Metaglossia: The Translation World

'A Great Resistance against this "Great Reset" is beginning to take shape. Its Western stronghold is in Washington, while its Eastern bastion is here, in Budapest. How can we bridge the roughly 4,500 miles separating these two points? By recognizing that we share the same spiritual fundamentals.'

 

"INTERVIEW

 

Translating the Work of Russell Kirk — An Interview with Miklós Pogrányi Lovas

 

 

 

 

Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

 

'A Great Resistance against this "Great Reset" is beginning to take shape. Its Western stronghold is in Washington, while its Eastern bastion is here, in Budapest. How can we bridge the roughly 4,500 miles separating these two points? By recognizing that we share the same spiritual fundamentals.'

 

Márton Lukács

 

— 08.07.2025

 

 

 

Miklós Pogrányi Lovas is a Senior Fellow for the Budapest-based think tank Center for Fundamental Rights. He is also a contributor to our Hungarian Conservative print magazine. Recently, he has worked on the translation of the book The Conservative Mind by Russell Kirk, originally published in 1953, into Hungarian. He kindly gave us an exclusive interview to talk about that project.

 

 

 

 

***

 

 

 

 

Who was Russell Kirk, and what is his place in the history of American conservatism?

 

 

 

 

Russell Kirk was a remarkable American thinker of the 20th century who profoundly influenced political thought and practice in the United States—so much so that his impact can truly be considered world-historical. He shed light on the philosophical foundations of America’s moral and political order and clarified how American culture connects deeply with its European heritage. Kirk was also instrumental in sparking the conservative renaissance after the Second World War, a movement that, by the late 20th century, played a crucial role in overcoming the Soviet Union.

 

 

 

 

In fact, Kirk’s influence has become so ingrained that Americans themselves, including many conservatives, often aren’t even aware of it. His phrases, concepts, and book titles have quietly become part of the everyday vocabulary of American intellectual life. Conservatism certainly existed before Kirk, but its meaning was vague and lacked a broadly recognized intellectual framework. If today we see systematic self-reflection and therapeutic retrospection as distinctive elements in American political thought, this is very much thanks to his legacy.

 

 

 

 

What challenges did you face during the process of translating The Conservative Mind?

 

 

 

 

Let me begin by clarifying that the lion’s share of the translation was done by my colleague, Péter Lengyel Balikó. My role at the Center for Fundamental Rights was primarily that of an editor or supervising translator. I reserved for myself only those chapters that were of particular personal importance to me. Although I have experience translating scholarly texts, I do not consider myself an experienced literary translator.

 

 

 

 

One of the major challenges we faced was that many of Kirk’s key terms simply don’t have exact equivalents in Hungarian, so we had to create entirely new expressions—such as ‘prescription’. This is precisely why the book includes a translator’s foreword explaining some of our choices. Deciding on the Hungarian title also raised numerous questions. We ultimately settled on Konzervatív eszme (literally, ‘Conservative Idea’ or ‘Conservative Thought’). There were, of course, other options that could have worked as more literal translations, but we concluded that, in 2025, this title best captures the current relevance of Kirk’s work for Hungarian readers.

 

 

 

 

What significance does Kirk’s work hold for Europe? In your view, what are the main points of contact between American and European conservatism?

 

 

 

 

The term conservatism is today greatly overused and pretty much worn out—people apply it to just about anything. In Western Europe, even globalist forces now label themselves ‘conservative’, despite having abandoned the protection of unborn life, the defence of the family, and marriage. These self-styled conservatives have grown soft, compromised with the spirit of the age, and now repeat nothing but free-market mantras. They embrace the fiction known as ‘same-sex marriage’, even advocating adoption rights for homosexual couples. This capitulation has occurred throughout the entire Western cultural sphere. However, a Great Resistance against this ‘Great Reset’ is beginning to take shape. Its Western stronghold is in Washington, while its Eastern bastion is here, in Budapest. How can we bridge the roughly 4,500 miles separating these two points? By recognizing that we share the same spiritual fundamentals. Russell Kirk was, above all, an American, writing primarily for Americans, but he did so with such depth and insight that the entire Western hemisphere can—and indeed does—draw inspiration from him.

 

 

 

 

What justifies the translation of this work into Hungarian? What relevance or connection does Russell Kirk have for us, Hungarians?

 

 

 

 

There were several reasons for publishing a Hungarian translation. First, there’s a clear professional justification: The Conservative Mind is one of the foundational works that launched the conservative renaissance in America after World War II. Other key texts from this era, such as Hayek’s Road to Serfdom and Voegelin’s New Science of Politics, have already been translated—next on the wishlist is Richard Weaver’s Ideas Have Consequences. Second, in literary terms, Kirk’s mindset is very much at home in Hungarian intellectual culture. We Hungarians have a genuine affinity for the essay genre. Though culturally we belong to the German cultural tradition, our intellectual style is actually much closer to the Anglo–American essay form than to the philosophical cathedrals of German Idealism.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

 

Third, there’s a historical debt to be repaid. During the Cold War, Hungary was isolated from the West. It wasn’t merely that we lacked access to Western consumer goods—that was the smaller issue—but rather that we were deprived of Western cultural thought. Only Marxist authors from the West managed to slip through the Iron Curtain, often producing writings even more foolish than those produced here at home, especially in a political sense. Jean-Paul Sartre was a prime example: a notable existentialist philosopher who, whenever he turned to political commentary, invariably spoke nonsense. From 1945 to 1990, countless valuable Christian and conservative authors were writing in the West, and it’s high time the Hungarian publishing industry fully caught up. In this sense, we’re living in a golden age right now—though we may fully appreciate it only later. Fourth, there is a political reason: I believe that a significant (counter-)revolutionary transformation is currently underway in the United States. We Hungarians have much to learn from their experiences. Perhaps we can avoid repeating some of their mistakes, and successfully adapt their best practices to our own circumstances. Amid the escalating hysteria of a new Cold War, we shouldn’t merely react to surface issues but pay close attention to the deeper underlying problems. Kirk himself did not merely critique liberalism or communism per se; he unveiled utilitarian thinking, which he identified as the common root leading to these ideologies. After all, the true essence of politics isn’t to dominate the moment…

 

 

 

 

‘From 1945 to 1990, countless valuable Christian and conservative authors were writing in the West, and it’s high time the Hungarian publishing industry fully caught up’

 

 

 

 

You’ve said that Kirk helped ignite the conservative renaissance in America. And yet today he seems to be something of a forgotten figure. How do you explain that?

 

 

 

 

American culture exists in the everlasting present. Their attention is constantly focused on tomorrow, and whatever happened yesterday interests only academics. Why? Because the consciousness-forming cultural industry is in liberal hands. And this is precisely the mentality of these progressive people. This timeless existence permeates the entire American public mindset, which is why they produce the same movies over and over again for each generation—for example, The Little Mermaid in 1989, then in 2023. Moreover, they even remake films specifically for themselves if they feel that the original doesn’t perfectly align with the present moment (e.g., Les Visiteurs from 1993 vs Just Visiting from 2001). The same phenomenon permeates philosophy as well: they adopt an old European idea, enhance it with charts and tables, and then sell it as their own, new idea. Samuel P Huntington did exactly this with the intellectual legacy of Christopher Dawson in his book The Clash of Civilizations and the Remaking of World Order. Huntington was at least fair enough to somewhat clarify that Dawson was the original source of the idea.

 

 

 

 

In this intellectual environment, it is self-evident that sooner or later everyone becomes a forgotten author, in some sense. Yet Kirk lives and breathes here among us: his ideas and gestures are present among intellectual conservatives in America, those who have read and continue to read him. I could go on listing examples at length, but instead, I would like to share only my latest reading experience: I’m currently reading Kevin D Roberts’s book, Dawn’s Early Light: Taking Back Washington to Save America. The opus of the president of the Heritage Foundation is pleasantly Kirk-inspired, something the author explicitly shares with us right at the beginning. It is wonderful to see a second conservative renaissance beginning to emerge in America, following in the footsteps of the great Catholic thinker.

 

 

 

 

‘It is wonderful to see a second conservative renaissance beginning to emerge in America’

 

 

 

 

The Conservative Mind was published by Kirk in 1953. The real social divide between liberals and conservatives in the US came about 15 years later, during the ‘hippie revolution’ of 1968. What can you tell us about that?

 

 

 

 

I don’t think Kirk really cared about what the hippies were doing at the time, as everyone could just assume what his opinion was on the matter. In 1968, all this only became visible to the public, the movement itself started in the 1950s. One of the main issues was the introduction of commercially available contraceptives to the market. The AIDS epidemic only started decades later. Between the two events, this ‘free love’ movement really flourished. Whatever people were doing in secret, and what people were really careful about doing to avoid making a baby—all of a sudden, all that ended. Because, simply put, women too had the opportunity to engage in one-night affairs relatively risk-free, which they previously would have thought through dozens of times. This completely changed sexual habits in America, and the whole of society started to adjust.

 

 

 

 

There are still many people who consider themselves conservatives, but on sexual matters, they are completely liberal. They basically have the same positions as the far left in the 1960s. Because that is the way life is comfortable for them. There is also a broader division of being liberal in one’s personal life while posting conservative things on Facebook. This started back then, but there still was a sort of discipline about it. For example, the so-called neo-conservatives—who were basically a friend group of Trotskyists, non-religious people from Jewish backgrounds—were quite left-wing, while also being quite conservative in their personal lives. It’s one thing that they had left-wing views on politics, but they also believed in monogamous marriage, they didn’t do drugs, and did not lead a more debauched lifestyle than average. When they realized that all this promiscuity had become so widespread in society, and drugs were spreading so fast, they said: ‘Okay, we need to set some boundaries to this.’ And this is basically how the neo-conservative movement started.

 

 

 

 

They were not fully accepted by traditional conservative circles for a long time. Only during the time of Reagan did these two groups start mutually appreciating each other. However, they soon split again. When Kirk got old, he withdrew to the background. He was never a politician, but he withdrew even more. He supported Patrick J Buchanan against Bush Senior in the 1992 Republican primary. In 2000, Buchanan started a third-party campaign with the Reform Party, but Kirk was not alive by then.

 

 

 

 

Russell Kirk starts his The Conservative Mind with Edmund Burke. If you look up the history of conservatism, most sources also start with Burke. Why is it so evident that that is when the history of conservatism started?

 

 

 

 

It’s not evident. Kirk too makes it obvious that conservatism, in the form it currently exists in America, originates from Edmund Burke. However, the whole thing is filled with pre-classical references. In his other main work—which, by the way, is way better than The Conservative Mind—, Roots of American Order, he explicitly lays out on what classical pillars the US stands.

 

 

 

 

You’ve got the biblical tradition, Jerusalem. This includes not only Christianity, but also the Jewish idea of being the chosen people, the secular version of which Americans adopted for themselves. You’ve got Athens, the Solonian model of good governance, and ancient Greek wisdom; Rome, the professional management of society within an imperial framework; and the fourth city is London. London encompasses everything, not just modern UK, but also the spirit of the medieval universities, and the entirety of the common law system. Essentially, Edmund Burke is a very important episodic figure in this story, who brought counterrevolutionary thought to conservatism. But, from a historical aspect, you need to use much older entities for reference, and you need to hold onto much older things than Burke.

 

 

 

 

American conservatives can be quite noisy, and their movement is rife with internal conflicts, as we can see now, for example, with the passing of the reconciliation bill—one could hardly call them unified. What’s the reason for this?

 

 

 

 

Conservatism is not an ideology. Consequently, it lacks a defined dogma to which individuals must submit. I prefer describing it as a cluster, where members often connect incidentally rather than through a coherent structure. In America, for instance, a pro-life, religiously observant, isolationist paleoconservative shares little common ground with a culturally religious, democracy-exporting neocon.

 

 

 

 

Are they similar in that way to the Hungarian right wing?

 

 

 

 

Let’s start with the pro-life question: unfortunately, Hungarian society widely accepts abortion, making it politically inconvenient to raise as a divisive issue. The primary cause of this was the mass rape perpetrated against Hungarian women by the Red Army during the Second World War. Consequently, we’d struggle to truly consider ourselves a pro-life society. Thus, conservatives aim to improve the situation through positive messaging and supportive family policies, hoping to reverse current demographic trends. This is a battle worth fighting, even if it seems hopeless, because life itself is sacred. Furthermore, our situation is not nearly as dire as the liberal media portrays. Our statistics align closely with other European nations, with one significant distinction: our natural population growth derives not from immigrant communities but from Hungarian families themselves. This fact alone is of utmost importance.

 

 

 

 

As for internal divisions, Hungary indeed experiences them as well. This inspired me to coin the term ‘right-wing tribal alliance’ (‘jobboldali törzsszövetség’ in Hungarian). I describe the Hungarian Right as a broad coalition resembling a tribal confederation—an organic community unified by shared ideals and interests, yet composed of diverse groups. Historically, the Right in Hungary has stood for law, order, and moral clarity, principles it continues to uphold. Hungarian conservatism rests on five key foundations: steadfast anti-communism, pragmatic politics based on realism rather than ideology, populist sensitivity toward ordinary people’s concerns, unwavering commitment to law and social order, and the defence of national sovereignty. These values deeply permeate our cultural and historical identity. I foresee future challenges emanating from a neo-Marxist Left masked in liberal language, frequently allied with political Islam, posing internal threats to European civilization. In such a context, Hungarian conservatism must undergo generational renewal—communicating effectively with younger citizens while firmly preserving its core convictions. Only then can it safeguard its national mission and moral purpose.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PHOTO: Tamás Gyurkovits/Hungarian Conservative

 

Where did your idea of using the concept of ‘tribal alliance’ to describe Hungarian conservatism come from?

