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Charles Tiayon
June 23, 9:37 PM
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"Interpreters of more than 130 languages have been called into New Zealand courts over the past decade - and the costs have soared by 229%. The Waikato Times took a deep dive into the issue in the wake of remarks from Judge David Cameron about a case with a Filipino interpreter. Thanks to an Official Information Act request with the Ministry of Justice, the Waikato Times can reveal the increased cost of court interpretation, the complete list of languages and the most - and least - common. In 2014, it cost the Ministry $1,751,874 for interpreter services, a figure that rose to $5,619,896 in 2023. The Ministry - and several law and linguistic experts the Waikato Times spoke to - said however that the spike in costs does not necessarily equate to more foreign criminals in New Zealand... The Ministry said the cost increase between 2022 and 2023 - from $3,475,847 to $5,619,896 - was due to factors including the Coronial inquiry into the Christchurch terror attacks. They also cited a 2023 change “to increase the fees payable to interpreters”. Professor Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren, Dean of Te Piringa Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato, also cautioned that there could be a few explanations. “We may be seeing more witnesses, for both prosecutions and defence, in criminal trials needing interpreters. It could also suggest that the cost charged by interpreters has increased. It is important to not make assumptions without the benefit of examining the disaggregation of the data.” Tineke Jannick, who is conducting doctoral research into court interpreting in New Zealand at the Victoria University of Wellington, told the Waikato Times the language list may simply be a reflection of “the reality of the highly multi-cultural and multi-lingual nation we live in”. “Over a quarter of New Zealand’s population are born overseas and there are more than 150 languages spoken here,” she said... Jannick also said interpretation services were “vital to our justice system, particularly as they pertain to fair trial rights”. One defence lawyer who spoke to the Waikato Times on condition of anonymity cited the 2022 Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) for the spike in costs. More than 150,000 visas had been approved since - most before increased English language requirements imposed in 2024, they said, and the scheme was “widely rorted”. “Many migrants have paid money to agents to get a work visa and a job, only to discover when they arrive in New Zealand that the job offers very few hours, or is entirely fake. “Some ... turn to crime to pay the bills. Others came to New Zealand with the express purpose of committing crime, knowing from the beginning that their job was fake, but using it to obtain a visa in circumstances where applications were being rubber-stamped by Immigration New Zealand in the post-Covid immigration boom,” they said. “I have personally dealt with many people on AEWVs who turned to crime shortly after arriving on their visa.” The data also revealed the five most translated languages over the past decade: Mandarin, Samoan, Punjabi, Tongan and Vietnamese. Those least required are Bulgarian, Hiligaynon [a regional Filipino language], Lingala [a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo], Ndebele [South Africa and Zimbabwe] and Oromo [Ethiopia]. Dr Simon Overall, University of Otago linguistics postgraduate coordinator, said the top five list was interesting. “Two of them, Samoan and Tongan, have relatively small numbers of speakers, but of course significant numbers of those speakers live in New Zealand. “Of the five, all except Vietnamese appear in the list of the top 20 languages spoken in New Zealand (according to 2018 census data).” “I don’t know what demographic reason there might be for Vietnamese being there – perhaps the Vietnamese speaking community in New Zealand has increased in recent years?” “All in all, the lists give a good picture of the New Zealand linguistic situation and to me it really highlights the vital importance of interpreters and translators, since we can’t simply expect that everybody (whether New Zealand citizens or not) knows English well enough to be able to represent themselves in court proceedings.” Benn Bathgate benn.bathgate@stuff.co.nz June 23, 2025 https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360732341/afar-zulu-130-plus-languages-required-translation-court-and-cost #metaglossia_mundus
Researchers across Africa, Asia and the Middle East are building their own language models designed for local tongues, cultural nuance and digital independence
"In a high-stakes artificial intelligence race between the United States and China, an equally transformative movement is taking shape elsewhere. From Cape Town to Bangalore, from Cairo to Riyadh, researchers, engineers and public institutions are building homegrown AI systems, models that speak not just in local languages, but with regional insight and cultural depth.
The dominant narrative in AI, particularly since the early 2020s, has focused on a handful of US-based companies like OpenAI with GPT, Google with Gemini, Meta’s LLaMa, Anthropic’s Claude. They vie to build ever larger and more capable models. Earlier in 2025, China’s DeepSeek, a Hangzhou-based startup, added a new twist by releasing large language models (LLMs) that rival their American counterparts, with a smaller computational demand. But increasingly, researchers across the Global South are challenging the notion that technological leadership in AI is the exclusive domain of these two superpowers.
Instead, scientists and institutions in countries like India, South Africa, Egypt and Saudi Arabia are rethinking the very premise of generative AI. Their focus is not on scaling up, but on scaling right, building models that work for local users, in their languages, and within their social and economic realities.
“How do we make sure that the entire planet benefits from AI?” asks Benjamin Rosman, a professor at the University of the Witwatersrand and a lead developer of InkubaLM, a generative model trained on five African languages. “I want more and more voices to be in the conversation”.
Beyond English, beyond Silicon Valley
Large language models work by training on massive troves of online text. While the latest versions of GPT, Gemini or LLaMa boast multilingual capabilities, the overwhelming presence of English-language material and Western cultural contexts in these datasets skews their outputs. For speakers of Hindi, Arabic, Swahili, Xhosa and countless other languages, that means AI systems may not only stumble over grammar and syntax, they can also miss the point entirely.
“In Indian languages, large models trained on English data just don’t perform well,” says Janki Nawale, a linguist at AI4Bharat, a lab at the Indian Institute of Technology Madras. “There are cultural nuances, dialectal variations, and even non-standard scripts that make translation and understanding difficult.” Nawale’s team builds supervised datasets and evaluation benchmarks for what specialists call “low resource” languages, those that lack robust digital corpora for machine learning.
It’s not just a question of grammar or vocabulary. “The meaning often lies in the implication,” says Vukosi Marivate, a professor of computer science at the University of Pretoria, in South Africa. “In isiXhosa, the words are one thing but what’s being implied is what really matters.” Marivate co-leads Masakhane NLP, a pan-African collective of AI researchers that recently developed AFROBENCH, a rigorous benchmark for evaluating how well large language models perform on 64 African languages across 15 tasks. The results, published in a preprint in March, revealed major gaps in performance between English and nearly all African languages, especially with open-source models.
Similar concerns arise in the Arabic-speaking world. “If English dominates the training process, the answers will be filtered through a Western lens rather than an Arab one,” says Mekki Habib, a robotics professor at the American University in Cairo. A 2024 preprint from the Tunisian AI firm Clusterlab finds that many multilingual models fail to capture Arabic’s syntactic complexity or cultural frames of reference, particularly in dialect-rich contexts.
Governments step in
For many countries in the Global South, the stakes are geopolitical as well as linguistic. Dependence on Western or Chinese AI infrastructure could mean diminished sovereignty over information, technology, and even national narratives. In response, governments are pouring resources into creating their own models.
Saudi Arabia’s national AI authority, SDAIA, has built ‘ALLaM,’ an Arabic-first model based on Meta’s LLaMa-2, enriched with more than 540 billion Arabic tokens. The United Arab Emirates has backed several initiatives, including ‘Jais,’ an open-source Arabic-English model built by MBZUAI in collaboration with US chipmaker Cerebras Systems and the Abu Dhabi firm Inception. Another UAE-backed project, Noor, focuses on educational and Islamic applications.
In Qatar, researchers at Hamad Bin Khalifa University, and the Qatar Computing Research Institute, have developed the Fanar platform and its LLMs Fanar Star and Fanar Prime. Trained on a trillion tokens of Arabic, English, and code, Fanar’s tokenization approach is specifically engineered to reflect Arabic’s rich morphology and syntax.
India has emerged as a major hub for AI localization. In 2024, the government launched BharatGen, a public-private initiative funded with 235 crore (€26 million) initiative aimed at building foundation models attuned to India’s vast linguistic and cultural diversity. The project is led by the Indian Institute of Technology in Bombay and also involves its sister organizations in Hyderabad, Mandi, Kanpur, Indore, and Madras. The programme’s first product, e-vikrAI, can generate product descriptions and pricing suggestions from images in various Indic languages. Startups like Ola-backed Krutrim and CoRover’s BharatGPT have jumped in, while Google’s Indian lab unveiled MuRIL, a language model trained exclusively on Indian languages. The Indian governments’ AI Mission has received more than180 proposals from local researchers and startups to build national-scale AI infrastructure and large language models, and the Bengaluru-based company, AI Sarvam, has been selected to build India’s first ‘sovereign’ LLM, expected to be fluent in various Indian languages.
In Africa, much of the energy comes from the ground up. Masakhane NLP and Deep Learning Indaba, a pan-African academic movement, have created a decentralized research culture across the continent. One notable offshoot, Johannesburg-based Lelapa AI, launched InkubaLM in September 2024. It’s a ‘small language model’ (SLM) focused on five African languages with broad reach: Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, isiZulu and isiXhosa.
“With only 0.4 billion parameters, it performs comparably to much larger models,” says Rosman. The model’s compact size and efficiency are designed to meet Africa’s infrastructure constraints while serving real-world applications. Another African model is UlizaLlama, a 7-billion parameter model developed by the Kenyan foundation Jacaranda Health, to support new and expectant mothers with AI-driven support in Swahili, Hausa, Yoruba, Xhosa, and Zulu.
India’s research scene is similarly vibrant. The AI4Bharat laboratory at IIT Madras has just released IndicTrans2, that supports translation across all 22 scheduled Indian languages. Sarvam AI, another startup, released its first LLM last year to support 10 major Indian languages. And KissanAI, co-founded by Pratik Desai, develops generative AI tools to deliver agricultural advice to farmers in their native languages.
