Metaglossia: The Translation World

"Le service d’interprétation ne sera pas interrompu en vue de la reprise des travaux de la Chambre des communes prévus lundi à Ottawa.

Le syndicat qui représente les interprètes à la Chambre des communes estime que ses membres ont obtenu une « victoire importante » pour leur santé avec une récente ordonnance émise par le Programme du travail.

L’instance fédérale chargée de faire respecter le Code canadien du travail et d'assurer la sécurité des travailleurs a ordonné au Bureau de la traduction de procéder immédiatement à la protection des personnes contre l’effet Larsen. Une exposition répétée à ce phénomène peut créer des atteintes permanentes sur la santé auditive des interprètes, a écrit l’agente de santé et sécurité Marie-Ève Bergeron à la suite d’une inspection.

Mme Bergeron a ordonné de procéder immédiatement à la protection des personnes contre ce danger.

L’Association canadienne des employés professionnels (ACEP), qui représente les interprètes, avance qu’une centaine de ses membres qui travaillent au Parlement ont subi des blessures auditives telles que des chocs acoustiques, des acouphènes et des pertes d’ouïe depuis le début de la pandémie en raison de la tenue des travaux de la Chambre des communes en mode virtuel, puis hybride.

Nous sommes très satisfaits de l’enquête qui a mené à l'ordonnance. Elle détermine que l’effet Larsen est un danger imminent au sens du Code du travail et force le Bureau de la traduction à toujours protéger les interprètes contre cette menace, sinon de suspendre l’interprétation au risque d’une amende ou, pire, de poursuites légales des employés, a affirmé le président de l’ACEP, Nathan Prier, en entrevue samedi à Radio-Canada.

L’effet Larsen est un son strident émis par un émetteur, par exemple un casque d’écoute ou un haut-parleur, placé trop près d’un récepteur, par exemple un microphone.

 

L’ACEP compte s’assurer d’imposer le respect de cette nouvelle règle. Il aura aussi à l'œil les nouvelles mesures adoptées par le Bureau de la traduction pour protéger les interprètes.

Nous ne sommes pas convaincus que ça marchera. On verra lundi.

Une citation deNathan Prier, président de l'ACEP

Du même souffle, il confie que certains membres sont réticents à l'idée de rentrer au bureau la semaine prochaine.

 

La plupart de nos membres ont eu des blessures répétées et des incidents de santé, non seulement en raison de l’effet Larsen mais aussi avec le son toxique [...]. C’est une grande victoire pour nos membres. Ils sont contents d’avoir des protections additionnelles. Ils n’ont pas besoin de quitter le domaine. Ils n’ont pas besoin de quitter comme interprètes. Ils peuvent rester dans le milieu.

Le Bureau de la présidence de la Chambre des communes a confirmé vendredi que les nouvelles mesures de protection ont reçu l’aval de l’enquêtrice du Programme du travail. Un porte-parole a indiqué que le service d’interprétation ne sera pas interrompu pour la reprise des travaux de la Chambre des communes, prévue lundi.

Le président de l’ACEP, lui, rappelle que la situation est très sérieuse.

Sans interprétation, les travaux parlementaires ne peuvent pas se poursuivre, car la Loi sur les langues officielles les oblige à se dérouler dans les deux langues officielles, souligne Nathan Prier.

Avec les informations de Camille Kasisi-Monet"

#metaglossia_mundus: https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2068362/interprete-chambre-commune-interruption-evitee

 

"IQNA-Yoim Rizvan, chercheur en manuscrits coraniques et directeur du Musée de la culture islamique de Saint-Pétersbourg, a parlé lors d'une réunion de l'influence des manuscrits coraniques, de l'impression et de la traduction de ce livre sur l'histoire culturelle de la Russie, notamment en interaction avec les musulmans.

Yoim Rizvan a souligné le rôle de l'histoire des manuscrits du Coran en Russie et dans les anciennes républiques soviétiques, et a déclaré : « Selon le décret de Catherine Ier, reine de Russie, en 1787, le texte arabe complet du Coran a été imprimé pour la première fois à Saint-Pétersbourg, aux frais du gouvernement et dans un format spécial, différent de ce qui était publié en Europe.

L’ethnographie coranique est un domaine scientifique indépendant et de nombreuses recherches sont actuellement menées dans ce domaine.

L'objectif de la recherche scientifique est de fournir une compréhension plus approfondie des événements historiques liés à la montée de l'Islam, et d'examiner les éléments qui peuvent aider à interpréter les significations du Coran.

L'un des objectifs les plus importants de la recherche, dans le domaine de l'ethnographie coranique, est de fournir la base d'une nouvelle traduction du Coran, car toutes les connaissances coraniques existantes sont fondées sur les traductions et les interprétations du Coran composées plusieurs siècles après la révélation.

Une nouvelle traduction peut mettre en lumière les changements de sens et d'interprétation des mots et termes coraniques, depuis la révélation jusqu'à aujourd'hui ».

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#metaglossia_mundus

"Après avoir ravivé la douleur du nazisme, la municipalité renonce à déployer de nouvelles plaques de rues bilingues. Mais les signalétiques déjà en place ne changeront pas.

Les nouvelles plaques de rue de Colmar seront traduites en alsacien, pas en allemand

Après avoir ravivé la douleur du nazisme, la municipalité renonce à déployer de nouvelles plaques de rues bilingues. Mais les signalétiques déjà en place ne changeront pas.

Par Claire Gandanger 

Le 27 avril 2024 à 16h30

 

À l'automne 2023, une trentaine de plaques de rue écrites dans les deux langues avaient été installées dans Colmar (Haut-Rhin).

La municipalité de Colmar (Haut-Rhin) revient sur son initiative d’afficher à taille égale les noms de ses rues à la fois en français et dans leur traduction allemande sur les plaques signalétiques. Elle entendait promouvoir le bilinguisme alors que Colmar se trouve à une quinzaine de kilomètres de l’Allemagne. Mais l’apparition à l’automne 2023 d’une trentaine de plaques neuves dans les deux langues avait ravivé la douleur de la présence nazie chez les habitants les plus âgés. La société d’histoire de Colmar s’était indignée d’une telle pratique qui n’était intervenue au cours du XXe siècle qu’à l’époque de la germanisation forcée de Colmar par les nazis entre 1940 et 1945.

Devant cette polémique, un groupe de travail composé d’élus, d’acteurs culturels et d’historiens vient de décider que les plaques neuves des rues rénovées et des nouvelles rues des quartiers récents de Colmar afficheraient dorénavant une traduction plus consensuelle en dialecte alsacien.

Aviser « en fonction de l’histoire particulière de chaque rue »

« Nous donnerons la priorité à l’alsacien quand l’allemand ne se justifie pas et il n’y aura plus de nouvelle traduction en allemand », assure le maire Éric Straumann. « Mais les nouvelles signalétiques déjà en place ne changeront pas », prévient-il.

 

« Dans les quartiers historiques, certaines rues sont affichées en allemand, d’autres en français, en allemand et en alsacien », rappelle-t-il cependant. « Nous aviserons alors en fonction de l’histoire particulière de chaque rue. » Ainsi, le quartier des Maraîchers, zone d’activité constituée au Sud et à l’Est de Colmar alors que la ville était allemande après l’annexion de 1870, doit conserver ses ruelles et impasses d’appellations germaniques. Ce printemps, quatre nouvelles rues doivent recevoir un double baptême français et alsacien."

#metaglossia_mundus

"IQNA-Le président de l'Université Al-Azhar, critiquant les erreurs commises dans le domaine de la traduction, a mis en garde contre la déformation du visage de l'Islam.

Salama Daoud, président de l'Université Al-Azhar, lors de la conférence « Technologie, traduction et enseignement des langues. Perspectives et défis », a évoqué les erreurs commises dans le domaine de la traduction du Coran, qui déforment le visage de l'Islam et a déclaré : « Des lacunes dans la traduction ont amené certaines personnes à déformer l'image de l'Islam, ses règles et ses concepts ».

Le vice-président d'Al-Azhar, Mohammad Al-Dzawini, a souligné dans ses propos, que la traduction représente une voie entre les civilisations, qui a relié les nations et les cultures à différentes époques, et a déclaré : « Ces dernières années, nous avons observé un phénomène qui blesse le cœur des musulmans et tente d'affaiblir l'Islam et les musulmans, de déformer leur image et de répandre la haine envers les musulmans et tout ce qui est islamique. Ceux qui étudient ce phénomène (l’islamophobie) savent très bien que le manque de traduction et la faiblesse de la recherche ainsi que le manque de précision dans le transfert des connaissances et des idées islamiques, au monde occidental, ont provoqué un profond fossé entre les sociétés alors qu’au sommet de la grandeur de la civilisation arabo-islamique, les sciences les plus avancées et les plus complexes, étaient traduites de l’hindi, du persan et du grec, en arabe, avec la plus grande précision ».

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#metaglossia_mundus

"Sortie d’un recueil de proverbes occitans

Publié le 28/04/2024 à 05:11

La Dépêche du midi

L’Institut d’Etudes Occitanes fédère une quinzaine d’associations dans le Département du Lot. L’IEO d’Olt poursuit son travail de diffusion et de vulgarisation de la langue et de la culture occitane, avec des actions d’animation et d’édition. Vient de sortir le recueil Sagesse du Quercy, 980 proverbes recueillis par l’abbé Lacoste (1851-1924), retranscrits et commentés par Jean Rigouste.

Jean Rigouste est professeur agrégé de Lettres classiques. Il a enseigné dans divers lycées, à l’Université de Bordeaux III et à l’IUFM d’Aquitaine. Il a été chargé de mission pour les Langues Régionales au Rectorat de l’Académie de Bordeaux. Il est l’auteur de divers ouvrages en français et en langue d’oc, chroniques de toponymie et articles dans diverses revues.

 

Les 980 proverbes qu’il présente dans l’ouvrage Sagesses du Quercy, ont été recueillis par l’abbé François Lacoste et proviennent de 39 communes, principalement situées dans les méandres de la vallée du Lot, entre Luzech et Soturac, avec une prédominance de Bélaye, où le collecteur passa son enfance, et d’Anglars-Juillac, où il exerça son ministère pendant une quarantaine d’années. On peut l’imaginer notant au jour le jour ce qu’il entendait, ce que lui rapportaient des gens qui devaient connaître sa passion pour les "choses du Quercy", comme il les appelait. Le manuscrit de ce recueil de proverbes se trouve à la bibliothèque du fonds ancien de Cahors. De traditions antiques et surtout diffusés par la tradition orale, les proverbes nous renseignent parfois sur des événements historiques.

 

Ils témoignent de l’histoire des sociétés anciennes et de leurs milieux populaires. L’étude des proverbes et de leur origine intéresse les domaines des sciences humaines. Ce sont des moyens d’analyse des phénomènes sociaux et culturels. Leur intérêt pour les recherches linguistiques (formulations, vocabulaire…) est incontestable.

