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Charles Tiayon
May 27, 10:13 AM
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"...India currently has 22 officially recognised languages and more ... local languages, making it complicated to code an AI model that can process all these languages seamlessly. Ishan Garg & Kevin Lam
26 May 2025 06:32PM NEW DELHI: India is building its own large language model it hopes one day may rival OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT, but the country’s countless languages and dialects have made training it a challenge. Some languages like Marathi share common roots with others such as Hindi and Gujarati, while others spoken in South India - such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam - are completely different. A large language model has to process these multiple languages seamlessly, and coding an AI model capable of understanding most of them, if not all, remains complicated. TRAINING AI ON LOCAL LANGUAGES One challenge faced by BharatGen, a consortium funded by India’s government, in training their large language model is a lack of online content in Indian languages. The consortium said that while roughly half of all the data available on the internet is in English, Indian languages make up barely 1 per cent. Literary works in many Indian languages have never been digitised, while a raft of cultural and traditional information has been verbally passed down for generations without being stored online. On a more positive note, experts said that the diversity of languages and data collected from local sources could help create AI models with fewer biases. Ganesh Ramakrishnan, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, told CNA his work involved reaching out to magazines, data sources, foundations and non-governmental organisations who have been gathering data in their local languages.
...
Experts said platforms like BharatGen need to invest billions of dollars on graphics processing units and data centres to achieve made-in-India generative AI at scale. The hefty price tag would be a small price to pay to transform India from a major tech service provider to a major tech disruptor, in what could soon be a trillion-dollar market. “India is all about scale and complexity,” said Shekar Sivasubramanian, head of the LEHS-AI unit at non-profit AI institute Wadhwani AI. “If it is solved in India, and if it works in India, chances are, it will work in the world. That’s the opportunity" https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-ai-language-model-chatbots-bharatgen-5153516
##metaglossia_mundus
Researchers across Africa, Asia and the Middle East are building their own language models designed for local tongues, cultural nuance and digital independence
"In a high-stakes artificial intelligence race between the United States and China, an equally transformative movement is taking shape elsewhere. From Cape Town to Bangalore, from Cairo to Riyadh, researchers, engineers and public institutions are building homegrown AI systems, models that speak not just in local languages, but with regional insight and cultural depth.
The dominant narrative in AI, particularly since the early 2020s, has focused on a handful of US-based companies like OpenAI with GPT, Google with Gemini, Meta’s LLaMa, Anthropic’s Claude. They vie to build ever larger and more capable models. Earlier in 2025, China’s DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based startup, added a new twist by releasing large language models (LLMs) that rival their American counterparts, with a smaller computational demand. But increasingly, researchers across the Global South are challenging the notion that technological leadership in AI is the exclusive domain of these two superpowers.
Instead, scientists and institutions in countries like India, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are rethinking the very premise of generative AI. Their focus is not on scaling up, but on scaling right, building models that work for local users, in their languages, and within their social and economic realities.
“How do we make sure that the entire planet benefits from AI?” asks Benjamin Rosman, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and a lead developer of InkubaLM, a generative model trained on five African languages. “I want more and more voices to be in the conversation”.
Beyond English, beyond Silicon Valley
Large language models work by training on massive troves of online text. While the latest versions of GPT, Gemini or LLaMa boast multilingual capabilities, the overwhelming presence of English-language material and Western cultural contexts in these datasets skews their outputs. For speakers of Hindi, Arabic, Swahili, Xhosa and countless other languages, that means AI systems may not only stumble over grammar and syntax, they can also miss the point entirely.
“In Indian languages, large models trained on English data just don’t perform well,” says Janki Nawale, a linguist at AI4Bharat, a lab at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. “There are cultural nuances, dialectal variations, and even non-standard scripts that make translation and understanding difficult.” Nawale’s team builds supervised datasets and evaluation benchmarks for what specialists call “low resource” languages, those that lack robust digital corpora for machine learning.
It’s not just a question of grammar or vocabulary. “The meaning often lies in the implication,” says Vukosi Marivate, a professor of computer science at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. “In isiXhosa, the words are one thing but what’s being implied is what really matters.” Marivate co-leads Masakhane NLP, a pan-African collective of AI researchers that recently developed AFROBENCH, a rigorous benchmark for evaluating how well large language models perform on 64 African languages across 15 tasks. The results, published in a preprint in March, revealed major gaps in performance between English and nearly all African languages, especially with open-source models.
Similar concerns arise in the Arabic-speaking world. “If English dominates the training process, the answers will be filtered through a Western lens rather than an Arab one,” says Mekki Habib, a robotics professor at the American University in Cairo. A 2024 preprint from the Tunisian AI firm Clusterlab finds that many multilingual models fail to capture Arabic’s syntactic complexity or cultural frames of reference, particularly in dialect-rich contexts.
Governments step in
For many countries in the Global South, the stakes are geopolitical as well as linguistic. Dependence on Western or Chinese AI infrastructure could mean diminished sovereignty over information, technology, and even national narratives. In response, governments are pouring resources into creating their own models.
Saudi Arabia’s national AI authority, SDAIA, has built ‘ALLaM,’ an Arabic-first model based on Meta’s LLaMa-2, enriched with more than 540 billion Arabic tokens. The United Arab Emirates has backed several initiatives, including ‘Jais,’ an open-source Arabic-English model built by MBZUAI in collaboration with US chipmaker Cerebras Systems and the Abu Dhabi firm Inception. Another UAE-backed project, Noor, focuses on educational and Islamic applications.
In Qatar, researchers at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and the Qatar Computing Research Institute, have developed the Fanar platform and its LLMs Fanar Star and Fanar Prime. Trained on a trillion tokens of Arabic, English, and code, Fanar’s tokenization approach is specifically engineered to reflect Arabic’s rich morphology and syntax.
India has emerged as a major hub for AI localization. In 2024, the government launched BharatGen, a public-private initiative funded with 235 crore (€26 million) initiative aimed at building foundation models attuned to India’s vast linguistic and cultural diversity. The project is led by the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay and also involves its sister organizations in Hyderabad, Mandi, Kanpur, Indore, and Madras. The programme’s first product, e-vikrAI, can generate product descriptions and pricing suggestions from images in various Indic languages. Startups like Ola-backed Krutrim and CoRover’s BharatGPT have jumped in, while Google’s Indian lab unveiled MuRIL, a language model trained exclusively on Indian languages. The Indian governments’ AI Mission has received more than180 proposals from local researchers and startups to build national-scale AI infrastructure and large language models, and the Bengaluru-based company, AI Sarvam, has been selected to build India’s first ‘sovereign’ LLM, expected to be fluent in various Indian languages.
In Africa, much of the energy comes from the ground up. Masakhane NLP and Deep Learning Indaba, a pan-African academic movement, have created a decentralized research culture across the continent. One notable offshoot, Johannesburg-based Lelapa AI, launched InkubaLM in September 2024. It’s a ‘small language model’ (SLM) focused on five African languages with broad reach: Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, isiZulu and isiXhosa.
“With only 0.4 billion parameters, it performs comparably to much larger models,” says Rosman. The model’s compact size and efficiency are designed to meet Africa’s infrastructure constraints while serving real-world applications. Another African model is UlizaLlama, a 7-billion parameter model developed by the Kenyan foundation Jacaranda Health, to support new and expectant mothers with AI-driven support in Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, Xhosa, and Zulu.
India’s research scene is similarly vibrant. The AI4Bharat laboratory at IIT Madras has just released IndicTrans2, that supports translation across all 22 scheduled Indian languages. Sarvam AI, another startup, released its first LLM last year to support 10 major Indian languages. And KissanAI, co-founded by Pratik Desai, develops generative AI tools to deliver agricultural advice to farmers in their native languages.