 

 

 

 

The inspiration came from the title of an old American book: Jack McIver Weatherford’s Tribes on the Hill from 1981, though that work deals with a completely different topic. Márton Békés briefly mentioned this book in a blog post, sparking the thought that I could thoroughly elaborate on this concept in an essay. It’s gratifying to see that others have adopted this terminology, making it common property.

 

 

 

 

Does this mean there’s a mutual learning process between the American and Hungarian Right? If so, what specifically have they learned from each other?

 

 

 

 

After World War II, communists systematically dismantled Hungarian civil society, initiating a severe persecution of the Church. Priests and nuns were imprisoned, tortured to death, or executed. Religious orders and associations dissolved, and foundations looted. Civil society was essentially annihilated, and the State became omnipresent. This obliteration left Hungary without the social infrastructure needed to unify the nation following the regime change in 1989–1990. It had to be rebuilt from scratch. Significant conservative reconstruction required robust political support, achieved after 2010 when the moderate Right Fidesz party gained a two-thirds majority, accompanied by a strong, once anti-communist opposition party, Jobbik. This period marked the emergence of Hungarian conservative think tanks, modelled chiefly after American institutions. While some smaller institutes existed earlier, the large-scale development truly commenced after the ‘voting booth revolution’ in 2010. A key difference remains: in the US, influential foundations and think tanks facilitate political recruitment; in Hungary, politics established these institutions to secure long-term continuity.

 

 

 

 

What do you think the greatest challenges facing Hungarians are today?

 

 

 

 

If one closely follows CPAC, certain fundamental problems appear common to nearly all nations. Except for the US, most Western countries face demographic crises: populations either decline naturally or grow due to immigration, with ageing societies looming as a universal concern. Current wars threaten our comforts, prompting globalist elites to push political leaders toward increased national indebtedness. For Hungarians, the situation is more dire: the Russo–Ukrainian conflict directly impacts us, especially Transcarpathia in Western Ukraine, home to a significant indigenous Hungarian minority. This region has birthed many renowned Hungarians, including the parents of Milton Friedman, who emigrated from there around the turn of the century. Presently, these Hungarians face existential threats, as the Ukrainian state systematically deprives them of fundamental rights. The primary challenge for Hungarian politics—in this regard—is effectively supporting and protecting them."

 

https://www.hungarianconservative.com/articles/interview/translation-russell-kirk-conservative-mind-miklos-pogranyi-lovas/

 

#metaglossia_mundus 

UCT’s Disability Service created a website that is fully accessible in South African Sign Language.

 

"08 JULY 2025 | 

 

MYOLISI GOPHE.

 

Michelle de Bruyn has led the creation of a website that is accessible in South African Sign Language.

 

In a historic first for higher education in South Africa, the University of Cape Town (UCT) has launched a pilot project that makes its National Benchmark Test (NBT) website accessible in South African Sign Language (SASL).

 

 

 

 

The initiative, led by Michelle de Bruyn, UCT’s only full-time SASL interpreter, is a bold step towards inclusion for the country’s Deaf community and forms part of the university’s Vision 2030 strategy commitment to transformation.

 

 

 

 

De Bruyn, who was born by Deaf parents and joined UCT’s Disability Service in the Office for Inclusivity and Change (OIC) in 2023, describes her journey into Sign Language interpreting as a calling. “The first time I saw a Sign Language interpreter was at a meeting my dad dragged me to,” she recalled. “I was blown away. I knew then that this was something I wanted to do.”

 

 

 

 

“I recognised that while there was plenty of written information on the NBT website, there was almost nothing accessible to deaf users who use SASL.”

 

 

 

 

Two years later, De Bruyn is at the forefront of a transformation milestone that is setting new standards for accessibility in higher education. The project began with a simple but profound observation: “I recognised that while there was plenty of written information on the NBT website, there was almost nothing accessible to Deaf users who use SASL – a language that, importantly, has no written form.”

 

 

 

 

Recognising this gap, De Bruyn approached UCT’s Centre for Educational Assessments (CEA) – which manages the NBTs – with the idea of translating key parts of the admissions website into SASL. Timing was fortuitous: the unit was already planning a website upgrade. What followed was months of collaboration, planning and careful execution, involving stakeholders across UCT and external partners like the audio-visual team from One Button Studio based at UCT’s Centre for Innovation in Learning and Teaching (CILT).

 

 

 

 

“We first identified standard introductory information that wouldn’t change for at least three to five years,” she said. “Then I began interpreting those pages, recorded the content, checked it for accuracy, and worked with One Button Studio to film and produce the final product – all without any cost to the university, thanks to their willingness to support this pilot.”

 

 

 

 

When the NBT website upgrade stalled, De Bruyn and CEA Administrator, Lynia Norman, came up with a workaround: upload the SASL videos to NBTs’ YouTube channel and embed them on the website using clickable links. This simple yet effective solution now allows any prospective student – or their parent – to access the admissions content in SASL with the click of a button.

 

 

 

 

But this is only the beginning.

 

 

 

 

“This is the first time a tertiary institution in South Africa has made a website fully accessible in SASL,” De Bruyn noted. “It’s a massive milestone, and we hope to flagship this approach across UCT and eventually the sector.”

 

 

 

 

The initiative also resulted in the university hosting its first-ever Deaf prospective student who completed the NBT with the assistance of a Sign Language interpreter – another national first for the benchmark testing system.

 

 

 

 

Beyond the website, De Bruyn and the Disability Service have also created SASL-interpreted informational videos about the NBT process in collaboration with UCT Libraries. A video library tour of UCT’s Oppenheimer Library, for instance, is in SASL, English, isiXhosa and Afrikaans – also the first of its kind in the country.

 

 

 

 

Transforming UCT one website at a time

 

 

 

 

De Bruyn’s long-term vision is ambitious but achievable. “We’re now working to make the entire OIC website accessible in SASL before the end of the year,” she said. “Then we’ll tackle the admissions website.”

 

 

 

 

UCT currently employs just one full-time SASL interpreter – De Bruyn – and she acknowledges that the road ahead is long. But the commitment is unwavering. “We’re making strides. We don’t want SASL inclusion to be the exception. We want it to become the norm.”

 

 

 

 

For De Bruyn, accessibility is not just about websites – it’s about culture. Through UCT’s partnership with the Cape Town Deaf Community, the university has rolled out SASL training for frontline staff in libraries, traffic services, residences and the visitor centre. These sessions equip staff with basic communication skills and foster greater awareness of deaf culture.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

“We’re identifying gaps and working to build a more inclusive, Deaf-friendly UCT – one department at a time.”

 

 

 

 

“This is a holistic effort,” she said. “We’re identifying gaps and working to build a more inclusive, Deaf-friendly UCT – one department at a time.”

 

 

 

 

The project aligns closely with UCT’s Vision 2030, which places transformation at the heart of the university’s strategy. By making information accessible in SASL, UCT is not only meeting the needs of a previously marginalised group – it is also redefining what inclusivity means in a digital age.

 

 

 

 

“Ultimately,” said De Bruyn, “I would love for every UCT website to be accessible in SASL. This isn’t just about meeting a legal requirement. It’s about creating a university where everyone belongs.”"

 

https://www.news.uct.ac.za/article/-2025-07-08-uct-breaks-ground-with-sasl-website-access

 

#metaglossia_mundus 

Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf names Caroline M. Solomon as its new president.

"July 8, 2025

by Susan Murad

Caroline M. Solomon, dean of faculty at Gallaudet University, has been named president of Rochester Institute of Technology’s National Technical Institute for the Deaf and vice president of RIT. She will begin her tenure at RIT/NTID on Aug. 18.

 

“NTID has revolutionized education for nearly 60 years,” said RIT President Bill Sanders, who began leading the university July 1. “Dr. Solomon brings a deep understanding and appreciation for NTID’s distinctive culture. She has the vision to champion NTID’s legacy while moving it forward for the next generation of students. I look forward to partnering with Dr. Solomon as we continue to advance NTID’s mission and ensure that the college remains a leader for deaf and hard-of-hearing students, both nationally and globally.”

 

Established by the U.S. Congress in 1965, NTID is the first and largest technological college in the world for deaf and hard-of-hearing students.

 

Solomon, who will become the first woman to lead the college in its nearly 60-year history, was raised in Delaware and is the daughter of a former professor at the University of Delaware. She earned a bachelor’s degree in environmental science and public policy from Harvard University and a master’s degree in biological oceanography from University of Washington’s School of Oceanography. She earned a doctorate in marine, environmental and estuarine sciences from University of Maryland.

 

She joined the faculty of Gallaudet University as a biology instructor in 2000 and rose to the rank of professor in 2011. She received Gallaudet’s Distinguished Faculty Award in 2013 and was recognized by the Association for the Sciences of Limnology and Oceanography with their Ramon Margalef Award for Excellence in Education in 2017. She was appointed the dean of faculty in 2024.

 

A renowned scientist and researcher, Solomon has devoted herself to encouraging and nurturing deaf and hard-of-hearing students in STEM fields, and has presented on her research at national and international conferences as well as to RIT/NTID students and faculty. She has developed a database of science-based technical signs in American Sign Language.

 

Solomon, a past participant in the Deaflympics as a swimmer was inducted into the Deaflympics Hall of Fame in 2020.

 

In her new role, Solomon will serve as chief executive of NTID, providing leadership in developing and executing the college’s vision and strategic plan, and is responsible for NTID’s financial operations and budget, enrollment management, academic programs, external and federal relations, and fundraising.

 

“As a Deaf scientist, I’m deeply honored to join the vibrant NTID and RIT community—longstanding national leaders in advancing STEM education for Deaf and hard-of-hearing students,” Solomon said. “I look forward to working with President Sanders and collaborating with students, faculty, and staff to expand pathways in education, employment, and leadership. Together, we will ensure that every student has the opportunity to thrive, lead, and drive innovation across every sector of society.”

 

RIT President Emeritus David Munson initiated the search before retiring June 30.

 

“We are thrilled to welcome Dr. Caroline Solomon to the RIT community as the next leader of NTID,” said Munson. “Caroline brings an extraordinary blend of academic leadership, scientific and technical expertise, and a lifelong commitment to advancing access and equity in education. Her distinguished career at Gallaudet University and her well recognized work in STEM education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students make her superbly qualified to guide NTID into its next chapter.”

 

Solomon succeeds Gerry Buckley, who has served as president of NTID and vice president and dean of RIT for 15 years and will retire Aug. 17.

 

“Dr. Solomon brings with her an outstanding academic and STEM research record and wealth of higher education knowledge and experience,” added Buckley. “I’m so pleased that she will lead NTID into the future, and know NTID is in highly capable hands. I look forward to welcoming Dr. Solomon and her family to Rochester and the NTID community in the months ahead.”

 

NTID offers associate degree programs for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and provides support and access services for deaf and hard-of-hearing students who study in the other eight colleges of RIT. NTID also offers certificates in healthcare interpretation and sign language specialties, bachelor’s degree programs in sign language interpreting and community development and inclusive leadership, as well as master’s degrees in secondary education for deaf and hard-of-hearing students and in healthcare interpretation."

https://www.rit.edu/news/caroline-m-solomon-named-president-rits-national-technical-institute-deaf

#metaglossia_mundus 

"Trump praises English of the leader of Liberia – where English is the official language

Trump inquired where Liberian president Joseph Boakai got his language skills during meeting with African leaders

 

Reuters

Wed 9 Jul 2025 22.41 BST

 

Donald Trump was basking in the praise of a group of African leaders on Wednesday, when the Liberian president took the microphone.

 

“Liberia is a longtime friend of the United States and we believe in your policy of making America great again,” President Joseph Boakai said in English at a White House meeting before advocating for US investment in his country. “We just want to thank you so much for this opportunity.”

 

Trump, clearly impressed, inquired where Boakai got his language skills.

 

“Such good English, such beautiful …” Trump said. “Where did you learn to speak so beautifully? Where were you educated?”

 

Boakai seemed to chuckle. English is the official language of Liberia.

 

“In Liberia?” Trump asked. “Yes sir,” Boakai said.

 

“That’s very interesting, that’s beautiful English” Trump said. “I have people at this table who can’t speak nearly as well.”

 

Liberia was founded in 1822 as a colony for free Black Americans, the brainchild of white Americans trying to address what they saw as a problem – the future for Black people in the US once slavery ended. English is Liberia’s official language, though multiple Indigenous languages are spoken there as well.

 

Trump hosted the leaders from Gabon, Guinea-Bissau, Liberia, Mauritania and Senegal at the White House on Wednesday, telling them that he was shifting the US approach to the continent from aid to trade and that the US is a better partner for Africa than China. Many of the leaders at the meeting spoke in their own languages through interpreters.