The data dilemma
Yet building LLMs for underrepresented languages poses enormous challenges. Chief among them is data scarcity. “Even Hindi datasets are tiny compared to English,” says Tapas Kumar Mishra, a professor at the National Institute of Technology, Rourkela in eastern India. “So, training models from scratch is unlikely to match English-based models in performance.”
Rosman agrees. “The big-data paradigm doesn’t work for African languages. We simply don’t have the volume.” His team is pioneering alternative approaches like the Esethu Framework, a protocol for ethically collecting speech datasets from native speakers and redistributing revenue back to further development of AI tools for under-resourced languages. The project’s pilot used read speech from isiXhosa speakers, complete with metadata, to build voice-based applications.
In Arab nations, similar work is underway. Clusterlab’s 101 Billion Arabic Words Dataset is the largest of its kind, meticulously extracted and cleaned from the web to support Arabic-first model training.
The cost of staying local
But for all the innovation, practical obstacles remain. “The return on investment is low,” says KissanAI’s Desai. “The market for regional language models is big, but those with purchasing power still work in English.” And while Western tech companies attract the best minds globally, including many Indian and African scientists, researchers at home often face limited funding, patchy computing infrastructure, and unclear legal frameworks around data and privacy.
“There’s still a lack of sustainable funding, a shortage of specialists, and insufficient integration with educational or public systems,” warns Habib, the Cairo-based professor. “All of this has to change.”
A different vision for AI
Despite the hurdles, what’s emerging is a distinct vision for AI in the Global South – one that favours practical impact over prestige, and community ownership over corporate secrecy.
“There’s more emphasis here on solving real problems for real people,” says Nawale of AI4Bharat. Rather than chasing benchmark scores, researchers are aiming for relevance: tools for farmers, students, and small business owners.
And openness matters. “Some companies claim to be open-source, but they only release the model weights, not the data,” Marivate says. “With InkubaLM, we release both. We want others to build on what we’ve done, to do it better.”
In a global contest often measured in teraflops and tokens, these efforts may seem modest. But for the billions who speak the world’s less-resourced languages, they represent a future in which AI doesn’t just speak to them, but with them."
Sibusiso Biyela, Amr Rageh and Shakoor Rather
20 May 2025
https://www.natureasia.com/en/nmiddleeast/article/10.1038/nmiddleeast.2025.65
#metaglossia_mundus
"Imagine microscopes, thermometers, balances, pipettes and bunsen burners having native names, and science and all subjects and courses, taught in our own languages.
We would have been able to compete favourably and equitably within the so-called global village.
The Ministry of Education should boldly prioritise Ghanaian languages in our education system.
By doing so, we can create a more inclusive and effective learning environment for our students.
When students are taught in their native language, they are more likely to understand and retain complex concepts, leading to better academic performance.
Moreover, prioritising Ghanaian languages can help preserve our cultural heritage and promote national identity.
Our languages are an integral part of our history and traditions, and by promoting them, we can ensure their survival for future generations.
The current system, which prioritises foreign languages, particularly English, puts an undue burden on students, especially those from rural areas where English may not be widely spoken.
This can lead to a high dropout rate and poor academic performance.
By adopting a more localised approach to education, we can empower our students to succeed and contribute to the development of our nation.
It's time for the Ministry of Education to rethink our language policy and prioritise Ghanaian languages in our education system.
This can be achieved by developing curriculum materials in Ghanaian languages, training teachers to teach in local languages and encouraging the use of Ghanaian languages in schools and communities.
By taking these steps, we can create a more inclusive and effective educational system that benefits all students, regardless of their background or location.
It's time to put our languages and cultures at the forefront of our education system and give our students the tools they need to succeed.
Moses Sackie Agbemava,
Presbyterian Church of Ghana,
Dansoman Estates, Accra"
https://www.graphic.com.gh/features/opinion/ghana-news-ministry-of-education-prioritise-ghanaian-languages-over-any-foreign-language.html
Des centaines de personnes pratiquent le métier d'interprètes dans le réseau de la santé.
"Les interprètes, le « lien de confiance » pour les allophones dans le réseau de la santé
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L'interprète Olga Lacasse et la travailleuse sociale Geneviève Thibault discute avec une personne assise dos à la caméra.
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L'interprète Olga Lacasse et la travailleuse sociale Geneviève Thibault ont accompagné de nombreux patients ensemble.
Flavie Sauvageau
Publié à 9 h 00 UTC+1
La version audio de cet article est générée par la synthèse vocale, une technologie basée sur l’intelligence artificielle.
Des centaines de personnes au Québec pratiquent le métier d’interprètes dans le milieu de la santé. Ils côtoient au quotidien des patients qui ne parlent pas encore le français et permettent de faciliter leur lien avec les soignants.
Depuis 2022, Olga Lacasse pratique le métier d'interprète dans le réseau de la santé, à Québec. À la demande des professionnels de la santé, elle accompagne les patients qui ne parlent ou ne comprennent pas encore le français à leurs rendez-vous médicaux ou avec les services sociaux.
Moi, je traduis en ukrainien et j'ai commencé à cause de la guerre en Ukraine. Avec l'arrivée d'Ukrainiens qui ne parlaient pas français au début, il y avait un besoin urgent d’interprètes, se souvient celle qui travaillait auparavant en relations internationales.
Suivis médicaux, rendez-vous d’urgence, rencontres avec la DPJ ou encore accouchements… Elle est appelée à travailler dans toutes sortes de situations, pas toujours faciles à entendre, notamment lorsqu’elle aide les déplacés d’une guerre.
Un cahier posé sur des genoux. Une main qui tient un crayon pour écrire dans le cahier.
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Les interprètes répondent en moyenne à 270 demandes par jour dans le réseau de la santé.
AILLEURS SUR INFO : La confiance envers le ministre Drainville est entamée, disent la FAE et la CSQ
En tant qu’humaine, on ne peut pas rester toujours sans émotion, mais on essaye toujours de rester neutre, empathique, mais neutre pour s'assurer que les messages de médecins ou de notre client soient bien transmis, explique-t-elle, précisant qu’elle travaille toujours pour les deux parties : le médecin et le patient.
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Olga fait au moins 10 accompagnements par semaine. Elle rappelle que son rôle n’est pas de faire le travail des médecins, mais plutôt de les aider à transmettre leur message aux usagers, avec respect et de manière neutre.
Des services disponibles en 90 langues
On a des interprètes pour couvrir 90 langues, donc c'est quand même énorme, lance Stéphanie Fiset, adjointe à la direction de l'Hôpital Jeffery Hale - Saint Brigid's.
À travers toute la province, ils sont 400 interprètes à répondre à environ 270 demandes d’interprétation ou de traduction, chaque jour, indique celle qui est aussi gestionnaire de la banque d’interprètes. Au total, 80 000 demandes sont faites dans la province par année.
Et le recrutement est constant. Il s’adapte aux différentes vagues migratoires selon les régions.
Les qualités qu'on recherche? Un niveau qui est quand même assez élevé. [Il] faut vraiment être capable d'être en mesure de comprendre les nuances. Quand on parle de langage médical aussi, énumère la gestionnaire.
On a besoin des gens qui sont capables d'avoir une coupure professionnelle, parce que parfois ils entendent des choses qui ne sont vraiment pas faciles. Il faut être capable d'être humain, mais de rester quand même distant, croit-elle.
Les cinq langues les plus demandées pour les services d’interprétation
Langue
Nombre de demandes en 2024-2025
Proportion par rapport au nombre total de demandes
Espagnol 7250 36 %
Arabe 3150 16%
Swahili 1870 9 %
Népalais 1575 8 %
Rohingya 832 4 %
À elles seules, ces cinq langues représentent 73 % des demandes totales au CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale.
Source : CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale
Des « courroies de transmission »
La présence d’interprètes comme Olga Lacasse lors de rendez-vous fait vraiment la différence pour les patients, constate Geneviève Thibault, qui est travailleuse sociale à la Clinique santé des réfugiés et aux Services aux demandeurs d’asile de l’hôpital Jeffery-Hale.
Moi je suis vraiment là pour voir comment se passe l'adaptation et l'intégration au Québec, donc je suis là aussi pour évaluer, voir au niveau des chocs post-traumatiques, est-ce que ça se passe bien? La personne, au niveau psychosocial et psychologique, comment elle va? , décrit-elle.
L'interprète Olga Lacasse et la travailleuse sociale Geneviève Thibault.
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L'interprète Olga Lacasse et la travailleuse sociale Geneviève Thibault.
Photo : Radio-Canada / Bruno Giguère
Ces rencontres sont souvent des moments très émotifs entre l’intervenante et son patient, même si la barrière de la langue se dresse entre eux.
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D'où l'importance que les interprètes soient présents, souligne-t-elle, parce que je ne parle pas le swahili, je ne parle pas l'ukrainien, je ne parle pas le kinyarwanda. Donc eux sont vraiment notre courroie de transmission.
Et leur apport a un effet visible pour les patients dans son bureau. Pour eux, c'est le lien de confiance. C'est quelqu'un qui, souvent, partage la même culture. C'est quelqu'un qui a les mêmes référents culturels, fait que je le vois clairement, décrit celle qui a souvent travaillé avec Olga Lacasse.
Un de leurs souvenirs marquants ensemble : un suivi de grossesse. Je me rappelle qu'on a les petits yeux mouillés parce qu’on entend le cœur fœtal. Puis là, la maman est émue, puis là, Olga est émue. Puis là, je suis émue, raconte-t-elle avec le sourire.
Fusion des banques d'interprètes du Québec
L’automne dernier, la banque d’interprète du CIUSSS de la Capitale-Nationale a fusionné avec celle du CIUSSS du Centre-Sud-de-l 'Île-de-Montréal, pour créer la nouvelle Banque d'interprètes du réseau de la santé et des services sociaux.