The data dilemma
Yet building LLMs for underrepresented languages poses enormous challenges. Chief among them is data scarcity. “Even Hindi datasets are tiny compared to English,” says Tapas Kumar Mishra, a professor at the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela in eastern India. “So, training models from scratch is unlikely to match English-based models in performance.”
Rosman agrees. “The big-data paradigm doesn’t work for African languages. We simply don’t have the volume.” His team is pioneering alternative approaches like the Esethu Framework, a protocol for ethically collecting speech datasets from native speakers and redistributing revenue back to further development of AI tools for under-resourced languages. The project’s pilot used read speech from isiXhosa speakers, complete with metadata, to build voice-based applications.
In Arab nations, similar work is underway. Clusterlab’s 101 Billion Arabic Words Dataset is the largest of its kind, meticulously extracted and cleaned from the web to support Arabic-first model training.
The cost of staying local
But for all the innovation, practical obstacles remain. “The return on investment is low,” says KissanAI’s Desai. “The market for regional language models is big, but those with purchasing power still work in English.” And while Western tech companies attract the best minds globally, including many Indian and African scientists, researchers at home often face limited funding, patchy computing infrastructure, and unclear legal frameworks around data and privacy.
“There’s still a lack of sustainable funding, a shortage of specialists, and insufficient integration with educational or public systems,” warns Habib, the Cairo-based professor. “All of this has to change.”
A different vision for AI
Despite the hurdles, what’s emerging is a distinct vision for AI in the Global South – one that favours practical impact over prestige, and community ownership over corporate secrecy.
“There’s more emphasis here on solving real problems for real people,” says Nawale of AI4Bharat. Rather than chasing benchmark scores, researchers are aiming for relevance: tools for farmers, students, and small business owners.
And openness matters. “Some companies claim to be open-source, but they only release the model weights, not the data,” Marivate says. “With InkubaLM, we release both. We want others to build on what we’ve done, to do it better.”
In a global contest often measured in teraflops and tokens, these efforts may seem modest. But for the billions who speak the world’s less-resourced languages, they represent a future in which AI doesn’t just speak to them, but with them."
Sibusiso Biyela, Amr Rageh and Shakoor Rather
20 May 2025
https://www.natureasia.com/en/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nmiddleeast.2025.65
#metaglossia_mundus
"The Literature Translation Institute of Korea has selected three winners for this year’s translation awards.
The three are Lee Ki-hyang, Tayfun Kartav and Justyna Agata Najbar-Miller.
The LTI Korea Translation Award was established in 1993 to encourage outstanding translators who contribute to communication between Korean and world literature, and to promote Korean literature overseas.
Lee, who heads publishing house Märchenwald Verlag München, translated Bora Chung's "Cursed Bunny" into German and received critical praise for effectively conveying the book's tension and fear.
Kartav won for his Turkish rendering of Chang Kang-myoung's "Homodominans," and Najbar-Miller, an assistant professor in the Korean studies department at the University of Warsaw, won the award for her Polish translation of Han Kang's "We Do Not Part.""
https://world.kbs.co.kr/service/news_view.htm?lang=e&Seq_Code=197861
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"
L'ONU célèbre la première Journée mondiale de la famille des langues turques
L’UNESCO, l’agence culturelle des Nations Unies, se prépare à célébrer lundi la toute première Journée mondiale de la famille des langues turques, suite à la décision de sa Conférence générale à Samarcande d’établir le 15 décembre comme date de célébration annuelle.
Cette nouvelle commémoration met en lumière le patrimoine linguistique et culturel commun des peuples turcophones et réaffirme l’engagement de l’Organisation des Nations Unies pour l'éducation, la science et la culture (UNESCO) en faveur du multilinguisme et de la diversité culturelle.
Une date historique
Le choix du 15 décembre s’inscrit dans un moment charnière de la linguistique. Ce jour-là, en 1893, le linguiste danois Vilhelm Thomsen annonçait avoir déchiffré l’alphabet des inscriptions de l’Orkhon, parmi les plus anciens témoignages écrits connus de la famille des langues turques.
Cette découverte majeure a ouvert la voie à une meilleure compréhension d’une tradition linguistique qui unit aujourd’hui des dizaines de communautés à travers l’Eurasie.
Des langues parlées par 200 millions de personnes
Les langues turques – dont l’azéri, le kazakh, le kirghize, le turc, le turkmène et l’ouzbek – sont parlées comme langue maternelle par plus de 200 millions de personnes sur un territoire d’environ 12 millions de kilomètres carrés.
L’UNESCO souligne que ces langues possèdent un riche patrimoine écrit, de fortes traditions orales et des pratiques culturelles diverses partagées par de nombreux États membres.
La proclamation de cette nouvelle Journée fait suite à une demande conjointe de l'Azerbaïdjan, du Kazakhstan, du Kirghizistan, de la Turquie et de l'Ouzbékistan et a reçu le soutien de 21 États membres, témoignant d'une large reconnaissance de la valeur de la diversité linguistique.
Renforcement de la coopération
L'UNESCO indique que cette commémoration annuelle s'inscrit dans le cadre plus large du programme multilingue des Nations Unies, tel qu'il est énoncé dans la résolution 71/328 de l'Assemblée générale.
En consacrant une journée à la famille des langues turques, l'agence vise à encourager la coopération linguistique, les échanges culturels et le dialogue entre les civilisations.
Les activités prévues comprennent des initiatives de sensibilisation, des recherches universitaires et des programmes de sauvegarde des langues turques et des traditions orales.
Célébration annuelle
Cette journée sera marquée par des expositions, des conférences, des événements littéraires et des spectacles artistiques destinés à mettre en lumière la richesse historique et le dynamisme contemporain des langues turques.
L'UNESCO affirme que cette commémoration est l'occasion d'honorer la diversité linguistique en tant que patrimoine commun de l'humanité et de renforcer les efforts internationaux visant à protéger les langues, vecteurs essentiels d'identité, de savoir et d'expression culturelle."
14 décembre 2025
https://news.un.org/fr/story/2025/12/1158079
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Cherokee Nation Launches Digital Dictionary to Support Language Revitalization
Cherokee Nation leaders and Cherokee language speakers joined representatives from Kiwa Digital Ltd. on Tuesday to launch the new Cherokee Language Dictionary app during an event at the Durbin Feeling Language Center.
“Every Cherokee family, no matter where they live, can now carry this resource in their pocket,” Principal Chief Chuck Hoskin Jr. said. “This app represents our sovereignty, our knowledge, and our commitment to keeping the Cherokee language strong for generations to come.”
Durbin Feeling completed the first Cherokee Language Dictionary 50 years ago, laying the foundation for the tribe’s modern language revitalization work. In 2025, Cherokee Nation partnered with Kiwa Digital Ltd. to digitize the resource and make it publicly accessible as a mobile app.
Team members from Kiwa Digital traveled internationally for the launch. The company specializes in Indigenous language preservation through digital tools. Chief Hoskin first announced the partnership during his State of the Nation Address at the Cherokee National Holiday.
“Chief Hoskin and I have always said that it is critical we not only protect and save the Cherokee language, but that we perpetuate the language so that it continues to grow within our Cherokee families and communities,” Deputy Chief Bryan Warner said. “We can harness the power of technology to help us teach others how to speak Cherokee, and the Cherokee language dictionary app is a great resource.”
The app is available for download on the Apple App Store and Google Play Store. It currently includes more than 6,000 Cherokee words, audio recordings, grammar notes, phonetics, syllabary, and biographical information on first-language speakers. Cherokee Nation translators and Kiwa staff plan to continually add new entries.
“In just a few months, Kiwa Digital took what we have documented of our language and made it accessible to our citizens,” said Howard Paden, executive director of the Cherokee Language Department. “Their efforts will prevent the erosion of our language from continuing and empower us to revitalize and normalize this language in our communities. Our goal is to get at least 25,000 to 50,000 words on the app in order to have a more comprehensive overview of the language.”