 

Trump said his administration was committed to strengthening friendships in Africa, which he hoped to visit at some point.

 

“We’re shifting from aid to trade,” he said at the start of a White House meeting. “There’s great economic potential in Africa, like few other places. In many ways, in the long run, this will be far more effective and sustainable and beneficial than anything else that we can be doing together.”

 

The African leaders, in turn, heaped praise on the US president for brokering peace deals around the world and expressed support for his receiving a Nobel Prize.

 

“We are not poor countries. We are rich countries when it comes to raw materials. But we need partners to support us and help us develop those resources,” said Brice Clotaire Oligui Nguema, president of Gabon. “You are welcome to come and invest. Otherwise, other countries might come instead of you."

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2025/jul/09/trump-liberian-president-english

#metaglossia_mundus 

ITI's Chief Executive has written to senior leaders at the University of Leicester raising serious concerns about their plans to close the School of Modern Languages warning of the serious economic, cultural and educational risks of such a move.

 

"07 Jul 2025

by Sara Robertson

ITI raises concerns over proposed closure of LeCTIS

ITI's Chief Executive has written to senior leaders at the University of Leicester raising serious concerns about their plans to close the School of Modern Languages warning of the serious economic, cultural and educational risks of such a move.

For the attention of: Professor Nishan Canagarajah, Vice-Chancellor

 

Potential closure of the School of Modern Languages

The Institute of Translation and Interpreting (ITI) would like to register its profound concern regarding the University of Leicester’s proposed closure of the School of Modern Languages and, specifically, the potential loss of the Centre for Translation and Interpreting Studies (LeCTIS). We understand that Modern Languages is one of a range of study areas currently under threat as a result of the university’s actions to address budgetary pressures. In our view the closure of the school would cause significant harm to the UK’s educational, cultural and economic prospects, particularly given Leicester’s position as one of the leading centres for the study of languages, translation, and cultures in the UK.

 

Academic excellence

 

LeCTIS, established in 2011, draws together staff members who have diverse research interests in translation and interpreting. It is very well networked, maintaining active links with other research centres in the UK, Europe and Asia, including Leeds University, KU Leuven, and the European Society of Translation. LeCTIS organises regular research seminars and conferences, hosts visiting speakers, and has previously been involved in AHRC-funded events and EU-commissioned research projects.

 

More broadly, Leicester’s School of Modern Languages has been recognised as one of the leading centres for the study of languages, translation, and cultures in the UK, scoring in the top quintile for teaching, learning opportunities, assessment and feedback, and academic support in the 2023 National Student Survey. The department is also ranked in the top 20 in the 2024 Complete University Guide.

 

In addition, we note that the University of Leicester was ranked 30th in the Research Excellence Framework 2021 demonstrating the university’s commitment to world-leading excellence in research. To dismantle such a successful and well-respected department would therefore be a devastating loss to the academic community and would undermine the university’s hard-won reputation for research excellence.

 

Regional leadership and strategic importance

 

LeCTIS’s stated mission is to serve as an academic hub of translation and interpreting studies but also a bridge between academia and industry, particularly in the East Midlands. This unique positioning makes it essential for the region’s economic development and international engagement.

 

ITI is particularly appreciative of the team’s commitment to supporting the professional and practical development of the discipline. LeCTIS is a corporate member of the Institute of Translation and Interpreting and plays an active role in the ITI East Midlands Regional Network. The “Building Bridges” networking events arranged in collaboration with the ITI East Midlands Network create vital links between students, academics and practising translators and interpreters – connections that have taken years to develop and would be impossible to recreate elsewhere in the region.

 

Economic considerations

 

The economic case for maintaining language provision is compelling. A 2022 study from the University of Cambridge and the not-for-profit research institute RAND revealed that removing linguistic barriers to trade could be worth an additional £19bn annually in UK exports. This supports the broader recognition that language capabilities are essential for the UK’s post-Brexit economic strategy.

 

Aston University’s LO-C 30 research on 415 UK SMEs revealed that companies making use of language capabilities are 30% more successful in exporting than those who do not. Failing to invest in language teaching therefore weakens the UK’s opportunity for sustainable economic growth. This point is well made in Languages for the Future, a report published by the British Council in 2017 which states:

 

“But all should recognise that the UK's language deficit remains a threat to our overall international competitiveness, influence and standing in the world, as well as to our citizens' ability to play a meaningful role in the global economy and in an increasingly networked world. We have now reached a critical juncture where investment in upgrading the UK’s language skills, which give unparalleled access to cultural knowledge and understanding, will pay important dividends.”

 

Furthermore, the proposal to close the School of Modern Languages risks undermining the UK’s skills and knowledge infrastructure at a critical time. Multiple studies have shown that employers in both public and private sectors place a high premium on graduates’ proven ability to learn languages. The additional skills fostered through language learning, such as improved literacy in the student’s native language as well as increased mental agility, creative originality and problem-solving ability enhance a student’s employability and their economic value to their future workplace.

 

Cultural understanding and international engagement

 

However, while future economic growth is clearly important, the broader benefits of language skills extend far beyond immediate economic returns. Language capabilities are essential for cultural exchange, diplomatic relations, and the UK’s ability to project itself effectively on the global stage. These capabilities are increasingly important as the UK continues to develop its post-Brexit international relationships.

 

LeCTIS provides essential professional linguistic training through its state-of-the-art interpreting facilities and comprehensive programme portfolio. This includes the BA Modern Languages and Translation, MA Translation (with multiple language pathways including Arabic and Chinese), and PhD and MPhil supervision in Translation Studies. Leicester’s graduates are therefore fully equipped to become the qualified translators and interpreters needed to support the UK’s international engagement. LeCTIS’s work in building international partnerships and fostering cultural understanding represents years of investment that would be lost permanently if the proposals proceed.

 

Conclusion

 

While we recognise, and sincerely regret, the financial pressures facing the higher education sector, we strongly urge the university to consider the many benefits of protecting the School of Modern Languages. LeCTIS represents precisely the kind of excellence that the University of Leicester has worked so hard to achieve in recent years. It embodies the university’s commitment to world-changing research and its role as a bridge between academic excellence and real-world impact.

 

We therefore call upon the University of Leicester to reconsider these far-reaching proposals and to work with stakeholders to find a sustainable solution that preserves this vital economic and cultural resource.

 

Yours sincerely

Sara Robertson FRSA FIIC

Chief Executive, Institute of Translation and Interpreting

 

https://www.iti.org.uk/resource/iti-raises-concerns-over-proposed-closure-of-lectis.html

#metaglossia_mundus

"Rwanda reaffirms commitment to promoting Kiswahili language

Source: XinhuaEditor: huaxia2025-07-08 20:13:16

  

KIGALI, July 8 (Xinhua) -- Rwanda has reaffirmed its commitment to promoting Kiswahili language as part of the country's efforts to strengthen African solidarity and fraternity.

 

"Rwanda recognizes the importance of Kiswahili in achieving inclusive and equitable education. Our government made a decision in 2017 to designate Kiswahili as one of the official languages of the country, alongside Kinyarwanda, English, and French," Minister of State for Education Claudette Irere told the closing the 4th World Kiswahili Language Day celebrations in Kigali, the Rwandan capital, on Monday.

 

"This move was not just symbolic. It was a deliberate strategy to position Rwanda within the East African Community and the broader African linguistic landscape, while also strengthening African solidarity and fraternity," she said.

 

Caroline Asiimwe, executive secretary of the East African Kiswahili Commission, said Kiswahili language is fundamental to building society, nations, and the EAC region.

 

She emphasized the commission's commitment to youth empowerment and digital innovation, urging young people to take ownership of Kiswahili's digital future and use it as a tool for entrepreneurship and peace building.

 

"Let us build AI tools, dictionaries, and platforms in Kiswahili not only to preserve the language but to empower the next generation of African innovators," Asiimwe said.

 

Co-hosted by Rwanda and the East African Kiswahili Commission, the two-day celebrations were held under the theme of "Kiswahili, Inclusive Education and Sustainable Development" to examine relevant policies, best practices, and stakeholder engagement.

 

The event drew more than 300 participants, including senior government officials, delegates from EAC partner states, academics, Kiswahili experts, and university students.

 

The celebrations featured a regional symposium, youth engagement sessions, and an exhibition. Participants explored how Kiswahili, artificial intelligence, and inclusive education can advance a culture of peace and drive innovative initiatives"

https://english.news.cn/20250708/ceac3d1006f74b0a903d77769da5b682/c.html

#metaglossia_mundus 

The digital world is expanding, yet countless languages remain unheard, threatening the erasure of cultural identities across the globe.

" Preserving languages in a digital world: A call for inclusive action

8 Jul 2025
Preserving languages in a digital world: A call for inclusive action
The digital world is expanding, yet countless languages remain unheard, threatening the erasure of cultural identities across the globe.

At the WSIS+20 High-Level Event in Geneva, UNESCO convened a powerful session on the critical need to protect multilingualism in the digital age. With over 8,000 languages spoken globally but fewer than 120 represented online, the panel warned of a growing digital divide that excludes billions and marginalises thousands of cultures.

Dr Tawfik Jelassi of UNESCO painted a vivid metaphor of the internet as a vast library where most languages have no books on the shelves, calling for urgent action to safeguard humanity’s linguistic and cultural diversity.

Speakers underscored that bridging this divide goes beyond creating language tools—it requires systemic change rooted in policy, education, and community empowerment. Guilherme Canela of UNESCO highlighted ongoing initiatives like the 2003 Recommendation on Multilingualism and the UN Decade of Indigenous Languages, which has already inspired 15 national action plans.

Panellists like Valts Ernstreits and Sofiya Zahova emphasised community-led efforts, citing examples from Latvia, Iceland, and Sámi institutions that show how native speakers and local institutions must lead digital inclusion efforts.

Africa’s case brought the urgency into sharp focus. David Waweru noted that despite hosting a third of the world’s languages, less than 0.1% of websites feature African language content. Yet, promising efforts like the African Storybook project and AI language models show how local storytelling and education can thrive in digital spaces.

Elena Plexida of ICANN revealed that only 26% of email servers accept non-Latin addresses, a stark reminder of the structural barriers to full digital participation.

The session concluded with a strong call for multistakeholder collaboration. Governments, tech companies, indigenous communities, and civil society must work together to make multilingualism the default, not the exception, in digital spaces. As Jelassi put it, ensuring every language has a place online is not just a technical challenge but a matter of cultural survival and digital justice."
https://dig.watch/updates/preserving-languages-in-a-digital-world-a-call-for-inclusive-action
#metaglossia_mundus

"Abstract: This study aims to examine igiHa personal names with special reference to Goddard’s (Citation2006) ethnopragmatic framework. While the question of personal names in Bantu languages is much explored by previous studies, much attention is paid to linguistic orientations. In such a way, this study discusses broadly the way igiHa personal names are formed vis-à-vis the igiHa cultural discourses. Besides, it explores the fundamental roles they play with reference to the igiHa ethnopragmatic ecosystem. The data is obtained by invoking my introspective ethno-pragmatic intuitions and judgments about igiHa personal names, as a native speaker of igiHa. However, my intuitions were attested by technique of elicitation which involved direct and spontaneous elicitations. The results presented in this study reveal that igiHa personal names are derived from religious orientations, family situations during the birth, professionals, and circumstances before and during the birth, birth orders, and death situations. In this regard, this study concludes that personal names in Baha society are non-arbitrary tags, but notably linked with sociocultural denotations, roles, events, time, and places."

Saul S. BichwaDar es Salaam University College of Education, Dar es Salaam, Tanzania

Correspondence

saul.bichwa@udsm.ac.tz

https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23311983.2025.2524244#abstract

#metaglossia_mundus

This statement comes amid an ongoing row in Maharashtra over Hindi imposition, where opposition parties have raised concerns about the perceived marginalisation of regional languages like Marathi and Tamil. 

"All Indian languages are national languages: RSS amid Hindi imposition row
The statement, made at a recent meeting of the RSS, comes amid an ongoing language row in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

,UPDATED: Jul 8, 2025 15:07 IST
Written By: Avijit Das
In Short
RSS says it does not support imposition of one language
Says all Indian languages are national languages
Statement comes amid ongoing language row in Maharashtra
The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) said it does not support the imposition of any one language and regards all of them as national languages. The statement, made at a recent meeting of the outfit, comes amid an ongoing language row in Maharashtra and Tamil Nadu.

The row stems from the 'three-language formula' that is a part of the New Education Policy (NEP). The opposition has accused the Centre of imposing Hindi through its implementation.

Recently, the Maharashtra government was forced to revoke two resolutions regarding the implementation of the three-language policy amid massive backlash from the opposition, which called the move an attempt to undermine Marathi.

However, Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis clarified they were not against Hindi or any other language.

He accused former Chief Minister Uddhav Thackeray of backtracking on the policy, alleging that a committee formed during his tenure had recommended making Hindi mandatory in schools.

Following the cancellation of the policy, the Maharashtra government also issued an order to celebrate October 3 every year as Abhijat Marathi Bhasha Diwas (Classical Marathi Language Day). This decision follows the government's move to declare Marathi a classical language on October 3 last year.

