to bring some more balance where we showed the culture in a more well-rounded, more representative way,” Hebblethwaite told the outlet.

The textbook features 29 chapters and more than 60 exercises and activities covering vocabulary, grammar, and everyday conversations. Lessons address practical situations, including ordering food, dating, and searching for employment, to help students develop conversational skills.

The resource also offers Haitian American students an opportunity to strengthen their connection to their heritage.

Georffrey Pierre, a first-generation University of Florida student, told The Alligator that speaking Haitian Creole helps him maintain relationships with family members who are not fluent in English. He also emphasized the importance of making language-learning resources more widely available.

Duchnah Richard, another first-generation student, said she speaks Haitian Creole but struggles to write it. She believes the textbook could help students navigate language barriers and improve their literacy skills.

The initiative addresses a broader challenge facing Haitian communities, where some native speakers have limited access to formal instruction in reading and writing their language.

Kreyòl pale is available as a free PDF through the University of Florida Digital Collections, expanding access to Haitian Creole education beyond the university classroom."
by Sidnee Michelle
October 18, 2026
https://www.blackenterprise.com/haitian-creole-textbook-language-culture/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"The challenge in making the national language a vessel for unity

Drawing from the spirit of tolerance in East Malaysia, Bahasa Melayu can begin to be viewed not as a tool of division, but as a bridge that unites.

From Moaz Nair

In the noble effort to elevate Bahasa Melayu as the core of national identity, a topic frequently discussed among language enthusiasts is the level of mastery and fluency of the national language among multi-ethnic communities.

Most narratives typically focus on daily communication, the corporate sector, or administrative affairs.

However, from a sociolinguistic perspective, there is a dimension that is rarely explored deeply but carries significant influence over language assimilation: the use of the national language within the religious and cultural expressions of non-Muslim communities.

On one hand, there are high expectations for all citizens to anchor their lives around Bahasa Melayu. On the other, when touching upon the spiritual realm, a more complex dynamic emerges.

Understanding these contrasting approaches is not meant to assign blame, but rather to examine how language can function more inclusively as a bridge for unity without disrupting established socio-religious sensitivities.

Historical framework and the unique situation in the peninsula

The difficulty of expanding the use of Bahasa Melayu in non-Muslim religious affairs in Peninsular Malaysia is rooted in a combination of legal history, demographics, and the evolution of the language’s corpus itself.

Under Article 160 of the Federal Constitution, Malay identity is clearly defined by three main elements: professing the religion of Islam, habitually speaking the Malay language, and conforming to Malay custom. This close alignment has caused Bahasa Melayu to evolve with a heavy Islamic imprint over hundreds of years through the absorption of Arabic theological terms into everyday vocabulary.

To preserve harmony and prevent theological confusion, most states in the peninsula enforce the Enactment on the Control and Restriction of the Propagation of Non-Islamic Religions, guided by the principles of Article 11(4) of the Federal Constitution. These laws restrict the use of certain religious terms to ensure the doctrinal integrity of the majority community remains protected.

Aware of these legal and social sensitivities, non-Muslim communities in the Peninsula—comprising largely Chinese and Indian ethnic groups—opt for a cautious approach.

To maintain racial harmony and safeguard their respective theological purity, they feel more comfortable retaining their mother tongues (such as Mandarin or Tamil) or English in their religious affairs. This situation inadvertently creates a linguistic divide in spiritual matters, even though they are fluent in Bahasa Melayu in other daily affairs.

Diverse models in East Malaysia and Indonesia

The reality in the peninsula presents a stark contrast when looking at the socio-political models in Sabah, Sarawak, and Indonesia. In East Malaysia, a unique demographic structure has long positioned Bahasa Melayu as the primary unifying vessel.

For hundreds of indigenous sub-ethnicities such as the Iban, Kadazandusun and Bidayuh, Bahasa Melayu has served as the daily lingua franca, including in church services and their Alkitab (Bible) texts.

The general practice and sharing of religious terms rooted in the same language are accepted with high tolerance as a historical norm, in line with the socio-political guarantees under the Malaysia Agreement 1963 (MA63).

Looking at our neighbour, Indonesia underwent a comprehensive language assimilation process because Bahasa Indonesia was established as a neutral and inclusive national asset. There, all recognised religions fully utilise Bahasa Indonesia in rituals and scripture translations.

Major Islamic figures and organisations like Nahdlatul Ulama (NU) and Muhammadiyah play a mature role in guiding society.

They have successfully educated the public by decoupling the language’s function as a national communication tool from the essence of an individual’s personal faith.

This approach allows for the harmonious sharing of certain religious vocabularies, anchored by the concept of inter-citizen brotherhood or “ukhuwah wathaniyah”.

Building harmony through mutual understanding

These differing linguistic approaches have a tangible impact on daily social relations. In the peninsula, the separation of language in religious affairs shapes a model of “cautious coexistence”.

Multi-ethnic communities deeply respect each other’s boundaries, yet opportunities for deeper cross-cultural dialogue can sometimes be limited by fears of stepping on legal sensitivities. Social interactions remain largely concentrated in secular spaces like economics, education and sports.

Conversely, the dynamics in Sabah, Sarawak and Indonesia demonstrate that when a national language is shared in the most deeply personal aspect of life—spirituality—it can erode suspicion and strengthen a sense of togetherness. The national language is no longer seen as the exclusive property of one group, but as a grand canopy sheltering all citizens.

Conclusion

The desire to see Bahasa Melayu fully embraced by all Malaysians is a noble dream that deserves support. However, discourses on elevating the language must look beyond casual conversation.