L’objectif, c'est vraiment d'avoir un service 24/7 pour les personnes du Québec qui ne sont pas capables de s'exprimer en français, explique Stéphanie Fiset.
Le fait d’offrir des soins de santé dans une autre langue que le français ou l’anglais a été codifié dans la réforme de la Charte de la langue française."
https://ici.radio-canada.ca/nouvelle/2174202/interprete-soins-de-sante-allophone-quebec
#metaglossia_mundus
The newly established Hellenic Language Institute (INEL) aims to position Greek as a global language of thought and cultural connection. At its inaugural conference at the Acropolis Museum, experts from 15 countries explored ways to preserve, teach, and revitalise Greek for future generations.
"...Greek is not a relic of the past. It’s a living, dynamic language with global potential—and a vital tool for the future. That’s the message at the heart of the new Hellenic Language Institute (INEL), led by Evangelia Georgantzi, a veteran educator with decades of experience teaching Greek as a second and foreign language.
Speaking to AMNA from the Acropolis Museum, where INEL’s inaugural conference recently took place, Georgantzi laid out the institute’s mission: to preserve, promote, and expand the use of Greek worldwide, not only among diaspora communities but for anyone seeking access to a language rich in philosophy, precision, and cultural depth.
A language of thought, not just tradition
Founded with support from the Qualco Foundation and Qualco Group, INEL envisions Greek not simply as a ‘heritage language’ but as a contemporary tool of expression, cognition, and intercultural understanding. An estimated 13–15 million people worldwide currently speak Greek, either as a first or second language. Georgantzi’s goal is to grow that number through education, cultural diplomacy, and digital innovation.
“The Greek language has an unmatched ability to express abstract concepts with philosophical depth,” she explained. “It offers both historical continuity and a modern voice, bridging the past and pointing toward the future.”
The challenge for the Diaspora: A living legacy
Georgantzi pointed to a dual challenge, especially for Greek communities abroad: preventing language loss among second, third, and now fourth-generation Greek Australians, while also making the language appealing to broader audiences...
Modern tools for a timeless language
INEL’s strategy includes initiatives like the Ellinika Gia Sas (“Greek for You”) program, supported in 11 languages, and the embrace of digital tools that support hybrid and personalised learning.
At the conference, over 20 universities from 15 countries shared innovative teaching methods. Notably, Australia’s use of the VoiceThread platform and the unveiling of Kri-Kri, a Greek AI language tool developed by the Athena Research Center as a companion to ChatGPT, drew major interest.
Sessions focused on experiential learning, intercultural mediation, and AI in education. “The exchange of best practices can benefit both Greek education abroad and domestic public schools,” Georgantzi added.
The future: A permanent global forum
A major outcome of the conference is INEL’s plan to institutionalise it as a recurring global forum. The next steps include creating a scientific network and building partnerships with international organisations and Greek language programs abroad..."
23 June 2025 3:29pm
Twitter: @NeosKosmos
https://neoskosmos.com/en/2025/06/23/news/diaspora/greek-is-not-just-heritage-its-a-global-language-for-the-future-says-hellenic-language-institute-president/
#metaglossia_mundus
This collection of essays explores the translation of Petrarch’s vernacular verse (Canzoniere and Triumphi) in early modern Britain, from the first Tudor translations to its many literary transformations and cultural re-appropriations in the Elizabethan and Stuart periods.
"Translating Petrarch in early modern Britain gathers twelve essays by international scholars focusing on the translation of Petrarch’s vernacular verse (Canzoniere and Triumphi) into English, from the Tudor age to the mid-seventeenth century (and beyond).
Approaching translation as an interpretive process, but also a mode of literary emulation and cultural engagement with Petrarch’s prestigious precedent, the collection explores the complex and interconnected trajectories of both poetic works in English and Scottish literary milieux. While situating each translation in its distinct historical, material, and literary context, the essays trace the reception of Petrarch’s works in early modern Britain through the combined processes of linguistic and metric innovation, literary imitation, musical adaptation and cultural and material ‘domestication’.
The collection sheds light on the origins and development of early modern English Petrarchism as part of wider transnational – and indeed, translational — European literary culture."
Manchester University Press
Edited by Marie-Alice Belle, Riccardo Raimondo, Francesco Venturi
9781526173034
1 September 2025
Hardback
384pp
240x170mm
RFB
AUD$210.00
NZD$240.00
https://newsouthbooks.com.au/books/translating-petrarch-in-early-modern-britain/#:~:text=The%20collection%20sheds%20light%20on,%2C%20translational%20%E2%80%94%20European%20literary%20culture.
#metaglossia_mundus
Book Awards India: Writers express concern as JCB Prize for Literature quietly halts operations, ending a key platform for Indian languages.
Malayalam writer Benyamin, who won the debut award in 2018 for his book “Jasmine Days” translated into English by Shahnaz Habib, said that the news is “deeply disappointing”. “...as the JCB Prize was a highly promising recognition for Indian literature -- not just Indian English writing, but also regional languages. It was a respected and influential award that played a significant role in helping Indian literature reach a global audience,” the author of “Goat Days” told PTI.
In its seven editions, the award has gone to translated works of fiction five times. In 2020, S Hareesh’s “Moustache”, translated from the Malayalam by Jayashree Kalathil, won the award. M Mukundan’s “Delhi: A Soliloquy”, translated from the Malayamal by Fathima E V and Nandakumar K, won the prize in 2021. The award in 2022 went to Urdu author Khalid Jawed’s “The Paradise of Food”, translated by Baran Farooqui, followed by Tamil author Perumal Murugan’s “Fire Bird”, translated by Janani Kannan, in 2023. “This is a great loss for Indian languages. Malayalam translations have won the award three times, Tamil once, and Urdu has also been recognized. It's truly disheartening,” Murugan said.
The award in 2019 was given to Madhuri Vijay for “The Far Field”. Author Namita Gokhale said that it is possible that they might be “reconsidering the format”, while appreciating the work done by the JCB Prize...
Karthika VK, publisher of Westland Books, said that the prize added a “great deal to the publishing ecosystem”. "I am sorry to hear that it's shutting down. We can only hope others will come come along to fill the gap and sponsor prizes, grants, residencies, to support writers and translators,” she said.
In its run of seven years, the award courted controversy ahead of the prize announcement last year when over a hundred writers, poets and publishers came out with an open letter condemning JCB, the British bulldozer manufacturer and the organiser of the literature prize, for allegedly “uprooting” the lives of poor and marginalised in India as well as Palestine.
Benyamin said that the criticism “missed the point”. “...it’s not the equipment that should be blamed, but those who choose to misuse it. The same machines are also used to build also. I can't align myself with that kind of reasoning, especially when the prize itself had such a positive impact. I hope they will reconsider and they will reinstate the prize for Indian literature,” he said. The award followed the process of call for entry, a longlist of 10 books, a shortlist of five books and finally, a winner. Each of the shortlisted authors was awarded Rs one lakh, and if the shortlisted piece were a translation, the translator received Rs 50,000. If a translated work won the prize, the author would take home Rs 25 lakh while the translator received the prize money of Rs 10 lakh.
https://www.deccanherald.com/india/jcb-prize-for-literature-makes-quiet-exit-causes-concern-among-writers-3596542
#metaglossia_mundus
Deepa Bhasthi’s translator’s note for Heart Lamp, winner of the International Booker Prize 2025, challenges translation conventions. As translators claim creative agency and push back against conventions like italicisation, the way a translator’s role is perceived is evolving.
"‘Against Italics’ - Deepa Bhasthi’s translator’s note for Heart Lamp, which won the International Booker Prize 2025, made headlines. The translator’s note section, which is usually skipped, drew attention this time. “Setting aside the futile debate of what is lost and found in translation”, Ms. Bhasthi talks about her deliberate choice to not use italics for the Kannada, Urdu, and Arabic words that remain untranslated in English.
Ms. Bhasthi ends the translator’s note saying, “Italics serve to not only distract visually, but more importantly, they announce words as imported from another language, exoticising them and keeping them alien to English. By not italicising them, I hope the reader can come to these words without interference, and in the process of reading with the flow, perhaps even learn a new word or two in another language. Same goes for footnotes – there are none”. While talking to The Hindu, Ms. Bhasthi says this translator’s note has been met with a lot of love and care, and attention by readers as well."
https://www.thehindu.com/education/beyond-heart-lamps-success-translators-are-slowly-getting-the-credit-thats-due/article69716831.ece
#metaglossia_mundus
"Cassava announces another MoU – to train LLMs in African languages and ‘context’
Cassava Technologies is building an African AI ecosystem, from its own AI factory to alliances with NVIDIA, developers and a solutions firm
Cassava Technologies has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with a startup Vambo AI to build “Africa’s own large language models” – that is, LLMs trained using African languages and culture. Vambo AI will be given access to Cassava’s AI Factory to train and deploy a series of open-source language models.
“We’re not just building tools, we’re building the future,” said Vambo AI’s CEO, Chido Dzinotyiwei.
This is just the latest tie-up in a recent flurry for Cassava, having teamed up with Zindi in May to court AI developers, and, inevitably, NVIDIA, the world’s biggest AI chip maker. As TechZIM put it, added to the deal with Vambo AI, this constitutes “a full-stack African AI ecosystem”. Then’s there’s also the recent tie-up with Sand Technologies, the a global enterprise AI solutions company.
It launched its own AI unit in July 2024. In March it announced “new strategic appointments to the leadership team as the organisation ushers in the next growth phase and ensures future competitiveness”. The new appointments were announced after the company closed several rounds of funding and investment, “underpinned by a strong balance sheet”.
Vambo AI’s multilingual AI tools
Vambo is building multilingual AI tools, for translation, transcription, content generation and smart search across 44 African and 20 international languages. Its imminent Jua Series of open-source models will be released under permissive licence which will allow local developers and researchers to build on top of it, without the bother of non-disclosure agreements or gatekeeping."