Toute la sagesse populaire, avec l’observation fine de la nature, de l’environnement, de la météo, des caractères humains, de la sociologie, se retrouve dans ces proverbes. Une grande partie de ces proverbes présentés dans Sagesse du Quercy sont inédits, inconnus des recueils existants et d’une exceptionnelle richesse.

Chaque proverbe est en graphie de l’auteur et en graphie normalisée occitane, suivi de sa traduction en français accompagné d’explications. La présentation de Sagesse du Quercy est à retrouver sur le site ieo-olt.org/actualitats/ onglet Edicions. Disponible dans les librairies Champollion (Figeac), Calligramme (Cahors), Des Livres et Vous (Gourdon).

"#metaglossia_mundus

"The "JESUS" film is set to hit theatres worldwide in a new animated format in December 2025, hoping to target a younger generation.

By Ellie TiemensApril 26, 2024
Animated Jesus interacts with child.
USA (MNN) — The iconic and record-breaking “JESUS” film is set to hit theatres worldwide in a new animated format in December 2025, hoping to target a younger generation engaging in new forms of media.

“JESUS (2025)” was announced in November, 2023 as the newest undertaking from the Jesus Film Project, sharing the story of the life of Jesus as found in Luke.

“There are quite a few reasons to go animated with the Jesus film, but one of them is just, with the way that the world is today, in the age of the world, we want to have a way that we can have an impact with those who are engaging in media in new ways,” Chris Deckert with the Jesus Film Project said.

The chosen format for “JESUS (2025)” is animation, a type of media that connects people of all ages and speaks to a younger generation. With the average global age being just 30 years old, Deckert sees the importance of engaging with this next generation and communicating about who Jesus is.

The original “JESUS“ film broke records as the most translated film of all time, available in over 2,100 languages. The creators of “JESUS (2025)” intend for this animated version to use the same audio from current translations, making it accessible to just as many people groups.

Scene from new animated film highlights the Scripture passage “On Earth as it is in Heaven”. Photo courtesy of Jesusfilm.org

“For every new language that we work on, we’re going to be doing the traditional Jesus film classically,” Deckert said. “All the translations will be the same. We work with our Bible translators and get straight from the Gospel of Luke most of what we have in the film. So as we translate that, we put it into the Jesus film, but all those lines then will be dropped into an animated version.”

“JESUS (2025)” will first be released in English, and shown in theatres in the United States. From there, the film will be dubbed into the top 100 world languages. The Jesus Film Project will then continue to process the film into other languages as quickly as possible.

The animated version is currently in the process of production. Deckert says it’ll be more than a year and half before it is ready to be released. In the meantime, the organization is working on fundraising and making sure that the work they’re doing is accurate.

“And so the production team, the people they’re working with, who have professional experience in animation, come from different areas that they’ve had such great quality, and they’re bringing that into this project,” Deckert said. “But we want to ensure that this is really high quality, and that it’ll be an engaging story that people connect with not only in the U.S., but in the couple thousand other languages around the world.”

Those interested in keeping up with the development of the project can visit Jesus.film or download the Jesus Film Insider app. On another app, Jesus Film, the film is available for download for free in the 2,100 languages it is translated into.

Deckert recalls a time he was able to use the app share the film with his Kenyan cab driver in the driver’s tribe’s language. The driver downloaded the film to share it with his family and realized that his own cousin was the one narrating in their language.

“So just watching God bring people together with the Gospel and connecting it to them is so easy when you can share it in their own language from anywhere in the world,” Deckert said.

Visit Jesus.film for more information on this project."

#metaglossia_mundus

"By James Folta

April 25, 2024, 1:22pm

That’s according to a recently released survey by the Society of Authors, which heard from over 800 of their members about how they’re feeling about emergent technologies and their impact on their creative work.

The Society, a UK-based trade organization that has been advising and campaigning for writers, illustrators, and literary translators for over a century, found that its members are curious but extremely wary of new generative technology.

This isn’t a universally skeptical crowd: 22% of respondents say they have used generative programs in their work, and 31% have used them for brainstorming. This number was lower than I might have guessed. Artists have always embraced the experimental possibility of new materials and tools, and that so few are using AI underscores the deep and widespread ethical and reputational concerns around this tech. In fact, the survey found that “even those respondents who were more optimistic…reiterated that ethical concerns are a primary reason to avoid the use of generative AI systems at this stage.”

There’s also the crucial factor that this tech hasn’t shown an ability to make art that is good or interesting, and has only found a fanbase amongst the worst guys you’ve ever seen.

The survey also found that AI is already cutting into people’s work. A quarter of illustrators (26%) and over a third of translators (36%) say they’ve lost work due to generative AI, and a higher percentage—37% of illustrators and 43% of translators—say the income for their work has decreased because of generative tech. It seems like this programming is already working as intended.

I’ve said before that my big concern with AI is as a labor issue. I remain deeply skeptical when the only people aggressively pushing this stuff are bosses who see creative workers as a budgetary line item that can be replaced by a cheaper widget. Companies are just keeping up with the Joneses: a lot of CEOs and Business Deciders seem desperate to avoid last place in the perpetual race to adopt whatever new thing everyone is posting about on LinkedIn.

But an AI-driven devaluation of labor fits in with a broader trend in creative work: pay is down, quotas are up, and opportunities are shrinking. The WGA and SAG-AFTRA strikes last year were often framed as a fight against turning creative work in Hollywood into another Uber-esque gig job: writing and acting as precarious and part-time, joining other professions that have been increasingly reoriented to be an app-facilitated servant that can be hired and fired in an afternoon.

But the concerns are more than just material, according to the Society survey. 86% worry that AI “devalues human-made creative work” and “many highlighting biases and inaccuracies in AI-generated content, worries about copyright infringement, misuse of personal data, and the exploitation of fellow creators’ works without consent or remuneration.”

By far the greatest consensus that the survey found was around the creation and regulation of this tech. We know that tech companies are massively “cutting corners” in their quest to hoover up other people’s work to feed their machines, and 94% of surveyed respondents want credit and compensation when a company takes their work, and 95% want to give consent before their work is used to build someone else’s company.

There’s also broad agreement on what should be done. 97% of respondents believe consumers deserve to know when something they’re seeing or hearing was made with AI—something like the fake images Netflix aired in their new documentary. And 95% think that governments need to “introduce safeguards and regulation to ensure compliance with these measures of consent, compensation and transparency.”

I wish I felt more optimism that government could step in and help. But if this TikTok ban that’s rocketing through Washington is any indication, elected officials and their staff might no longer think that the internet is a series of tubes, but they still have a deep naivety and credulity about the tech industry and its flaws.

The Society of Authors survey makes clear that AI is already impacting creative work—the cat’s out of the bag and it’s been generated with six ears. The companies won’t stop themselves and regulation is already well behind the ball. The only solution will be collective and grassroots.

Which is why I’m proposing a Godzilla vs. Mechagodzilla strategy: we all get together and build a super-AI to fight the other AIs. It’s the only way."

#metaglossia_mundus

"The New England Translators Association (NETA) conference features esteemed speakers and valuable networking opportunities.

MultiLingual Staff

April 24, 2024

The New England Translators Association (NETA) is gearing up once again for its annual translation and interpreting conference, set to be the largest gathering of language professionals in the region.

With over 200 translators, interpreters, project managers, and other language experts expected to attend, this event promises a day filled with invaluable opportunities for learning, networking, and collaboration.

 

Scheduled to take place on Saturday, April 27, 2024, from 8 am to 5 pm, the conference will be hosted in collaboration with the University of Massachusetts Boston at its Campus Center. Participants can look forward to a comprehensive program designed to enrich their knowledge and skills in the field of translation and interpreting.

Registration includes breakfast and lunch. The lineup features a keynote and endnote presentation, as well as a diverse array of presentations by seasoned professionals from both the region and across the country. Additionally, an academic track led by university students and professors offers a unique perspective on the industry’s latest developments.

One of the highlights of the conference is the roster of esteemed speakers who will share their insights and expertise on a range of topics. From Miguel Jimenez-Crespo’s exploration of Translation in the Age of AI to Elena Langdon’s discussion on Advocacy in Healthcare and Community Interpreting, attendees can expect thought-provoking sessions that go into various facets of the profession.

Featured Speakers:

Miguel Jimenez-Crespo on Translation as a Profession in the Age of AI

Steeve Auguste on Artificial Intelligence in the Translation Services Industry

Javier Castillo on Introduction to Forensic Transcription and Translation

Elena Langdon on Advocacy in Healthcare and Community Interpreting*

Convington Bien-Aimé on Rendition of Interpreters and the Level of Understanding of LEP Individuals

Ozum Arzik Erzurumlu on Interpreting as Emotional Labor: Exploring the Social Carpet of Conference Interpreting*

Helen Eby on Translating and Interpreting: How do they differ? Environments, commonalities and differences, tools and resources, how we can grow as professionals*

Barbara Thimm on Writing Through Translation: Applying the Writing Process to Translating Literature

Mireya Pérezon Unleashing the Power of Personal Branding for Language Professionals

Jasarah Burgos on Bridging Language Barriers: Enhancing Family and Community Engagement through Language Access

Regina Zaragoza Frey and Alexandra Fortich on Language Access: Public Schools Leading the Way for Municipalities

Ross Perlin, author of Language City: The Fight to Preserve Endangered Mother Tongues in New York

Moreover, the conference provides ample opportunities for attendees to interact face-to-face with industry leaders, fostering the development of valuable professional connections and relationships. Whether you’re looking to expand your business contacts, stay abreast of emerging trends, or simply connect with like-minded professionals, this event offers a conducive environment for growth and collaboration.

Notably, the conference has received accreditation for continuing education credits from reputable organizations such as the American Translators Association and the Massachusetts Trial Court Office of Language Access. Sessions approved by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters offer additional credits, highlighting the event’s commitment to providing high-quality educational content.

As the translation and interpreting landscape continues to evolve, staying informed and connected is essential for professionals seeking to thrive in the industry. Don’t miss this opportunity to join us at the NETA Conference 2024 and take your career to new heights.

Don’t miss this opportunity to interact face-to-face with the most active and committed Translation and Interpreting professionals in New England, allowing you to expand your business contacts, stay updated on new developments in the field, and develop lasting professional relationships.

Mark your calendars and secure your spot today for a day of learning, networking, and inspiration."

#metaglossia_mundus

"The 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, 1-3 May, under the title "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity".