We must acknowledge the sociolinguistic challenge that arises when the national language is restricted in non-Muslim spiritual realms to safeguard faith, while simultaneously expecting these communities to assimilate the language into every facet of their lives.

To move forward, the best path is to construct a harmonious, localised understanding. Drawing from the spirit of tolerance in East Malaysia, we can begin to view Bahasa Melayu not as a tool of division, but as a bridge that unites.

Without compromising the legal protections that safeguard the faith of Muslims in the peninsula, the cultivation of the national language in cultural and literary spaces across all communities must continue to be nurtured maturely—for the future of a truly integrated Bangsa Malaysia.

Moaz Nair is an FMT reader."
https://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/opinion/2026/10/18/the-challenge-in-making-the-national-language-a-vessel-for-unity
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"La valorisation des langues africaines au cœur des enjeux de développement
octobre 17, 2026
Kinshasa, 17 octobre 2026 (ACP).- La valorisation des langues, des cultures et de l’histoire millénaire africaines au service du développement du continent est au cœur d’une tribune intitulée ‘‘Langues, sociétés africaines et développement’’, rédigée par un professeur congolais et consultée samedi par l’ACP en République démocratique du Congo (RDC).

«Il n’existe pas, au sens scientifique, de langues intrinsèquement pauvres ou riches. Toutes les langues humaines possèdent une grammaire et permettent à leurs locuteurs d’exprimer des idéescomplexes, même si elles le font avec des structures différentes», a déclaré le professeur Raoul Ekwampok Ka’ndum, linguiste et enseignant à l’Université pédagogique nationale (UPN) de Kinshasa.

Dans cette tribune, l’universitaire remet en question la distinction entre langues riches et langues pauvres, estimant que leur statut dépend davantage de leur histoire, de leurs usages et de leur reconnaissance sociale que d’une quelconque supériorité linguistique.

«Une langue peut sembler riche parce qu’elle possède un vocabulaire très développé dans certains domaines, de nombreuses façons d’exprimer les nuances, les temps, les modes, les relations ou les émotions, ou encore une forte diffusion sociale, politique ou économique», a-t-il expliqué.

À l’inverse, une langue peut paraître moins développée lorsqu’elle est marginalisée, insuffisamment documentée ou peu présente dans les systèmes éducatifs.

Le manque de dictionnaires, de manuels scolaires et d’outils pédagogiques peut alors limiter son utilisation dans l’enseignement et la transmission des connaissances.

Le professeur Ekwampok Ka’ndum estime que le mépris dont font l’objet certaines langues africaines, y compris de la part de leurs propres locuteurs, s’inscrit dans un contexte historique marqué par la domination occidentale.

Il évoque notamment la traite négrière, l’esclavage, la colonisation et la néo colonisation, dont les conséquences culturelles et sociales continueraient d’influencer la perception des langues africaines.

Cette situation appelle, selon lui, à restaurer la confiance des populations dans leurs langues maternelles et à renforcer leur place dans l’éducation, la recherche et la production des connaissances.

Les langues africaines comme vecteurs de connaissances

Pour cet universitaire, les langues africaines disposent des capacités nécessaires pour exprimer des savoirs scientifiques et accompagner l’évolution des sociétés, à condition de bénéficier d’une promotion et d’un travail de documentation adaptés.

«Toute langue valorisée et dont on assure la promotion est un instrument réformable, adaptable à de nouveaux besoins de communication», a-t-il affirmé.

Il estime que les langues peuvent enrichir leur vocabulaire afin d’intégrer de nouveaux concepts, notamment dans les domaines scientifiques et techniques.

Leur développement nécessite ainsi des efforts de documentation, la production d’outils pédagogiques et leur adaptation aux exigences contemporaines.

L’universitaire rappelle également que l’oralité précède historiquement l’écriture et qu’aucune langue n’estdestinée, par nature, à rester exclusivement orale.

Toutes peuvent évoluer et servir à la production, à la conservation et à la transmission des connaissances.

Journalistes et chercheurs appelés à agir

Le professeur Ekwampok Ka’ndum interpelle les professionnels des médias ainsi que les scientifiques et les chercheurs sur leur responsabilité dans la valorisation des langues africaines et l’évolution des mentalités.

«Vous, journalistes, et nous, scientifiques et chercheurs, avons le devoir de dire la vérité et de faire changer les choses. Positivement !», A-t-il souligné, insistant particulièrement sur le rôle des journalistes.

Il considère que les médias peuvent contribuer à cette démarche en accordant une place accrue aux langues africaines dans l’information, la transmission des savoirs et la mise en valeur du patrimoine culturel du continent.

Cet engagement doit, selon lui, s’accompagner d’un travail scientifique visant à documenter les langues, à développer les ressources pédagogiques et à favoriser leur utilisation dans différents domaines de la connaissance.

Le thème «Langues, sociétés africaines et développement» a été développé lors des mélanges offerts au professeur émérite Mayaka Ma Kanda, les 19 et 20 août 2025.

Il constitue également le titre d’un ouvrage collectif publié le 20 août 2026, selon les précisions apportées par le professeur Ekwampok Ka’ndum.

Pour cet universitaire, la promotion des langues africaines doit aller de pair avec celle des cultures et de l’histoire millénaire du continent afin de préserver le patrimoine, de renforcer les identités et de favoriser un développement davantage ancré dans les réalités culturelles africaines.

«Valoriser ou promouvoir les langues, les cultures et l’histoire millénaire africaines pour mieux penser le vrai développement du continent africain», a-t-il résumé.

Le professeur Raoul Ekwampok Ka’ndum enseigne à l’Université pédagogique nationale (UPN) de Kinshasa.