Annie Turner
16 June 2025
https://www.mobileeurope.co.uk/cassava-announces-another-mou-to-train-llms-in-african-languages-and-context/
#metaglossia_mundus
Salaire divisé par deux, moins de contrats, perte de sens… Les traducteurs percutés de plein fouet par l’IA générative
Publié le 22 juin 2025 à 09:31
Depuis deux ans, leur vie professionnelle a été bouleversée par la vague de l’IA générative. Récit du combat donquichottesque des traducteurs qui refusent de voir leurs métiers se paupériser, et qui dénoncent la réalité de l’impact de l’IA sur leur secteur, et plus largement sur la langue, la pensée, la culture et la société
« Toutes les semaines, on a des collègues (traducteurs) qui arrêtent. C’est l’hécatombe ». En novembre 2022, ChatGPT, l’agent conversationnel d’OpenAI, était lancé aux États-Unis, marquant le début de la vague de l’intelligence artificielle (IA). Si plusieurs études ont prédit la fin de certains métiers, le tsunami a bel et bien déferlé sur le secteur des traducteurs. Et près de trois ans plus tard : les professionnels de la traduction que nous avons interrogés sont unanimes. Il y a bien eu un avant et un après ChatGPT.
« Ces deux dernières années, la dégradation de nos conditions de travail s’est vraiment accélérée, notamment pour des personnes (indépendantes) comme moi qui travaillent pour des intermédiaires, comme les agences de traduction », confie Julie, qui a souhaité rester anonyme. « On n’en est plus à des commandes de traduction, mais exclusivement à de la post-édition », déplore cette indépendante qui traduit depuis plusieurs années des textes techniques et marketing.
Depuis deux ans, leur vie professionnelle a été bouleversée par la vague de l'IA générative. Récit du combat donquichottesque des traducteurs qui refusent de voir leurs métiers se paupériser, et qui dénoncent la réalité de l'impact de l'IA sur leur secteur, et plus largement sur la langue, la pensée, la culture et la société.
"Pour les néophytes, « la “post-édition”, c’est le mot qu’on utilisait avant pour l’IA générative », précise-t-elle : il s’agit de travailler non plus exclusivement sur le texte original, mais sur une première version « traduite » par des outils de traduction automatique (TAN) ou d’IA générative (IAG). « Les agences de traduction cherchent depuis longtemps à nous imposer l’utilisation de ces systèmes. Et jusqu’en 2023, on pouvait encore dire non. Mais depuis ChatGPT, c’est terminé », regrette la trentenaire.
Une rémunération divisée par deux
« On a vraiment vu un basculement du discours du : “c’est inévitable, maintenant, vous utilisez la traduction automatique/l’IA générative, et vous serez payés deux fois moins” », confirme Laura, une autre indépendante, membre du collectif de traducteurs IA-lerte générale. Résultat : « J’ai un salaire divisé par deux. Certains clients m’ont remplacé par Deepl » (une plateforme de traduction automatique grand public NDLR), souligne celle qui traduit des textes techniques et marketing. La tendance se constaterait dans tous les métiers de la traduction, bien que certains domaines soient plus touchés que d’autres.
Un sondage réalisé en mars 2025 par l’ATAA, l’association des traducteurs et adaptateurs de l’audiovisuel, et auquel ont répondu près de 450 traducteurs, montre une baisse d’activité particulièrement marquée entre le premier trimestre 2024 et le début de cette année. Parmi toutes les activités du secteur (doublage, sous-titrage, voice-over, audiodescription, adaptation de scénario et de jeux vidéo), ce sont la voice-over et les sous-titrages pour sourds et malentendants qui sont de plus en plus traduits automatiquement ou via l’IAG. Les premières digues à sauter avant les autres ?
« On a demandé à une confrère, qui s’était occupée d’adapter en français une série étrangère, de s’occuper de la nouvelle saison, mais pour la première fois, avec de la post-édition. Elle a dit non, je ne fais pas de post édition. On lui a répondu : entendu, tu n’adapteras plus cette série », rapporte Stéphanie Lenoir, traductrice, adaptatrice, et présidente de l’ATAA.
Une autre étude, menée cette fois en avril 2025 par l’ATLF, l’association des traducteurs littéraires de France sur les conditions de travail des professionnels du secteur, et qui paraîtra début juillet, montre une réelle baisse de la rémunération des traducteurs d’édition, « oscillant entre 30 et 64 % », nous détaille l’organisation.
« C’est comme si une personne qui n’y connait rien en plomberie imposait une clé aux plombiers »
Pour Laura, « il y a vraiment une bataille qui a été perdue ou évitée, on ne sait pas trop. Mais nous, on n’a pas souscrit à ça, on n’est pas d’accord avec le fait d’avoir été mis devant le fait accompli » – comprenez : être obligé de passer par de la post-édition, et donc par de l’IA générative (IAG), pour traduire un texte. Face à ces remous, certains se sont regroupés en collectifs comme IA-lerte générale, ou En chair et en os. Leur objectif est de sensibiliser le grand public à la réalité de l’impact de l’IA sur leurs métiers, mais aussi à la réalité du travail de traduction.
Il faut dire que dans ce domaine, les malentendus sont légion, soulignent unanimement les traductrices que nous avons interrogées. À commencer par l’idée même de la post-édition. Son postulat est de dire : ces outils d’IAG et de traduction automatique vont faire gagner du temps aux traducteurs en « prémâchant » un premier jet, détaille Julie. Le problème est que « ces outils nous sont imposés dans 99 % des cas par des gens qui ne sont pas traducteurs, et qui vont dire : “tu as ChatGPT, c’est super” », poursuit-elle. Pour Valentine, une autre professionnelle indépendante qui traduit deux langues étrangères vers le français depuis une dizaine d’années, « c’est comme si une personne qui n’y connait rien en plomberie imposait une clé à molette aux plombiers ».
Il faut dire qu’au premier abord, « si on prend un texte et qu’on le met dans l’IA, il en ressort des phrases qui sont, on va dire, grammaticales », reconnait-elle. « Ce n’est pas du charabia. Les gens sont impressionnés, ils se disent : j’ai appuyé sur “entrée”, j’ai ma traduction, alors à quoi ça sert de demander à quelqu’un de le faire, et de le payer », poursuit Julie.
« Mais la traduction, ce n’est pas cela. Ca se joue au niveau du sens, et le sens ne se réduit pas aux mots séparément », ajoute-t-elle. Les mots ne sont pas des choses bien distinctes et découpées. Un mot est un infini de possibilités, qui dépend de plusieurs facteurs culturels, émotionnels, inconscients, interpersonnels. Ce que fait l’IA, c’est mettre des mots les uns à la suite des autres. Et comme c’est probabiliste, de temps en temps, ça fonctionne, mais seulement en surface », estime-t-elle.
Même son de cloche chez Stéphanie Lenoir, traductrice dans l’audiovisuel et adaptatrice, pour qui : « les outils d’intelligence artificielle et de traduction automatique considèrent la langue comme un système de codage de la pensée. Traduire avec l’IAG, c’est passer d’un code A à un code B. Mais on ne peut pas réduire un texte à un code », tacle-t-elle.
« À la fin, on se dégrade »
Or, si les traductrices interrogées prennent le temps à nous décrire ce qu’est une traduction (humaine), c’est pour nous expliquer à quel point le fait de se voir imposer des outils de traduction automatique ou d’IA générative affecte leur travail en lui-même. Imaginez : « j’ai le texte source (dans sa langue d’origine) et j’ai la traduction automatique », expose Julie. Le problème est que « les LLM ne sont pas capables de faire toute l’analyse du texte. Il y a beaucoup de contresens, des mots pour lesquels le LLM va choisir le mauvais sens », sans compter « les répétitions, et la lourdeur de style », liste-t-elle.
Dit autrement, « je me retrouve à corriger un texte qui est bourré d’erreurs que moi, je n’aurais pas fait en amont, parce que je sais qu’il y a plein de pièges à éviter. Mais cela, la machine ne le sait pas. Et c’est extrêmement fatigant de faire cela. Je ne peux même pas dire que ça équivaut à reprendre le travail d’un débutant, parce que même un traducteur débutant ne ferait pas des telles erreurs », poursuit-elle.
« Pour en avoir discuté avec d’autres confrères et consœurs, reprendre de la post-édition, ça nous prend autant de temps, voir plus, que de traduire un texte de zéro. On est immédiatement pollué par les suggestions de la traduction automatique. Et c’est fatigant de passer son temps à se détacher de cette première impression qui est truffée de fautes et d’erreurs », regrette Julie.
Selon l’étude de l’ATLF à paraître en juillet prochain, les outils d’IAG et de traduction automatique sont peu utilisés aujourd’hui par les traducteurs littéraires. 93 % des professionnels interrogés déclaraient ne pas utiliser de tels systèmes pour traduire leur texte.
Mais certains comme Valentine y ont été économiquement contraints. La trentenaire explique avoir passé plusieurs semaines à faire de la post-édition « pas bien payée, où il faut aller vite ». Son constat : à la fin, « j’avais perdu toute notion de qualité, j’avais perdu la boussole à l’intérieur qui me disait : est-ce un bon texte ou pas ? Je me suis dit : “il faut que j’arrête tout de suite”. On dégrade nos compétences en fait, même sans le vouloir. On se dégrade. Et on n’arrive plus à écrire après », déplore-t-elle.
Si l’indépendante a aujourd’hui des commandes qui lui permettent de se passer de post-édition, elle ne sait pas combien de temps cela va durer. « Si j’étais à fond sur mes principes, je n’aurais pas de travail », reconnaît-elle. Pour Laura qui a fait le choix de refuser toute post-édition, les commandes sont devenues rares. « Si je n’étais pas en couple, je serais déjà aller travailler au Mc Do », confie-t-elle, avant d’ajouter : « beaucoup de gens n’ont pas le choix, ceux qui ont des enfants ou qui sont célibataires acceptent d’être payés deux fois moins pour régler les factures, et manger ».