2 May 2024

 

 

(Panel Session 5) 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue

Categories

Meetings & Events / Conferences / World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue / 6th

Production Date

02 May 2024

 

Asset Language

English

Azerbaijani

Spanish

Original

Broadcasting UN Entity

DEPARTMENT OF GLOBAL COMMUNICATIONS - DGC

Subject Topical

COOPERATION

DIALOGUE

INTERCULTURAL COMMUNICATION

SOCIAL MEDIA

CULTURE

Corporate Name

UNITED NATIONS ALLIANCE OF CIVILIZATIONS - UNAOC

Summary

The 6th World Forum on Intercultural Dialogue will be held in Baku, Azerbaijan, 1-3 May, under the title "Dialogue for Peace and Global Security: Cooperation and Interconnectivity".

Description

"Social Media: building bridges or walls between people and cultures?"

Key-note speaker:

Ahmad Ismayilov · Chief Executive Officer at Media Development Agency of the Republic of Azerbaijan (MEDIA)

Moderator: Ms. Shafag Mehraliyeva, Communication and Media specialist at ADA University

 

Panelists:

● Dr. Lhoucine Rhazoui, Director of Cultural Affairs Department of Organization of Islamic Cooperation

● Mr. Fernando Lottenberg, Organization of American States' Commissioner to Monitor and Combat Anti-Semitism

● Amb. Sohail Mahmood, the Director General of the Institute of Strategic Studies, Islamabad (ISSI)

● Mr. Bryan J. Mayer – Advisor to the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Argentina

● Mr. Alexandru Giboi – Secretary General of the European Alliance of News Agencies (EANA) and lecturer on International Strategic Management & Crisis Management at the Università della Svizzera Italiana"

 

#metaglossia_mundus

"Writing Five SOA Alumni Longlisted for PEN Literary Awards PEN America has released the 2024 PEN literary awards longlist, which includes work by five School of the Arts alumni. The organization annually bestows over $350,000 in cash prizes to writers and translators.

PEN America has released the 2024 PEN literary awards longlist, which includes work by five School of the Arts alumni. The organization annually bestows over $350,000 in cash prizes to writers and translators. 

“Our Awards are juried by panels of esteemed, award-winning authors, editors, translators, and critics,” a statement by PEN America reads. “These authors are committed to recognizing their contemporaries, from promising debut writers to those who have had a continuous, lasting impact on the literary landscape.”

Adjunct Assistant Professor and Writing alumna Catherine Lacey ’10 was nominated for the PEN/Jean Stein book award, granted to book-length works of any genre based on their impact, merit, and originality. The prize promises a $75,000 award and will be judged this year by Álvaro Enrigue, Lupita Aquino, Michael Schaub, and Tess Taylor. 

Lacey has been nominated for her genre-bending work, Biography of X (FSG, 2022), which follows the narrator, CM, as she tries to piece together a biography of her late widow, the esteemed yet elusive X. 

Writing alumni Jinwoo Chong ’21 and Javier Fuentes ’14 were nominated for the PEN/Hemingway award for debut novel, conferred to a debut novel of “exceptional literary merit.” The $10,000 prize will be judged by Cleyvis Natera, Charlie Vázquez, and Elizabeth Crane this year. 

Chong has been nominated for his novel, Flux (Melville House, 2023), a melange of speculative fiction and crime noir following the timelines of three characters. 

Fuentes was nominated for his book, Countries of Origin (Pantheon Books, 2023), the story of an undocumented New York pastry chef who is forced to return to Spain to avoid deportation and his subsequent love affair with a young, rich man he meets on the flight back. 

Mary Jo Bang ’98 has been nominated for the PEN/Voelcker Award for poetry collection. The recipient will be awarded $5,000. This year’s judges are Diane Seuss, Natalie Scenters-Zapico, Rigoberto González, Deborah Fleming, and Writing Professor Timothy Donnelly ’98. 

Bang has been nominated for her collection, A Film In Which I Play Everyone (Graywolf Press, 2023), a collection in which the speaker is simultaneously herself and everyone she’s ever met. 

Theatre alumna Virlana Tkacz ’83 has been nominated for the PEN Award for Poetry in Translation. This prize bestows $3,000 on recipients and will be judged by Dorothy Bonett, Matthias Göritz, and Nancy Naomi Carlson.

Tkacz has been nominated for her co-translation, with Wanda Phipps, of How Fire Descends by Serhiy Zhadan (Yale University Press, 2023) from the original Ukrainian. This collection recounts the Ukrainian struggle against Russian oppression, honoring both living and dead. 

As of April 23, 2024, PEN America has canceled its awards ceremony due to the withdrawal of over half of this year’s nominees––a list which includes Lacey, who is among nine out of ten nominees who have declined the Jean Stein book award––citing PEN America’s lack of response to the war in Gaza. 

Jean Stein, the writer after whom the Jean Stein Award was named and whose foundation supplies the hefty $75,000 award, was a “passionate advocate for Palestinian rights.” The funding agency has requested that PEN donate the unawarded $75,000 to the Palestine Children’s Relief Fund. 

Many of those who withdrew or declined awards described the organization’s “failure to protect” Palestinian writers in Gaza. PEN’s stance has been widely disparaged by members of the literary community, who have drafted an open letter calling for the resignation of the organization’s CEO, Suzanne Nossel as well as the president, Jennifer Finney Boylan, and the entire executive committee. 

“We respect their decision and we will celebrate these writers in other ways,” said Clarisse Rosaz Shariyf, a PEN literary programming supervisor. "

#metaglossia_mundus

"Fri, April 26, 2024 at 3:26 p.m. GMT+1·4 min read

The innovative AI-powered mobile calling app further boasts real-time speech translation capabilities, empowering users to call globally like a local in their native languages.

SAN JOSE, CA / ACCESSWIRE / April 26, 2024 / AI Phone, the leading generative AI-powered mobile application for enhanced phone calls, today announced a major update that expands its real-time phone translation capabilities to 91 languages and dialects, far surpassing other solutions on the market. For instance, the Samsung Galaxy S24's Live Translate for phone calls supports only 13 languages upon release.

Additionally, AI Phone's speech-to-text feature now supports 133 languages. It also excels in recognizing dialects for phone voice recognition, supporting up to 14 dialects of Arabic, 22 dialects of Spanish, and 15 English dialects and accents.

 

This significant advancement empowers users to overcome language barriers and connect seamlessly worldwide, fostering a more inclusive and globalized communication experience. By fine-tuning LLM for phone call scenarios and contexts, the translation accuracy has reached 98%, far surpassing that of ordinary text translation techniques.

AI Phone app is available on the App Store and Google Play. Learn more about AI Phone's suite of features and unlock a world of effortless communication at aiphone.ai.

Bridging the Gap: Effortless Communication Across Languages

As the first app to truly apply AI large models to the field of real-time phone translation, AI Phone leverages the power of artificial intelligence to revolutionize phone calls. The app provides a comprehensive suite of features, including real-time call translation in both texts and speech, live call captioning, AI-powered call summaries, and comprehensive transcriptions. This recent update focuses on real-time translation, removing the frustration of language barriers for a wider range of users.

"We are thrilled to expand our real-time call translation capabilities to more languages," said Rachel Davis, Senior Public Relations and Communication Manager at AI Phone. "This update reflects our commitment to making communication accessible and fostering connections across borders. Whether you're a seasoned globetrotter, a business professional navigating international partnerships, or someone simply wanting to connect with loved ones who speak another language, AI Phone empowers you to have clear and effortless conversations."

Addressing Communication Challenges in Diverse Scenarios

AI Phone's real-time translation addresses communication challenges in a variety of scenarios:

Global Travel: Effortlessly navigate conversations with locals, ask for directions, or order food with confidence, regardless of the language spoken.

Cross-Border Business Trips: Facilitate smooth communication during conference calls, or casual conversations with international colleagues.

Multinational Company Collaboration: Bridge communication gaps within diverse teams, fostering a more inclusive and productive work environment.

Non-Native Speakers: Stay connected with family and friends who speak a different language, or confidently conduct business calls in your non-native tongue. International students can also benefit by overcoming language hurdles while adapting to a new environment.

Why Choose AI Phone?

AI Phone prioritizes user experience. The app boasts a simple and intuitive interface, making it easy for users of all technical backgrounds to access its powerful features. With a few taps, you can activate real-time translation and enjoy seamless communication across language barriers.

AI Phone also stands out with its unique combination of features and benefits:

Cost-Effective: Affordable subscription plans make AI Phone's powerful features accessible to everyone. Compared to traditional human interpretation solutions, it saves over 99% of the cost.

Multi-System Compatibility: The app seamlessly integrates with both iOS and Android devices, ensuring everyone has access to this innovative technology.

All-in-One Functionality: Eliminate the need to juggle multiple apps or devices. AI Phone provides a comprehensive suite of features within one user-friendly platform.

The Future of Telephone Communication

AI Phone represents the future of phone calls. By harnessing the power of AI, the app transforms traditional phone calls into a more inclusive and efficient communication tool. "We are dedicated to continuous development, adding even more languages in the future, and exploring new ways to leverage AI to enhance the phone call experience for everyone," Rachel Davis added.

Experience the future of communication by downloading AI Phone for free from the Apple App Store and Google Play. Visit aiphone.ai for more information.

About AI Phone

AI Phone is a generative AI-powered mobile application that empowers users to have clear and effortless phone calls through a suite of AI-powered features, including real-time call translation, call transcriptions with highlighted notes, and AI call summaries. AI Phone is committed to making communication smarter and fostering connections across borders. For more information, please visit aiphone.ai.

Media Contact

Company: AI Phone
Contact name: Rachel Davis
Email: press@aiphone.ai
Website: aiphone.ai
City and Country: San Jose, USA
+1(408)905-8123

SOURCE: AI Phone"

#metaglossia_mundus

"Literary translator and critic Vitaly Chernetsky and Ukrainian poet and translator Iryna Shuvalova have won the American Association for Ukrainian Studies (AAUS) Translation Prize for their translation of “The Winter King”, a poetry collection by Ostap Slyvynsky.

26.04.2024

Literary translator and critic Vitaly Chernetsky and Ukrainian poet and translator Iryna Shuvalova have won the American Association for Ukrainian Studies (AAUS) Translation Prize for their translation of “The Winter King”, a poetry collection by Ostap Slyvynsky, as announced by the author on his Facebook page.

 

 

“They say Vitaly Chernetsky and Iryna Shuvalova have just received the AAUS Translation Prize for their translation of this book. Congratulations to both of them!” Ostap Slyvynsky wrote.

 

 

Oksana Maksymchuk, jury member, translator and 2023 AAUS laureate said that the jury described the translations by Vitaly Chernetsky and Iryna Shuvalova as “balanced and musical interpretations of skillfully crafted originals. Delicate and detailed, they possess a wonderful balance between accuracy of interpretation and poetic virtuosity.”

 

 

The jury has also honoured the anthology “Babyn Yar: Ukrainian Poets Respond” by John Hennessy and Ostap Kin.

 

 

“This book is powerful, fascinating. Elegant and convincing translations bring to life the diverse and heterogeneous voices, conveying their roughness and dark intensity,” the jury noted.