Il défend notamment la valorisation des langues africaines et leur contribution à la transmission des connaissances et au développement culturel en République démocratique du Congo. ACP/Bob Ambongo"
https://acp.cd/culture/la-valorisation-des-langues-africaines-au-coeur-des-enjeux-de-developpement/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Confusion autour du code « CH »
À l’origine de cette erreur se trouve l’abréviation « CH », utilisée pour désigner la Suisse. Ces deux lettres correspondent à « Confoederatio Helvetica », le nom latin de la Confédération suisse.
Dans la traduction chinoise du panneau, ce code aurait toutefois été compris comme faisant référence à la Chine. Or, le code international de la Chine est « CN », et non « CH».
Le traducteur semblait ne pas avoir la moindre idée que “CH” signifie Suisse (Confoederatio Helvetica). »

'"Une erreur de traduction a provoqué une situation pour le moins surprenante à l’aéroport Paris-Charles-de-Gaulle.

Sur un panneau consacré au contrôle automatisé des passeports, la Suisse a été remplacée par la Chine dans la version chinoise du message.

L’information, rapportée par 20 Minutes, qui cite le média spécialisé Aerotelegraph, concerne les indications relatives aux portiques automatiques PARAFE. Le panneau indiquait notamment que les ressortissants suisses pouvaient utiliser ce dispositif de contrôle.

Erreur de traduction à l’aéroport de Paris : Une confusion autour du code « CH »

À l’origine de cette erreur se trouve l’abréviation « CH », utilisée pour désigner la Suisse. Ces deux lettres correspondent à « Confoederatio Helvetica », le nom latin de la Confédération suisse.

Dans la traduction chinoise du panneau, ce code aurait toutefois été compris comme faisant référence à la Chine. Or, le code international de la Chine est « CN », et non « CH».

Cette confusion a donc conduit à une indication erronée sur les conditions d’accès au contrôle automatisé des passeports dans l’aéroport de Paris-CDG.

Les portiques automatisés PARAFE sont notamment accessibles aux ressortissants majeurs de l’Union européenne, de l’Espace économique européen et de la Suisse, à condition de disposer d’un passeport biométrique.

Certaines nationalités extérieures à cet ensemble peuvent également utiliser ces dispositifs sous certaines conditions. Les ressortissants chinois ne font toutefois pas partie des nationalités concernées par cette possibilité, précise  20 Minutes.

L’erreur sur le panneau pouvait donc créer une confusion pour les voyageurs chinois en leur laissant penser qu’ils étaient concernés par le dispositif.

L’erreur a été repérée par Pascal Lottaz, qui a partagé une photographie du panneau sur le réseau social X. Dans son message, il a souligné avec ironie la confusion entre la Suisse et la Chine : « Quelqu’un doit dire à l’aéroport de Paris que la Chine ne fait pas partie de Schengen. Le traducteur semblait ne pas avoir la moindre idée que “CH” signifie Suisse (Confoederatio Helvetica). »

Paris Aéroport a rapidement réagi à cette publication, avec une réponse elle aussi teintée d’humour. « Oups… On dirait que nos panneaux ont décidé de faire un tour du monde un peu plus vite que prévu », a répondu l’aéroport, avant de remercier l’internaute d’avoir signalé le problème.

Paris Aéroport a également précisé que l’erreur avait été transmise aux équipes concernées afin qu’elle soit corrigée."
https://voyagerdz.com/aeroport-paris-cdg-erreur-traduction-surprend-voyageurs/

"À Lomé, le gouvernement veut faire entrer les langues locales du Togo dans l’ère de l’intelligence artificielle. La ministre de l’Efficacité du Service public et de la Transformation numérique, Cina Lawson, a lancé le 5 octobre dernier le Challenge national des langues locales, première étape du programme « Voix du Togo ». Apprendrelangue

L’initiative ouvre une plateforme de contribution où les citoyens peuvent fournir des textes, des enregistrements et des traductions. Ces données serviront à entraîner des modèles capables de comprendre puis de traiter les langues parlées dans le pays. L’objectif est clair : permettre à un citoyen d’échanger un jour avec un service public numérique dans sa propre  langue.

Une collecte citoyenne et encadrée
Le dispositif démarre par une phase pilote d’un mois consacrée à trois langues : l’éwé, le kabiyè et le moba. Les organisateurs veulent d’abord tester la méthode de collecte avant de l’étendre progressivement aux autres langues du pays.

Les participants créent un compte à partir de leur numéro de téléphone et indiquent les langues qu’ils parlent, lisent ou écrivent. La plateforme leur propose ensuite des tâches adaptées à leurs compétences : lire des phrases à voix haute, transcrire des enregistrements, traduire des textes ou vérifier les contributions d’autres utilisateurs. Apprendrelangue

Cette organisation cherche à transformer la connaissance linguistique des citoyens en une ressource numérique collective. Chaque enregistrement, traduction ou correction alimente un corpus destiné à améliorer la compréhension automatique des langues togolaises.

Des garde-fous linguistiques
La qualité des données constitue un enjeu central. Les contributions ne seront pas exploitées sans contrôle : des linguistes et des membres des communautés linguistiques devront les valider avant leur utilisation. Le Togo AI Lab, avec des étudiants, des chercheurs et des développeurs, prendra ensuite le relais. L’équipe exploitera les corpus validés pour entraîner et affiner les modèles d’intelligence artificielle. Des compétitions organisées sur la plateforme Zindi devraient également mobiliser la communauté  technologique autour de ces données. Cartesdu monde

Cette approche associe ainsi citoyens, universitaires et développeurs. Elle vise à éviter que les langues locales restent absentes des outils numériques, alors même qu’elles structurent la vie quotidienne, les échanges administratifs et la transmission culturelle.