Problème de sécurité, vol, travailleurs du clic…
Pour les traductrices que nous avons interrogées, la dégradation de la qualité des textes, de leur travail et de leur salaire est loin d’être le seul problème. D’abord, des textes particulièrement sensibles ou confidentiels peuvent finir dans la moulinette des outils d’IA, à l’image des notices d’utilisation de médicaments, de défibrillateur ou du nucléaire. « On risque d’avoir des erreurs grossières qui peuvent être graves. À côté du risque de se ridiculiser pour les textes marketing, pour tout ce qui est médical, nucléaire, très technique, la vie des gens est en jeu. On attend quoi, qu’il y ait un drame pour que les gens commencent à réagir ? », s’insurge Laura. Certains professionnels interrogés, engagés par des agences de traduction, se demandent même si leur client final sait réellement que leur texte est passé par de la « post-édition ».
Autre problème de taille : tout le système repose sur « du vol, des conséquences désastreuses pour la planète, et des travailleurs du clic » invisibilisés, déplore Laura, qui s’interroge : « finalement ça ne dérange pas trop les gens qu’on nous ait volé notre travail ». Les outils d’IA générative ont été formés sur des textes protégés par le droit d’auteur, sans l’autorisation de leurs auteurs et ayants-droit.
Les auteurs peinent à opposer leur refus d’utilisation de leurs œuvres dans ces phases d’entrainement. « Quand on pense qu’avant, on menaçait les adolescents qui téléchargeaient des films », lance Valentine, aussi membre du collectif AI-lerte générale, en référence à Hadopi qui envoyait des courriers et prononçait parfois des amendes en cas de téléchargement illégal.
Mais pour Stéphanie Lenoir qui considère les traducteurs comme des lanceurs d’alerte, touchés en première ligne par l’IA générative, le problème est bien plus profond. « Ce n’est pas tellement parce que nos métiers vont être les premiers à disparaître. Dans notre secteur, on est confrontés à ces sujets depuis cinq, voire dix ans. On a du recul et on est capables de bien comprendre les dérives que ça entraîne. Et le risque essentiel contre lequel il faut que les pouvoirs publics et le grand public se mobilisent, c’est la standardisation de notre langue à vitesse grand V, la normalisation de la pensée et de tous les modes d’expression ».
Car si notre système de langue est passé à une moulinette de traduction automatique (et de l’IAG), « on se remettra toujours dans le mode de fonctionnement de la pensée du modèle majoritaire (le modèle anglo-saxon NDLR) », développe-t-elle. « Ça ne permet plus d’exprimer de nuances, de positions divergentes. (On le voit avec) l’algorithme, fait pour fonctionner sur l’occurrence la plus fréquente. Donc ça ferme le champ de découverte, ça ferme le champ d’expression, ça ferme le champ de réflexion », martèle-t-elle.
À l’université, « on apprend déjà que le futur de la traduction, c’est la post-édition. En sortant de la fac, les jeunes ne font que ça. Donc en fait, ils ne savent pas traduire. Ce qui m’effraie, c’est qu’un jour, plus personne ne saura traduire, écrire par soi-même, penser par soi-même », souffle Valentine. La bataille n’est pour autant pas encore perdue, estime Laura. « Si j’ai un message à adresser aux traducteurs, qui sont dans la galère et qui ont envie de tout abandonner, c’est : gardez espoir. Plus on va être nombreux à sensibiliser, à défendre notre métier, à dénoncer, et plus on aura un impact. La traduction est un métier qui existe depuis des millénaires. Ce n’est pas possible qu’elle disparaisse comme ça, du jour au lendemain »."
https://www.01net.com/actualites/salaire-divise-par-deux-moins-de-contrats-perte-de-sens-les-traducteurs-percutes-de-plein-fouet-par-lia-generative.html
#metaglossia_mundus
Opposition parties allege that isiXhosa-speaking councillors are being silenced for speaking their mother tongue during council meetings.
"JEFFREYS BAY - The Kouga Municipality in the Eastern Cape is embroiled in a language controversy.
Opposition parties allege that isiXhosa-speaking councillors are being silenced for speaking their mother tongue during council meetings.
The Speaker, who reportedly does not speak isiXhosa, is accused of insisting that councillors use only English or Afrikaans, threatening action for non-compliance.
The Speaker maintains, however, that English has always been the primary language of council proceedings.
The caucus leader for the DA in the Kouga Municipality has dismissed the language bias claims.
Bornman Hattingh, who is also the mayor, says they've always used English and Afrikaans.
eNCA's Nceba Ntlanganiso filed this report.
https://www.enca.com/news-top-stories/language-row-erupts-during-kouga-council-meeting
#metaglossia_mundus
"The 20th International Congress on Minority Languages will be held from 24 to 27 June at Universidad Externado de Colombia in Bogotá. At the event, Kayleigh Karinen will present her research on the Basque language and well-being in Zuberoa, with support from the Etxepare Basque Institute.
Kayleigh Karinen
Researcher Kayleigh Karinen was awarded a grant by the Etxepare Basque Institute to undertake a research fellowship in Zuberoa in 2021. As part of this fellowship, she will present a paper on linguistic ideologies in the northern Basque Country at the upcoming conference in Colombia. Karinen was also a student in the Basque Studies language and culture programme in Helsinki, Finland, supported by the Etxepare Basque Institute..."
https://www.etxepare.eus/en/colombia-minority-languages-karinen
#metaglossia_mundus
"
By Press Trust of india -June 18, 2025
Puducherry: India, an aspirational nation in the world, cannot afford to be divided on the issue of languages, Vice President Jagdeep Dhankhar said on Tuesday and appealed to the people to consider the future well-being of the country and “get over this storm.”
Also, he made a strong pitch for implementing the National Education Policy 2020 in letter and spirit, as it was a “game changer” in the education sector that could spur further development of the country.
Speaking at Pondicherry University, Dhankhar said, “NEP is not a policy of any government, and it allows our youth to fully exploit their talents and energy, and gives importance to all languages,” he said.
Dhankar, also the Chancellor of the university, said this in a veiled reference to political parties that oppose the implementation of NEP in the union territory, claiming the policy sought to impose Hindi.
The NEP, introduced after a gap of three decades, is a watershed moment in India’s academic journey, he said.
“India is the most aspirational nation in the world as a result of phenomenal development in the last decade,” the Vice President said and asked, “How can we be divided on languages?”
No country in the world was as rich as India when it came to languages. Sanskrit has global importance, and this language, along with Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, Malayalam, Odia, Marathi, Pali, Prakrit, Bengali, and Assamese, were 11 classical languages.
“In Parliament, the discourse is allowed by the members in 22 languages. Our languages indicate inclusivity. Sanatan teaches to be in togetherness for the same sublime purpose,” Dhankhar added. He appealed to everyone to “soul search, be reflective, and rise to the occasion and marvel at our great accomplishments.”
Further, he said: “Look at our destination, take into account the future, and let us get over the storm.”
On the NEP, the Vice President urged the states that have not implemented it “to rethink, revisit, because the NEP is a game changer”.
“I appeal to the states which have not adopted and those which are implementing it to realise what is given in the policy. Let our boys and girls be fully aware of the benefits of the policy through workshops,” he said.
The NEP is the best policy in the world as it offers the opportunity to pursue multiple courses and optimal utilisation of time.
He pointed out that the political leadership should bear in mind that there was no room for confrontation and that disruption and disturbance were not the mechanism which the framers of the Constitution taught us.
The VP has called upon universities to foster multi-disciplinarity, critical thinking, skill development, and innovation. He said that during the current march to achieve Vikshit Bharath in 2047, driven by a knowledge economy, our goal should be the creation of institutions of excellence.
The Vice President said that there was no greater equaliser than education. He appealed to industries, corporates, and business houses to invest in the education sector using the Corporate Social Responsibility scheme.
He said that there should be no endeavour to commodify or commercialise education as the mission should align with India`s gurukul system with emphasis on character development along with knowledge education. He said that the youth should come out of silos as silos restricted the vision to opportunities although opportunities were expanding exponentially for the youth in the country.
He praised the Pondicherry Central University for getting ‘A plus’ grade accreditation from the NAAC. This is a significant recognition for the University`s academic excellence and commitment. Lt governor K Kailashnathan, Chief Minister N Rangasamy, and Vice Chancellor of the University P Prakash Babu were among those who spoke.
The Vice President, earlier, had an informal chat with a select team of newspersons before proceeding to the University. He said that the fourth estate was very fundamental to democracy and humanity. “We should keep our tempers down. A healthy democracy hinges on discussions and deliberations,” he said."
https://thekashmirimages.com/2025/06/18/india-cannot-afford-to-be-divided-over-languages-says-vp-dhankhar/
#metaglossia_mundus
"Kyivstar and Ukraine to build first national Ukrainian-language AI model
Veon and its Ukrainian subsidiary Kyivstar will partner with Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation to develop the country’s first national large language model (LLM) trained exclusively on Ukrainian-language data.
The initiative supports Veon and Kyivstar’s broader pledge to invest $1 billion into rebuilding Ukraine’s digital infrastructure from 2023 to 2027.
The LLM project aims to strengthen Ukraine’s technological sovereignty by creating a foundation for AI that reflects the country’s language, culture, and data privacy needs.
Developed using open-source architectures and trained entirely on Ukrainian data, the LLM will capture the full spectrum of dialects, historical context, and national terminology.
Crucially, all data will be securely processed and stored within Ukraine, an essential requirement for critical sectors such as healthcare, defence, government, and finance.