 

 

“The Winter King” is a poetry collection by Ostap Slyvynsky published in Ukraine in 2018. Vitaly Chernetsky and Iryna Shuvalova translated it for a contemporary Ukrainian poetry series by Lost Horse Press.

 

Vitaly Chernetsky is an American Slavic scholar, literary critic, and translator of Ukrainian literature into English. Professor of Slavic Languages and Literatures at the University of Kansas.

 

Iryna Shuvalova is a poet and researcher from Kyiv, Ukraine, residing in Oslo. She is the author of five award-winning poetry collections.

 

American Association for Ukrainian Studies, AAUS, is an educational organization founded in 1989 to share knowledge about Ukraine, popularizing Ukrainian studies, creating resources for building the scientific advancement of its members, and making the organization’s intellectual resources available to the media and the public.

 

The members of the organization are scholars, doctoral studies students, and undergraduates, primarily from the United States and Canada, as well as individual members from Europe, including Ukraine. The Association is affiliated with the International Association of Ukrainian Studies, the Association for Slavic, East European, and Eurasian Studies (ASEEES), and the Association for the Study of Nationalities (ASN).

Translation: Iryna Saviuk
Copy editing: Jared Goyette"

#metaglossia_mundus

"‘Shōgun’ is a refreshing reminder that in a time where the power of the ‘one-inch tall barrier’ still seems distastefully under contention, sometimes you need to revive the literal Tokugawa Shōgunate to bridge the cumbersome gap between worlds

April 26, 2024 11:27 am | Updated 04:37 pm IST

AYAAN PAUL CHOWDHURY

 

A still from ‘Shōgun’ | Photo Credit: Special Arrangement

In its grand finale, FX’s captivating rendition of James Clavell’s historical epic Shōgun gracefully bows out with a rendezvous with mortality.

“Please split your belly open by sunset,” and “Have a good death” echo some of what we hear with the casualness of a tea sip. Yet, to truly grasp the weight of seppuku’s socio-historical significance, honour the richness of its source material, and deftly navigate the intricacies of translation, the series stands alone in its unparalleled achievement. Shōgun employs a three-pronged approach, replete with cross-cultural exchanges, verbal fencing, and the delicate dance of understanding in an era poised on the precipice of profound change..."

#metaglossia_mundus

"As ‘Shōgun’s interpreter between cultures, producer Eriko Miyagawa had to consider everything from Sengoku-period accuracy to the nuances of euphemisms for sex.

APR. 26, 2024

Interpreting Shōgun Was More Than Just Translation

By Bethy Squires, a Vulture news blogger who covers comedy

Yes, Shōgun producer Eriko Miyagawa has seen your memes. Photo: FX

Shōgun is a show about fate. About cross-cultural differences, statecraft, chaos, about war never changing, and about getting my ship the Erasmus back. But most importantly, it’s a show about communication. Court etiquette of the Sengoku era, as well as the gender politics of the time, mean a lot of things cannot be said explicitly. Even if you speak the same language as someone, you can never fully know them, and yet you all have to work together toward a common goal.

The making of Shōgun mirrored these themes in many ways. As a cross-cultural production — shot in Canada, produced by Hollywood, filled with Japanese actors — interpretation was key. Enter Eriko Miyagawa. The producer worked closely with lead actor/producer Hiroyuki Sanada to ensure the show was accurate to period Edo yet still relatable to modern Tokyo. From consulting on translating English scripts for Japanese actors, to translating the show’s press kit, to serving as interpreter for multiple interviews with Vulture, she wore many hats and was gracious enough to answer all our questions about how Shōgun was interpreted from English book to Sengoku Japan and back.

Can you start by telling me some of the things that you did as a producer on Shōgun and how that differed from previous experiences in which you were just consulting?
I think the main difference is the sheer volume. I’ve done all sorts of things. I started as an on-set interpreter. My first job was Kill Bill. Since then, I’ve been servicing mostly American shows with Japanese elements. But when the volume is so big and comprehensive, like Shōgun, it becomes producing. On this show, Hiro and myself were brought on as producers from the get-go. We had access to the entire process; we were able to give input on all the different aspects of the show. That was quite different.

A lot of times on other shows there will be an American producer overseeing the show. I’ll consult in this department or we need this bit translated, and they sort of put it together. What was really great about Shōgun is that Hiro and I were able to see the entire process. Nothing fell between the cracks.

 

 

Tell me about the process of translating scripts into the various languages the show uses.
It needed to go through steps of polishing so that what ends up in the show feels authentic to native Japanese audiences. Obviously, James Clavell’s novel was based on rigorous research and passion for Japanese culture. So they had that to work from as a base, but the scripts went through layers of consultations to get it right. Then the American writers, they write the script. Then it goes to a team of Japanese translators in Tokyo. Hiro and I are checking in at different stages. Then it goes to Japanese dialogue polishers, who are experienced with Japanese period shows, to make sure it’s period-appropriate and feels natural for a human being to be speaking. Because you know, it happens a lot in dubbing, when dialogue is pretty much directly translated from another language and it just sounds like something that’s been translated. So we wanted to make sure it felt natural.

What’s great about a TV series is that the actors have the time to be able to really immerse in the world. They have their own opinions and input, so we just kept polishing until the moment we roll. When a script is translated, it’s not just one thing it could be. There are so many different options. There are so many ways to interpret one thing. There is a lot of conversation for every single line. It’s just exhausting.

As you were saying, some of the work that the Japanese translators were doing was specifically to keep it rooted in this period accuracy. It’s a work of translation not just into Japanese but into Sengoku-period Japan.
Ultimately, if they really speak how they spoke in that time, we wouldn’t understand it. So it’s a fine balance, which takes from a tradition of Japanese jidaigekiThe Japanese term for media set before the Meiji Restoration of 1868.. Every jidaigeki made their own choices, depending on if they wanted to be a little bit more modern versus if they wanted to feel more classic. I think, generally, we went for the classic. But we were very careful because we really wanted a young Japanese audience who may not typically watch jidaigeki to be able to understand and enjoy it without any stress.

What’s your professional opinion of Mariko-sama as an interpreter? Was she good, or did she put too much of her own feelings into her translation?
[Laughs.] I think she’s a great diplomat. So she’s the best diplomatic interpreter. Toward the end, she sort of infused her opinions a little strongly, but I think she’s just a great interpreter.

When working on a translation, how much do you think about the audience as opposed to just trying to accurately represent what the actor is saying?
First of all, we try to be as close as possible, to be respectful to the script, and close to the intention of the writers as much as possible. They’re great writers and the text is so loaded with beautiful nuances and a great sense of humor. But there are things that are quite difficult to translate, sometimes. They’re not a natural part of our language or our culture. So it becomes a conversation, how to preserve that in the most realistic way. Also, and I think Anna spoke about this on one of her TV appearances, but Japanese text is longer. So a lot of balls were in the air.

Can you tell me more about Japanese text being longer?
Especially when you have to be polite — when you’re using the honorific, like when Mariko is talking to Toranaga — it starts to get a little longer. To say thank you, you have to be super polite, and at the end say these honorifics. It just becomes longer. Justin also wanted to be respectful, and he was kind of enjoying that process. I think Justin saw how he could incorporate that in the subtitles.

Your bio calls you “bilingual and bicultural,” which I love. Sometimes, like in the case of honorifics, the language barrier isn’t the site of miscommunication, sometimes the cultural barrier can be greater.
Totally, and they’re so intertwined. I like to be seen as bicultural. I’m familiar with different filmmaking processes. I’ve never worked on a project without interpreters present on set. That’s sort of my specialty: to work on projects with different cultures and different languages and sort of bridging that and moving things forward.

In previous interviews for which you’ve interpreted, the actors talked about how different they found the Shōgun set compared to Japanese productions. Is there anything you think that an American audience would be surprised to know about working in Japan versus working in the West?
Yeah, there’s a lot. But I think one of the important things, what Eita said, is that actors are more included in the process [on Shōgun]. I mean, every project is different. But I know that all the Japanese actors who’ve only worked on Japanese shows really appreciated how they’re much more a part of the process than they typically are in Japanese shows.

In Japan, there’s no union. So I think working conditions can be a lot tougher. That’s probably one of the big things. And I think there’s a lot longer of a development process, as well as prep time, in Hollywood shows. They allow more time for actors to prepare for the role, training. There’s just more time because there’s more money.

I want to get into some specific choices the show made with language  that I’m hoping you have insight into. The choice of “pillow” as the euphemism for sex, how did that come about?
I think it’s from the book. I think I’ve heard it in Japanese jidaigeki.

I think I have too. But it was so insistent on the show. I was like, Wow, we’re just going with “pillow,” okay.
It’s a good euphemism.

And we talked about this with Eita a little bit, but one of his little poetic flourishes was translated to something like “trying to fuck a sunset.” And I was given to understand there isn’t really a swear word for sex in Japanese, nothing that has the stigma of “fuck.”
Yeah.

So what was being said there, that felt like “fuck” was what needed for the subtitles?
He just says … not even “make love to.” The Japanese euphemism for sex is “to hold tight.” Literally, it means “to hug.” So it’s not really as hard as the English.

It’s interesting that there isn’t necessarily a word for that activity that has the same boundary-pushing power in Japanese.
Definitely, that was super hard for translators. Who swears the most in our show, other than Blackthorne?

Maybe Yabushige? At least that’s what it looks like in translation.
Yeah, he does.

And what word is being used when people discuss fate on the show? What concept is that?
Most of the time the word shukumei is used. That basically means fate. There’s another word called unmei, which is more like destiny. There’s a couple of lines that use unmei because it’s a little bit lighter. In terms of nuance, shukumei is a bit more loaded. Shukumei is a very important concept for this show. I think we use it very selectively, in the right places.

I was reading the show’s official glossary, which is so cool that you have, and it says that shukumei is tied into Buddhism. So it’s interesting that even the converts on the show still hold onto that concept.
It’s also a part of Shintoism. Buddhism and Shinto are very present. They’re quite seamlessly intertwined with politics. Temples had a lot of power, certain relationships with lords. I think it is a Buddhist concept, but it might have a life of its own at this point.

Can you think of a specific time where the translation process was especially nuanced? That made you go, Wow, this really took some time, but we figured it out eventually.
Many. But, you know, you kind of forget the hard things. I think one kind of interesting, and a little bit controversial, example could be Ochiba’s line at the end of episode four. She is with Ishido and she, in a very Ochiba, passive-aggressive way, is like “Get things moving.” And at the end, the subtitle says “The council will answer to me.” Something like that. I think originally we had pretty much the direct translation of that line in Japanese, but it felt like she became a Disney villain or something. A Japanese woman of that stature wouldn’t say that, and also it felt a bit out of Ochiba’s character. I mean, that’s what she is really saying, that’s her intention. But she wouldn’t say that. So in Japanese she’s saying, “Let’s hear what they have to say.”