L’inclusion numérique en jeu
Le programme poursuit un objectif plus large que la seule innovation technologique. En rendant les services publics accessibles dans les langues locales, les autorités espèrent réduire les barrières linguistiques qui éloignent une partie de la population des administrations numériques. Les applications concernent plusieurs secteurs essentiels : l’accès aux services publics, la santé et la justice. Un citoyen maîtrisant mieux l’éwé, le kabiyè ou le moba que le français pourrait ainsi obtenir une information, comprendre une procédure ou interagir avec une plateforme sans dépendre d’un intermédiaire. Explorerla tech

Le gouvernement prévoit également d’envoyer des agents de terrain dans les localités où l’accès au téléphone ou à Internet demeure limité. Ces équipes recueilleront directement les contributions afin d’éviter que la fracture numérique ne prive certaines communautés de l’initiative. Le défi consiste désormais à transformer cette mobilisation initiale en une base de données suffisamment riche, fiable et représentative. Si le pari réussit, le Togo fera de ses langues locales un instrument d’inclusion numérique, et non un patrimoine laissé en marge de la révolution technologique."
Helene Sourou
14 octobre 2026
https://www.journaldutogo.com/togo-challenge-national-langues-locales-intelligence-artificielle/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

TranslationeTranslation reaches 1 billion requests in less than a year
Published 7 hours ago on October 16, 2026By EU Reporter Correspondent

This week, the European Union’s free and secure eTranslation tool passed a major milestone: more than 1 billion translation requests have been made this year so far. That’s more than the annual total for each of the previous years since the tool was launched in 2017.

eTranslation helps a wide range of users communicate across languages more fluently and efficiently. It is one of the EU’s flagship language technology services and supports multilingual communication across Europe and beyond.

Helping Europe communicate across languages
Co-financed by Digital Europe and EU institutions and bodies and developed by the European Commission, eTranslation can be used to translate documents and text in all 24 EU official languages, plus a number of other high-interest languages.

eTranslation can be used by EU institutions, bodies and agencies, public administrations, small businesses (including self-employed people), academia, non-governmental organisations, Digital Europe projects, and candidates for EU posts. In addition, you must be based in the EU or in a country affiliated with Digital Europe.

Reaching 1 billion requests so far in 2026 highlights the growing need for reliable language technology in the EU that draws on top-quality multilingual data. eTranslation relies on data curated over decades by EU translators.

An AI tool built for Europe
eTranslation is well suited to meet public-sector needs, with a strong focus on data security, confidentiality and high-volume multilingual workflows. It can be accessed through a web interface and integrated into other digital services via APIs. Users can upload their own glossaries or activate AI enhancements to support technical translator workflows.

The tool continues to evolve on the basis of user feedback, especially from language professionals. Over the years, eTranslation has supported many areas of EU cooperation, including public administration, justice, procurement, health, migration and online public services. By helping users understand and reuse information in multiple languages, it contributes to a more connected and inclusive Digital Single Market.

The milestone of 1 billion requests in less than a year shows how important language services have become in daily administrative and professional work. It also underlines the role of DG Translation in supporting digital multilingualism across the EU, combining linguistic expertise and technology for user-friendly AI-based services.

Find out more about eTranslation"
https://www.eureporter.co/economy/translation/2026/10/16/etranslation-reaches-1-billion-requests-in-less-than-a-year/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

"The pleasures of translating Plato

Themes: Books, Classics, Culture, Philosophy
The reissue of Hamilton and Cairns’ celebrated edition of Plato’s dialogues shows how every translation bears the marks of its era and of its translator’s taste.

Anselm Feuerbach, Plato's Symposium, painting in oil on canvas, 1869. Credit: incamerastock

The Collected Dialogues of Plato, edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns, with a new foreword by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein, Princeton University Press, £35

For a university student in the 1980s, The Collected Dialogues of Plato  edited by Edith Hamilton and Huntington Cairns and published by Princeton University Press (first in 1961) was a treasured possession. The volume brought together readable English translations of essentially all of Plato’s writings: the genuine dialogues, a few doubtful ones, and the Letters – in all, the work of 14 translators from Benjamin Jowett in the 1870s to Hugh Tredennick (1954). It had to be handled with care because its India paper was thin enough for a careless turn of the page to tear it. The volume now reappears in a new design, with sturdier paper (hence a thicker book), semi-hard covers, and a brief foreword by Rebecca Newberger Goldstein; inside, the pages are those of 1961, reproduced from the original typesetting.

Plato was a marvellous and elegant stylist, and his translators must try to do justice to his artistry. How does one set about translating a Platonic dialogue? The Republic  begins with four words: katebēn chthes eis Peiraia. Idiomatic English might say ‘Yesterday I went down to the Piraeus.’ Ancient sources report that a tablet was found among Plato’s effects on which these words had been written out in several different orders. Plato’s final choice puts katebēn (‘I went down’) first.

The verb evokes katabasis, the descent to the Underworld from which an initiate into the Mysteries returns with secret knowledge. The Republic  sets out to do just that: the philosopher who has left the Cave is told that he must ‘go down’ again, and the tale of Er brings back a report from the land of the dead. George Grube’s version (revised by CDC Reeve) in John Cooper’s rival one-volume Complete Works (1997) runs: ‘I went down to the Piraeus yesterday.’ Paul Shorey, whose translation is used here, is scrupulous as regards word order: ‘I went down yesterday to the Piraeus’ (only ‘the Piraeus’ sounds perhaps old-fashioned – Plato has no article, and another translator might well drop it).