The app also includes advanced search tools, pronunciation guides and a private AI learning assistant. Data is stored on a secure AWS platform.
During Tuesday’s launch, the tribe encouraged users to submit feedback through the app to support ongoing updates.
“As an Indigenous-owned company from Aotearoa New Zealand, we are honored to support the Cherokee Nation in developing this groundbreaking digital resource,” said Jill Tattersall, executive director of Kiwa Digital. “We look forward to Cherokee community feedback to help this treasured resource grow in impact and value.”
In October, the Cherokee Nation hosted its Seventh Annual First-Language Cherokee Speakers Gathering, where Chief Hoskin announced $2.3 million from the tribe’s Public Health and Wellness Fund Act to support the Language Department’s Peer Recovery Program, home care for fluent elders in vulnerable health, repairs for speaker homes and the Little Cherokee Seeds program.
The Durbin Feeling Act of 2019—authored by Chief Hoskin and Deputy Chief Warner with support from the Council of the Cherokee Nation—continues to drive the largest language investment in tribal history. This year’s language budget is nearly $25 million, and the act provides more than $20 million annually for language programs, totaling more than $68 million in capital projects to date."
By Levi Rickert
December 12, 2025
https://nativenewsonline.net/sovereignty/cherokee-nation-launches-digital-dictionary-to-support-language-revitalization
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Two Army soldiers and a civilian interpreter – were killed by a suspected Islamic State attacker.
"The attack comes as the United States and Syria’s new government, led by interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, are looking at closer relations more than a year after rebels toppled Bashar al-Assad, who became known as one of the world's most brutal despots.
Since then, the United States and Syria have cooperated on anti-terrorism actions, which Trump said will be useful in the response to the Dec. 13 killings.
"There will be very serious retaliation," Trump said in a post on Truth Social..."
https://www.usatoday.com/story/news/politics/2025/12/13/us-soldiers-killed-syria/87750585007/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Not a Big Reader? Google Translate Rolls Out Real-Time Audio Translation for Headphone Users
Google says you’ll be able to get live audio translations of conversations, speeches, and lectures in a different language, listen to a speech or lecture while abroad, or watch a TV show or film in another language through your headphones.
If your language learning journey isn’t going as planned, or your Duolingo streak is long since broken, Google has introduced a new tool that could make navigating the world of foreign languages more intuitive—with no reading required.
Rolling out this week on Android in beta, Google Translate will now support real-time audio translation delivered via your headphones. The beta will support over 70 languages, including Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, and German, via the Translate app. Google says this means you’ll be able to understand conversations in a different language, listen to a speech or lecture while abroad, or watch a TV show or film in another language.
At present, the new feature will be limited to users located in the US, India, and Mexico using Android, while an iOS rollout is planned for the future. To try the tool out, connect your headphones, open the Google Translate app on your mobile device, and tap “Live translate” to hear a real-time translation in your preferred language.
In addition, Google is rolling out tools to improve its translations when it comes to things like idioms, local expressions, or slang, which might not make much sense in a purely literal translation. For example, phrases like “stealing my thunder.”
This update is also rolling out this week in the US and India, translating between English and almost 20 languages, such as Spanish, Hindi, Chinese, Japanese, and German. It will be available on Android and iOS, and on the web version.
After first introducing dedicated language practice features back in August this year, Google Translate is now also introducing "improved feedback" for users' speaking practice, as well as tools to track how many days in a row you've been learning, broadly comparable to language learning tools like Duolingo and Babbel. It's also expanding support for new language combinations such as German and Portuguese for English speakers, as well as English for Bengali, Mandarin Chinese, Dutch, German, Hindi, Italian, Romanian, and Swedish."
By Will McCurdy
December 13, 2025
https://www.pcmag.com/news/not-a-big-reader-google-translate-rolls-out-real-time-audio-translation
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
By Sabrina Machetti and Raymond Siebetcheu
It is nearly ten years since the concept of lingue immigrate (Bagna et al., 2003), was formulated. To date, immigrant minority languages are poorly investigated in Italy. Actually, when referring to applied linguistics in the Italian context
"What happens when Italian and Immigrant languages come in contact with each other? A clear example that is useful to approach this question is called 'Camfranglais', an urban variety that stems from a mixture of French, English, Pidgin English and Cameroonian local languages. This working paper examines the outcome of the interaction between Italian and Camfranglais."
By Sabrina Machetti and Raymond Siebetcheu
https://www.diggitmagazine.com/working-papers/tpcs55-use-camfranglais-italian-migration-context
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Global Voices interviewed Moharaj Sharma to explore his path as a poet, journalist, and documentarian, and his enduring efforts to elevate Nepali literature, linguistic traditions, and diaspora narratives.
"Words across worlds: Moharaj Sharma on language, culture, and belonging in Nepal
Sharma is a poet, journalist, and documentarian amplifying Nepali literature and diaspora voices
Written by
Sangita Swechcha
Posted 15 December 2025
Poet, journalist, and documentary maker Moharaj Sharma is a leading figure in Nepal’s literary and media landscape, with two decades of influential work in radio and television. Widely respected for his cultural insight and integrity, he is known for poetry that reflects on identity, social change, and the human experience, resonating across Nepal and its global diaspora.
A long-time member of the International Nepali Literary Society (INLS), he currently serves as News Editor at AP1 Television, where he also hosts a weekly literary segment that brings writers and thinkers into national conversation. His research on the linguistic roots of Nepali and Sanskrit, along with his documentary on the resilience of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees, highlights his commitment to cultural preservation. Recognised with honours from INLS, Gauhati University, and literary institutions in Bhutan, the US, and South Korea, Sharma continues to shape contemporary Nepali literature through a powerful blend of journalistic clarity and poetic vision.
Sangita Swechcha of Global Voices interviewed Moharaj Sharma via email to learn more about his journey as a poet, journalist, and documentarian, and his longstanding work in amplifying Nepali literature, linguistic heritage, and the stories of diasporic communities.
Sangita Swechcha (SS): Your work spans poetry, journalism, and documentary storytelling. How do these different forms of expression influence one another in your creative process?
Moharaj Sharma (MS): Poetry, journalism, and documentary — although these three subjects appear separate — have complemented one another in my creative journey. The inner dialogue among all three has inspired me to stay focused on my work. Just as Eastern philosophy describes the power of a mantra, I feel a similar power in poetry within literature. It is something that shakes society. Poetry speaks to the joys and sorrows of society in a deep and subtle way. I sense this same sensitivity in journalism as well. News is not merely information; it is a reality intertwined with human life, dreams, and struggles. The discipline of journalism — honesty toward facts, commitment, and respect for authentic voices — makes my writing responsible. Documentary ties these two worlds together in a single thread. In visual storytelling, I try to blend the factual discipline of journalism with the human sensitivity of poetry.
SS: Much of your writing explores identity, culture, and the Nepali diaspora. What personal experiences or encounters have most shaped your understanding of these themes?
MS: For the past two decades, I have been close to ordinary lives through journalism. Nepal has great ethnic, linguistic, and cultural diversity, with 142 ethnic groups and over 120 languages. Each ethnic group has its own language, religion, customs, culture, and traditions. This diversity and identity make Nepali society ‘many in one and one in many.’
Through my travels and learning experiences in the UK, USA, South Korea, India, and Indonesia, I gained a deep understanding of the importance of language, culture, and identity. In today’s global world, people cannot forget their roots; instead, they work to preserve and promote their heritage, enjoying the sweetness of their identity.
Statistics show Nepali-speaking people have reached around 150 countries. Wherever they go, they carry Nepali language, culture, and civilization. These learning and research experiences have greatly energized my professional and literary journey.