Japanese audiences, who are so familiar with these types in jidaigeki, are going to immediately understand that what she means is, “The council will answer to me.” But I think the subtitle needed to get more to the point. That was one of the more difficult choices that we needed to make. There are many of those on a smaller scale, many lines that needed to be deliberated and adjusted. But I thought that was a pretty interesting example of how different it can be.

Have you seen the memes where the whole joke is that Mariko is interpreting really asymmetrically? Like Blackthorne says a whole essay, and she translates a single sentence?
Yeah, it’s very Lost in Translation. Remember the scene where the commercial director’s telling Bill Murray many things, and then the interpreter goes, “more intensity”?

I do, yeah. You worked on Lost in Translation, right?
Yeah, but as a PA in prep.

I’ll say that, when you’ve been interpreting for me, I’ve been grateful for your concision. I know I yammer.
You’re thinking while you’re talking. Also I think sometimes interpreters are diplomats. I’m often involved with hiring and placing interpreters who work on set. Not only do they need to be skilled interpreters, but I think more importantly they need to be a good diplomat and be able to mediate as needed, to move things forward. For better or worse, it’s part of the job.

This interview has been edited for length and clarity."

#metaglossia_mundus

"Abstract 

Cultural intelligence is of great importance for effective communication between members of different cultures, but also for the possibility of better adaptation to other cultural environments. Ethnocultural empathy is necessary to better understand the emotions and needs of members of other cultures. Ethnocultural empathy also involves the understanding and effectively communicating with individuals from different cultural backgrounds. This study aimed to assess the intercultural competencies of psychology students in terms of cultural intelligence and ethnocultural empathy. The Cultural Intelligence Scale, with 20 items, and the Ethnocultural Empathy Scale, with 30 items, was used for data collection. As such, participants completed questionnaires that included basic socio-demographic questions and questions corresponding to each item on the scale. The questionnaires were completed in both online and printed form. The sample included 100 psychology students from various universities in Serbia. A detailed statistical analysis was conducted in order to 149 ©Copyright 2024 by the author(s) This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. detect all results elements of importance. A significant correlation was detected between cultural intelligence and ethnocultural empathy. Dimensions of cultural intelligence through which the correlation was manifested were shown to be metacognitive and motivational one. Determination of cultural intelligence and ethnocultural empathy by intercultural competencies were examined. The study demonstrates that proficiency in communicating in other languages is the primary factor predicting both ethnocultural empathy and the influence of exposure to different cultures. The effect of experiencing other cultures on ethnocultural empathy may be partially influenced by one's ability to communicate effectively in multiple languages. This study offered a fresh perspective on a previously researched topic, considering the impact of changing contexts and social structures on its outcomes. It provided insights into how these changes have influenced the subject on a global scale. Practical changes in educational approaches indicated by this study results are needed to help psychology students become more culturally aware and empathetic, which impacts overall cultural diversity development."

#metaglossia_mundus

"Across the Worlds of Islam: Muslim Identities, Beliefs, and Practices from Asia to America

Edited by 

Edward E.

 

Curtis

 IV (

New York

:  

Columbia University Press

,  

2023

),  

306

 pp. Price PB $36.00. EAN 978–0231210652.

Bruce B Lawrence

Journal of Islamic Studies, etae005, https://doi.org/10.1093/jis/etae005

Published:

 

27 April 2024

 

•  Cite
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Extract

Ever since the appearance of Cemil Aydin’s monumental book, The Idea of the Muslim World: A Global Intellectual History (Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press, 2017), there has been renewed debate about what it means to speak of a singular, homogeneous entity titled ‘The Muslim World’. There are keywords that evoke such a structural symmetry, with religious and cultural, as also social and political overtones, words like umma (the Muslim collectivity), caliphate (the political office) and, of course, Islam itself. Two years before Aydin’s book, there appeared another holistic reprisal of terminology and everyday practice: Shahab Ahmed, What is Islam? The Importance of Being Muslim (Princeton, NJ: Princeton University Press, 2015). Ahmed argued that there is an underlying unity to Muslim/Islamic identity. It coheres especially in one region, labeled Balkans to Bengal, and in one timespan, 1200–1800. It can best be understood as a convergence of contradictory opposites under the banner of Islam, with Sufism and literature playing as major a role as shariʿa and juridical conformity..."

#metaglossia_mundus

"The launch of the dictionary book of Esho Barutha

The Barutha English-Syriac Dictionary stands as a testament to the unwavering dedication of Ishu Barutha, who initiated its creation in the 1970s to address the linguistic needs of the Assyrian community across the globe

 

Ishu Barutha migrated to Australia with his family in 1966 and until his passing in 2003, devoted himself to serving his growing community.

Recognising the need for such a resource among the Assyrian community, one of his goals was to create an English-Syriac translation.

Existing dictionaries mainly focused on Syriac-Syriac, Syriac-Arabic, or Arabic-Syriac translations.

 

According to the 2021 Census, almost 60,000 people in Australia speak Assyrian.

He always asked me to buy him a red pen, he loved to write in red ink, but he had great Assyrian handwriting.

Edwina Barutha

In the early 1970s, Barutha began his mission.

He collected English words from various dictionaries and sought their Assyrian equivalents.

Despite interruptions due to family commitments and unforeseen events, he managed to compile close to 35,000 words handwritten on large sheets of paper, which he later transcribed into journals, one for each alphabet letter.

 

When a word processor in Assyrian was available, and with the help of his nephew, Albert Oshana, he once again transcribed all of his work using an Apple Macintosh computer that he purchased specifically for this purpose.

However, his health declined in the early 2000s, leading to his death before it was ready for publishing.

Before his passing, his other nephew,, George Gewargis, uploaded all of his work on to a specially written database that he had created, moving everything from the Apple platform to Microsoft Windows.

To honour her father's legacy, his daughter, Edwina, sought help from her cousins to finish his work.

Together, they took on the project and formed a committee of Assyrian friends proficient in the language.

The committee held meetings to plan the project's execution and finally decided to assign the task of revising the dictionary to Hirmis Joudo, a proficient Assyrian linguist.

 

It took me three years to finish editing this dictionary

Hirmis Joudo

In an interview, Joudo mentioned that Barutha's dictionary was not fully completed as it required grammatical structuring.

He classified each word into verbs, adjectives, and nouns, ensuring each Syriac meaning was included.

Editing the dictionary took him nearly three years of part-time to full-time work, yet it remained incompletely comprehensive.

 

The committee held meetings to plan the project's execution.

Leveraging the expertise of Oshana's brother, George Gewargis, a skilled computer programmer, they aimed to digitise and index the collected words.

Gewargis wrote a program to transfer data from a word processing platform onto floppy disks into a database.

Despite initial doubts, the program successfully exported all the data for further processing.

 

I divided each English word into verbs, adjectives, and nouns, ensuring each Syriac meaning was included.

Hirmis Joudo

During the launch event, Edwina Barutha expressed her gratitude to everyone involved in the project and the community members who attended.

She mentioned the large attendance was testament to her father's respected reputation and hard work within the community.

 

The softback Barutha English-Syriac dictionary comprises nearly 35,000 words and 747 pages.

The Barutha Assyrian Language Centre published it as part of the centre's aim to become a specialised institution to set standards and commission research in the Assyrian/Syriac language.

In his speech, Gewargis said that the centre planned to make the dictionary available online, although this might take some time."

#metaglossia_mundus

"A new Tamil e-dictionary app that includes some 50,000 words could also be used by students for their examinations in the future.

25 Apr 2024 16:32 | Updated at: 26 Apr 2024 05:30 | 4 mins read

 

A new Tamil e-dictionary app that includes some 50,000 words could also be used by students for their examinations in the future.

 

Inspired by the handy dictionary devices used in Malay and Chinese exams, the new “The Agaram” Tamil e-dictionary app was conceptualised and tailored to the needs of Tamil-speaking students in Singapore.

 

 

Unveiled on April 21 at the Umar Pulavar Tamil Language Centre, the app marks a significant stride in bridging the gap between traditional learning and digital innovation, ensuring Tamil’s accessibility and relevance to modern learners, said Mr Shahul Hameed, business development manager of Cosmic Consultancy, the company that launched the app.

With support from the Lee Kuan Yew Fund for Bilingualism, a team led by local poet S. Thinnappan helped developed the app in a collaborative effort which included contributions from various academics.

The team ensured the app’s effectiveness in nurturing linguistic proficiency among students, said Mr Hameed, adding that “the Agaram e-Dictionary is more than just a linguistic tool, it’s a gateway to empowerment”.

 

Discussions are underway with the Singapore Examinations and Assessment Board to integrate the app into formal education systems, Mr Hameed noted.

The app comprises some 50,000 Tamil words used in the Singaporean context, with its English translations, accurate audio pronunciation guides and grammatical contexts. Along with visual aids, the app also shows examples of how to use a word in a sentence.

Mr Anbarasu Rajendran, CEO of the Singapore Indian Development Association, who was the guest of honour at the unveiling event, said he appreciated the efforts of the team and highlighted the importance of Tamil language learning and the app’s potential to enrich students’ language skills.

Aishwarya, a student at Crescent Girls School, said: “While writing an essay, we tend to think of words in English. Tamil is an extensive language with 247 letters, it is difficult to find a synonym of a word in a big dictionary. By typing the English word in this app, the synonym appears quickly.”

Rather than worrying about words, students can now focus on developing creativity and imagination, she added.

Mr Hameed revealed plans to enhance the app’s functionality by incorporating features such as the thesaurus and lexicons.

Accessible via www.minagaram.com, the Agaram e-dictionary app is also available on the Apple app store. It will be available for Android users on Google Play Store in the future.

“The Agaram e-Dictionary is more than just a linguistic tool, it’s a gateway to empowerment.” "

 

#metaglossia_mundus

"By Mohammed Balu, GNA

Tumu, (UWR), March 21, GNA – Professor Issah Samuel Alhassan, the Dean of the Faculty of Ghanaian Language Education at the College of Education, Winneba has urged parents to make it prestigious for their children to embrace and speak the local language.

“We must make accessible linguistic input in the language of their identity,” he said.

Professor Alhassan said language was the bridge that connected people to their past and paved the way for the future.

He was addressing the launch of the third edition of the Sisaali English Dictionary at Tumu.

It was organised by the Sissala Literacy Development (SILAP) in collaboration with the Ghana Institute of Linguistics, Literacy and Bible Translation (GILLBT).

It was attended by Directors of Education, representatives of the Members of Parliament, the Sissala East Assembly, chiefs and the public.

He said Language carried the essence of a people, their values, beliefs, and traditions, and the medium through which people expressed their deepest thoughts, emotions and aspirations.

“The Sissali language is not merely a means of communication; it is the embodiment of our collective identity, a testament to the resilience and ingenuity of our ancestors,” he said.

 

He explained that for a group to abandon their language for any other prestigious language would be providing the enemy with a knife to cut the Sissala throat.