There is much to consider, then, in translating just four simple words. In this case nothing is lost by staying close to the Greek. More often the translator must reshape, expand, or even paraphrase to produce fluent English. How far may a translator stray? Every translation bears the stamp of its period and of its translator’s taste. Many of the versions Hamilton and Cairns chose were already decades old in 1961, and their idiom often looks back to the Victorians, not least because the most celebrated of Victorian Platonists, Benjamin Jowett, contributes seven of them (four more than any other translator).

A few lines after the opening of the Republic, Socrates remarks on the festival procession (in Shorey’s translation): ‘I thought the procession of the citizens very fine, but it was no better than the show made by the marching of the Thracian contingent.’ Shorey makes the Athenian procession the subject of both clauses. Grube renders epichōrioi more accurately as ‘local residents’, loosens the syntax, and keeps the Thracian procession as the subject of his second clause: ‘I thought the procession of the local residents was a fine one and that the one conducted by the Thracians was no less outstanding.’ Both translators call the procession ‘fine’ (kalē, the same adjective as to kalon  in the Symposium), but today we might be happier with ‘splendid’, ‘impressive’, or even ‘a great show’.

The challenge is steep in the Symposium, which I have recently been translating for publication. Its speeches are a gallery of voices, and Michael Joyce’s exuberant version in this volume (dating from 1935) catches them well. Joyce tends to be expansive, as when the narrator Apollodorus near the start tells Glaucon what his life was like before he fell under Socrates’ spell: ‘Before that I used to go dashing about all over the place, firmly convinced that I was leading a full and interesting life, when I was really as wretched as could be – much the same as you, for instance, for I know philosophy’s the last thing you’d spend your time on.’ In this passage, Plato’s original oiomenos ti poiein, ‘thinking I was achieving something’, has grown into ‘firmly convinced that I was leading a full and interesting life’. While the Greek has the narrator thinking that he himself should be ‘doing anything rather than philosophy’, Glaucon’s response, ‘Don’t have a go at me!’, shows that he takes it as a jibe. Joyce’s emphatic you makes this explicit, not unreasonably, and it is not necessarily a worse rendering than my own more concise version: ‘Up until then I was running around aimlessly, imagining that I was living a productive life. But in fact I was as pathetic as you can get – a bit like you are now, Glaucon – because I imagined that philosophy was the last thing I needed.’

Conversational passages in Plato leave a translator room for manoeuvre. The technical passages and arguments allow much less. These can turn on particular words or series of propositions, and the translator must stay close to them if their logic is to survive. When Diotima in the Symposium says that love is tokos en kalōi, ‘giving birth in beauty’, the strange phrase binds physical procreation to the intellectual offspring of poets, lawgivers and philosophers. The word kalon  should be rendered as recognisably the same term, as the ascent moves from beautiful bodies to beautiful souls, laws and knowledge, and finally to Beauty itself. A version that alternates ‘beautiful’, ‘fine’ and ‘noble’ for elegance may read more easily, but at the expense of breaking the thread of argument.

Hamilton and Cairns’ selection drew on some of the best Platonists of the 20th century; the prefatory notes are still a useful guide, and the remarkably full index lets the reader follow a name, theme, or term from one dialogue to another. The volume is in some respects a period piece, representing a Plato to be enjoyed by the English-speaking general reader in the decades before 1961. In many of the versions, hearing these voices can be a pleasure in itself. This reissue is a reminder that earlier attempts to render Plato have not lost their value; the treasury of Platonic thought can now be enjoyed, in one handy volume, by a new generation of English-language readers.

Author
Armand D'Angour
Armand D'Angour is a Professor of Classics at the University of Oxford and fellow of Jesus College, Oxford."

October 16, 2026
Armand D'Angour
https://engelsbergideas.com/reviews/the-pleasures-of-translating-plato/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

HarperCollins Switches to AI Translators for Their French Publication

Association des traducteurs littéraires de France, also known as l’ATLF, and the collective En chair et en os, stated that dozens of Harlequin France translators were informed that their contracts would be ending as soon as possible. HarperCollins, Harlequin’s parent company, confirmed they would be using an AI-assisted translation workflow with Fluent Planet rather than relying primarily on human translators to translate their books. The company pointed to their declining sales as the reason for partnering with Fluent Planet. “Sales of our Harlequin collections have been declining in the French market in recent years,” the statement read. “We want to continue offering readers as many publications as possible at the current low retail price.”

A Fluent Planet spokesperson told The Bookseller that the company uses a hybrid of “in-house language assistance tools with systematic human translation carried out by professional literary translators.” Their website states that the human translators have “studied at the best translation universities or have decades of experience under their belt … When compared to standard machine translation systems that use neural networks, BrIAn [the Fluent Planet AI software] can provide 2 to 3 times higher quality translations, that are more accurate, offer idiomatic phrasing, provide a deeper understanding of the meaning and a faithful representation of the style and emotions of the source text. BrIAn takes into account the author’s tone and intention, making it highly effective for complex literary or marketing content.” Fluent Planet appears to believe their software is on par with human translators while also saying they’re offering a tool not intended to replace human expertise or editorial judgment.

Much can be said about the ethical issue of firing people so they can be replaced by AI. However, I want to focus on the nature of translation and why as of now, even Fluent Planet admits, AI can’t do it well, otherwise they wouldn’t need human translators with decades of experience to check their work. Translation is complicated, delicate work that requires deep knowledge and understanding of both languages. It’s about nuances and subtleties—two key factors that AI is notoriously bad at. When there’s a lack of nuance and subtlety, a great deal can be distorted or lost. Translation isn’t simply about substituting words. It requires the human touch to most truthfully convey idioms, jargon, regional dialects, and even with humans the results are never perfect because that’s the challenges of language. There is never a true one-to-one.