The government clarified that the move aimed to encourage deeper academic inquiry and foster pride in Marathi's classical legacy.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin too trained his guns on the BJP, saying that they have faced a second defeat in their quest for "Hindi imposition" in the country. He congratulated Uddhav Thackeray and Raj Thackeray for their "victory rally" over the Maharashtra government's rollback of the three-language policy.

Referring to Shiv Sena (UBT) chief Uddhav Thackeray as "brother", Stalin said the war waged by the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) in Tamil Nadu had now transcended state boundaries."

https://www.indiatoday.in/india/story/rss-says-that-all-indian-languages-are-national-languages-amid-ongoing-language-row-2752265-2025-07-08
#metaglossia_mundus

"Large language models (LLMs), such as the model underpinning the functioning of OpenAI's conversational platform ChatGPT, are now widely used by people worldwide to source information and generate content for various purposes.

Due to their growing popularity, some researchers have been trying to shed light on the extent to which the content generated by these models is useful, unbiased, and accurate.

Most LLMs available today can respond to user queries in English and various other languages. Yet very few studies so far have compared the ideas expressed in the responses and content they generate in different languages.

Researchers at Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) and Tongji University carried out a study aimed at investigating the possibility that LLMs exhibit different cultural tendencies in the responses they provide in English and Chinese.

Their findings, published in Nature Human Behavior, show that the generative models GPT and ERNIE convey different cultural traits in the Chinese and English texts they generate.

"We show that generative artificial intelligence (AI) models—trained on textual data that are inherently cultural—exhibit cultural tendencies when used in different human languages," wrote Jackson G. Lu, Lesley Luyang Song and Lu Doris Zhang in their paper.

"We focus on two foundational constructs in cultural psychology: social orientation and cognitive style."

To assess the extent to which LLMs are culturally neutral, Lu, Song and Zhang analyzed a large pool of responses generated by GPT and ERNIE, two of the most popular generative models. The first of these models is widely used in the U.S. and in various countries across Europe and the Middle East, while the second is primarily used in China.

When used in Chinese (versus English), GPT exhibited a more interdependent (versus independent) social orientation. a–d, GPT's cultural tendencies in social orientation were examined using the Collectivism Scale29 (a), the Individual Cultural Values: Collectivism Scale19 (b), the Individual–Collective Primacy Scale16 (c) and the Inclusion of Other in the Self Scale30 (d). Bars represent the mean level of interdependent (versus independent) social orientation for each language condition. Error bars indicate standard errors of the mean. For each measure, NChinese = 100, NEnglish = 100. Credit: Lu, Song & Zhang. (Nature Human Behaviour, 2025).

The researchers looked at two main cultural and psychological aspects of the responses that the models generated in English and Chinese. The first is social orientation, which pertains to how people relate to others (i.e., focusing more on interdependence and community or independence and individual agency).

The second is cognitive style, or, in other words, how the models appear to process information (i.e., whether in a holistic or analytic way).

Notably, various linguistic and cultural studies consistently highlighted that Eastern cultures tend to be characterized by a more interdependent social orientation than Western ones, as well as a holistic cognitive style.

"We analyze GPT's responses to a large set of measures in both Chinese and English," wrote Lu, Song and Zhang.

"When used in Chinese (versus English), GPT exhibits a more interdependent (versus independent) social orientation and a more holistic (versus analytic) cognitive style. We replicate these cultural tendencies in ERNIE, a popular generative AI model in China."

Overall, the findings suggest that the responses that LLMs produce in different languages are not culturally neutral, but instead they appear to inherently convey specific cultural values and cognitive styles.

In their paper, the researchers also include examples of how the cultural tendencies exhibited by the models could affect the experience of users.

When used in Chinese (versus English), GPT exhibited a more holistic (versus analytic) cognitive style. a–c, GPT's cultural tendencies in cognitive style were measured by Attribution Bias Task32 (a), the Intuitive Reasoning Task24 (b) and the Expectation of Change Task26 (c). Bars represent the mean level of holistic (versus analytic) cognitive style for each language condition. Error bars indicate standard errors of the mean. In a, NChinese = 1,200, NEnglish = 1,200 (12 vignettes, 100 iterations each); in b and c, NChinese = 100, NEnglish = 100. Credit: Lu, Song & Zhang. (Nature Human Behaviour, 2025).

"We demonstrate the real-world impact of these cultural tendencies," wrote Lu, Song and Zhang.

"For example, when used in Chinese (versus English), GPT is more likely to recommend advertisements with an interdependent (versus independent) social orientation.

"Exploratory analyses suggest that cultural prompts (for example, prompting generative AI to assume the role of a Chinese person) can adjust these cultural tendencies."

In addition to unveiling the cultural tendencies of the generative models GPT and ERNIE, Lu, Song and Zhang proposed a possible strategy to mitigate these tendencies or carefully adjust them.

Specifically, they showed that using cultural prompts, or, in other words, specifically asking a model to take on the perspective of someone from a specific culture, led to the generation of content that was aligned with the prompts provided.

The findings gathered by the researchers could soon inspire other computer scientists and behavioral scientists to investigate the cultural values and thinking patterns exhibited by computational models. In addition, they could pave the way for the development of models that are more 'culturally neutral' or that specifically ask users what cultural values they would like a generated text to be aligned with."
Jul 7, 2025
by Ingrid Fadelli, Tech Xplore
edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Robert Egan
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-07-llms-display-cultural-tendencies-queries.html
#metaglossia_mundus

"No Translation, No Problem:

The Joys of Reading a Book Containing Multiple Languages

Rachel Ashcroft on the Benefits of Letting the Words Wash Over You

By Rachel Ashcroft

July 7, 2025

Whatever he had been he was no more. He said that like every man who comes to the end of something there was nothing to be done but to begin again. No puedo recordar el mundo de luz, he said. Hace muchos años. Else mundo es un mundo frágil. Ultimamente lo que vine a ver era más durable. Más verdadero.

 

This passage is from Cormac McCarthy’s novel The Crossing. The protagonist, Billy Parham, is an American teenager from a small ranch in New Mexico. Here he has ventured across the Mexican border and is talking to a blind man. It is a significant moment in the book, and at least half of it is written in untranslated Spanish.

 

I was reading The Crossing recently and realized I hadn’t bothered to pick up a dictionary once. I relied on my poor knowledge of Spanish to avoid losing any immersion in the text. I recognized half of the words and understood the basic grammar, thanks to speaking French and Italian. But I was still guessing a lot of the meaning.

 

Some bilingual readers will understand every word in The Crossing and simply enjoy the cadences of both languages. Other won’t understand a single word of the Spanish. Some will respond by picking up a dictionary or using Google Translate. Some will skip the Spanish passages altogether, resigned to a loss of understanding.

 

Cormac McCarthy uses a lot of Spanish. He learned the language in Ibiza and became an “exophone”—someone who writes in a language that is not their mother tongue. The Crossing is ostensibly an English-language novel by an American author. Yet almost half of the book is written in Spanish. There is no glossary, no in-text translation from the characters or the author.

 

When we think about McCarthy’s Border Trilogy, particularly a book entitled The Crossing, we contemplate places and spaces. A border is not simply an artificial line on a map. It is a place of melding. Languages aren’t confined to administrative borders; they spill over on either side.

 

Billy and his brother Boyd are raised by English-speaking American parents on a ranch near the border. Billy also learned Spanish from his Mexican grandmother. As a child, he rode horseback with Boyd and “named to him features of the landscape and birds and animals in both spanish and english.” Billy visits several American neighbours and addresses them in English or Spanish as required: “Buenas tardes, he said. El señor está? She bit crisply into the apple with her big white teeth. She looked at him. El señor? she said.” In the borderlands, switching between languages is normal. Here Mexicans and Americans work together, marry, have families.

 

Language also helps us get under the skin of a place, to hear the unique intonations and rhythms of its people, even if we don’t understand the words. Throughout Billy’s travels in Mexico, certain phrases appear time and again: “Ándale pues” “Quién sabe?” My personal favorite was “claro” which many Mexican characters and Billy use regularly (I guessed, more or less correctly, that it meant “evidently”).

 

Spanish dialogue is used so often that Billy and Boyd’s American-English conversations are relegated to one side. They regularly assess situations once other (Spanish-speaking) characters have departed:

 

Why do you reckon he let us have the horses?

Cause he knowed they was ours.

How did he know it?

He just knew it.

 

ARTICLE CONTINUES AFTER ADVERTISEMENT

 

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But their dialogue feels foreign in a Spanish-speaking land. This foreignness will be particularly felt by English-speaking readers who don’t understand the Spanish text.

 

Interestingly, Boyd himself speaks little Spanish. In one scene, some Mexicans confiscate the brothers’ documents and take their horses. After the men leave, Boyd asks “What about the papers?” An irritated Billy replies: “What the hell good are the papers without the horse? Anyway you just got done seein what papers are worth in this country.”

 

Using Spanish and English together portrays the particular culture of people living around a geographic border in a powerful way. Language-switching says something about Billy Parham’s ancestry, upbringing and his ability to survive.

Boyd has to “see” what happened because he can’t understand the language. Non-Spanish speaking readers also have to “see” by reading McCarthy’s English description of the action, rather than following the Spanish dialogue. If a reader isn’t satisfied with this, they may use Google Translate or the dictionary function on an e-reader. The Cormac McCarthy Society have made PDFs of all the Spanish passages in McCarthy’s work available online. But in all of these cases, the reader’s attention is diverted from the act of reading as they type into a search engine or rifle through a dictionary.

 

Not every author who writes in a second language is so unyielding. Walter Scott’s narrative is written in English, but he employs Scots dialogue in most of his books. In The Bride of Lammermoor, Scots and English denote social class. Edgar Ravenswood, a Scottish nobleman, speaks in Standard English throughout the text. By comparison, his faithful servant Caleb Balderstone speaks in Scots, as in the following exchange between the pair:

 

“I hope you are not sorry to see me sooner than you expected?”

 

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“Sorry to see the Lord of Ravenswood at ane o’ his ain castles!”

 

Caleb’s language marks him out as lower-class. He employs a dialect that Edgar and the other noblemen never use, despite being Scottish themselves and understanding Caleb’s language:

 

“I’se warrant I wad cast about brawl for the morn; or if, stead o’ that, ye wad but dine wi’ them at the change-house, ye might mak your shift for the lawing.”

 

“Or any other lie that came uppermost, I suppose?” Said his master. “Good by, Caleb; I commend your care for the honour of the family.”

 

How does Scott’s decision to employ two different languages affect the reader’s experience? Like Modern English, Scots evolved from Old English, so there are similarities between the two which render it naturally more accessible for English speakers. But Scott knew that even English readers would struggle to fully understand Scots, as evidenced in an exchange from The Heart of Midlothian:

 

“How far can you walk in a day?”

 

“Five-and-twenty miles and a bittock.”

 

“And a what?” said the Queen, looking towards the Duke of Argyle.

 

“And about fives miles more,” replied the Duke.

 

Words like “bittock” still require translation. But unlike McCarthy, Scott included Scots glossaries for his readers, making it that bit easier to translate. And it’s likely that Scott wanted his readers to translate for themselves, perhaps fostering an appreciation of Scots in the process. After the 1707 Act of Union, Scott was reminding British readers that Scotland was a land of linguistic diversity where Scots and Gaelic flowed freely. Writing in Scots, a sister-language to English, speaks to the special relationship between two countries which share a deeply intertwined history. English readers in particular will recognize many of the Scots vocabulary and grammar as being related to their mother tongue, while also acknowledging stark differences.

 

It’s worth noting, too, that some authors leave languages untranslated which are only understood by a tiny percentage of the world’s population. Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie uses untranslated Igbo in her writing. Although Igbo features far less frequently in her work than McCarthy and Scott’s use of multiple languages, it is still a notable inclusion. Particularly when we consider that only 44 million people (mainly Nigerians) speak Igbo as their mother tongue.

 

In Americanah, Adichie sometimes provides in-text English translations to the Igbo she includes: ““Darling, kedu ebe I no?” His wife, Kofi, always began her calls to him with those words: Where are you?” In Half of a Yellow Sun, some Igbo phrases are repeated in English by the characters, but still more are left completely untranslated: “‘Safe journey, ije oma,’ he said.” The monolingual reader may feel some frustration at not understanding a particular Igbo phrase, but as the majority of the text is in English, they will hardly feel undeterred enough to stop reading altogether. Including Igbo in this way—through snippets and shorter phrases, rather than long passages of untranslated text—is an invitation, rather than a complete obstruction to understanding. While some African authors have expressed concern that italicizing automatically “others” African languages like Igbo, writers such as Jumoke Verissimo argue that italicizing is an expression of linguistic power in which the author introduces the reader to another cultural world.

 

It is a pointed encouragement to reflect on the existence of Igbo and its status. Why do some Nigerians speak Igbo and English? What does Igbo express that English cannot?

 

Adichie once revealed that her editor expressed concern over the use of “African words” in her debut novel Purple Hibiscus. But Adichie insisted on using Igbo alongside English because she considers Igbo to be a powerful and vibrant tongue in its own right. And as Adichie reminds us, her American readers “clearly did not have a problem with Igbo words.”