“The launch of this dictionary is a salient move towards the preservation of the identity of the people, as dictionaries by themselves do not only present users with a list of words but it is a source of information on the socio-economic artefacts of the people to learn providing meaning of words, phrases, contextual meaning and the right pronunciation,” he explained further.

He advised all to pass it on to future generations as a sacred trust by celebrating the beauty and power of the language, saying, “It is the lifeblood of the identity, the thread that binds together the people.”

He challenged all to work in diverse ways by investing in and deliberately transmitting the language in all sacred forms to children and grandchildren who are the forebears of the Sissali tribe.

 

Kuoro Richard Babini Kanton, the Paramount Chief of the Tumu Traditional Council, promised to support the learning of Sisaali language development at the tertiary level and urged every parent to buy a book each for their ward.

Mr Moses Luri, a lecturer, at the University College of Education, who led the discussion on “The Teaching and Learning of Sisaali in the Basic Schools: Prospects and the way Forward,” congratulated the key stakeholders for the tremendous efforts made to write the Dictionary.

Mr Luri called on the government to make the study of Ghanaian language a compulsory subject and not an elective, saying, “I still disagree with the current situation, where Ghana Education Service (GES) has directed Regional and District Directors of Education to make Ghanaian language an elective but not mandatory.

“If only one subject must be taught in our Ghanaian schools, then it must be the Ghanaian language, it makes you a Ghanaian apart from all the above arguments,” he stressed.

 

He called for efforts to be made in the short term to seek approval from GES- National Curriculum Accreditation Authority (NACCA) for the teaching, learning and examination of Sisaali at all levels of Education in the Sissala communities.

The unveiling of the book was done by Professor Abdul-Mumin Selanwiah Salifu, the Principal of the Tumu College of Education.

An initial sale of the Dictionary yielded GH¢3200.

GNA"

#metaglossia_mundus

"Personal Perspective: On creating community and finding safety.

Taylor Gurley O.T.D.

Posted April 25, 2024 |  Reviewed by Lybi Ma

“Sticks and stones will break my bones, but words will never hurt me.” The saying takes me back to the playgrounds of my childhood where I heard it chanted countless times. It leaves me wondering, did we really believe it? Or were we trying to convince ourselves of it, to prevent the hurtful words from lodging too deeply into our fragile psyches?

 

The truth we’ve all grown to know is that sticks and stones can break our bones and words, to our childlike dismay, can both heal and hurt us. Language, in spoken or written form, can be a powerful tool, for good or ill. Language can create safety or encourage violence. Dangerous rhetoric has fueled violence against the LGBTQ+ community. We need to stop dismissing the power of words and begin to use them with intention grounded in unity and kindness.

 

Toni Morrison stated, "Oppressive language does more than represent violence; it is violence; does more than represent the limits of knowledge; it limits knowledge." With this in mind, we have the opportunity to broaden our understanding that hateful and oppressive language does not just enable violence but is violence itself.

 

There are many ways violence can manifest in the human body and current statistics show how my community is at an even larger threat to negative outcomes when at baseline we are already experiencing high levels of mental health implications.

Current statistics

LGBTQ+ youth are six times more likely to experience symptoms of depression than non-LGBTQ+ identifying teens. LGBTQ+ youth are more than twice as likely to feel suicidal and over four times as likely to attempt suicide compared to heterosexual youth. In 2022, permanent losses include over 40 LGBTQ+ lives, not including lives lost to suicide.

 

The leading cause of violent crime? Dehumanizing rhetoric. It becomes the spark to ignite extreme prejudice. We see it over and over: Hate crimes are motivated by fear, ignorance, and anger. And LGBTQ+ people are nearly four times more likely than non-LGBTQ+ people to be victims of violent crime, which can lead to the onset of PTSD (post-traumatic stress disorder), anxiety, depression, self-harm, suicide, and more.

 

Efforts to increase homophobia

Christina Pushaw, former press secretary for Florida Governor Ron DeSantis and now his rapid response director, used her social media platform to label anyone against Florida’s "Don’t Say Gay" legislation—which prohibits instruction about sexual identity and gender orientation for certain grades in Florida schools—as a probable groomer, a tactic designed to increase homophobia.

 

Talk show host Candace Owens has attacked LGBTQ+ teachers and challenged the inclusion of non-heteronormative relationships or identity in the classroom, as well as calling members of the LGBTQ+ community predators. On April 5, 2022, The Daily Wire aired a video of Owens discussing the word "gay" and how over time it has carried different meanings. In reference to its offensiveness to the LGBTQ+ community, she said, “…it was cool, hip slang until…we learned that it was hurtful...even though we were never aiming the word at them." To her, every word is fair game as long as we aren’t "aiming it" at someone.

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Media strategies such as this, created to promote homophobia, will undoubtedly increase as election efforts become more publicized this year.

Rhetoric can be a powerful tool to create safety or to destroy it.

Youth across the country are using their social-media platforms to express their feelings of being unsure if they can show up authentically as themselves at school and still be safe. Teachers have been bullied. Families are unsure how they will be impacted over time. Further legislation, specifically, in the state of Florida under HB1403, would give medical providers the ability to turn away medical care from people in the LGBTQ+ community if they have “conscience-based objections" to treating them.

 

Lived experience in the LGBTQ+ community

Determining safety is nothing new to members of the LGBTQ+ community. What would be new is not expending emotional and mental energy trying to identify where it is safe to exist. When you don’t feel safe, it erodes overall health and wellness with distressing outcomes.

Solutions to this are not prescriptive. One solution is to use data to educate yourself instead of scripted tactics founded only on subjective opinion. The Trevor Project in 2022 utilized a survey to capture the experiences of close to 34,000 LGBTQ+ youth between the ages of 13-24 across the United States with anecdotal evidence that points to how we can increase feelings of connectedness, acceptance, and respect that becomes the antithesis to hate, discrimination and violence.

 

Respondents in the survey indicated that nearly two in five youth lived in an environment that was somewhat or very unaccepting of LGBTQ+ people and that those who lived in an accepting community reported significantly lower rates of attempted suicide.

I know firsthand how heavy the tears fall, how hard it is to find your breath, and how deep the wounds can go when hateful words are screamed at you, written to you, and used to manipulate you.

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However, we do have a right to celebrate. There have been recent wins, such as the Respect for Marriage Act, which federally protects the legality of same-sex marriage—a win I chose to publicly celebrate by marrying my wife in a predominantly conservative state.

Today, in the wake of multiple violent incidents resulting in injury and loss of life, and as we begin to enter into an election year, the answer to the question, "Is it safe or not?" becomes "It depends." To determine your relative safety, we’ve learned it’s crucial to find answers to other questions, like: Where am I geographically and what is the majority representation? Am I surrounded by people who are angry and fearful of my existence or kind and curious?

 

May our children understand how powerful their words are and how to speak their minds with grace and conviction and with respect for all living beings.

“Sticks and stones can break my bones, their words will not destroy me.”

If you or someone you love is contemplating suicide, seek help immediately. For help 24/7 dial 988 for the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline, or reach out to the Crisis Text Line by texting TALK to 741741. To find a therapist near you, visit the Psychology Today Therapy Directory.

Taylor Gurley, O.T.D., is a professor of occupational therapy at the University of Indianapolis."

#metaglossia_mundus

"ALEJANDRO TERÁN-SOMOHANO

APRIL 26, 2024

Human Dignity and the Abuse of Language

The declaration on human dignity Dignitas Infinita, published by the Dicastery for the Doctrine of the Faith (DDF), reiterated what Pope Francis and his predecessors have taught: that every single human being possesses an inalienable dignity that comes from being made in the image and likeness of God, from being purchased “not with perishable things like silver or gold but with the precious blood of Christ” (1 Pet. 1:18-19), from being made for eternal life with God. The document presents a non-exhaustive list of violations of human dignity that includes many of the usual suspects: poverty, war, abortion, and euthanasia. It also includes some that have acquired greater relevance in recent years, such as gender ideology and surrogacy. There is one that caught my attention by its not being explicitly stated as a violation of human dignity and yet by being brought up over and over throughout the document: the abuse of language. And when I say that the abuse of language is a violation of human dignity, I do not mean that it is guilty by association in being used to support or justify other “real” violations of human dignity. I mean to say that to abuse language is, in and of itself, a violation of human dignity. I would go so far as to claim that it is the violation that precedes all others.

To understand this apparently extreme claim, we must turn to Josef Pieper’s short but profoundly insightful essay “Abuse of Language, Abuse of Power.” Pieper’s essay is a reflection on Plato’s ongoing confrontation with the Sophists, which we find in several of his Dialogues. What Plato opposes in the Sophists is their corrupting language, something they do, not by using language poorly—as the uneducated masses might—but the opposite: through linguistic nuance by which they can push “verbal constructions to crafty limits.” In Pieper’s mind, word and language “form the medium that sustains the common existence of the human spirit as such”; they “make existential interaction happen.” Thus, the corruption of the word is a corruption of human existence itself. But what does “corrupting” language mean?

For Pieper, language has a two-fold purpose: to identify something that is real, and to identify it as such to someone. These two purposes, though distinct, are inseparable, and what they tell us is that language and the word exist so that we may live in communion with others in the truth. Because it has two dimensions, it can be abused and corrupted with respect to either of them. Pieper identifies two avenues of corruption: corruption of the relationship to reality, and corruption of communication. Perhaps the most common form of abuse of language (one we have all experienced and committed) is lying. Pieper’s understanding of what takes place when we lie will help us discern why abusing language is an attack on the dignity of others. He writes: “A lie is the opposite of communication. It means specifically to withhold the other’s share and portion of reality, to prevent his participation in reality.” But why should this be such a serious offense as to constitute a violation of human dignity? Pieper sums up Plato’s view in three statements that should make clear the gravity of what is at stake:

The first statement: to perceive, as much as possible, all things as they really are and to live and act according to this truth, in this consists the good of man, in this consists a meaningful human existence.

The second statement: all men are nurtured, first and foremost, by the truth. . . . Everybody who yearns to live as a true human being depends on this nourishment. Even society as such is sustained by the truth publicly proclaimed and upheld.

The third statement: the natural habitat of truth is found in interpersonal communication. Truth lives in dialogue, in discussion, in conversation—it resides, therefore, in language, in the word. Consequently, the well-ordered human existence, including especially its social dimension, is essentially based on the well-ordered language employed.

In denying others a participation in reality, in truth, we are denying them the possibility of living a flourishing and meaningful life, and we are denying them what is their due for the simple fact of their being human. We can thus see that all other violations of human dignity are in fact based on lies, that they are all, at root, abuses of language.

Linguistic trickery can obfuscate reality, but it cannot transform it. It can sow confusion about what is real, but it cannot change what is real.