SS: You have documented the stories of Nepali-speaking Bhutanese refugees — a community whose decades-long displacement, life in refugee camps in eastern Nepal, and global resettlement have shaped a profound story of resilience and cultural survival. What continues to stay with you from their journey?
MS: In 1624 AD, after an agreement between Bhutan’s religious leader Zhabdrung Ngawang Namgyel and Nepal’s King Ram Shah, sixty Nepali households were taken to Bhutan. Though they helped unify and develop Bhutan, the government later suppressed them as their influence grew.
In the 1990s, the ‘One Nation, One People’ policy restricted Nepali language and culture, leading to the expulsion of over 100,000 Nepali speakers, who lived as refugees in Nepal for nearly two decades. Even then, they preserved their language and heritage, running classes and promoting literature through groups like the Literary Council of Bhutan.
After resettling in eight countries including the USA, Australia, and Canada, their struggle for identity continues. Preserving language and culture remains central, strengthening their presence abroad.
I traveled across the USA to study this community. Once stateless, they now show cultural prosperity: schools teach Nepali, government offices hire language experts, and communities maintain global cultural presence. Even after losing everything, they kept their pride and are active in politics and policy-making in their resettled countries.
Moharaj Sharma with Nepali-speaking Bhutanese children in the USA, studying Eastern philosophy. Image provided by Moharaj Sharma.
SS: As someone deeply involved in promoting Nepali literature through radio and television, how do you see the role of media evolving in nurturing literary culture?
MS: When I began in radio, access to media was limited, and poets, writers, and cultural scholars rarely reached the public. Over two decades, technology has advanced so much that the global community now fits within a mobile click. Earlier, poetry recitations, literary interviews, and TV discussions gave writers recognition and shaped cultural interest. Today, media not only promotes literature but sparks debates on new dimensions and global practices.
Digital media has broken the center-periphery divide. Those once absent from print now emerge via social networks, including poets, writers, cultural workers, migrant laborers, and homemakers. Yet media’s responsibility has grown, as confusion, exaggeration, and commercial content can overshadow meaningful creation, making the role of journalists, editors, producers, and cultural workers vital.
SS: Your research engages with the linguistic roots of Nepali and Sanskrit. What draws you to this historical and philosophical exploration of language?
MS: Nepal is a multilingual, multicultural, and multi-traditional country, with people living from 58 meters to nearly 5,000 meters above sea level, showing differences in language, culture, and lifestyle, yet inter-community tolerance is strong.
Vedic literature and Eastern philosophy highlight Nepal’s sacredness. It is where sages attained knowledge through yoga, meditation, and ascetic practice. According to Buddhist tradition, Kanakamuni, Krakuchhanda, and Shakyamuni Buddha were born here and spread wisdom. I am deeply interested in studying the languages, cultures, arts, and folk traditions that give Nepal its unique identity.
Media plays an important role in preserving and promoting these subjects. I traveled from the Sinja Valley of Jumla — where the Nepali language originated — to Oxford University, where Sanskrit is taught.
As the mother of many languages, including Nepali, Sanskrit is key to understanding history and linguistic evolution, which inspires me greatly.
SS: With your forthcoming poetry collection, what themes or perspectives are you most excited to share with readers?
MS: I like simple poetry that tells the stories of ordinary people. As a long-time editor showing countless faces and events, those experiences naturally appear in my work. I try to capture the pain, hope, and journey of the Nepali diaspora struggling for identity.
Our generation has witnessed many key historical moments of Nepal; through poetry, these experiences will remain as witnesses for the future. I continue to explore themes of identity, social change, and the tension between tradition and modernity."
https://globalvoices.org/2025/12/15/words-across-worlds-moharaj-sharma-on-language-culture-and-belonging/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Google has also introduced a new speech-to-speech translation feature for headphones.
Google is rolling out new Gemini-assisted functionality to Search and its Translate app. It says its AI can now provide more natural and accurate text translations for phrases that have more "nuanced meanings." Translate will now take slang terms and colloquial expressions into consideration rather than provide sometimes unhelpful direct translations.
The latest update to its text translation feature is rolling out first in the US and India, translating between English and just under 20 other languages, including German, Spanish, Chinese and Arabic. It works in the Translate app for iOS and Android and on the web.
Gemini’s speech-to-speech translation feature has also been updated, so you can now hear real-time translations in your headphones, like with Apple’s AirPods Pro 3. Google says the new functionality, which is now in beta in the Translate app for Android (iOS is coming next year) in the US, tries to "preserve the tone, emphasis and cadence of each speaker" so you better understand the direction of the conversation and who said what. It works with any headphones and supports more than 70 languages.
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Finally, Google is adding more tools to its potentially Duolingo-rivaling AI-powered language learning tools, which it introduced to the Translate app in August. Like Duolingo, Translate can now track how many days in a row you’ve been attempting to learn a new language, so you can check your progress over time. Whether it will nag you as persistently as the Duolingo owl famously does for slacking off is not clear.
The feedback feature has also been improved, so you should receive more useful tips on how you’re pronouncing words or phrases. Germany, India and Sweden are among the 20 new countries that can now use these educational tools.
After not showing it much love for a while, Google has been busy adding new features to Translate recently. As well as the new language practice feature, an update last month added the ability to select between "Fast" and "Advanced" translations that allow you to prioritize speed when you’re in a rush (ordering a drink at the bar, for example) or receiving more accurate translations using Gemini."
Matt Tate
Contributing reporter
Fri, December 12, 2025 at 6:34 PM GMT+1
https://www.engadget.com/apps/google-translate-is-now-better-at-translating-slang-terms-and-idioms-using-ai-173428316.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"‘How we built an AI translator to help everyone in your church hear the gospel’
By Mike Ashelby1 December 20253 min read
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Kingdom Code’s hackathon saw a room of Christian coders come together to tackle the language barrier isolating churchgoers whose first language isn’t English. Mike Ashelby tells the story behind the innovative AI translation tool they created.
Christmas is the season of the open door. It is the one time of year when the “stranger” is most likely to walk into our churches — neighbours, international students, and extended family members drawn by the carols and the candlelight.
But for the more than five million people in England and Wales who do not speak English as their main language, that open door often leads to a closed experience. They are physically welcomed, but spiritually isolated. They stand in the crowd, surrounded by the warmth of the community, but the message of the service remains locked behind a language barrier.
The incarnation was the ultimate act of translation. It wasn’t just God speaking to us; it was God becoming human so that we could truly know him. At Breeze Translate, our mission is to help the UK Church reflect that heart. We believe that if someone walks into a church this December, language should not stop them from hearing the most powerful message of all: Emmanuel, God is with us.
From Pizza and Code to a “Digital Pentecost”
This mission didn’t start in a cathedral, but in a room full of coders, snacks, and a tight deadline.
The setting was Kingdom Code, an annual Christian hackathon where technologists gather to ask: How can we use our skills to serve the Kingdom? Tim Moger from NEFC Church stood up and pitched a problem that is becoming increasingly common: our communities are diversifying, but our church services are leaving people out.
For me, this problem wasn’t theoretical; it was sitting in the seat next to me.
Two Iranian asylum seekers had recently joined our congregation. One spoke limited English; his mother-in-law spoke none. I remember the helplessness I felt trying to welcome them into the community. We did what we could — we pasted Persian text onto the projector for the liturgy — but the moment the service moved on, they were cut off.
It wasn’t just the sermon they missed. It was the notices, the updates on community life, the small invitations to belong. After the service, the young man could manage a basic conversation, but the heart of the message — and the invitation to participate in the family of the church — was inaccessible. His mother-in-law sat through the entire service in silence. We were welcoming them into the building, but we lacked the tools to welcome them into the fellowship.
A Romanian woman, who sat silently through services for three years was literally crying with joy the first time she could hear the sermon in her own language.