 

Using Spanish and English together portrays the particular culture of people living around a geographic border in a powerful way. Language-switching says something about Billy Parham’s ancestry, upbringing and his ability to survive. It says something about the identity of every character that Billy meets. It becomes a vital characteristic of the places that Billy journeys through. Perhaps one day I will seek out the translated passages of McCarthy’s Spanish online. But right now it doesn’t seem necessary. Like Boyd, I was happy to “watch” Billy converse in Spanish. Which is what the question of reading books in two languages really boils down to. Are you happy to watch, or do you need to hear and understand every single word? The answer to this question will direct your own response, whether that involves typing into Google Translate or simply letting the words wash over you"

https://lithub.com/no-translation-no-problem-the-joys-of-reading-books-in-multiple-languages/

#metaglossia_mundus 

"Overcoming accent bias in the global workplace

 

08 Jul 2025, 08:00 AM IST

Somak Ghoshal

A recent US workplace incident of accent bias against an Indian professional highlights the urgent need for businesses to prioritise inclusive communication 

 

Excellence in verbal communication lies in your ability to convey ideas, thoughts and passion.

Gift this article

Last week a 32-year-old Indian man working in the US posted on social media platform Reddit about an incident of harassment he had faced at work. Although by no means uniquely awful, it quickly hit a nerve and went viral.

 

“Today, during a meeting, I asked a team member (about 55 years old) for a project update as part of my regular responsibilities. He told me to stop speaking in meetings because he couldn’t understand my accent," he wrote. Sharing that he “felt dismissed and insulted" by the comment, he threw out an open question to fellow Reddit users. “How do you deal with something like this professionally without letting it damage your confidence or your contributions?""

https://www.livemint.com/mint-lounge/ideas/accent-bias-global-workplace-communication-skills-diversity/amp-11751825730418.html

#metaglossia_mundus 

Indigenous leaders in the Northern Territory are are fighting to keep their clan dialects from disappearing.  

 

"The fight to save Indigenous languages from extinction

 

PROGRAM:

 

AM

 

 

 

 

Duration: 3 minutes 17 seconds3m 17s

 

 

 

 

Presented by

 

 

 

 

Tilda Colling

 

Indigenous leaders in the Northern Territory are are fighting to keep their clan dialects from disappearing.  

 

 

 

 

A 2019 survey by the Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies found that only 12 out of 250 Indigenous languages around before colonisation are still being passed onto younger generations.  

 

 

 

 

In recent years, dozens of communities have worked hard to stop the further extinction.

 

 

 

 

More Information

 

Featured: 

 

Renfred Manmurulu, Mawng speaker

 

Lauren Reed, Language director, Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies

 

Rarritjuwuy Melanie Hedman, Dhangu speaker

 

 

 

 

Credits

 

Tilda Colling, Author

 

Image Details

 

Renfred Manmurulu is a Mawng speaker from South Golburn Island.(ABC News: Pete Garnish)"

 

https://www.abc.net.au/listen/programs/am/the-fight-to-save-indigenous-languages-from-extinction/105505754

 

#metaglossia_mundus 

The federal agency had made all access-to-information records available on the web until the languages watchdog said it was breaking rules.

 

 

 

 

"Spears: How official languages absurdity shuts down information at the NCC

The federal agency had, laudably, made all access-to-information documents available on the web — until the languages watchdog said it was breaking the rules. Now we'll all be in the dark even more about government policies.

 

Author of the article: By Tom Spears

Published Jul 07, 2025

 

I enjoy filing access to information requests to federal government departments, because they take me far from the well-trodden paths of public meetings and agendas. There are always surprises. I like surprises.

 

Access to information is simple: Pay $5 and fill out a form asking a government department about the topic you are interested in, and that department’s information office is supposed to give it to you within 30 days — longer if staff have to consult outside their department. This “ATI” mechanism gives the public details that news releases and government talking points don’t cover, so we all glean a better understanding of how and why governments do things.

 

But access to information is bogging down. I recently waited for five-and-a-half years for information about a single federal news release.

 

I have waited more than a year for a privacy request (similar to access to information) asking what information a federal department has collected about me personally.

 

Every reporter encounters this kind of frustration.

 

However, one federal standout offers prompt and cheerful access-to-information service, along with helpful advice on how to phrase a request to streamline things. It’s the National Capital Commission. I’ve dealt with them for years.

 

Through access to information, I’ve received photos from inside 24 Sussex Drive after it was gutted; details on the extensive upgrade of Rideau Cottage as it became the prime minister’s new home; an outline of how the pandemic/lockdown drove up construction costs; details on the $735,000 kitchen reno at Harrington Lake. All promptly, which is good, since the public is entitled to know these things.

 

But NCC has a new problem. It took the laudable initiative to make its own access service better for the public, and has been slapped down through an arcane and stupid recommendation about the use of official languages.

 

NCC pulls freedom-of-information records from website after language watchdog says they must be in French and English

 

Canada's culture of secrecy is hurting everyone

 

The issue: The NCC decided to do what no other federal department has done. Whenever one person filed an access to information request, the NCC started putting the documents it released online, so everyone could see them.

 

As a result of this, in the past few years I discovered useful documents on repairing official residences, Winterlude, the Tulip Festival, Gatineau Park, the Ottawa River and its shores, and more. This was an information gift.

 

Until the Commissioner of Official Languages learned of it and said: You’re posting documents on a government website (many of them just short notes, emails and small procedural stuff) and they’re in only one language. Can’t do that.

 

Unable to translate tens of thousands of pages into both languages when the original documents and records were only in one, the NCC had to take down the whole section of its website that offered these records to the public.

 

So, what is it that so urgently needs translation? The NCC handles more than 100 access requests a year, often numbering hundreds of pages apiece. Here’s an example. I asked about fixing the roof of the official residence at Harrington Lake and got back 256 pages with a lot like this one:

 

“Any membrane placed on the existing wood plank sheathing or on any material directly attached to the existing wood plank sheathing shall feature vapour permeability properties to allow for any moisture within the existing roof assembly to be released to the exterior.”

 

There follows some discussion of roof membrane options (FT synthetics, hydra breathable; or Titanium PSU self-adhered underlayment, high temp).

 

Also insulation: BP Esgard resistance roof insulator, an inch thick in a rigid wood fibre panel, or Gutex Multitherm 40 mm wood fibre board.

 

Do we really need that sort of thing translated? And remember, this is a document that I alone asked for, so it’s not clear who the translation job would be serving. (On the plus side, I could learn a lot of French vocabulary about roofing.)

 

Of course NCC documents come in many forms. Some look like this expense spreadsheet for Rideau Cottage: “STY pest control as per quote dated March 11, 2022  240.00.”

 

There are also vast numbers of emails in which employee A asks employee B whether her team is free to meet on Thursday.

 

The public service is an email-generating machine, pages and pages, mostly informal notes in one language only.

 

The new ruling is that the Canadian public needs all this — including the dross — in both official languages if it’s going to be made available on a website. Failing that, public access must be shut down. Which it now has been.

 

Wrong approach.

 

My house is 100 years old. No level floors or square angles are left, and it will never be perfect. But I don’t tear it down and pretend this is an improvement. You don’t destroy something for being imperfect — except that the government of Canada has now done so.

 

This means the public can’t see useful federal documents because no one has translated into both languages “Gutex Multitherm 40 mm” or “Titanium PSU self-adhered underlayment.” For a one-time, non-controversial roof repair.

 

Official Languages, shame on you.

 

Governments talk a lot about initiatives. The NCC actually showed initiative and paid the price. And so have we taxpayers, who should be getting more information from government, not less.

 

Tom Spears is a longtime Ottawa news reporter with an interest in science and nature"

https://ottawacitizen.com/opinion/official-languages-absurdity-ncc

#metaglossia_mundus

Evaluating a Large Language Model in Translating Patient Instructions to Spanish Using a Standardized Framework

Mondira Ray, MD, MBI1,2; Daniel J. Kats, MD, MBI1,2; Joss Moorkens, PhD3; et al

Author Affiliations

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JAMA Pediatr

Published Online: July 7, 2025

doi: 10.1001/jamapediatrics.2025.1729

 

related iconRelated Articles

 

Key Points

Question  Can a large language model (GPT-4o) translate personalized patient instructions into Spanish at a quality comparable to that of professional human translators?

Findings  In this cross-sectional study of patient instructions derived from real pediatric patient encounters, GPT-4o generated Spanish translations with quality comparable to those performed by professional human translators as evaluated using a standardized framework.

Meaning  While human review of large language model translations for clinical use remains essential, these findings suggest that GPT-4o could reduce the translation workload for Spanish, potentially freeing resources to support languages of lesser diffusion.

Abstract

Importance  Patients and caregivers who use languages other than English in the US encounter barriers to accessing language-concordant written instructions after clinical visits. Large language models (LLMs), such as OpenAI’s GPT-4o, may improve access to translated patient materials; however, rigorous evaluation is needed to ensure clinical standards are met.

Objective  To determine whether GPT-4o can generate high-quality Spanish translations of personalized patient instructions comparable to those performed by professional human translators.

Design, Setting, and Participants  This cross-sectional study compared LLM translations to professional human translations using equivalence testing. The personalized pediatric instructions used were derived from real clinical encounters at a large US academic medical center and translated between January 2023 and December 2023. Patient instructions in English were translated into Spanish by GPT-4o and professional human translators. The source English texts were translated using GPT-4o on August 2, 2024. Both sets of translations were evaluated by 3 independent professional medical translators.

Exposure  Patient instructions were translated using GPT-4o with an engineered prompt, and these translations were compared with those produced by professional human translators.

Main Outcomes and Measures  The primary outcome was translation quality, assessed using the Multidimensional Quality Metrics (MQM) framework to generate an overall MQM score (rated on a 0-100 scale). Secondary outcomes included a general preference rating and error rates for types of translation errors.

Results  This study included 20 source files of pediatric patient instructions. Equivalence testing showed no significant difference in translation quality between GPT-4o and human translations, with a mean difference of 1.6 points (90% CI, 0.7-2.5), falling within a predefined equivalence margin of plus or minus 5 MQM points. The LLM yielded fewer mistranslation errors, and a mean (SE) of 52% (6%) of professional translator ratings preferred the LLM translations.

Conclusions and Relevance  In this cross-sectional study, GPT-4o generated Spanish translations of pediatric patient instructions that were comparable in quality to those by professional human translators as evaluated using a standardized framework. While human review of LLM translation remains essential in health care, these findings suggest that GPT-4o could reduce the translation workload for Spanish, potentially freeing resources to support languages of lesser diffusion.

FIFA is providing American Sign Language interpreters at FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ matches to help deaf fans understand announcements, music and in-game atmosphere. The initiative is part of several accessibility services provided at the tournament.

"FIFA wants to ensure that all fans have an excellent experience at the tournament
The initiative is part of several accessibility services provided at the FIFA Club World Cup, aligned with FIFA's ongoing focus on social responsibility and inclusivity

"Imagine if this whole event (were) silent. It wouldn’t be so much fun, right?” said Ariel Agramonte during the FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ match between Palmeiras and Chelsea FC at Lincoln Financial Field in Philadelphia. “So, for the fact that the deaf have accessibility to what’s going on and the thrill and the energy that’s here - it’s awesome.”

Agramonte is one of the American Sign Language (ASL) interpreters that FIFA is providing at some games during the tournament so that deaf fans can share in the excitement, noise and passion of a football match.

Andrea Kemp, from the Georgia Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, said it was “really great” that FIFA had provided access. “If we do attend – deaf people, any other people from marginalised communities – we really want to be involved. We want to be immersed in the game,” she said.

FIFA Club World Cup 2025™ comes to life for deaf fans

7 Jul 2025

A common misconception about deaf people at sports events is that they are not missing out on anything because the action is taking place on the pitch – whereas, in fact, they are not having the same experience as other fans. "The hand gestures and just letting them know what’s going on around; the announcements, the goals, the excitement, the drums, the chanting, all of that; we’re able to get that across to them through their visual language," said Agramonte, explaining how the fans benefit from interpretation.

The ASL initiative is part of FIFA’s mission to make sure that all fans – including those with disabilities – have an excellent experience at the tournament.

HUMAN RIGHTS & ANTI-DISCRIMINATION
FIFA brings accessible experiences for all fans to enjoy inaugural Club World Cup
“People with disabilities want to show up, they want to participate, they want to be involved with FIFA. It’s exciting for them,” said FIFA Accessibility Coordinator Natalie Gross following the meeting between Paris Saint-Germain and FC Bayern München in Atlanta’s Mercedes-Benz Stadium. “Just because you can’t see or hear something doesn’t mean that you can’t be involved in what’s going on. Like, there are other senses and there are other ways; people just need access.

“So what we’re trying to do here at FIFA is provide that access, so that we’re not just having people show up to a live sports event, but we’re really creating an experience, you know, a memorable moment that will stay with people for the rest of their lives.”

ASL is a complete, natural language that has the same linguistic properties as spoken languages, with grammar that differs from English. It is expressed by movements of the hands and face and is the primary language of many North Americans who are deaf and hard of hearing, as well as some hearing people.

The ASL interpreters translate everything within the stadium, including announcements and even the lyrics of any musical performances during halftime. 