As someone who grew up bilingual, speaking both Spanish and English, I’ve always dealt with the frustration of needing to translate one thought from one language to another. Even when there’s a word or phrase that appears to have a direct translation, it doesn’t often hold the same meaning or intensity I’m trying to express. This is a difficulty I feel in minor translation moments; I can’t imagine needing to translate a whole novel. To translate a novel, the translator must first understand it in its entirety—the themes, the character arcs, the central truth. When there can’t be a 100 percent word-for-word accurate translation of a book, then it becomes about being as faithful to the original work as possible. AI cannot yet do this in the same way humans can because it lacks lived experience and interpretive judgment.

When I read the news about HarperCollins decision, I couldn’t help but think of R.F. Kuang’s “Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators’ Revolution,” a book that utilizes language and translation to explore narrative themes of colonialism and exploitation. In Babel, our main characters contend with the brutality of translation. It shows how language can be weaponized, how the act of translating can be a betrayal of the original, violent and sharp, harming those at the hands of the people in power. Babel examines the harm of one group of people controlling the narrative, deciding which languages are prioritized over others. There is a reason that access to reading and writing has been used as a tool for oppression. Having access to knowledge gives you agency, when that knowledge is taken away, restricted, or watered down it prevents people from understanding themselves and each other.

Language is a constant shifting force, which is why dictionaries are constantly adding new words. It changes with the times, with environment, with society—always adapting. Something that is consistently changing and created by humans, can only be fully understood through the human experience. Even then language is a deeply internal thing. Emotions and thoughts can’t always be perfectly conveyed from one person to another even when they are both fluent in the same language—how can a software ever get to the heart of that? The act of translating one book from one language to another is trying to bridge the gap from one human experience to another and it’s not something that can be reduced to an algorithm. By its very nature it must be different and specific to each book."
Kelly Quintana
https://scadconnector.com/2026/10/15/harpercollins-switches-to-ai-translators-for-their-french-publication/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Vacancy alert: Consultancy Services of INTERPRETER IN SHIFT ASIA LEARNING SESSION
Organization
Oxfam
Posted
15 Oct 2026
Closing date
25 Oct 2026

TERMS OF REFERENCE FOR CONSULTANCY SERVICES
Interpreter in shift asia learning session
Oxfam is committed to preventing any type of unwanted behaviour at work including sexual harassment, exploitation and abuse, lack of integrity and financial misconduct; and committed to promoting the welfare of children, young people and adults. Oxfam expects all staff and volunteers to share this commitment through our code of conduct. We place a high priority on ensuring that only those who share and demonstrate our values are recruited to work for us.

Shaping a stronger Oxfam for people living in poverty.

BACKGROUND

The Supporting Humanitarian Initiatives for Transformation in Asia (SHIFT Asia) Project is a critical regional initiative building upon the success of the first phase of Women’s Local Humanitarian Leadership (WLHL) implemented in 2022–2023. SHIFT Asia now operates across Indonesia, Bangladesh, the Philippines, and Myanmar, and is focused on advancing women’s leadership by positioning their organizations at the center of humanitarian decision-making.

The project operates based on the reality that women and girls are disproportionately affected by crises yet remain severely underrepresented in leadership. By applying a feminist and participatory approach that fosters regional networks and solidarity, SHIFT Asia aims to transform humanitarian systems to be more inclusive, representative, and effective in achieving gender-transformative disaster preparedness and response.

Central to this second phase is the SHIFT Asia Learning Agenda (2025–2027). This agenda promotes feminist learning spaces, peer-to-peer exchanges, and collective capacity enhancement in key areas such as program design (Theory of Change - TOC) and robust Monitoring, Evaluation, Accountability, and Learning (MEAL) systems. Grounded in Oxfam’s Common Approach to MEAL, the Learning Agenda is designed to generate evidence, capture lessons, and drive accountability and social change across local, national, and regional levels.

To ensure effective participation and shared learning among all stakeholders, specifically bridging the language gap between English-speaking facilitators and participants from Indonesia (Bahasa) and Bangladesh (Bengali), we require professional interpretation services for four critical upcoming learning sessions.

PURPOSE

The primary purpose of this assignment is to secure the services of a professional interpreter (or team of interpreters) capable of providing high-quality simultaneous interpretation between English and the primary local languages of Indonesia (Bahasa) and Bangladesh (Bengali/Bangla) for four structured learning sessions. The goal is to facilitate seamless technical understanding and meaningful peer-to-peer exchange across the regional teams.

RESPONSIBILITIES

The selected Interpreter(s) shall be responsible for:

Interpretation: Providing accurate and simultaneous (preferred) or high-quality consecutive interpretation between English - Indonesian (Bahasa) and English - Bengali (Bangla) for all four virtual learning sessions. These two languages are recommended to delivered by different providers in the each country based.
Preparation: Reviewing all session materials (agendas, presentations, technical guides) provided at least 48 hours in advance to familiarize themselves with the subject and technical jargon.
Testing: Participating in a brief technical check prior to each session to ensure optimal audio and virtual platform settings (e.g., Zoom/MS Teams interpretation feature).
Impartiality: Maintaining strict confidentiality, professionalism, and impartiality throughout the assignment.
EXPECTED RESULTS

It must be noted that the copyright for all the plans and reports and other intellectual property created as a part of this project shall vest exclusively to Oxfam which would be free to use all such material, without restrictions.