That weekend, a team formed around Tim’s idea, led on the technical side by Ben Hartman. Ben brought extensive expertise in real-time communications to the table, but perhaps more importantly, he brought a missionary’s heart. Living in Germany and speaking German as a second language, he knew intimately the fatigue of trying to process faith in a non-native tongue.
Over 24 hours, the team built a prototype. Originally, we called it “deBabel” — a reference to the Tower of Babel, seeking to reverse the confusion of languages. But as the project grew, we realised we didn’t just want to tear down a barrier; we wanted to invite the Spirit in.
We renamed it Breeze Translate, a nod to Acts 2. At Pentecost, the Holy Spirit came like a “mighty rushing wind” — a breeze — and suddenly, everyone heard the good news in their own native tongue. That became our hope: to build a tool that clears the way for a similar connection today.
How It Works
Since coming on board to help expand the reach of Breeze, I’ve seen that simplicity is key. We didn’t want to create an app that people had to download (a barrier in itself). Instead, Breeze is browser-based.
The church connects their sound desk to a computer — or simply places a mobile phone on the lectern — and the system does the rest. The congregation scans a QR code, and their own phone becomes a personal interpreter, providing live, real-time translation in their own language.
Crucially, it works both ways. The system supports a host of different input languages with automated language switching. This means a service can be truly multilingual — a contributor can get up and share a testimony in Farsi or pray in Ukrainian, and the English speakers in the room will see the translation instantly. With hundreds of output languages available, it allows everyone to participate, not just listen.
In Slough Baptist Church, the leadership used Breeze to support an Italian woman who had attended for years, relying on her husband’s faltering whispers to understand. When they switched on Breeze, she told the leadership it was the first time she felt she could truly connect with the service independently."
https://www.premierchristianity.com/real-life/how-we-built-an-ai-translator-to-help-everyone-in-your-church-hear-the-gospel/20567.article
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
The Trump administration argues that providing real-time American Sign Language interpretation for events like White House press briefings would intrude on the president’s control over his public image. This stance is part of a lawsuit filed by the National Association for the Deaf, which claims the lack of ASL interpretation denies deaf Americans access to important communications. The Justice Department suggests alternatives like online transcripts and closed captioning provide what's needed. A federal judge recently ordered the White House to provide the interpreting, but the administration has appealed.
"Trump administration says sign language services ‘intrude’ on Trump’s ability to control his image
20 hours ago By MEG KINNARD - Associated Press
The Trump administration is arguing that requiring real-time American Sign Language interpretation of events like White House press briefings “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” part of a lawsuit seeking to require the White House to provide the services.
Department of Justice attorneys haven’t elaborated on how doing so might hamper the portrayal President Donald Trump seeks to present to the public. But overturning policies encompassing diversity, equity and inclusion have become a hallmark of his second administration, starting with his very first week back in the White House.
The National Association for the Deaf sued the Trump administration in May, arguing that the cessation of American Sign Language interpretation — which the Biden administration had used regularly — represented “denying hundreds of thousands of deaf Americans meaningful access to the White House’s real-time communications on various issues of national and international import.” The group also sued during Trump’s first administration, seeking ASL interpretation for briefings related to the COVID-19 pandemic.
In a June court filing opposing the association’s request for a preliminary injunction, reported Thursday by Politico, attorneys for the Justice Department argued that being required to provide sign language interpretation for news conferences “would severely intrude on the President’s prerogative to control the image he presents to the public,” also writing that the president has “the prerogative to shape his Administration’s image and messaging as he sees fit.”
Government attorneys also argued that it provides the hard of hearing or Deaf community with other ways to access the president’s statements, like online transcripts of events, or closed captioning. The administration has also argued that it would be difficult to wrangle such services in the event that Trump spontaneously took questions from the press, rather than at a formal briefing.
A White House spokesperson did not immediately comment Friday on the ongoing lawsuit or answer questions about the administration’s argument regarding the damage of interpretation services to Trump’s “image.”
In their June filing, government attorneys questioned if other branches of government were being held to a similar standard if they didn’t provide the same interpretative services as sought by the association.
As home to Gallaudet University, the world’s premier college for the deaf and hard of hearing, Washington likely has an ample pool of trained ASL interpreters into which the White House could tap. Mayor Muriel Bowser has made ASL interpretation a mainstay of her appearances, including a pair of interpreters who swap in and out.
Last month, a federal judge rejected that and other objections from the government, issuing an order requiring the White House to provide American Sign Language interpreting for Trump and Leavitt’s remarks in real time. The White House has appealed the ruling, and while the administration has begun providing American Sign Language interpreting at some events, there’s disagreement over what services it has to supply.
On his first week back in office, Trump signed a sweeping executive order putting a stop to diversity, equity and inclusion programs across the U.S. government. In putting his own imprint on the Pentagon, Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth in January issued an order stating that DEI policies were “incompatible” with the department’s mission,
This week, Secretary of State Marco Rubio ordered diplomatic correspondence to return to the more traditional Times New Roman font, arguing that the Biden administration’s 2023 shift to the sans serif Calibri font had emerged from misguided diversity, equity and inclusion policies pursued by his predecessor.
Meg Kinnard can be reached at http://x.com/MegKinnardAP";
https://www.fox21online.com/i/trump-administration-says-sign-language-services-intrude-on-trumps-ability-to-control-his-image/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Methodological Framework for Specialized Translation Curricula Development
Abstract
This article examines the scientific and methodological principles underlying the development of comprehensive educational and methodological complexes (EMC) for specialized translation courses, with particular emphasis on military translation. The study addresses the structural components of modern EMCs within the framework of competency-based approaches and Federal State Educational Standards (FSES) requirements. The research analyzes the sequential organization of educational content, the selection and systematization of thematic material, and the integration of didactic resources. Special attention is devoted to the development of textbooks for specialized translation, including their structural organization, the selection of authentic source materials, and the implementation of multimedia technologies. The article presents a practical case study of an electronic textbook for Italian military translation, demonstrating how theoretical principles can be applied in practice. The study emphasizes that modern EMCs function as flexible, variable, and non-linear scenarios of the educational process, incorporating not only traditional educational materials but also electronic resources, assessment tools, and methodological guidelines for both instructors and learners. The research concludes that effective EMC development requires consideration of subject-specific characteristics, linguistic and cultural particularities of the target language, and contemporary geopolitical contexts. The proposed approach to EMC design for specialized translation can be extrapolated to various language pairs and subject domains, thereby expanding its practical application in higher education systems.
Keywords: Educational and Methodological Complex, Specialized Translation, Military Translation, Competency-Based Approach, Textbook Design, Didactic Materials, Electronic Educational Resources, Authentic Source Materials, Translation Competencies, Higher Education, Curriculum Design, Language Pedagogy, Translation Studies."
Posted: 11 Dec 2025
Maria Smirnova
Moscow State University of International Relations (MGIMO University)
Date Written: October 14, 2025
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5838062
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#metaglossia_mundus
"The art of translation is a specific and important one. In this workshop for younger translators, experts in the field provided feedback and support for challenges that may come with the work.
A “small-but-mighty community”
Translators are the heart of the international publishing industry. They are often the first to read a story that could be brought to a new market, the sole voice advocating for a work to be published, and the steward of the original writer’s story, voice, and intention.
In the last several years, questions have been raised about whether or not artificial intelligence will take the place of human translators, if the next generation of readers will be reading in their native language or reading books in English, or if markets, particularly the US in its current political state, will welcome stories from beyond its borders. All of these potential challenges ahead make the support of translators and their work and the building of community all the more important.
Award-winning translator and workshop leader Liz Lauffer, Image Sabine Schwarz
With that in mind, last month in New York City, the Goethe-Institut NYC and Frankfurter Buchmesse hosted a virtual translator workshop to provide community, education, and support for young German translators, hosted by acclaimed translator and winner of the 2014 Gutekunst Prize Liz Lauffer.