"[The interpreters] get really into it. It's actually such an experience. If you've never seen an ASL performance, I highly recommend it, because it is the most enjoyable thing to watch," said Gross. "They are basically making sure that the deaf attendee isn't missing out on anything being said while they're enjoying themselves within the match."

Brendan Quigley was one of the fans to benefit from the experience. “(It’s) really good. It’s very entertaining. It’s really nice to have people that understand football as much [as] me,” he said.

ASL interpretation is being provided at five matches during the course of the tournament – at Atlanta, Miami, Philadelphia, Seattle and the final in New York New Jersey. The initiative is one of many provided by FIFA for fans at the FIFA Club World Cup, which has also featured audio-descriptive commentary for games, tactile broadcast boards, sensory kits and more as part of FIFA's ongoing focus on social responsibility and inclusivity.

SOCIAL IMPACT
Blind and low-vision FIFA Club World Cup™ fans given immersive experience
“It’s very nice to have this opportunity, these options so that we can enjoy the game just as anybody else could,” said Kemp. "There’s music, there’s the game, concerts; whatever events happen, as long as there’s access, like there is now at Mercedes-Benz Stadium, then we can come. Soccer is such an inclusive sport that it’s great that this is being offered to improve the inclusivity of who can be involved.”"
https://inside.fifa.com/news/american-sign-language-asl-interpreters-club-world-cup
#metaglossia_mundus

"Why English doesn’t use accents
And why French is full of them
COLIN GORRIE
JUN 18, 2025
The cold of the stone floor in the scriptorium creeps up through Godwin’s boots. He pays it no mind. Before him lies a copy of the Chronicle, just arrived from the old capital of Winchester. In it is written the history of the English people. His people.

Today, his job is to make another copy. No difficult task for Godwin, or any monk.

But Abbot Robert will want to inspect the work before vespers. Abbot Robert. A Norman. Last week, the abbot pointed at Godwin’s lettering and called it “crude.” The word still stings.

Godwin’s quill forms the letters scip. The passage is about a foul fleet of ships: the raiding parties of Danes that had harried the coast, whom the great King Alfred eventually brought to heel. If only England had a king like that today.

Godwin stares at the word. Scip. It’s the right word, the right spelling. The ‘sc’ makes the same sound that the Normans spell ‘sh.’ But Robert won’t see it that way. For him, this will be nothing but Saxon stubbornness.

Godwin takes up his knife. The steel edge scrapes away the ink, taking a thin layer of the vellum with it. He smooths the spot and writes the word again, this time as he knows Robert will want it: ship. An English word, somehow made foreign.

He works on, his hand steady. He reaches a later entry: the arrival of a new queen. Pride or the devil takes hold of his soul, and he writes cwen. He thinks with a smile of Edith, the last English queen, a woman of his grandfather's time.

Then the smile vanishes. There are no more English queens or kings. Only Normans.

He scrapes the vellum clean again and writes it like a Norman would: queen. He writes the ‘e’ twice so the Normans know to drag out the sound. The ink settles, black and final.

He looks at the two words. Ship. Queen. This is writing that even a Norman abbot will find acceptable. Good work, he’ll surely say. But Godwin isn’t so sure. He dips his quill again into the ink and continues to rewrite the past.

You're reading The Dead Language Society. I'm Colin Gorrie, linguist, ancient language teacher, and your guide through the history of the English language and its relatives.
.....
Blaming the French (again)

Bayeux Tapestry, Scene 57
Our fictional monk Godwin lived in the wake of the single most significant event in the history of the English language: the Norman Conquest of 1066.

Before the Conquest, English — albeit an old form of English — was the language of power and government in England. After the Conquest, French took its place for centuries.

It was but a temporary replacement: English eventually re-established itself in the halls of power, thanks to the gradual loss of English territory in France and the birth of a new English identity during the Renaissance. But the period of French dominance left its mark on all aspects of the language, from vocabulary to pronunciation. And, as Godwin found to his chagrin, it had a revolutionary impact on English spelling.

In fact, this early French influence over English, which arose from the Norman Conquest, is the beginning of the reason why English is written without accent marks (é, à, ç, etc.), or, as linguists call them, diacritics, today.

Let’s keep calling them diacritics, since accent can mean so many things, from different regional ways of speaking to where in a word you place the emphasis.

It may surprise you to read that English is written without diacritics due to French influence. After all, French is written with plenty of diacritics: écouter ‘listen’, à ‘to’, château ‘castle’, Noël ‘Christmas’, Français ‘French’.

But the French that the Normans brought to England was not French as it’s spoken and written today: it was a different, older form of the language — and one written very differently from the French you would find in a livre today.

One big difference between the French of 1066 and the French of 2025 is in the use of diacritics. Diacritics only became a part of standard French writing much, much later than the time of the Norman Conquest. So the French brought over by the Normans was written without them. And when these scribes took up the task of writing English, they carried over their French habits of writing.

Why are diacritics used?

A scholar in his study with figures with masks, possibly an allegory (1627), Willem van der Vliet
These scribal habits did include the use of diacritics, but only for the purposes of abbreviating certain common combinations.

After all, parchment is expensive, and you don’t want to waste any space. But crucially, scribes did not use diacritics for the main reason we use them today: to show that a letter is not pronounced how you would otherwise expect it to sound. For example, the cedilla (¸) is written under a c in French to show that that c is pronounced as an ‘s’ rather than a ‘k’, as in Français ‘French’ or leçon ‘lesson’.1

The use of diacritics arises out of a mismatch between an alphabet and the language it’s being used to write: if an alphabet were well adapted to a language, it would have letters for all the language’s sounds. But this is rarely the case: alphabets are usually chosen for historical and cultural reasons. For example, English is written in the Latin alphabet because England was converted to Christianity by the Roman church. French is written in the Latin alphabet because the language itself descends from Latin, after having undergone many changes.

In both French and English, the Latin alphabet’s limited set of letters was insufficient to write all of the sounds needed in the language. For example, Latin had no th sound, as in faith. But Old French did have such a sound: since it was made in the same region of the mouth as the t sound (with the tip of the tongue), French scribes used the combination th to write it. The t told you what basic kind of sound it was, and the h told you that it was a different sound than the one you expected. So for these French scribes, adding another letter solved exactly the same problem that later French spelling used diacritics for.

This was the French habit that the Normans brought to England: the use of extra letters to spell sounds that the alphabet didn’t have special letters for. This is why English has combinations like sh, th, ee, oo, ou that each make only a single sound.2

Writing in the Renaissance spirit

A scholar in his study, Thomas Wijck (1616–1677)
The writing practices we have been talking about developed during a time when all writing was done by hand, by a relatively small group of people, dispersed over a wide area. This small group of scribes was, in turn, writing for a relatively small audience: literacy was not widespread in Europe during the Middle Ages. It was an artisan craft.

As a result of these circumstances, things like spelling practices varied from one place to another, and one scribe to another. The same word could even be written on the same page in multiple ways.

All this began to change in the 15th century, however, with the introduction of the printing press, which allowed, for the first time, the mass production of writing. This coincided in France and England with the intellectual movement that we call the Renaissance: an attempt to revive the ideals and spirit of the classical world.

This spirit of the Renaissance meant not only a renewed interest in the Latin language and its literature, but also an attempt to “refine” the spoken languages to the level of sophistication (as they saw it) of Latin. The inconsistency of the medieval scribe seemed like a relic of the past to be jettisoned: a language’s spelling should be rational.

In England, the path to standardization was more complex. The era saw a wave of radical reform proposals from humanist scholars. Figures like Sir Thomas Smith and John Hart, for example, devised comprehensive phonetic alphabets that included new letters and even diacritics to mark long vowels.

Ultimately, however, these ambitious projects failed. England lacked a central authority, such as a royal academy, with the power to enforce such a dramatic break with tradition. So the reforms that succeeded in England were conservative, pushed by printers who chose to regularize the messy but familiar system they had inherited from those Norman scribes many centuries ago.

Where do diacritics come from?

François Ier, roi de France (1527–1530), Jean Clouet
In France, the course of history ran differently: the need for consistency brought on by the introduction of the printing press gave birth to diacritics.

The first diacritic to be used widely in French is the acute accent (´), which is used exclusively on the letter e: é. Its function is to distinguish between two different sounds spelled e: the sound of je ‘I’ (close to the unaccented a’s in the English word banana) and the sound of pré ‘meadow’ (close-ish to the English pray).3

The acute accent was introduced into French by the printer and humanist Geoffroy Tory in 15294 in his book Champ fleury, a combination of humanist allegory and typographical manual, which aimed to “decorate and illuminate our French language.”5

The shape of the acute accent was a direct product of the spirit of the Renaissance: Tory drew his inspiration from the editions published by the Italian humanist and printer Aldus Manutius, who had pioneered the printing of Ancient Greek texts using the system of accents developed for that language in the Roman period. One of these was the acute accent (Greek ὀξεῖα ‘acute, sharp’): in adapting this classical model for the needs of French, Tory (in his mind) elevated the vernacular language to the same level of sophistication as Latin and Greek.

Tory also introduced another familiar French diacritic: the cedilla (¸), found only on the letter c: ç. As I mentioned briefly earlier, the cedilla has the function of ensuring that a c can be pronounced like an s, despite coming before an a, o, or, u: for example, Français ‘French’, garçon ‘boy’, reçu ‘received’, pronounced with s-sounds rather than k-sounds.

The cedilla wasn’t originally French, however, or even Greek: it was a Spanish innovation dating back to the days of the Visigoths. It was originally a z, written first after a c, and eventually with the c stacked on top of it: Ꝣ.6 The name cedilla just means ‘little z’ — ceda is Old Spanish for ‘z’, the letter called zeta in today’s Spanish.

In Old Spanish, the c with cedilla wrote the sound ts, found in Old Spanish, e.g. çielo ‘heaven’, lança ‘lance’. Due to later changes in Spanish, this sound disappeared, being replaced in most of Spain with the th-sound and elsewhere with the s-sound. As the sound disappeared, so did the need to write it differently: today, these words are written with c (before i, e) or z (before a, o, u): cielo, lanza. The cedilla had been used sporadically in French manuscripts since the 13th century: Tory’s innovation was to print it, and to do so systematically.

Tory’s reforms took root because he wasn't just a local printer: he was, as of 1530, the imprimeur du roi, the official printer to King Francis I. This royal patronage gave his proposals immense prestige. Later, this top-down approach to language was formalized with the creation of the Académie française (French Academy), which officially adopted and standardized the use of accents in its 1740 dictionary, cementing their place in the language. It was a break with the earlier French tradition which had taken root in England: that new sounds would be written with extra letters.

This is the great paradox of French reform. The introduction of an entirely new mark was a radical innovation. Yet it often served a conservative goal: to preserve a word's traditional, etymological spelling while also acknowledging a shift in pronunciation. Rather than rewriting a word traditionally spelled Francais with an s to indicate how the c should be pronounced, the addition of the cedilla diacritic kept the traditional spelling largely intact, but for a little squiggle or mark here or there.

French would come to adopt other diacritics too, including the circumflex (ˆ), as in forêt ‘forest’, which marks a vanished consonant, and the diaeresis (¨), as in maïs ‘corn’, which marks a break between two syllables. These diacritics have interesting stories as well, which I’ll tell you another day.

But what they all have in common is that they were creations of the Renaissance, and very typical ones at that: like many of the products of that era, French diacritics combined classical inspiration (e.g., taking cues from the Greek accent system) with the modern impulse to systematize and rationalize. The result was the French system of spelling we know today: full of diacritic marks.

In England, on the other hand, what the Renaissance systematized was the status quo: the basic spelling patterns of English laid down by Norman scribes in the 11th century, which used combinations of letters to express different sounds.

In a way, it’s a shame, because English could really use some disambiguating marks between words like wind (the noun) and wind (the verb), lead (the noun) and lead (the verb). But situations like these are surprisingly few in English: English manages to soldier on without diacritics because we have found those Norman scribal practices sufficient.

The combinations of letters that so vexed our poor monk Godwin came to define English spelling. And it created a historical irony: when this very French custom of writing new sounds by adding extra letters became entrenched, it made English resistant to diacritics, one of the things that makes French so recognizably French today.

1
Another, less common, reason to use diacritics is to distinguish between two words that would otherwise be written identically. The French use of the grave accent (`) in à ‘to’ is an example of this use: otherwise, it would be written the same as a ‘has’. Similarly, où ‘where’ has an accent, while ou ‘or’ does not.

2
If you don’t believe me that these combinations each make a single sound, try saying only the first or last letter of, say, sh or th and see what sound it makes.

3
IPA [ə] and [e], respectively.

4
Some sources credit Tory with the inspiration only, and Tory’s friend Robert Estienne with the introduction of the acute accent in 1530.

5
“décorer et enluminer notre langue française”

6
The variant of z used was a tailed z: ʒ.
https://www.deadlanguagesociety.com/p/why-english-doesnt-use-accents
#metaglossia_mundus

Celebrating the adoption of Kiswahili day, commemorated on 7 July.