Let us read Dignitas Infinita in light of what has been said so far. It begins by insisting on the ontological character of human dignity. That is, human dignity is something real, not merely conventional or subjective or something granted by the state or any man-made institution. The truth of the matter is that all human beings possess this dignity “grounded in his or her very being, which prevails in and beyond every circumstance, state, or situation the person may ever encounter” (DI, 1). And here we run into a first instance of the corruption of language that Dignitas Infinita tries to address: the very words “human dignity” are often misused to represent things other than the reality for which they ought to stand. Starting in section 7, the document seeks to reject false interpretations of the term; it seeks to clarify and distinguish the different senses in which it can be used (both correctly and incorrectly), returning always to the ontological ground on which it stands, to its reality independent of our likes and dislikes. 

Dignitas Infinita does not shy away from stating that some uses of the term “dignity” are outright lies. But outright lying is not the only form of abuse of language, for there are other more subtle (but not any less abusive) ways of doing so. One that Pieper brings to the fore is flattery. By flattery he means far more than what the common use of the term suggests:

Flattery here does not mean saying what the other likes to hear, telling him something nice, something to tickle his vanity. . . . Rather, what I say to him is designed to get something from him! This underlying design makes the message a flattery, even in the popular meaning of the word. The other, whom I try to influence with what he likes to hear, ceases to be my partner; he is no longer a fellow subject. Rather, he has become for me an object to be manipulated, possibly to be dominated, to be handled and controlled. . . . I concentrate on his weaknesses and on those areas that may appeal to him—all in order to manipulate him, to use him for my purposes. 

Flattery, for Pieper, is little more than vile manipulation, exploiting the weaknesses of others for an ulterior motive. Flattery often makes use of euphemism, a verbal sleight of hand to make certain ideas more palatable and less offensive, to hide their inhumanity. Dignitas Infinita points out a common instance of this manipulative tactic: “Especially in the case of abortion, there is a widespread use of ambiguous terminology, such as ‘interruption of pregnancy,’ which tends to hide abortion’s true nature and to attenuate its seriousness in public opinion” (DI 47). Flattery, in Pieper’s sense, has always been a favorite of the pro-abortion lobby. By its crafty abuse of language, it seeks to manipulate public opinion by relying on words and language that sound appealing, such as “women’s rights,” “right to choose,” “reproductive health,” all while hiding the ugly reality of what it is defending: “procured abortion is the deliberate and direct killing, by whatever means it is carried out, of a human being in the initial phase of his or her existence, extending from conception to birth” (DI 47).

We all want to have our rights respected, so to couch something in the language of rights is to manipulate us into acceptance.

When flattery is used on a massive scale, as part of public discourse, Pieper calls it propaganda. Dignitas Infinita points out that in the name of a misunderstood human dignity, there has been a proliferation of “rights” that are not in fact rights at all. This proliferation of false rights is only possible through the use of propaganda. To speak of a “right” in our day and age aims at giving something a legitimacy that it might not possess. We all want to have our rights respected, so to couch something in the language of rights is to manipulate us into acceptance. There is an added dimension to propaganda that Pieper points out. Behind it, there is always a veiled threat:

The most perfect propaganda achieves just this: that the menace is not apparent but well concealed. Still, it must remain visible; it must remain recognizable. At the same time, those for whom the menace is intended must nevertheless be led and eased into believing (and that is the true art!) that by acquiescing to the intimidation, they really do the reasonable thing, perhaps even what they would have wanted to do anyway.

To reject something labeled a “right” is to oppress the claimant of said right. All oppressors, we are told, should be overthrown. To reject a claim to a “right” is to be “on the wrong side of history.” This element of threat is yet another facet of the abuse of language’s violation of human dignity: whereas language and the word are meant to call us into a dialogue through which we can come together in truth and freedom, the corruption of these must necessarily rely on deception and coercion; it must force us into submission.

All this linguistic trickery can obfuscate reality, but it cannot transform it. It can sow confusion about what is real, but it cannot change what is real. Reality itself was spoken into being: “In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God. He was in the beginning with God. All things came to be through him, and without him nothing came to be” (John 1:1-3). This is why Dignitas Infinita can maintain that human dignity is also discoverable by human reason, why it is ontological: it is a feature of existing reality. To abuse the word is to do violence to reality itself. And that violence has an ancient pedigree: all attacks and denials of human dignity throughout history can be traced back to a primordial abuse of language, they stem from the lie whispered into our first parents’ ear: “Eat it and you will be like gods.” With this lie, the ancient serpent tricked us into believing that God had denied us our dignity, that his dignity and ours were somehow opposed, that the greater glory of God demanded the lesser glory of man. Because of this, the very idea of human dignity often was, and often continues to be, distorted, shrouded in darkness. And where human dignity is darkened, death and destruction follow. But because God is Truth, he himself set out to revert this lie through the medium of the Word itself: “the Word became flesh and dwelt among us” (John 1:14) so that “in the tender compassion of our God, the dawn from on high shall break upon us, to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death” (Luke 1:78-79). God’s Word is the light that shines in the darkness that obscures our dignity, and the darkness has not (and cannot) overcome it."

#metaglossia_mundus

"Intercultural sensitivity (IS) is the affective dimension of cultural competence. 

Each culture has unique health care related values, habits, perceptions, expectations, norms, etc., that makes cultural competence an important attribute to be developed by healthcare professionals, to ensure they provide effective treatment. Intercultural sensitivity (IS) is the affective dimension of cultural competence. The objective of this study is to explore the self-perceived level of IS in first and last year students of three health sciences professions (i.e., Dentistry, Medicine, and Nursing) at the Universidad de la Frontera, Temuco, Chile. This study adopted a cross-sectional design and a group comparison (e.g., year of study). 312 students completed the Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (ISS). Findings showed that overall ISS scores ranged from 1.83 to 4.94, with a mean score of 4.11 (s.d. 0.43). Group comparison between first and final year students showed statistically significant differences (4.18 vs. 4.00; p < 0.001). Medical and nursing students had a significantly higher overall mean IS score compared to dental students (4.21 and 4.16, respectively vs. 4.02; p < 0.01). There were also significant differences between three factors (interaction engagement; interaction confidence; and interaction enjoyment) by healthcare profession. These findings allow for discussion of the need for explicit incorporation and development of cultural competence in on health care professional curricula. Longitudinal research is needed to explore how IS changes over time, along with generating qualitative data from the student populations IS experiences and exposure."

#metaglossia_mundus

(Agence Ecofin) - Les 23 et 24 avril, deux des principaux réseaux des régulateurs des médias et des plateformes numériques se sont réunies en Côte d’ivoire. Leur rencontre avait pour but de trouver des moyens de lutter contre la haine en ligne et améliorer la modération de contenu des plateformes numériques.

En Côte d’ivoire, le Réseau Francophone des Régulateurs de Médias (REFRAM) et le Réseau des Instances Africaines de Régulation de la Communication (RIARC) se sont accordées sur des mesures communes pour lutter contre la haine en ligne. Lors d’une réunion tenue les 23 et 24 avril, les deux réseaux ont adopté une déclaration commune pour lutter contre la haine et les contenus inadaptés sur les plateformes numériques.

Les principales mesures évoquées sont le choix pour tous les pays membres du réseau, dont une vingtaine de pays africains, d’un point de contact unique pour signaler aux autorités publiques autorités publiques un contenu problématique, et la prise en compte des langues locales. « Nous avons à peu près 400 langues et ethnies. Donc si des ethnies se battent parce que l’une pense qu’elle est supérieure à l’autre, elles se refusent de parler lingala ou le français, mais elle se permet de parler en Tchilumba. En quelle mesure on sera en capacité de réguler cela, car on n’a pas la main mise sur les plateformes et les plateformes n’ont pas la capacité de réguler cela », a interrogé Christian Bosembe, le président du Conseil supérieur de l’audiovisuel et de la communication en RDC durant les débats.

Sa question a poussé les régulateurs à lancer des travaux pour élargir la régulation de contenus aux langues locales. D’après les comptes rendus de la rencontre, le REFRAM et le RIARC rencontreront, d’ici la fin de 2024, les représentants des réseaux sociaux comme TikTok, X, Google et Meta pour discuter de la modération de contenus.

De son côté, Google a fait savoir qu’il travaille sur 15 langues du réseau qui seront bientôt ajoutées à ses produits et pourront donc être traduites automatiquement, ce qui facilitera la modération de contenus publiés dans cette langue. « On a des chercheurs qui travaillent pour essayer d’intégrer les langues locales dans nos systèmes d’intelligence artificielle pour la détection de l’incitation à la violence », a expliqué Pren-Tsilya Boa-Guehe, responsable des institutions panafricaines, des affaires gouvernementales et politiques publiques chez Google.

Servan Ahougnon
#metaglossia_mundus

"A resource guide for keeping up with federal, state, and CME programs on culturally competent care.

Apr 26, 2024

10 Min Read

Katie Bennett, JD, Health Policy Writer

As discussed throughout this special report series, the language used in medicine is integral to providing high-quality patient care. But exactly how to ensure that communication is culturally competent is not so easy. This resource guide reviews recent federal policy changes and requirements that call for implementation of this type of care into standard practice. Plus, a look at state recommendations and CME training opportunities.

The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) define culturally competent care as being able to deliver services that meet each individual’s social, cultural, and linguistic needs, thereby reducing inequities in healthcare to provide high-quality care to all persons, regardless of their background.

Federal Standards

 

Guidance for Implementing Federal Cultural Competency Standards

Since adopting the National Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) Standards more than 20 years ago, the US federal government has taken a broad approach to working toward a more culturally competent healthcare workforce. Its latest efforts are exhibited in new rules from CMS which require “culturally and linguistically appropriate” care in order to bill Medicare under several diagnostic codes within the 2024 Physician Fee Schedule.

Several tools and strategies are available to help implement these rules.

CLAS Standards and Implementation Checklist

The CLAS Standards offer a broad blueprint for healthcare organizations aiming to advance health equity, improve quality, and eliminate disparities. Aligned with both the HHS Action Plan to Reduce Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities and the National Stakeholder Strategy for Achieving Health Equity, this list of 15 standards includes guidance related to governance, leadership, workforce, communication and language assistance, engagement, continuous improvement, and accountability. The standards recommend, among other things, recruiting and supporting a culturally and linguistically diverse workforce, offering language assistance to patients who have limited English proficiency, and conducting ongoing assessments of a practice or health system’s CLAS-related activities and services to determine how they align with the needs of the local community.

To help medical practices assess the current state of their CLAS offerings and then develop a CLAS implementation action plan, the US Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) developed an Implementation Checklist for the National CLAS Standards. The checklist asks important questions regarding standardized CLAS-related procedures and training for staff members, formalized processes that ensure high-quality translation of materials into languages other than English, established partnerships with community organizations to better understand the needs of the local area, and more. After filling out the checklist and a few written questions, practices will have completed a thorough assessment of their current cultural awareness and offerings and will be armed with a CLAS implementation action plan.