Rohan Kamicheril, senior editor at Farrar, Straus, and Giroux, founder of Tiffin and former editor at Words without Borders was a guest editor during the workshop to provide additional feedback and guidance to the translators.
Participants included Juliane Scholtz, Elizabeth Raab, Betsy Carter, Hayden Toftner, Jennifer Jenson, and Aziza Kasumov. Each of these translators had 8 weeks to translate an excerpt from Sara Gmuer’s Achtzehnter Stock, published in Germany by Hanser Verlag.
“I was eager to meet this merry band, discover how the next generation of literary translators is approaching our work, and dip into my own experience to see what I might pass on,” said Lauffer.
“They gave me a sense of belonging in this small-but-mighty community of ours. My hope is that this cohort will draw on the connections formed—whether it’s passing each other jobs, consulting on tricky bits, celebrating or commiserating with one another—and keep the flame lit.”
The translators submitted their translation samples two weeks before the workshop, on which Lauffer provided edits. Lauffer then chose an excerpt from each translation and shared those with Kamicheril who sent individual edits and comments back to each translator.
In preparation for the workshop, the translators were asked to each identify a paragraph they were struggling with. During the workshop, each participant shared what they found particularly challenging in the paragraphs they had chosen, which led to a lively exchange which highlighted the different perspectives and versions each could create.
Kamicheril stressed that there is right formulation because it is always about the bigger picture. What is the sound, the tone of the text? Which solution fits best in a particular context?
During the workshop, it became clear that the art of translation is closely tied to emotions, interactions, and interdependence, something AI cannot replicate.
“Though that’s been slowly changing, there’s just not a ton of infrastructure in the US to support emerging translators, so this was a rare opportunity to not only hone our skills but also learn more about the inner workings of the industry,” said Kasumov.
“I’m grateful to have been part of this group! My favorite part of the workshop itself was probably seeing how each and every one of us translated certain turns of phrases differently–a beautiful reminder that translation is an art, not something that can be automated away.”"
By Erin L. Cox, Publisher | @erinlcox
December 12, 2025
https://publishingperspectives.com/2025/12/building-the-future-of-translation-a-workshop-in-new-york-city/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Norfolk is celebrating the anniversary of INTRAN, the county's homegrown interpretation and translation service.
Founded in December of 2000 to offer interpretation and translation services in 54 languages to public sector organisations in Norfolk, INTRAN has grown to provide over 300 organisations with translation and interpretation support across 174 languages, including British Sign Language and braille.
Cllr Robert Savage, Vice-Chairman of Norfolk County Council, said: "It's wonderful to celebrate a quarter century of INTRAN's work: this is a clear example of what can be achieved when organisations collaborate, bringing together 6 original partners to create a service that helps save public resources by avoiding duplication and now helps hundreds of organisations communicate clearly and swiftly with their service users. The work of INTRAN has helped improve lives, deliver better outcomes and ensure access to services for thousands of people who might otherwise have struggled. Here's to another 25 years of such success!"
Before INTRAN was established those who needed translation and interpretation support often had to arrange for specialist help to be brought in from far afield, with Interpreters as far away as Glasgow travelling to Norfolk to support face to face events. INTRAN's creation changed all that, allowing a range of organisations in Norfolk to access swift and local translation services. Today INTRAN offers telephone and video interpreters as well as face to face options, with written translation services and staff training also available.
Julie Dwyer, member of the Norwich Deaf Club, explained that "Without an interpreter, I often feel invisible — INTRAN helps me being heard and understood clearly".
In 2024-25, interpretation and translation services were requested in over 82,000 individual bookings, covering 111 different languages for Norfolk and 126 in the region (data shows that 174 different languages are spoken in Norfolk and over 200 in the East of England). Today, languages such as Lithuanian, Arabic and Polish are the most in demand, a sharp contrast to the early 2000s when Portuguese, Russian and British Sign Language were the most requested languages.
Valerie Gidney, INTRAN Partnership Manager, said: "The risks of non-effective communication are now widely recognised and regulated by law. By putting themselves together to deliver a common goal, members of our partnership have been able to reduce delays for service users, and help staff deliver their duty of care in confidence, helping avoid service delays, clearly communicate processes and consent, improve diagnoses and speed up accurate interventions.
With the continuous evolution of technology, over the past 25 years we've introduced new solutions, such as video interpreting on demand, which staff use to respond to emergency needs, access languages that are harder to source locally (such as Oromo, Rohingya or Nuer), and bridge gaps. New opportunities are currently sought which we are confident will further improve accessibility for members of our local deaf communities. Watch this space!"
Top 10 Languages in Norfolk 2024-25
In 2024-25, interpretation and translation services were requested in 111 different languages for Norfolk and 126 in the region, of which 30 had not been requested during 2023-24. Between 2023-24 and 2024-25, Norfolk has seen some changes to the Top 10 most requested languages, which account for 69.94% of all bookings:
Lithuanian
Arabic
Polish
Portuguese
Russian
Romanian
Pashto
Kurdish-Sorani
Bulgarian
Dari
Ukrainian was number 14 on the Norfolk list of top languages that year.
Last modified: 11 December 2025"
Norfolk County Council ,11 December 2025
https://www.norfolk.gov.uk/article/74416/INTRAN-Celebrates-25-Years-of-Inclusive-Communication
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Google Translate brings real-time speech translations to any headphones
Live speech translations were once only on the Pixel Buds.
Google Translate’s latest update brings live speech translations, originally available only on the Pixel Buds, to any headphones you want, with support for over 70 languages. It’s rolling out today in beta and just requires a compatible Android phone with the Translate app (unlike Apple’s similar feature, which requires AirPods).
It’s one of a few new features coming to Google Translate, along with improved text translations. Using Gemini, Translate will now offer more accurate translations of phrases like idioms and slang, which have a different meaning than what they literally sound like word for word, such as the expression “stealing my thunder.”
Android users will soon have an option to hear real-time translations through their headphones. Image: Google
Today’s update also includes an expansion of the Practice feature in Translate, bringing it to 20 new countries and adding more supported languages. The Practice feature, which launched in beta in August, is a bit like Duolingo, but baked into Google Translate. It uses AI to make customized language learning sessions based on your skill level, including vocabulary practice and listening comprehension.
Live speech-to-speech translation is rolling out today in the US, Mexico, and India on Android and will make its way over to the iOS Translate app next year. Improved text translations are rolling out today in the US and Mexico on both the Android and iOS Translate apps, as well as on the web version of Translate. Practice is still a beta feature in Translate, so it may not be available to everyone yet."
Stevie Bonifield
Dec 12, 2025
https://www.theverge.com/news/843483/google-translate-live-speech-translations-headphones
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Depuis le 20 novembre et jusqu’au 20 janvier 2026, l’Association internationale des interprètes de conférence vous propose une exposition consacrée aux débuts de l’interprétation simultanée.
C’est à l’occasion du 80ᵉ anniversaire de l’ouverture des procès de Nuremberg que cette exposition a été inaugurée. Son objectif : mettre en valeur le rôle des interprètes lors du procès de Nuremberg. Une traduction menée alors en quatre langues, une première rendue possible grâce à la méthode novatrice de l’interprétation simultanée.
L'exposition se tiendra pendant 2 mois durant lesquels des projections de films seront prévus notamment le 19 décembre et le 1er janvier (inscription obligatoire).
Cette exposition se tient dans l’enceinte du musée de l’émigration BallinStadt. Elle est ouverte du Mardi au Dimanche de 10h à 18h.
🎟️ Prix : 13,90€"
https://lepetitjournal.com/hambourg/agenda/expositions/un-proces-quatre-langues-
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Les principales recommandations du Conseil de l'Europe concernent la formation des enseignants, les services sociaux et de santé et les médias.