"World Kiswahili Language Day, celebrated on 7 July each year, honours Kiswahili as one of the most widely spoken languages in Africa and the world, with over 200 million speakers. It is a vital tool of communication and integration across East, Central, and Southern Africa, and serves as an official language of the African Union (AU), SADC, and the EAC. Kiswahili is more than a language—it is a vessel of African identity, unity, and culture. From its role in liberation movements, including those led by Mwalimu Julius Nyerere, to its modern use in education, diplomacy, and media, Kiswahili continues to foster regional cohesion and global cultural understanding.

Recognized by UNESCO as the first African language to be honored with its own international day, Kiswahili embodies the power of multilingualism to promote diversity, tolerance, and sustainable development. As a bridge between communities and civilizations, it plays a critical role in quality education, cultural preservation, and socio-economic progress. More than just a means of communication, Kiswahili is a carrier of identity, values, and a worldview, representing the rich cultural tapestry of the African continent.

In acknowledgment of its growing global significance, the United Nations General Assembly adopted Resolution A/RES/78/312, further affirming the importance of Kiswahili in fostering solidarity, peace, and pan-African unity. "
Kiswahili Language Day | United Nations https://share.google/1OmVYJsoosEg3aRHT
#metaglossia_mundus: A very happy World Kiswahili language Day to all lovers of Africa! May this Day be the beginning of true international recognition for each of the well over 2000 languages of Africa!

"Translation Skills Program Puts Students on Unique Career Track

Santa Barbara High’s Translation & Interpretation Pathway is only one of its kind in the state

ED ZUCHELLI FOR SANTA BARBARA UNIFIED SCHOOL DISTRICT

July 6, 2025 | 9:04 am

Students in Santa Barbara High School’s Translation & Interpretation Pathway graduated with professional certificates that qualify them to enter the growing field of interpretation and translation.

 

Santa Barbara High School students graduated with professional certificates for work in the fields of translation and interpretation. (Courtesy photo)

The Career Technical Education (CTE) program celebrates the bilingual assets of Santa Barbara’s many native Spanish speakers and empowers students to transform their language skills into viable career opportunities, the school said.

 

Santa Barbara High School’s Translation & Interpretation Pathway, led by teacher Alison Mendoza, is the first and only high school CTE pathway of its kind in California.

 

“Developing this pathway has been a career highlight,” Mendoza said. “By committing to offering a Translation & Interpretation program, we have reimagined Spanish course offerings and connected language learning to the world that surrounds students in a new way.

 

 

“Students receive Language Other Than English (UC A-G) credit for participating and put their language abilities into practice,” she said. “Watching this year’s cohort leave their high school experience with various college options, a tangible career possibility, a deeper sense of who they are, and pride in their linguistic backgrounds aligns with why I wanted to become a teacher.

 

“The collaboration with our local community partners, the district LAU team, and higher education gives students opportunities that they often hadn’t imagined yet.” 

 

This year, the program expanded its offerings to include the Community Interpreter course and certificate. To earn this industry-recognized credential, students completed a rigorous 40-hour training led by Sofia Rubalcava of Santa Barbara Unified School District’s Language Access Unit.

 

Programs like this are designed to strengthen the connection between classroom learning and real-world careers by integrating industry training, all while allowing students to embrace and connect with their home languages and cultures, the district said.

 

 

“This expansion of the Translation & Interpretation Pathway is a testament to our commitment to providing students with tangible skills that directly lead to meaningful careers,” said Superintendent Hilda Maldonado.

 

“By empowering our bilingual students with professional certificates, we are not only opening doors to vital professions but also reinforcing the value of their linguistic and cultural heritage within our community and beyond,” she said.

 

“It is a testament to the resiliency of our teachers and staff,” she said. “They started this even though we were in a pandemic. At SB Unified, we are resilient, strong and bold.”

 

The Translation & Interpretation Pathway equips students with foundational skills in translation and interpretation, emphasizing cultural competence, ethics, and the importance of language access in diverse community settings.

 

 

Students apply their learning through real-world experiences, serving their local community, and engaging with professionals currently working in the fields of court, medical, and community interpreting.

 

This year alone, students in the pathway have interpreted the daily morning announcements at their school; created student-friendly translations with the Santa Barbara Museum of Art; volunteered at the Unity Shoppe; established internship opportunities with the Santa Barbara County Courthouse; and provided key support to parents and the community at the Know Your Rights event alongside the Language Access Unit team.

 

Jose Navarrete, a court interpreter at the Santa Barbara County Courthouse, is one of numerous professionals who supports the program.

 

Underscoring the need to inspire a new generation of interpreters, Navarrete said, “You need to bring up a whole new generation of interpreters. Approximately 35% of interpreters in the state are 65 years old or older. So they’re going to retire pretty soon. We’re going to need a new generation.”

 

 

The program’s impact is evident in the students themselves. Rubiell Angel Fernandez, a graduating pathway senior, said, “I’ve had Ms. Mendoza all four years of high school. It really means a lot, seeing how much the program and the pathway have grown throughout the years.”

 

“It’s a rigorous program, but even still, it’s served us well, it’s going to give us options for the future,” said student Jay Valencia.

 

“This expansion solidifies Santa Barbara High School’s Translation & Interpretation Pathway as a national model for preparing bilingual students for in-demand careers while fostering cultural understanding and community engagement,” the school said."

https://www.noozhawk.com/translation-skills-program-puts-students-on-unique-career-track/

#metaglossia_mundus 

"Ni la loi ni la force n’imposent une langue. Une langue s’impose d’elle-même par son usage [Par Sayon Mara]

 

Mediaguinee Juil 5, 2025

 

Contrairement à ce que certains guinéens pensent, il n’existe aucune loi au Sénégal, au Mali ayant imposé les langues Wolof et Bambara aux autres communautés.

 

En effet, représentant respectivement 43% et 35%, les Wolofs et les Bambaras constituent les groupes ethniques les plus importants au Sénégal et au Mali. C’est pourquoi justement ils se sont imposés aux autres. Sinon, au Mali, outre le bambara (Bamanankan), il existe d’autres langues nationales officielles, à savoir le Bomu, le Bozo, le Dogon (Dogo-so, Dogo-kan), le Peul (Fulfulde ou Pulaar), le Soninké (Soninkaxanne), le Songhaï, le Sénoufo-mamara (Minianka), le Syenara (Sénoufo), le Touareg (Tamalayt), le Hassanya, le Khassonké et le Malinké (Maninkakan). Au Sénégal, en plus du Wolof, le Diola, le Malinké, le Pular, le Sérère et le Soninké.

 

Ceux qui pensent que le projet de nouvelle Constitution, en son article 5, devrait impérativement imposer une langue nationale comme, soutiennent-ils, au Mali et au Sénégal, doivent davantage s’informer, car ces deux pays voisins n’ont reconnu une langue comme langue nationale officielle mais plutôt plusieurs comme langues nationales. En d’autres termes, ils doivent comprendre que la meilleure manière de promouvoir les langues, c’est de les laisser compétir entre elles car, imposer une langue n’est pas une politique linguistique recommandée."

https://mediaguinee.com/2025/07/ni-la-loi-ni-la-force-nimposent-une-langue-une-langue-simpose-delle-meme-par-son-usage-par-sayon-mara/

#metaglossia_mundus 

La littérature vietnamienne trouve son chemin à l'international

Pour que la littérature vietnamienne soit diffusée sur la scène internationale, de nombreux facteurs doivent être pris en compte par les éditeurs, les maisons d'édition, les traducteurs et les auteurs eux-mêmes.

 

Báo Tuổi Trẻ

05/07/2025

 

L'écrivain Nguyen Khac Ngan Vi était l'un des intervenants d'un séminaire littéraire dans le cadre d'un programme d'écriture à Shanghai l'année dernière - Photo : NVCC

 

L'écrivain Nguyen Nhat Anh a eu de nombreux livres protégés par le droit d'auteur et publiés dans de nombreuses langues différentes.

 

Lors d'un échange, il a révélé que ses œuvres ont été traduites dans d'autres langues grâce à des éditeurs ou traducteurs internationaux qui l'ont contacté pour coopérer. Avec « Je vois des fleurs jaunes sur l'herbe verte » , la maison d'édition Tre a pris l'initiative.

 

Selon lui, pour avoir l'opportunité d'atteindre les lecteurs du monde entier, les éditeurs de livres nationaux doivent être déterminés et faire des efforts pour trouver des opportunités.

 

Livres sélectionnés pour la traduction en fonction des intérêts personnels

Président du Conseil de littérature de traduction (Association des écrivains de Ho Chi Minh-Ville), Hien Nguyen a traduit des nouvelles de nombreux écrivains et poètes vietnamiens tels que Nguyen Huy Thiep, Nguyen Ngoc Tu, Le Minh Khue, Nguyen Quang Thieu, Trinh Bich Ngan... et elles ont été sélectionnées pour être publiées par des revues littéraires coréennes.

 

Mme Hien a déclaré à Tuoi Tre : « La littérature vietnamienne est introduite en Corée principalement grâce aux relations établies par des traducteurs coréens qui étudient la littérature vietnamienne tels que le professeur Bae Yang Soo, le professeur Ahn Kyung Hwan, le professeur Jeon Hye Kyung, les traducteurs Ha Jae Hong et Kim Joo Yeong...

 

Un traducteur coréen m'a confié un jour que, comme les traducteurs sont motivés par eux-mêmes et n'ont pratiquement aucun soutien du Vietnam ou de la Corée, les œuvres qu'ils choisissent de traduire principalement d'intérêts personnels ou de la relation entre le traducteur et l'auteur, ce qui rend très difficile la recherche d'un éditeur pour une publication officielle.

 

 

Traduction chinoise de « Passing Through the Clouds and Hanoi People », une histoire sur la nourriture et la boisson dans le passé - Photo : Maison d'édition

 

Lors de la 31e Foire internationale du livre de Pékin qui s'est tenue récemment en Chine, le directeur de Chibooks, Nguyen Le Chi, et des unités d'édition d'autres pays d'Asie du Sud-Est tels que la Thaïlande, le Laos, le Myanmar, le Cambodge... ont signé le projet de traduction de la littérature d'Asie du Sud-Est avec le représentant de l'édition chinoise, la maison d'édition Ly Giang (province du Guangxi).

 

Les œuvres littéraires des pays signataires seront sélectionnées et traduites en chinois par les maisons d'édition signataires.

 

Il s'agit du premier projet visant à introduire des livres de littérature vietnamienne sur un marché d'un milliard de personnes.

 

Le projet a débuté avec deux livres , Passing Through the Clouds (Do Quang Tuan Hoang) et Hanoiens, Stories of Eating and Drinking in the Past (Vu The Long).

 

L'investissement de Chibooks dans la promotion des livres vietnamiens à l'étranger est entièrement autofinancé par l'entreprise, il reste donc limité. Nous n'avons pas les moyens de traduire une série d'ouvrages satisfaisants comme le font d'autres pays.

 

« Sans traductions dans des langues populaires telles que l'anglais, le chinois, etc., il est très difficile de convaincre les partenaires d'édition étrangers de coopération », a déclaré Mme Chi.

 

Pour nouveau, si l'on écrit bien, « la chance viendra ». Sinon, tous les efforts seront vains. Mais pour qu'un livre atteigne ses lecteurs, il faut encore une stratégie, des contacts avec des éditeurs et des intermédiaires dévoués.

Auteur Nguyen Ngoc Thuan

Connaître des langues étrangères pour acquérir de l'expérience

L'écrivain Nguyen Ngoc Thuan a confié et Tuoi Tre que ses œuvres sont souvent traduites directement du vietnamien. La traduction hongroise du livre « Les yeux juste fermés, la fenêtre juste ouverte », publié en 2020 dans Európa, a été traduite en anglais.

 

Ou János, un célèbre écrivain, poète et dramaturge hongrois qui a traduit Les yeux fermés, la fenêtre ouverte , a déclaré qu'il était tombé sur le livre dans la bibliothèque d'un Hôtel d'une ville du centre du Vietnam :

 

 

Traduction hongroise du livre Les yeux ouverts, la fenêtre fermée

 

« Pendant des semaines, je n'ai rien lu, j'ai juste parcouru quelques livres de voyage sans vie.

 

J'ai commencé à avoir l'impression que je dérivais moi aussi dans un pays spécial, mais avec une humeur désespérée, j'ai commencé à lire ce roman.

 

Je l'ai lu d'un bout à l'autre.

 

« Les efforts de la maison d'édition Tre pour présenter le livre Ouvrez la fenêtre, les yeux fermés dans les salons internationaux du livre ne sont pas minces.

 

La traduction du livre en suédois lui a permis de remporter le prix Peter Pan en Suède en 2008.

 

L'écrivain Ho Anh Thai est également un pont important, ce que très peu d'éditeurs vietnamiens peuvent faire.

 

« Grâce à ses efforts, de nombreux écrivains vietnamiens ont fait connaître leurs livres à l'étranger », a déclaré M. Thuan.

 

En tant que première écrivaine vietnamienne à participer au programme d'écriture de l'Association des écrivains de Shanghai, Nguyen Khac Ngan Vi a déclaré que cela lui avait ouvert des opportunités de contacter les principaux éditeurs de Shanghai en particulier et de Chine en général.