Beyond its cultural and linguistic relevance, the model is expected to underpin a range of AI-driven services, from legal and regulatory analysis to tailored applications for education, finance, and healthcare.
A first release is scheduled for December 2025, in collaboration with Ukraine’s Ministry of Digital Transformation and the WINWIN AI Centre of Excellence.
“Today’s agreement is major milestone in building a sovereign, secure and culturally relevant AI ecosystem to drive economic growth, while empowering Ukrainians with tools that enhance their lives,” said Kaan Terzioglu, CEO of Veon Group.
“Ukrainian LLM will empower users to access augmented intelligence tools with the full cultural context and depth of their native language and national resources.”
Oleksandr Komarov, CEO of Kyivstar, added: “Leading the development of Ukraine’s national LLM is aligned with our vision as VEON’s digital operator in Ukraine. With Kyivstar’s deep technological expertise, AI capabilities, and commitment to national development, we are proud to contribute to Ukraine’s digital sovereignty.”
The project follows VEON’s other language-focused AI initiatives, including KazLLM in Kazakhstan and an Urdu-language LLM in Pakistan."
Saf Malik June 18, 2025 08:39 AM
https://www.capacitymedia.com/article-kyivstar-and-ukraine-ai-model
#metaglossia_mundus
Discrimination, Employment Barriers, Healthcare, Immigration, Language, Taiwan
Lost in Translation: How Language Barriers Shape the Integration of Southeast Asian Marriage Migrant Women in Taiwan
June 18, 2025
Introduction
Over the past few decades, Taiwan has quietly evolved into a multicultural society—home to more than half a million foreign spouses, the overwhelming majority of whom are women from Southeast Asia. By 2022, nearly 91 percent of all foreign spouses were female, with significant numbers arriving from Vietnam, Indonesia, Thailand, and the Philippines. [1] Such women, often labeled as “foreign brides,” play a central role in sustaining Taiwan’s care economy and demographic future—raising children, supporting aging in-laws, and bridging cultural worlds. Yet, while they are indispensable to Taiwanese households and society at large, these women are often rendered invisible, and their perspectives are frequently misunderstood, unheard, and overlooked.
At the heart of their marginalization lies a crucial challenge: limited fluency in Mandarin. For many of these women, this is not just a communication gap, it is also a deep-rooted barrier that shapes their access to healthcare, employment, education, and community life. Their lack of fluency reinforces social isolation, invites discrimination, and leaves them vulnerable within both public and private spheres.
These linguistic challenges do not exist in a vacuum. For over three decades, Southeast Asian marriage migrants have been stigmatized as “undesirable others” from “undeveloped countries” and reduced to tropes of passive victims, gold-diggers, or runaways. [2] Taiwanese public discourse often expects these migrants to embody the ideal of the “traditional, chaste, virtuous woman,” tasked with prioritizing their husband’s family and assimilating quietly. [3] Those who fall short—due to language, education, or cultural unfamiliarity—are further marginalized as “unfit mothers” who are incapable of raising the so-called “new second generation” (新二代) of Taiwan. [4] These damaging narratives compound migrants’ feelings of inferiority and disenfranchisement, silencing their agency and reinforcing their outsider status.
Despite recent government initiatives and grassroots support, language remains one of the most deeply entrenched—and yet most addressable—barriers to social inclusion. It continues to cast many Southeast Asian marriage migrants as perpetual outsiders, estranged even within their own homes and communities.
Employment Barriers
While approximately 74 percent of new immigrant spouses in Taiwan are employed—according to data from the Ministry of Labor—language proficiency remains a critical determinant of job quality, stability, and mobility. For many Southeast Asian marriage migrants, limited fluency in Mandarin or Taiwanese acts as a barrier to better employment opportunities. In a recent national survey, “foreign country” spouses (mostly Southeast Asians and others) were much more likely than mainland Chinese spouses to report problems in Chinese literacy and communication while on the job. About one in four new immigrant workers said they faced job‐related difficulties; among women the top concerns were low pay, juggling family and work, and especially weak Chinese reading/writing skills.
This language gap often relegates migrant women to informal or low-skilled sectors such as domestic caregiving, factory work, or hospitality—fields where linguistic competence is essential for safety and communication yet seldom supported through structured language training. Even with Taiwan’s New Southbound Policy (NSP, 新南向政策) aiming to boost economic and people-to-people exchanges between Taiwan and countries in Southeast Asia, the NSP has failed to address labor issues, and many Taiwanese employers do not hire non‐Chinese speakers beyond menial tasks. Mandarin proficiency is frequently treated as a baseline requirement for employment, and hiring decisions often depend on social referrals rather than formal channels. As one Indonesian resident explained bluntly, “Almost all jobs in Taiwan require at least understanding Chinese.” One study found that many employers explicitly associate Southeast Asian migrants with low-skill labor and express concerns over their communication abilities—even when candidates have prior experience or relevant education. This dynamic reinforces a pattern of “double exclusion,” where migrants are disadvantaged both structurally—through the lack of accessible language training, adequate formal job matching services, and inclusive labor policies—and through employer bias. [5]
Without adequate language proficiency, many migrant women remain trapped in a cycle of constrained opportunity—ultimately reinforcing stereotypes about their educational backgrounds and capabilities and perpetuating a broader pattern of economic precarity and social marginalization.
Healthcare Access and Utilization
In addition to limiting employment opportunities, language barriers are also a critical obstacle preventing Southeast Asian marriage migrants in Taiwan from accessing timely and effective healthcare. Most of these women, lacking basic language and literacy skills, struggle with low health literacy, making it difficult to understand medical information or navigate the healthcare system. In practice, this often results in missed preventive care, misunderstanding of diagnoses or treatment plans, and harmful outcomes. According to one 2019 survey, 17.1 percent of marital migrants cited language barriers when visiting doctors, frequently leading to miscommunication, incorrect treatments, or delayed care. One woman mistakenly fed her child the wrong formula due to instructions written only in Chinese; another was unable to convey a serious medication allergy, placing her in immediate danger. [6] In the absence of professional interpretation, many women rely on spouses, children, or informal helpers to communicate—raising significant risks to patient safety and autonomy.
These real-world consequences underscore the urgent need for a more systematic and equitable approach to language access in healthcare. A 2019 study found that 60 percent of migrant respondents wanted an in-person interpreter, while 51 percent requested medical documents in their native language. One Vietnamese interviewee reflected, “I couldn’t understand anything… medical information was beyond reach until a health center translator helped.”
Taiwan has taken steps to improve healthcare access for migrants under the Ministry of Health and Welfare’s 2016 “Multi-language Translation for Healthcare Service Initiative.” Measures include an online platform to match volunteer interpreters, pilot instant interpretation services, and the translation of 225 medical forms into 20 languages. Migrant-friendly clinics have also been piloted at Taipei Veterans General Hospital (north), Changhua Christian Hospital (central/west), Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital (east), and Kaohsiung Medical University Hospital (south). However, a 2020 study found that these initiatives remain fragmented, highlighting significant gaps in the availability of professional medical interpreters, the lack of a legal framework to protect medical interpreting, and insufficient dissemination of information about national healthcare resources to support migrants in Taiwan. [7]
Without treating language access as essential healthcare infrastructure—rather than an optional support—Taiwan will continue to underserve one of its most vulnerable populations.
Social Acceptance and Discrimination
Beyond services, language differences influence how society treats foreign spouses. As a result, public attitudes in Taiwan remain ambivalent. Surveys of expatriates praise Taiwanese friendliness, but many local citizens are still unaccustomed to non‐Chinese speakers. Even the common term “foreign bride” betrays bias: it implies pervasive xenophobia and discrimination against married immigrant women, casting them as outsiders and subordinates. Language aptitude—or lack thereof—often reinforces stereotypes. For instance, Indonesian brides who can speak the Hakka dialect are seen more favorably and have fewer issues communicating, while those who only speak their native tongue are often marginalized. [8]
These linguistic deficits also create dependency and power imbalances within families. Many new immigrant women rely heavily on their husbands or in-laws to navigate daily life. This dynamic can reinforce the stereotype of the “submissive foreign wife,” limiting their autonomy and increasing their vulnerability—especially in abusive households. Linguistic isolation is a known factor in preventing women from reporting domestic violence or accessing help, leaving many trapped in silence.
Outside the home, social and familial exclusion is common. A 2025 feature by the Taiwanese National Immigration Agency (NIA, 內政部移民署) lists “lack of social support networks” and strained family relationships—particularly difficulties with spouses and in-laws, including frequent conflicts with mothers-in-law—as key integration challenges faced by new immigrant women from Southeast Asia in Taiwan. Migrant women who speak “broken” Mandarin often find themselves ignored by colleagues or neighbors. Some face outright discrimination at work: long-time workers reported that such women often earned lower pay for the same work compared to their counterparts—i.e. local Taiwanese women—or were passed over for promotions by colleagues due to perceived language deficiencies.
Within the household, language barriers are also closely linked to stigma and interpersonal strain. Research shows that miscommunication with in-laws, especially mothers-in-law, frequently provokes conflict and emotional distress for such women in Taiwan. [9] One illustrative case involved a Vietnamese woman who could not understand her mother-in-law’s mixture of Mandarin and Hoklo, prompting the mother-in-law to call a government-supported hotline for translation assistance in order to communicate how to feed the baby properly. This reliance on third-party intervention underscores how limited language proficiency can disrupt even basic caregiving routines and familial trust. They also often feel disrespected or misunderstood, reinforcing their perception as outsiders in both familial and societal contexts. [10] Such linguistic exclusion compounds social stigma and isolates migrant women from broader community life and women often remain at home, unable to join local groups or events without language support.