Le Comité d’experts de la Charte européenne des langues régionales ou minoritaires a publié aujourd’hui un rapport à mi-parcours sur la mise en œuvre par la Finlande de ses 22 recommandations pour action immédiate formulées dans le sixième rapport d’évaluation.
La Charte, entrée en vigueur en Finlande en 1998, s’applique au suédois (langue nationale la moins répandue), au sâme d’Inari, au sâme du Nord, au sâme skolt, au carélien, au romani, au russe, au tatar et au yiddish.
Le Comité d’experts se félicite des progrès accomplis, mais regrette que plusieurs recommandations n’aient pas été mises en œuvre, notamment celles sur la formation des enseignants, les services sociaux et de santé, les médias et l’absence de financement durable dans différents domaines. Il réaffirme également que la Finlande doit sensibiliser la population à ses minorités et prendre des mesures pour revitaliser le romani et le carélien. La Finlande devrait aussi renforcer les mesures visant à protéger le sâme skolt et le yiddish, qui sont gravement menacés et risquent de disparaître.
Le Comité d’experts se réjouit du fait que le sâme d’Inari, le sâme du Nord et le sâme skolt sont toujours enseignés dans les universités d’Oulu et de Laponie, ce qui peut déboucher sur de nouvelles opportunités pour la formation des enseignants. En outre, il encourage les autorités à élaborer, en coopération avec les représentants des locuteurs, une stratégie à long terme adossée à un financement durable, afin de veiller à la disponibilité d’enseignants en sâme d’Inari, en sâme du Nord et en sâme skolt. Les autorités devraient également mettre en place des mesures incitatives pour les étudiants, telles que des bourses, des garanties d’emploi ou des primes salariales, afin de les encourager à suivre une formation d’enseignement.
Étant donné que la majeure partie du financement reste liée à des projets spécifiques, le Comité d’experts renouvelle sa recommandation selon laquelle le financement de la promotion du sâme d’Inari, du sâme du Nord et du sâme skolt devrait être disponible pour des périodes plus longues, afin de ne pas entraver la continuité des services, parmi lesquels les services sociaux et de santé.
Le Comité d’experts recommande des mesures supplémentaires pour revitaliser la langue romani. Il encourage les autorités à remédier à la pénurie persistante d’enseignants et note que des mesures supplémentaires sont nécessaires pour garantir la pérennité de l’enseignement dans cette langue.
Une autre recommandation pour action immédiate concerne l’emploi du suédois, en particulier au sein des autorités locales et régionales, et dans les services sociaux et de santé. Des lacunes ayant été signalées dans les services numériques, notamment des traductions suédoises inadéquates et des liens manquants vers des informations en suédois, le Comité d’experts attend avec intérêt un rapport sur la disponibilité des services dans les comtés de services de bien-être bilingues ainsi que des données fiables sur les défis et les effets de la réforme de la santé de 2023.
Tout en prenant note des supports audiovisuels visant à mieux faire connaître les langues minoritaires parlées en Finlande, le Comité d’experts encourage les autorités à redoubler d’efforts pour sensibiliser la population majoritaire aux langues minoritaires, tant dans le domaine de l’éducation que dans les médias.
Les autorités finlandaises doivent présenter leur prochain rapport périodique avant le 1er mars 2028."
Conseil de l'Europe Strasbourg 12 Décembre 2025
https://www.coe.int/fr/web/portal/-/progress-in-protecting-minority-languages-in-finland-but-further-action-needed
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Appel à tous les apprenants et locuteurs de langues autochtones!
Le Programme mentor-apprenti recherche de nouveaux mentors qui souhaitent enseigner leur langue autochtone et les apprentis qui souhaitent l’apprendre.
Le Programme mentor-apprenti est un programme d’apprentissage des langues qui consiste à jumeler un locuteur compétent (le mentor) à un apprenant sérieux (l’apprenti) pour qu’ensemble ils se livrent à des activités de la vie courante en n’utilisant que leur langue autochtone.
Les apprenants souhaitant apprendre une langue autochtone doivent trouver un mentor disposé à leur enseigner, et les locuteurs de langues autochtones souhaitant faire du mentorat et enseigner leur langue doivent trouver un apprenti. L’objectif du programme est de permettre aux apprentis d’améliorer leur capacité à comprendre et à parler leur langue en « vivant dans la langue ».
Les paires mentor-apprenti doivent accepter de passer environ 5 à 7 heures par semaine ensemble pendant le programme. Ils devront réaliser 200 heures d’immersion linguistique sur une période d’environ neuf mois à compter de mai 2026.
Le programme est ouvert aux apprenants de tous les niveaux. Les apprenants doivent être âgés d’au moins 18 ans. Les mentors et les apprentis sont rémunérés pour leur participation au programme grâce à des fonds provenant à la fois du gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest et de leur gouvernement autochtone. Jusqu’à dix paires mentor-apprenti par gouvernement autochtone partenaire seront sélectionnées pour y participer.
La date limite pour soumettre votre candidature est le 28 février 2026.
Pour obtenir de plus amples renseignements ou pour présenter une demande, veuillez visiter le www.ece.gov.nt.ca/fr/PMA, composez le 867-767-9346, poste 71044, ou écrivez à Indigenous_languages@gov.nt.ca.
Les représentants des médias sont priés de s’adresser à :
Agata Gutkowska
Gestionnaire des relations publiques et des communications
Gouvernement des Territoires du Nord-Ouest
agata_Gutkowska@gov.nt.ca"
Yellowknife — 11 décembre 2025
https://www.gov.nt.ca/fr/newsroom/appel-tous-les-apprenants-et-locuteurs-de-langues-autochtones
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
By encouraging cross-cultural understanding and collaborative learning, the program prepares student leaders to thrive in and contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.
"Participants in this year’s Emory Intercultural Leadership Program (EILP) recently gathered for the annual leadership retreat, which Ava Havidic described as transformative.
“The EILP leadership retreat allowed me to expand international friendships across schools at Emory,” says Havidic, a second-year student at Emory College of Arts and Sciences. “It was a place of true connection, where vulnerability was welcomed. I was able to actively listen to the stories of those different than me, which will help me shape a better Emory, Atlanta and global community.”
That connection is exactly what the EILP aims to foster. Part of International Student and Scholar Services (ISSS), EILP is designed for both international and domestic students across Emory’s undergraduate, graduate and professional schools.
The EILP is an academic-year-long cohort program that equips participants with a powerful toolkit of global leadership skills and intercultural communication strategies, culminating in a service-learning experience.
“The EILP empowers students to lead with curiosity, empathy and purpose,” says Shinn Ko, assistant vice provost of International Student and Scholar Services. “By encouraging cross-cultural understanding and collaborative learning, the program prepares these student leaders to thrive in and contribute to an increasingly interconnected world.”
At the leadership retreat, students experienced immersive activities like storytelling, listening circles and team building. Intercultural conflict styles were also explored as a way to better understand diverse cultural perspectives and techniques to communicate across differences — tools necessary to lead in intercultural settings.
Through monthly seminars, students strengthen their understanding of emotional intelligence and intercultural effectiveness while engaging in rich, perspective-shifting dialogue. Reflecting on her decision to join the group, Emory College student Camilla Basco shared, “Within the EILP, I hope to build bridges not for the sake of connection alone, but for the new possibilities that can emerge when we cross those bridges together.”
In the spring semester, EILP participants will collaborate on a service-learning project, applying these skills in a real-world context to foster positive change.
“The EILP empowers the next generation of leaders to think globally, act with empathy and lead with purpose,” says Soundharya Kumaresan, a first-year PhD student in the Graduate Division of Biological and Biomedical Sciences with Laney Graduate School.