Think Cultural Health

Think Cultural Health is a site developed by the HHS Office of Minority Health that provides healthcare professionals with information, continuing education (CE) opportunities, and resources to grow their cultural competency and add CLAS-related services and policies into their daily practices. It provides a wealth of specific guidance and CE opportunities related to the cultural and linguistic needs of a variety of specific patient populations and the providers who care for them, including specific advice for primary care providers, behavioral health professionals treating patients with substance use disorders, disaster and emergency personnel, maternal health providers, oral health professionals, and more.

The site also contains a resource library filled with helpful tools, such as how-to guides on understanding different social identities, differing communication styles, and combatting implicit bias and stereotypes.

CMS Cultural Competency Briefs

The CMS Medicare-Medicaid Coordination Office has published three issue briefs for providers of long-term services and support, aiming to improve the cultural competence of their organization’s workforce.

1. The brief on Key Considerations for Long-Term Services and Support Providers focuses on strategies for assessing a practice’s current cultural competence, supporting diversity, promoting linguistic competence, and partnering with other organizations in the community.

2. Training Culturally Competent Direct Care Workers focuses on strengthening internal policies, providing training to employees, and aligning those training programs with the specific needs of the practice’s patient population.

3. Recruiting and Retaining a Diverse Direct Care Workforce presents strategies such as how to embrace inclusive hiring practices and providing regular and ongoing CLAS-related training for all staff members, including administrators.

AHRQ Resources

Lastly, the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has resources to help physicians and other healthcare providers communicate clearly with patients from diverse backgrounds and with unique needs.

The SHARE Approach—Overcoming Communication Barriers with Your Patients: A Reference Guide for Health Care Providers is a training program aimed at helping healthcare professionals work with patients to make the best possible healthcare decisions. The program provides checklists to aid physicians in engaging in clear and collaborative communication with their patients, lists of decision aids that can enhance communication (eg, translated materials, pictures and graphs, videos with captions, large-print materials), and provides advice related to working with qualified medical interpreters.

The AHRQ Health Literacy Universal Precautions Toolkit, 3rd edition, is intended to help primary care practices improve the health literacy of their patients by reducing the complexity of healthcare information, thus supporting the principles of patient-centered care and shared decision-making. The toolkit provides information on creating a health literacy improvement plan, communicating clearly with patients, creating easy-to-understand materials, getting patient feedback, connecting patients with resources, and more.

State Requirements

 

Training Requirements and Resources by State

At the state level, the subject of cultural competence in healthcare is largely addressed in one of two ways: by requiring related training for licensed healthcare providers, usually in the form of CE and continuing medical education (CME), or by providing licensees with related guidance and resources.

In some states, such as Illinois, New York, and Oregon, healthcare providers are required to complete CE related to cultural competency in order to renew their licenses. The number of hours required varies by state but is most often 1 to 2 hours per licensing period. The exact content that each course must cover also varies by state and licensing board, so physicians, physician assistants, acupuncturists, advanced practice nurses, podiatrists, chiropractors, naturopaths, psychologists, and other health professionals must check in with their licensing board to confirm their specific CME/CE requirements.

Other states do not require their licensees to complete CE specific to cultural competency but do offer related services and resources to support a more culturally competent workforce.

Despite lacking a CE requirement, Mississippi has published a website on health equity, stating that in Mississippi and nationwide, “health disparities are significantly worse for those who have systematically faced obstacles to health due to their socio-economic status, race, ethnicity, religion, sexual orientation, geographic location, and other characteristics historically linked to discrimination or exclusion.” The site encourages physicians and other healthcare providers to obtain cultural competence training, implement the national CLAS standards, and to consider Community Interpreter and Medical Terminology Training.

Similarly, there is no CE requirement related to CLAS standards in Wisconsin, but the Wisconsin Department of Health Services acknowledges that the needs and preferences of culturally and linguistically diverse consumers be respected if the state is to improve its current problematic health disparities. The department encourages the adoption of national CLAS standards and provides a presentation related to the Health Issues Affecting Wisconsin Hispanics/Latinos to providers better understand the needs of their local patient population.

HHS provides a state-by-state map that tracks the existing requirements and proposals related to mandatory cultural competency training across the United States and territories.

While the HHS map is a helpful resource, it is imperative to confirm licensure requirements with the state licensing board and note that the laws, regulations, and standards surrounding cultural competence are changing quickly.

In July 2023, the Network for Public Health Law documented 10 states with current laws requiring CLAS-related training for healthcare providers, but only half of those states had related laws just 5 years prior. Another 26 states have considered 42 related bills since 2016. Further, not all requirements are legislative, as some come in the form of rules from discipline-specific state licensing boards and agencies, such as CMS, at the federal level.

Practitioners can stay abreast of any changes in licensure requirements from their licensing board, contact their state medical board (or whichever licensing board applies, for non-physicians) with any questions, and keep an eye out for changes at the federal level.

CME

 

Continuing Education Options

While only some states require physicians and other members of the healthcare team to obtain regular training in cultural competency, those in other states might still consider seeking out cultural competency training as a part of fulfilling their licensing board’s general CME/CE requirements. Some options include:

• Unconscious Bias in Medicine. Sponsored by the Stanford University School of Medicine, this CME activity provides education on unconscious bias in the academic medicine workplace.

• Think Cultural Health, the site from HHS that provides healthcare professionals with information on implementing CLAS standards, offers a number of CE opportunities, including:

  • A Physician’s Practical Guide to Culturally Competent Care

  • Culturally and Linguistically Appropriate Services (CLAS) in Nursing

  • Cultural Competency Program for Oral Health Providers

  • Improving Cultural Competency for Behavioral Health Professionals

• Quality Interactions is an e-learning program that offers over 30 different courses in cultural competency and implicit bias. Some of the courses are specifically designed to meet cultural competency CE requirements and needs in California, Maryland, Michigan, Washington, Illinois, and Oregon, while others are geared toward those treating specific patient populations, such as those with disabilities, those on Medicare, pediatric populations, and more.

• Optum Health Education is dedicated to providing interprofessional CE that improves patient outcomes and positively impacts the delivery of healthcare. Available CE includes courses on health disparities in obesity, caring for the LGBTQ+ population, driving health equity through technology, healing racial trauma, and more.

Med School Programs

 

Student Certification

Physicians and healthcare professionals looking to return to school to add to their credentials increasingly have the option of building cultural competency directly into their education. Some available certification programs to date include:

• California State University San Marcos offers a Cultural Competency in Health Care Certificate (CCHCC). The CCHCC will prepare nurses, hospital administrators, physicians, clinic directors, and other health service professionals on ethics, language access, cultural awareness, state and federal mandates on cultural competency, and institutional preparation for cultural competency accreditation.

• Sacramento State’s College of Continuing Education has launched a new certificate program designed to build cultural competence among a wide range of service providers that focuses on a variety of vulnerable populations and their experiences with public service professionals.

• The City University of New York offers nurses the opportunity to receive an Advanced Certificate in Cultural Competence. The online program is designed to help healthcare professionals meet accrediting agency and professional association mandates for cultural competence education.

• Cleveland State University has developed the Culture, Communication, and Health Certificate for their undergraduate students. The interdisciplinary program includes an internship component and is a joint effort from the departments of anthropology, psychology, sociology, criminology, the School of Communication, and the College of Health.

• University of Pittsburgh’s School of Public Health offers a graduate-level certificate in Health Equity designed to increase the cultural competency of public health and other professionals by helping them to develop culturally tailored interventions and advocate for health public policy.

Language Assists

 

Medical Interpreters

As noted in Part 1 of this report, the language used in medicine can still prove a barrier to quality care. Under the tenets of culturally competent care, non-native English speakers require healthcare providers who can effectively communicate with them, and evidence has shown that utilizing a family member for translation rather than a trained professional results in decreased satisfaction with care. Therefore, the utilization of qualified medical interpreters is a vital part of providing equitable language access to healthcare. For healthcare providers and health systems, the use of certified or credentialed interpreters can reduce the length of time it takes to validate candidates’ qualifications, prevent administrative testing costs of recruiting interpreters, and avoid liability issues due to incompetent interpreting.

• The National Board of Certification for Medical Interpreters works to foster improved healthcare outcomes and patient safety by elevating the quality of medical interpreting through a nationally recognized and validated certification for medical interpreters. The National Board currently offers a credential available to all interpreters, regardless of target language; and a certification in Spanish, Cantonese, Mandarin, Russian, Korean, and Vietnamese.

• Certification Commission for Healthcare Interpreters offers three different national, vendor-neutral certification programs for all healthcare interpreters. Further, their

• National Healthcare Interpreter Registry allows healthcare administrators to verify an interpreter’s certification status through a name search, as well as locate certified interpreters by city, state, or language.

• International Medical Interpreters Association works to establish professional standards of practice and norms of medical interpretation and acts as a clearinghouse for the collection and dissemination of information about medical interpretation-translation and related issues. Of particular interest to physicians and health system administrators, IMIA has a directory of qualified interpreters that is searchable by region.

• The Pacific Basin Telehealth Resource Center has produced Translated Materials for Telehealth Technology, which include resources in Japanese, Chuukese, Ilocano, Korean, Marshallese, Samoan, Tagalog, Chinese, Spanish, and Vietnamese.

• CMS now publishes the Medicare & You handbook in Spanish, Chinese, Korean, and Vietnamese. The handbook is also available in audio versions, in English and Spanish, and in Braille, which can be obtained by contacting 1-800-MEDICARE (1-800-633-4227).

Armed with the strategies and resources provided, physicians and other members of the healthcare team can prepare to assess and develop cultural humility, deliver culturally appropriate care to each unique patient, and have meaningful discussions about that care with patients and their caregivers from a wide variety of social, cultural, and educational backgrounds.

 

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#metaglossia_mundus

"L’examen du Test de Connaissance du Français a été rouvert récemment à l’Université de Buéa selon un avis public du doyen de la faculté des arts, le professeur Epuge Michael Etuge.

Le processus d’enregistrement n’a pas d’intermédiaires, soulignait la même annonce. C’est pour cette raison que les personnes intéressées se sont rendues en grand nombre à cet exercice. Certains candidats ont indiqué qu’ils étaient venus d’autres villes dont Douala et Yaoundé pour passer l’examen.

 

Après avoir obtenu un numéro de commande et collecté une autorisation bancaire contenant les différents détails de paiement, les candidats potentiels doivent effectuer le paiement nécessaire. La première session de l’examen TFC à l’Université de Buea aura lieu en mai 2024 à la Curelf – Ancienne Alliance Franco Camerouniase à Buea.

 

Le TCF, Test de connaissance du français, est un test de langue qui permet d’évaluer le niveau de compréhension et d’expression du français chez des personnes non francophones. Il est également utilisé par le Canada ou le Québec pour les démarches d’immigration."

#metaglossia_mundus