Still, many foreign brides are eager to integrate. One survey notes that “many new immigrant women are eager to learn the language and understand local culture” in hopes of gaining respect and social acceptance. Yet, even these efforts are often met with limited institutional support—such as insufficient access to affordable and flexible language classes, lack of culturally sensitive social services, inadequate outreach programs, and minimal governmental or community resources to assist with their social integration—and public ambivalence. In this context, language barriers do more than isolate, they contribute to a wider system of structural and symbolic exclusion that keeps women on the margins of both family and society.
Grassroots Efforts and Policy Recommendations
In Taiwan, grassroots movements have proven essential in addressing the language-related marginalization of Southeast Asian marriage migrants—especially where state efforts fall short. The TransAsia Sisters Association, Taiwan (TASAT), founded in 2003, is a standout example. Originally launched to provide literacy classes to immigrant brides, TASAT has evolved into a dynamic advocacy force led by and for migrant women. It operates multilingual hotlines, peer-staffed workshops, and creative platforms like the TASAT Troupe, which uses theater to expose the lived consequences of linguistic and social exclusion.
Similarly, the Alliance for Human Rights Legislation for Immigrants and Migrants (AHRLIM)—founded by Taiwanese researcher and activist Hsia Hsiao-chuan (夏曉鵑)—has played a pivotal role in shaping national policy. Through large-scale grassroots mobilization, AHRLIM successfully pushed for major amendments to Taiwan’s Immigration Act (2007) and the Statute Governing Relations with Mainland China (2009), amplifying the voices of immigrant communities and strengthening legal protections for foreign spouses. [11]
Migrant women have been central to these movements, demonstrating that language barriers are not simply personal challenges—they are deeply political issues tied to legal status, access to citizenship, and public recognition. Yet, while grassroots efforts like TASAT and AHRLIM have made significant gains, they cannot shoulder this burden alone. These community-based responses must be reinforced by state-led, structural interventions that address the root causes of exclusion and remove linguistic barriers across all sectors—employment, healthcare, and other social services.
Based on my research, I propose the following targeted policy recommendations:
Expand language education: The government should subsidize Mandarin and Taiwanese language courses for immigrant spouses, both pre-arrival and post-arrival, through municipal service centers and trusted community organizations such as TASAT. These programs should offer flexible scheduling and provide on-site childcare to accommodate caregiving responsibilities, employ bilingual instructors and peer mentors to enhance accessibility, and be formally linked to residency and naturalization pathways, providing supportive—not punitive—language proficiency benchmarks.
Ensure Interpretation in Public Services: Public hospitals and clinics should mandate the use of professional interpreters to ensure effective communication. Services should be offered in major migrant languages such as Vietnamese, Indonesian, Tagalog, and Thai. Additionally, key forms, prescriptions, and educational materials must be translated into these languages. To further support diverse communities, multilingual assistance should also be expanded in schools and social welfare offices.
Enhance community outreach. Municipal integration centers should be established by local governments in partnership with the NIA under the Ministry of the Interior, and supported by trusted community organizations like TASAT. They should be financially supported by the NIA and staffed by local governments to offer valuable services such as peer-led language cafés and civic education programs. These centers can also provide parenting support and raise awareness of rights among immigrant families. To reach isolated or rural women, home visits should be conducted, ensuring that support is accessible to all members of the community.
Strengthen Parental Engagement: Schools should be equipped to engage immigrant mothers in meaningful ways by hiring bilingual parent liaisons who can bridge language and cultural gaps. Interpreted school events and translated materials should be provided to ensure accessibility for all families. Additionally, involving immigrant mothers as classroom assistants and cultural ambassadors can foster a more inclusive and supportive educational environment.
By treating language support as foundational, Taiwan can turn diversity into strength. In the words of one official, foreign spouses and their children “are a new generation of Taiwanese” who are worth the government’s attention. Reducing linguistic barriers will help these families fully participate in society—from the marketplace to the hospitals—and will not only improve the lives of these women but also build a more inclusive, cohesive Taiwanese society.
The main point: Limited proficiency in Mandarin lies at the core of the challenges faced by Southeast Asian marriage migrants in Taiwan. It underpins their struggles with employment discrimination, healthcare access, and social exclusion, reinforcing their marginalization within families and society. To break this cycle, Taiwan must invest in accessible language education, mandate professional interpretation in public services, and expand community outreach programs. Only by doing so can Taiwan ensure the full participation of these women, and build a truly inclusive society.
This research was supported by the Taiwan Education and Research Program (TERP) Fellowship at the Sigur Center for Asian Studies, George Washington University.
[1] Ministry of the Interior, Immigration Agency, ROC, “Number of Foreign Spouses and Mainland (Including Hong Kong and Macao) Spouses,” Data.gov.tw, https://data.gov.tw/en/datasets/13503.
[2] Danièle Bélanger, Hye-Kyung Lee, and Hong-Zen Wang, “Ethnic Diversity and Statistics in East Asia: ‘Foreign Brides’ Surveys in Taiwan and South Korea,” Ethnic and Racial Studies 33, no. 6 (2010): 1108.
[3] Hong-Zen Wang and Danièle Bélanger, “Taiwanizing Female Immigrant Spouses and Materializing Differential Citizenship,” Citizenship Studies 12, no. 1 (2008): 91.
[4] Pei-Chia Lan, “From Reproductive Assimilation to Neoliberal Multiculturalism: Framing and Regulating Immigrant Mothers and Children in Taiwan,” Journal of Intercultural Studies 40, no. 3 (2019): 318.
[5] Hae Na Kim, Yun Hsiang Hsu, Chih-Yu Chen, and Kuo-Jung Lin, “How Are Migrants Viewed in the Eyes of Employers? Double Exclusion among Immigrants in Taiwan,” Omnes 10, no. 2 (2020): 121–23.
[6] Feng-Yuan Chu et al., “Factors Associated with Access of Marital Migrants and Migrant Workers to Healthcare in Taiwan: A Questionnaire Survey with Quantitative Analysis,” International Journal of Environmental Research and Public Health 16, no. 16 (August 8, 2019): 2830.
[7] Kuan, Ai Seon, Tzeng-Ji Chen, and Wui-Chiang Lee. “Barriers to Health Care Services in Migrants and Potential Strategies to Improve Accessibility: A Qualitative Analysis.” Journal of the Chinese Medical Association 83, no. 1 (January 2020): 95–101.
[8] Chih-jou Jay Chen and Te-lin Yu, “Public Attitudes toward Taiwan’s Immigration Policies,” Taiwanese Sociology, no. 10 (December 2005): 95–148.
[9] Ibid.
[10] Shu, Bih-Ching, For-Wey Lung, and Ching-Hsing Chen. “Mental Health of Female Foreign Spouses in Transnational Marriages in Southern Taiwan.” BMC Psychiatry 11, no. 1 (2011): 4. https://doi.org/10.1186/1471-244X-11-4
[11] Lu, Melody Chia-Wen, and Wei-Jun Jean Yeung. “The Rise in Cross-National Marriages and the Emergent Inequalities in East and Southeast Asia.” Sociology Compass 18, no. 5 (2024): 8–9. https://doi.org/10.1111/soc4.13219.
[12] Hsiao-Chuan Hsia, “Foreign Brides, Multiple Citizenship and the Immigrant Movement in Taiwan,” Asian and Pacific Migration Journal 18, no. 1 (2009): 17–46."
https://globaltaiwan.org/2025/06/lost-in-translation/
#metaglossia_mundus
"Preserving Languages and Amplifying Indigenous Women’s Poetry through the Art of Translation
Clare Sullivan
June 18, 2025
By Stephanie Godward, Communications and Marketing Director, College of Arts & Sciences
The driving force behind Clare Sullivan’s work as a translator of Indigenous poetry stems from the answer to this question: “Who are the people we hear from the least?”
“It was women,” Sullivan said. “And who do we hear from even less? Indigenous women, who are seldom read, and who are seldom recognized on so many levels. There's so much prejudice within their own countries against Indigenous people. I thought that would be a great place to start, to find these voices that are getting completely lost, and the languages that are getting lost, unfortunately. This felt like something urgent to do, that would give meaning to what I am doing.”
A Spanish professor in the Department of Classical and Modern Languages, Sullivan recently received a Distinguished Faculty Award for Outstanding Scholarship, Research, and Creative Activity in Humanities within the College of Arts & Sciences.
Sullivan holds a PhD in Spanish from New York University and received a 2010 grant from the National Endowment for the Arts to translate Natalia Toledo’s Olivo negro. Guie' yaase'. Published as The Black Flower and other Zapotec Poems(Phoneme Media, 2015), her translation was shortlisted for the Best Translated Book Award of 2015.
In her career as a translator, Sullivan said the most important aspect is time, because time creates the space for trust to grow.
"Natalia Toleda and I just finished a book together, and the book itself was a process of about ten years,” Sullivan said. “We have been working together for 15 years at least, maybe a little more, and she’s just starting to trust me, frankly. It takes a long time to build that.”
It also takes time to visit the writer’s home country and to get to know as much as possible about the language and culture, which is often difficult because there is no relation between the Indigenous languages of Mexico and Spanish or English.
“So, it’s starting from zero,” she states. “It takes a lot of learning and research. And besides time, it’s the dialogue that you develop with the author, and other people from the community. You have to ask tons of questions. Sometimes Natalia laughs at me and says, ‘More questions from you?’ You need to ask because you don’t know what you don’t know. Especially in poetry, you want to know the details. You’ve got to ask a lot of questions.”
Earlier in her career, Sullivan was a member of the Peace Corps in the Dominican Republic. She spent a lot of time with children there, and discovered a culture reliant on oral communication, with a lack of electricity and a lack of televisions.
“People spend a lot of time talking. The kids would always come over to me with riddles, or sing songs, and I was trying to share these things I was getting. I was also trying to read a lot in Spanish. I wanted to share with my family or friends from home. And that’s what got me started,” she said.