To learn more about the program, visit the ISSS EILP page. Follow @EmoryISSS on Instagram for participant spotlights and program updates."
https://news.emory.edu/stories/2025/12/er_isss_leadership_program_09-12-2025/story.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Translanguaging and Multimodality in ESP: Enhancing Cross-Cultural Communication through Multiliteracies Pedagogy
Abstract
Rapid internationalization in higher education has created complex multicultural environments that necessitate advanced intercultural competence alongside linguistic proficiency. This study explores how multiliteracies pedagogy mediates cross-cultural communication challenges within a Sino-German Industrial Design ESP program. By analyzing classroom interactions and perspectives from German lecturers, Chinese ESP teachers, and undergraduates, the research identifies communicative tensions such as linguistic barriers and student reticence. Findings demonstrate that multiliteracies strategies—specifically multimodal instruction and translanguaging—effectively mitigate these challenges. These approaches enabled students to synthesize visual, textual, and oral communication, fostering greater empathy and engagement. The study argues that multiliteracies pedagogy serves as a vital mechanism for translating macro-level bilingual policy objectives into practical classroom strategies. The implications for ESP curriculum design and teacher professional development in internationalized contexts are discussed."
Posted: 10 Dec 2025
Zizhe Huang
Independent - affiliation not provided to SSRN
PEILING TAN
Independent - affiliation not provided to SSRN
https://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/papers.cfm?abstract_id=5898628
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Google Translate, the popular language translation application, has recently broadened its language tutoring capabilities.
"Speakers of the following languages can now benefit from Google Translate’s English language teaching capabilities:
– Bengali
– German
– Hindi
– Italian
– Dutch
– Romanian
– Swedish
– Chinese (Simplified)
Enhancing Language Proficiency
Google Translate’s tool provides an excellent platform for users to refine their language skills. Its recent update includes an option that allows users to practice English, even if their display language is set to English. This feature caters to users who are looking to improve their English language capabilities or simply wish to practice English in a risk-free environment.
AI-Powered Features
In recent months, Google has introduced a range of new features to the Translate app, many of which leverage artificial intelligence. These features include real-time conversation translations and large-font translations. The recent developments underscore Google’s understanding of the common scenarios where people use the Translate app – primarily in real-life situations.
Aspirations for Further Language Options
Despite the recent advancements and Google being a US company with a focus on English language learning, there is a desire for more diverse language training options, specifically between two non-English languages. This is due to Google’s global presence, with offices worldwide. Additionally, users are expressing interest in seeing the app move beyond repetitive speaking and listening practice by including grammar lessons.
Questions & Answers
What new languages can English speakers learn on Google Translate?
English speakers can now learn Portuguese and German on Google Translate.
What new languages can non-English speakers learn English in on Google Translate?
Non-English speakers of Bengali, German, Hindi, Italian, Dutch, Romanian, Swedish, and Chinese (Simplified) can now learn English on Google Translate.
What are some new features Google has added to the Translate app?
Some new features include real-time conversation translations and large-font translations."
https://www.retailnews.asia/expand-your-language-spectrum-google-translate-adds-new-languages-to-its-learning-tool/
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"Direction le Palais de justice de Bruxelles, non pas pour assister à une audience, mais pour découvrir une exposition inédite consacrée aux traducteurs et interprètes dans le monde judiciaire.
L’exposition met en lumière un métier souvent méconnu mais essentiel au bon déroulement des procès. Son origine remonte au procès de Nuremberg, après la Seconde Guerre mondiale, où pour la première fois, un système d’interprétation simultanée a été mis en place pour permettre à la justice internationale de fonctionner.
■ Reportage de Maël Arnoldussen, Frédéric De Henau et Laurence Paciarelli"
https://bx1.be/categories/news/palais-de-justice-une-exposition-dediee-aux-traducteurs-et-interpretes-jures/
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L'interprète n'a pas pu retenir ses larmes : "Le témoignage d'un jeune ukrainien de 11 ans sur la mort de sa mère en direct du Parlement européen a suscité une vive émotion. L'interprète à ses côtés, en charge de la traduction, n'a pas pu retenir ses larmes.
Submergée par l'émotion. À l'écoute du témoignage du jeune ukrainien de 11 ans Roman Oleksiv sur la mort de sa mère à la suite d'un bombardement russe, l'interprète à ses côtés, en charge de traduire les propos en anglais, n'a pas pu s'empêcher de pleurer. Trop touchée par le témoignage du garçon, l'interprète a même laissé son collègue prendre le relais, le temps de se remettre de ses émotions. La vidéo a mis en émoi les réseaux sociaux.
Lors de son témoignage au Parlement européen, Roman a raconté avoir retrouvé sa mère le 14 juillet 2022, jour de sa mort sous les bombes russes : «Je l’ai vue sous les décombres et j’ai vu ses cheveux. Je les ai caressés et je lui ai dit au revoir», a-t-il déclaré.
Ce jour-là, Roman Oleksiv était dans le même hôpital que sa mère, subissant également les conséquences de cette attaque. Il a ainsi été brûlé sur plus de 80% de son corps et est resté dans le coma pendant plus de 100 jours. Il a depuis subi 36 interventions chirurgicales.
Aujourd'hui, il se rétablit à Lviv, où il vit avec son père, Yaroslav. Il a repris l’école et se passionne pour la musique et la danse, rapporte 7 sur 7."
Par CNEWS
Publié le 12/12/2025 à 17:27 - Mis à jour le 12/12/2025 à 17:27
https://www.cnews.fr/monde/2025-12-12/guerre-en-ukraine-un-garcon-raconte-la-mort-de-sa-mere-dans-une-frappe-russe-et
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"In the discussion after a screening of documentaries about Ukrainian children, a translator burst into tears while interpreting the speech of 11-year-old Roman Oleksiv from Lviv. The boy survived a Russian missile strike in Ukraine's city of Vinnytsya. The July 2022 strike killed Oleksiv's mother." https://www.rferl.org/a/interpreter-cries-translating-ukrainian-boy/33620745.html
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"...India currently has 22 officially recognised languages and more ... local languages, making it complicated to code an AI model that can process all these languages seamlessly.
Ishan Garg & Kevin Lam
26 May 2025 06:32PM
NEW DELHI: India is building its own large language model it hopes one day may rival OpenAI's chatbot ChatGPT, but the country’s countless languages and dialects have made training it a challenge.
Some languages like Marathi share common roots with others such as Hindi and Gujarati, while others spoken in South India - such as Kannada, Telugu, Tamil and Malayalam - are completely different.
A large language model has to process these multiple languages seamlessly, and coding an AI model capable of understanding most of them, if not all, remains complicated.
TRAINING AI ON LOCAL LANGUAGES
One challenge faced by BharatGen, a consortium funded by India’s government, in training their large language model is a lack of online content in Indian languages.
The consortium said that while roughly half of all the data available on the internet is in English, Indian languages make up barely 1 per cent.
Literary works in many Indian languages have never been digitised, while a raft of cultural and traditional information has been verbally passed down for generations without being stored online.
On a more positive note, experts said that the diversity of languages and data collected from local sources could help create AI models with fewer biases.
Ganesh Ramakrishnan, a professor at the Indian Institute of Technology Bombay, told CNA his work involved reaching out to magazines, data sources, foundations and non-governmental organisations who have been gathering data in their local languages.
...
Experts said platforms like BharatGen need to invest billions of dollars on graphics processing units and data centres to achieve made-in-India generative AI at scale.
The hefty price tag would be a small price to pay to transform India from a major tech service provider to a major tech disruptor, in what could soon be a trillion-dollar market.
“India is all about scale and complexity,” said Shekar Sivasubramanian, head of the LEHS-AI unit at non-profit AI institute Wadhwani AI.
“If it is solved in India, and if it works in India, chances are, it will work in the world. That’s the opportunity"
https://www.channelnewsasia.com/asia/india-ai-language-model-chatbots-bharatgen-5153516
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