 

Ngan Vi vient de signer un contrat avec la maison d'édition littéraire de Shanghai pour la publication du livre Van Sac Hu Vo , dont la sortie en Chine est prévue cette année. Son master à l'université Fudan et sa maîtrise du chinois ont été d'un grand secours pour Ngan Vi lors de sa participation au programme d'écriture et pour trouver des opportunités.

 

Elle espère que la génération de jeunes écrivains vietnamiens de sa génération trouvera davantage d'opportunités de sortir et d'interagir, comme des programmes de résidence, des camps d'écriture, des salons du livre, des échanges culturels... Ngan Vi partage que la littérature vietnamienne n'est pas une littérature forte qui oblige les étrangers à lui donner la priorité pour l'écouter.

 

Elle a déclaré : « Le secteur de l'édition vietnamienne devrait adopter une stratégie marketing plus flexible. Pour réussir, nous devons disposer d'une bonne traduction. Nous, les écrivains, ne sommes pas qualifiés pour agir de manière proactive, mais dépendons des politiques publiques et des investissements des maisons d'édition et des éditeurs. Et surtout, les écrivains doivent conserver une attitude professionnelle. »

 

 

Version anglaise de deux livres : Sitting on a Tree Crying et Wishing You a Good Day - Photo : Publishing House

 

Au cours de ses 25 années de travail dans l'édition et de ses efforts pour introduire des livres culturels vietnamiens à l'échelle internationale, Mme Le Chi a confié franchement qu'il ya très peu d'éditeurs étrangers qui ont une demande pour des livres vietnamiens.

 

Elle a déclaré que la plus grande difficulté pour une unité qui propose des livres à vendre est le budget limité pour traduire le manuscrit."

https://www.vietnam.vn/fr/van-chuong-viet-tim-duong-ra-quoc-te

#metaglossia_mundus

The death of Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o in May 2025 raises the question of his influence in French-speaking Africa: how is this important author seen by African authors?

 

"What is the role of Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong'o in French-speaking Africa?

The writer placed his mother tongue on equal footing with other languages

 

Written (Français) by

Filip Noubel

Written (Français) by

Jean Sovon

Translated (English) by

Rebecca Cluett

 

Original posted 18 June 2025

Translation posted 6 July 2025

 

In light of the death of Kenyan writer Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o on May 28, 2025, many literary fans are reflecting on his influence in French-speaking Africa. How is this author, who wrote first in English and then Kikuyu, his maternal language, regarded by those African authors who write in French?

 

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o was born in 1983 in a Kenya that was still under British colonial rule. He studied English and then began a threefold career as a writer, a university researcher, and a journalist, which took him to Uganda and then to London.

 

Toward the end of the 1970s, he started to write in Kikuyu, his mother tongue, and abandoned English for his prose through the 1980s. Exiled in London and then California, he continued to produce many essays and plays. He made the decision to return to Kenya with his wife in 2004 but the couple were attacked in their apartment, during which his wife raped and Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o's face burned. He died in the United States on May 28, 2025.

 

In his country, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is an important icon of Kenyan literature. Global Voices interviewed Kenyan poet Njeri Wangarĩ, a Kikuyu language activist, via email on what this author represents for her: 

 

Translation Original Quote

I have a deep reverence for him for making and sticking to this choice in language. This is mainly because I speak the same language and therefore, when reading his work, nothing is lost in translation. Within the literary and cultural world, many admire him for taking such a strong stand in advocating for African Languages. To this day, he remains one of the few (if not the only) widely renowned African writers to place African languages on an equal pedestal to the global languages.

When my three children were young, I once again turned to Ngugi's writing for inspiration. Reading to them his children's series Njamba nene, was as much a cathartic experience for me as it was a magical journey for them to a land where buses had wings.

The choice of language 

As a fiction writer, he wrote much about colonialism and explored this topic in the still-relevant reference book “Decolonising the Mind” (1986). In this, work he deals with the question of choice of language in writing for post-colonial African authors. He speaks of the English language as a “cultural bomb” in Africa.

 

This question of choice of language has reverberated throughout Africa, including French-speaking countries, as noted by Réassi Ouabonzi, also known by the name Lareus Gangoueus, a Congoleseman living in Paris who facilitates the literary blog “Chez Ganngoues” as well as the collaborative platform “African Literary Chronicles.” Interviewed by email, he explains:

 

At the return African Presence (Présence Africaine) event in October 2019 in Paris, I was struck by Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o's radical statement on the theme of “Translating to Transmit” which quickly led him to ask the question of how we could define African Literature. Is it possible to envisage an African literature that is not spoken, which is not written in Indigenous languages? In the context of this encounter he addressed the recurrent objections from Africans at the limitations of writing in Kikuyu, in Shona or Lingala, in terms of the reach of literary works and the access to the rest of the world. Never one to take the easy route, he gave translators the mission of the work of translating from Swahili into French, Arabic or English but also into Lingala or Zulu.

 

Wangarĩ adds:

 

Translation Original Quote

He represents an oracle; his prophecies about what will become of our future generation if we continue to abandon our mother tongue turned me into his disciple. And with that, a responsibility to continue his work of writing and creating spaces where children and writers can share in the joy of African stories told in their language.

 

A pan-African writer who remains unrecognised in French

Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o's body of work went beyond the borders of his country of origin and the English and Kikuyu languages, as is noted in this article in the online commentary site The Conversation in May 2025:

 

The recognition of exceeds his pioneering role in his home country. He is particularly known for has unique telling of the everyday lives of Africans, always with a fairness and fidelity consistent with the principles of equality and social justice.

 

But strangely, his influence remains modest in French, as is underlined in this article from May 2025 in the online site En Attendant Nadeau: 

 

Despite the thunder clap that was the death of this great African writer for Africa and the English-speaking world as a whole, nobody was surprised at the muted and understated media coverage in France given that the cultural institutions (media, print, festivals, public organization) have done everything they can for the past 40 years to ensure that the French-speaking public are unaware not only of the man bu also of his works. In effect, as noted by one of his translators, Jean-Pierre Orban, in a touching interview on the day of his death ‘It is uphill battle to have an piece of Ngũgĩ's work published in French.’

 

As is remarked by the Togolese Writer Sami Tchak, who Global Voices interviewed by email, Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o is often mentioned for his political message, but not always seen as a writer:  

 

What have we read of his? Have we read his writing? In which language? and when? Here is a writerwho's fame depends much less on his work than his politics on language; writing partly in Kikiyu, his mather-tongue, rather than in English, even though European languages are the ones in which he is, in the main, read. Here is an author discussed by many, even without having read his books, because it is enough to praise his commitment to think that he has been given the tribute he deserves. Perhaps this is a problem, as it is their work that should be an author's legacy. Therefore, we should read the works of in whatever language we can, this is the only way that we can contribute to making it part of the African and global literary pantheon.

 

He remains hopeful that more translations will lead to greater exposure of Ngũgĩ wa Thiong’o's body of work in Francophone countries"

https://globalvoices.org/2025/07/06/what-is-the-role-of-kenyan-writer-ngugi-wa-thiongo-in-french-speaking-africa/

#metaglossia_mundus 

"The Language Faculty is promoting intelligence, not artifice

Isaac Asimov’s fantastic short story ‘The Last Question’ has always struck me as vaguely implausible, not because of its depictions of the next trillion-or-so years of human evolution and civilisation, nor because of its wonderful twist, but simply because of what the ‘last question’, the hardest problem for the story’s artificial intelligence to solve, is. Tritely put, I thought that the ‘last question’ would be that of the meaning of life. Interestingly, Asimov disagrees with me. The last question was a scientific one, rather than a more philosophical one, because the thought that the latter would be entirely outside of the purview of artificial intelligence. 

 

But current iterations of artificial intelligence are far from the masters of logic that Asimov imagined. ChatGPT can explain, in detail, how it is possible never to lose a game of noughts and crosses but, when asked to put this into practise, it plays with about as much skill as a toddler. What they are good at is usurping creativity and human thought with thoughtless knockoffs. This is an attack which should be resisted.

 

With this in mind, I admit to being baffled by reactions to the change in the format of finals examinations in modern languages. That the previous format of entirely open-book examinations is not practicable in the current age of artificial intelligence is obvious. There is, unfortunately, nothing stopping a student struggling in an exam from loading up ChatGPT and using it to plan or write an essay. Software which purports to detect AI-generated writing churns out far too many false positives to be reliable. And the academic arms race promoted by examinations means that any come edge, no matter how unscrupulous, will be taken by some. To allow this to go on harms both those who cheat and those who do not. Those who choose to cheat, by shouldering their preferred large language model with as much work as they can, surrender their thoughts to the mindless convulsions of an algorithm; they fail to develop the essential skills which a degree is supposed to foster. Those who choose not to will be at an undeniable disadvantage; their grades will suffer. 

 

This raises an obvious question. If artificial intelligence really would improve people’s performance, should we not be teaching and encouraging students to use it in a productive manner? Plausibly. As long as one is not outsourcing one’s own thoughts to an artificial intelligence I see no real argument against its use, though, given its tendency to be confidently wrong, I have little faith in its research skills.

 

 When it comes time for exams, however, the options on the table are closed book or open book. One protects essential and important skills whilst, admittedly, underpreparing students or the age of artificial intelligence. The other allows students to ignore and underdevelop these essential skills in favour of short-term gains in their marks. People who argue that this decision fails properly to prepare students for the future overlook the timeless skills that it is designed to protect and take their rightful place at the front of the queue of people ready to be replaced by computers. They are, as Milan Kundera put it, the allies of their own gravediggers. 

 

I assume that, in many cases, the reactions are rationalised rather than rational. It is frustrating to get half, or three quarters, of the way through your degree only then to discover that you will not be able to flick your way through your notes if you forget a source or a quotation in the exam – or to learn that you are going to have to reacquaint yourself with the technology of a bygone era: the pen. The problem comes when such frustration is reimagined to be what it is not: a genuine critique of closed book exams. That in-person exams prioritise ‘outdated’ skills like memorisation is obviously a weak argument. 

 

Memorisation is not outdated but nor is it the most important skill being protected by in- person exams. To risk sounding like an egghead, this is a strawman. I assume that what is secretly being said is ‘memorising material is such an unnecessary drag’. I sympathise. But this is not a principled stance and it should not be allowed to masquerade as one."

Lloyd Doré-Green

6th July 2025

https://cherwell.org/2025/07/06/the-language-faculty-is-promoting-intelligence/

#metaglossia_mundus 

"African stories and languages could unlock billions for the continent’s publishing industry if governments back local writers, a Unesco report has found. Africa’s book market, now worth $7 billion, could reach $18bn with more homegrown books in local languages.

Issued on: 06/07/2025 - 12:48
A new report by Unesco examines the publishing industry in Africa, and how to boost the market on the continent.
By:
Melissa Chemam

The African book industry, from authors to distributors and publishers, represents 5.4 percent of the global publishing industry, according to a new report from Unesco – which found that African literature has a growing influence around the world.

The report – which covers the 54 Unesco member states in Africa – demonstrates that this potential is largely underexploited, and examines solutions to increase publishing on the continent.

"The African Book Industry: Trends, Challenges & Opportunities for Growth" reports that the continent has all the means to develop a lucrative sector that would create jobs.

There are 6,400 publishers in Africa, publishing 86,000 titles per year on average. The continent is home to 8,000 public libraries, 270 annual book festivals and fairs, and 200 professional publishing associations.

Current trends include an increase in formats such as comics and graphic novels, a new focus on publishing for children and young people, and African books being made into films.

Africa has also seen rapid growth in digital reading. "Over the past years, we've seen a big push on digital platforms, and particularly in young publishers going this way," Caroline Munier, culture programme specialist at Unesco, told RFI. "This can play a transformative role"."
https://www.rfi.fr/en/africa/20250706-untold-stories-in-african-languages-could-turn-the-page-on-publishing-unesco
#metaglossia_mundus

"Abstract: Research suggests that the texts produced using machine translation (MT) do not fully represent the linguistic traits of the natural language. Yet, the ever-increasing quality and access to MT is resulting in its steady adoption by both language professionals and general users. According to contact linguistic theories, such adoption might result in MT-specific language traits permeating the target languages. This work takes a first step into considering the changes that a language might endure over time by observing the variation of linguistic trends along a series of MT generations. We train ten sequential engines using each to produce the target side of the training corpus of the following and calculate a number of metrics to observe linguistic diversity at a lexical, morphological, and syntactic level for a large, fixed test set. Quantitative results show an initial loss of lexical diversity, which, albeit gradually, only continues at a much slower pace in the following MT generations. In turn, structural variations and, in particular, morphological variations across generations are less marked, which might indicate a more stable behaviour regarding grammatical consistency. Overall, the resulting MT language seems increasingly homogeneous, marked by the reduced presence or disappearance of low-frequency words, and compact, with a decreasing proportion of function words relative to content words."

 

Nora Aranberri and Jose A. Pascual

Published online by Cambridge University Press: 30 June 2025

 

https://www.cambridge.org/core/journals/natural-language-processing/article/propagating-machine-translation-traits-to-predict-potential-impact-on-the-target-language/A873E9434BBA7A0A10D2AEA911D3D04F

#metaglossia_mundus