The success of the interpretation service will be measured by its contribution to the technical quality and participatory nature of the learning sessions, specifically:

High Comprehension of Technical Content: Approximately 95% of all core technical content delivered by the facilitator are accurately conveyed and understood by Indonesian and Bangladeshi participants, minimizing the need for extensive clarification loops.
Facilitation Efficiency: The interpretation services do not introduce significant delays; the session concludes within the scheduled 2-hour timeframe, maintaining the flow and pacing set by the facilitator.
DELIVERABLES AND TIMELINE

The Interpreter(s) are expected to deliver interpretation services for the following four virtual sessions:

Deliverable - Description - Estimated Session Date - Estimated Duration (Each)

D1 - Rapid Gender Analysis (RGA) – internal review of RGA methodologies applied and tracked against MTR commitments -19 November 2026 - 2 Hours

D2 - Partnerships, Policy & Advocacy – sharing Year 1 partnership models and policy wins with donors and allies - 21 January 2027- 2 Hours

D3 - Rapid Care Analysis (RCA) – evaluating implementation of the new RCA method addressing unpaid care work - 18 March 2027 - 2 Hours

D4 - Women Local Humanitarian Leadership – evaluating how women’s organizations and leaders improve humanitarian outcomes - 20 May 2027 - 2 Hours

Note: Specific session dates will be confirmed upon contracting.

DURATION OF THE ASSIGNMENT

The intended start date is 19 November 2026 and the period of implementation will be for approximately 6 monthsfrom this date.

CONTRACT SUPERVISION

The consultant will work closely with and under day-to day supervision of the of the SHIFT Asia MEAL Coordiantor to fulfil the objectives of this consultancy.

REQUIREMENTS AND QUALIFICATIONS

We need two providers from each country based that have a team of appropriately qualified personnel with a broad range of skill mixes that allow it to deliver the tasks identified above. The consultant’s proposal shall demonstrate the following capabilities:

Language Proficiency: Near-native or native fluency in English and professional working proficiency in either Indonesian (Bahasa) or Bengali (Bangla).
Technical Experience: A minimum of 3 years of professional experience providing interpretation (simultaneous or consecutive) for international development or humanitarian organizations.
Technical Setup: Proven ability to use virtual conferencing platforms (e.g., Zoom, MS Teams) and access reliable high-speed internet and high-quality audio equipment essential for simultaneous interpretation.
Professionalism: Demonstrated ability to maintain strict accuracy, professionalism, and neutrality during high-stakes internal discussions.
KEY ATTRIBUTES

Ability to demonstrate sensitivity to cultural differences and gender issues, as well as the commitment to equal opportunities.
Ability to demonstrate an openness and willingness to learn about the application of gender/gender mainstreaming, women’s rights, and diversity for all aspects of development work.
Commitment to Oxfam’s safeguarding policies to ensure all people who come into contact with Oxfam are as safe as possible.
ORGANISATIONAL VALUES

Accountability – Our purpose-driven, results-focused approach means we take responsibility for our actions and hold ourselves accountable. We believe that others should also be held accountable for their actions.
Empowerment – Our approach means that everyone involved with Oxfam, from our staff and supporters to people living in poverty, should feel they can make change happen.
Inclusiveness – We are open to everyone and embrace diversity. We believe everyone has a contribution to make, regardless of visible and invisible differences.
How to apply
To apply please share the technical and financial proposal to consultancy_oxfam@oxfam.org.uk by 25 October 2026.

Submission should include:

Technical component:

CV/company profile with contact details for at least 2 references and relevant portofolio clearly indicating the language you are applying for: Indonesian (Bahasa) or Bengali (Bangla)
Financial proposal:

The financial proposal shall specify a total Net Fee Sum amount in US Dollar including consultancy fees and all associated costs
Contact Information

For questions or clarifications, please contact:

Dheni Fidiyahfika: Dheni.Fidiyahfika@oxfam.org>

Job details
Source
Oxfam
Type
Consultancy
Career category
Advocacy/Communications
Years of experience
3-4 years
Theme
Gender"
https://reliefweb.int/job/4234187/consultancy-services-interpreter-shift-asia-learning-session
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Offers speech recognition for 1,600 languages, including 500 that can’t currently be transcribed by other AIs. Paired with Meta's new Omnilingual Machine Translation system, those transcripts can then be translated across more than 1,600 languages...

"Meta Omnilingual Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR)
Globally, people speak roughly 7,000 languages. But until recently, most automatic speech recognition (ASR) services with high-quality transcription only worked for a small number of them. Meta’s groundbreaking Omnilingual ASR is a major step in creating a universal transcription service. Using a suite of open-source models, it offers speech recognition for 1,600 languages, including 500 that can’t currently be transcribed by other AIs. Paired with Meta's new Omnilingual Machine Translation system, those transcripts can then be translated across more than 1,600 languages, too. “We’re very passionate about making sure technology supports as many languages as possible,” says Jean Maillard, a lead researcher on the project. Already, Nigerian health practitioners are using Omnilingual ASR to improve patient care in community clinics."
Richard Eisenberg
https://time.com/collection/best-inventions/2026/meta-omnilingual-asr/
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

De l'adoption à l'adaptation : Comment l'Afrique façonne sa propre IA

"Selon la Mise à jour économique pour l’Afrique de la Banque mondiale d'octobre 2026, l'Afrique subsaharienne concentre principalement son portefeuille d'intelligence artificielle dans les phases d’adoption et d’adaptation, tandis que la phase d’avancement (création de modèles frontières) reste marginale.

En raison des coûts élevés et du manque d'infrastructures de calcul, il ressort que la région tire son avantage comparatif de l’IA restreinte/pratique : des outils ciblés, à faible bande passante, conçus pour contourner la connectivité intermittente et la faible alphabétisation numérique.

Pour maximiser l'impact de ces technologies, l'adaptation locale est cruciale. Selon la Banque mondiale, les jeux de données mondiaux négligent largement le continent : environ « 56 % des données d'entraînement en accès libre sont exclusivement en anglais », laissant de côté les 2 000 langues africaines.

Ainsi, « les retombées les plus profondes pour les pays d'Afrique subsaharienne résident dans l'adaptation de l'IA aux données, aux langues et aux problèmes locaux ».

Sur le plan économique, le déploiement de l'IA s'appuie fortement sur la dynamique des startups et le secteur des technologies de l'information, qui a capté « plus de 1,25 milliard de dollars US » en investissements de capital-risque. La technologie se déploie principalement là où les transactions numériques sont déjà ancrées : la fintech, santé, l'agriculture et les services d'identification numérique.

Le rapport souligne que la réussite de ces solutions repose sur des canaux de diffusion accessibles (SMS, USSD, WhatsApp) et sur la présence de « compléments analogiques » indispensables comme l'électricité et les compétences de base.

D’après la Banque mondiale, la réplication à grande échelle exige d'intégrer l'IA aux systèmes existants et de maintenir un modèle de financement pérenne, rappelant que « la pérennité de l'échelle exige de maintenir les performances à mesure que les applications s'étendent à de nouvelles populations »."

Fodé Bakary Camara
15 Octobre 2026
https://www.pressafrik.com/De-l-adoption-a-l-adaptation-Comment-l-Afrique-faconne-sa-propre-IA_a313107.amp.html
#metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus

Every person on the planet speaks with a vocal tract that is slightly different from everyone else’s
Differences in human vocal anatomy may help explain why languages around the world sound so different.
Human language diversity may have surprising biological roots
Scientists discover how differences in human vocal tract anatomy may help explain why the world's languages sound so different.

Every person on the planet speaks with a vocal tract that is slightly different from everyone else’s.

The tube of flesh, bone, and cartilage that turns breath into speech comes in endless shapes and sizes. No two people use it in quite the same way.

This individual variation was long dismissed as irrelevant noise by linguists.

A new study suggests it may actually be one of the hidden influences behind the astonishing diversity of the world’s spoken languages.

The research was led by Steven Moran and Tiena Danner from the University of Neuchâtel. It offers a biologically grounded explanation for a puzzle that has fascinated scholars for centuries.

Why do the roughly 7,000 languages currently spoken on Earth sound so different from one another?

Scanning throats in real time
To get at this question, the researchers took an unusual approach.

They analyzed data from 32 American English speakers – 16 men and 16 women – using real-time MRI scans taken while each person was actively speaking.

The scans, drawn from the USC 75-Speaker Speech MRI Database, captured the shape of each speaker’s vocal tract at the precise moment they were producing specific vowel sounds. What the imaging revealed was striking.

Even when producing the same vowel, speakers moved their throats, tongues, and lips in remarkably different ways.

Some had short, rounded palates; others had longer, flatter ones. Each person’s tongue adapted to their specific anatomy.

For instance, a rounded palate produced a more rounded tongue shape. These differences left measurable acoustic fingerprints in the sounds they produced.

Speakers compensate for their anatomical differences, the team found. They adjust their articulatory movements to converge on the same target sound.

But the compensation is imperfect. Vocal tract anatomy still influences the acoustic signal, leaving each speaker sounding slightly distinct even when pronouncing identical sounds.

The personal signature in your voice
This is not entirely surprising to anyone who has ever recognized a friend’s voice on the phone. What the study does is quantify the mechanism behind it, and then take the logic one step further.

The researchers compared the variation found among English speakers to phonetic variation recorded across nine other languages.

These languages were Basque, Bulgarian, Hindi, Italian, Portuguese, Romanian, Tamil, Turkish, Russian, and Vietnamese.

They found that the pattern of variation within any single language mirrors the pattern of variation between languages.

Thus, the acoustic spread found among English speakers looks strikingly similar to that found comparing English to Hindi to Turkish.

The implication is significant. The seeds of phonetic differences between languages are already present in the variation between individual speakers within a single community.

A biological baseline for language change
The researchers draw on a principle from evolutionary biology: variation within a population provides the raw material for differences to emerge between populations.

The same appears to be true of language.

Phonetic variation among individual speakers, influenced by their vocal tract anatomy, may contribute to the differences that emerge between languages.

Under this model, the physical characteristics of speakers may help shape how languages develop over time.

This matters because linguists have long treated individual phonetic variation as noise obscuring the underlying structure of a language.

Speech recognition systems discard it and phylogenetic analyses of language families ignore it. The new study argues that doing so leaves out important information.

The authors suggest their model can serve as a null hypothesis for studying phonetic evolution. If languages drift apart naturally because speakers vary anatomically, that gives researchers a baseline.

Any deviation from that baseline, such as languages converging or diverging faster than expected, could signal that other forces are at work, including history, culture, or social pressure.

Biology gives you the baseline; anything on top of it is human history.

From individual to language
The path from an individual’s particular palate shape to two communities eventually being unable to understand each other is long and winding.

The researchers do not claim more than their data supports. But the direction the evidence points is intriguing.

Shared ancestry, diet, or developmental environment can all nudge a community’s vocal anatomy in a common direction.

And if enough speakers share the same anatomical tendencies, those tendencies may quietly shape how the whole community sounds.

Over generations, as communities diverge and cultural forces push sounds in different directions, small anatomical predispositions could compound into substantial linguistic differences.

The study is published in the journal PLOS Biology."
ByAndrei Ionescu
Staff Writer
October 14, 2026
https://www.earth.com/science/human-language-diversity-may-have-surprising-biological-roots/
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