When she started teaching Spanish, she learned more and more about different cultures.
“It was amazing that initially I did not know there were more than 68 languages in Mexico besides Spanish, and it was this mind-blowing thing, and a part of the learning experience about language,” Sullivan said. “It showed us how diverse and complex language really is. It kept exploding, because then you realize there are so many more languages in every culture, on every continent, than you know about.”
Sullivan particularly focuses on translating poetry because of its universal nature amongst humanity.
“What I have always loved about poetry is that it connects people. That’s why there is poetry in every culture and in every language. It's very human,” Sullivan said. “It’s connected to senses, sight, sound, even taste, and it’s a way to reproduce experience, or more than ideas. It’s about sharing experience from one person to another and maybe from one culture or language to another. It lends itself to understanding other people and to connecting with other people.”
Sullivan says the key to translation is deep listening.
"I used to think that translation is the deepest form of reading. It is because you don’t just read something; you read it so many times. But it’s even more about listening. I love when a poet can give me a recording so that I can listen to the music of it,” she said. “In order to understand it, I have to listen to the poet and to the poetry. And it’sreally helpful to memorize a poem, too. You're drawn into another world in a way once you can hear that original and internalize it somewhat.”
As she reflects on her work as a translator and teacher, the line between the two becomes beautifully blurred.
“Translation and teaching are tied,” she says.
Through the act of translation, students gain deep insight into language, literature, and culture—developing research skills and critical thinking along the way. It’s a process that demands close reading, cultural inquiry, and ongoing curiosity.
And while Sullivan shares her expertise, she also continues to learn—from her students, from contemporary texts, and from the ever-evolving conversation between languages and lives.
“It’s a partnership,” she says.
One that keeps both the classroom, and the translation work vibrant, connected, and deeply human."
https://louisville.edu/artsandsciences/news/all/preserving-languages-and-amplifying-indigenous-women2019s-poetry-through-the-art-of-translation
#metaglossia_mundus
"Laura Spinney draws on recent evidence to tell this story by putting together linguistics, archaeology and genetic research to trace the movement of people and their language.
Proto: How One Ancient Language Went Global
Ganesh Saili
Updated on:
22 Jun 2025, 1:30 am
... The Indo-European family of languages covers most of Europe, the Iranian plateau, northern India and parts of Asia. It is spoken by almost half of all living people, and they all stem from a common source. English, Hindustani, Spanish, Russian, Sanskrit, Greek, Latin, Norse and more than four hundred others can be traced to their origins. Laura Spinney’s new book tells the story of how Proto-Indo-European (PIE) may initially have been spoken as a kind of language of only a few dozen people evolved into the mother tongue of billions.
The words we use feel inevitable. We take them for granted. But they began to come alive some six thousand years ago, when copper was being smithed in the lands to the west of the Black Sea.
As the traders travelled, the words they shared went with them across the Black Sea and then around the world: from the forests of Romania to the steppe of Odessa, now with the development of larger and larger settlements, with steppe herders becoming global traders, now with roads, with the crossing of the Volga, sped up by the wheel, and on to the edge of China.
Laura Spinney draws on recent evidence to tell this story by putting together linguistics, archaeology and genetic research to trace the movement of people and their language. Making these links is not straightforward. PIE was not written down; it has been reconstructed by comparing the languages that evolved from it.
There are between 1,000 and 2,000 PIE words, and Spinney’s book is at its most interesting when dealing with them. Scholars think PIE must have existed among the coppersmiths because that is long enough ago for the various languages to have branched off from them, given what we know about language change. Intermarrying brought multilingual children. Spinney’s sees the Yamnaya nomads take PIE from the steppes to the edge of China, back into Europe, down through India and Iran. The combination of evidence from different disciplines makes this a compelling case. In India today, for example, speakers of Sanskrit-derived languages have more than non-Sanskrit language speakers.
Spinney concludes that people are moving around the sea today for commerce, war and climate change. The language you’re reading this in will change. It will change as it has always done. When PIE came to Europe around 2000 B.C., about seven million people lived there. It is as if Italy had taken over New York in the early 20th century. However scary we might find such a future, one in which languages rise and fall, cultures come and go, given our past, this too shall change.
Makes for an interesting read."
https://www.newindianexpress.com/lifestyle/books/2025/Jun/22/the-story-of-language
#metaglossia_mundus
"Publié le samedi 21 juin 2025 à 20h13min
PARTAGER :
Le 20 juin 2025, Kountiala Jean de Dieu Somé, spécialiste en langues et cultures, traducteur-interprète a soutenu sa thèse de doctorat en éducation à l’Université de l’Etat d’Illinois aux Etats-Unis. Ses recherches, dont les résultats ont été exposés devant un jury composé de Dr. Ellis Hurd (President du comité), Dr. Beth MacDonald (membre), Dr. Carolyn Hunt (membre), ont examiné l’influence des politiques de langues officielles et langues de travail sur la planification des langues nationales dans des pays comme le Burkina Faso.
Partant d’un constat général que les politiques linguistiques actuelles demeurent idéologiquement similaires à l’idéologie linguistique des politiques des colons français et à celles des multiples reformes après les indépendances, il a recommandé une approche de planification des langues qui mettra le français, l’anglais, et les langues nationales dans un seul répertoire linguistique, à promouvoir comme tel dans tous les domaines socioprofessionnels et surtout dans le domaine de l’éducation.
Il n’est secret pour personne que les pays africains peinent à s’affirmer sur le plan international sur les questions des langues africaines. S’ils ont réussi à conquérir, dans une certaine mesure, leur indépendance politique, leur assujettissement à l’idéologie linguistique coloniale demeure une réalité à travers les pratiques de langues officielles et langues de travail. Cette idéologie coloniale qui voudrait que le français, l’anglais ou le portugais soient les seules langues officielles ou les seules langues d’expression des savoirs et expertises dans des espaces du pouvoir d’état est maintenue, d’une part, à cause de la profondeur de ses racines dans les systèmes hérités et, d’autre part, à cause de son implication pour les identités socioprofessionnelles individuelles.
L’idéologie linguistique des pouvoirs coloniaux en Afrique se manifestait par une classification hiérarchique des langues dans laquelle la langue du colon était jugée supérieure aux langues africaines. Cette idéologie privilégiait aussi le monolinguisme, considérant le multilinguisme et le plurilinguisme comme un problème. Ainsi, l’imposition des langues coloniales était une solution au problème multilingue et l’officialisation de ces langues après les indépendances a maintenu cette vue.
L’officialisation des langues européennes dans les années 60 et l’identification des pays africains par la langue dominante de leurs anciens colons (pays francophones, anglophones ou lusophones) avait immédiatement créé un contexte de colonialité linguistique et de dépendance épistémique qui, respectivement conditionnent l’accès aux opportunités nationales via le français, l’anglais ou le portugais et recherche une validation de la scientificité des savoirs via des standards euro-centriques.
Dans l’analyse des approches de reformes des politiques linguistiques au Burkina Faso de l’indépendance à nos jours, Kountiala Jean de Dieu Somé a relevé une résistance de l’idéologie linguistique héritée à toutes les initiatives de réparation de l’injustice linguistique subie par les langues nationales depuis la colonisation. Les intentions de reformes pour valoriser les langues et cultures et tirer profit de notre diversité linguistique sont souvent contredites par cette idéologie qui maintient la maitrise du français écrit comme condition d’accès aux opportunités nationales. Cette idéologie a influencé la formulation de l’article 35 de la loi constitutionnelle de 2023 au Burkina Faso qui fait du français et de l’anglais langues de travail. Elle s’est aussi exprimée dans les récentes réformes linguistiques du Mali en 2023 et du Niger en 2025.
Les identités linguistiques officielles créées par le colon ont été maintenues
L’administration coloniale avait créé des identités linguistiques officielles (francophone, anglophone, lusophone, etc.) requises pour les affaires coloniales. Malheureusement ces identités ont été maintenues après les indépendances et élevées au-dessus de nos identités sociolinguistiques (plurilingues). M. Somé a soutenu la thèse que nos identités plurilingues (capacité à parler les langues d’origine européenne et nos langues nationales) sont un atout qui ne nous profitera que si elles sont reconnues comme telles dans les politiques linguistiques nationales et sectorielles.
Analysant les pratiques d’utilisation des langues dans des secteurs autres que l’éducation, le nouveau docteur soutient qu’une politique de promotion des langues nationales dans des pays comme le Burkina Faso requière une approche intégrée de planification des langues, pas uniquement pour des objectifs éducatifs, mais aussi et surtout pour des objectifs socioprofessionnels.
Dans une telle approche, les langues nationales et langues dites « étrangères » ou de « travail » doivent être abordées comme des langues faisant partie d’un seul répertoire linguistique national, chacune ayant déjà un statut scientifique et pouvant enrichir l’autre. Cette approche rejette le patriotisme linguistique qui voudrait que les langues dites étrangères soient remplacées par des langues nationales. Les tentatives de remplacement des langues dominantes par d’autres langues dominantes se heurtent souvent à des disputes communautaires sur quelle langue introniser à la place des langues étrangères et conduisent toujours à une préférence d’une langue neutre pour éviter les conflits : la langue étrangère. L’approche intégrée rejette aussi les options de subordination des langues nationales consistant à attribuer des fonctions et avantages limités à la littéracie en langues nationales et illimitée à celle dans les langues d’origine européenne.
L’approche intégrée de planification des langues défendue demande un regard de chaque burkinabé comme un plurilingue ayant dans son répertoire linguistique plusieurs langues. En cas d’appel à l’expression de leurs connaissance et compétences, l’accent devrait être mis sur leurs savoirs et expertises avec des options d’expression en langues nationales ou langues d’origine européenne (qui font aujourd’hui parti des langues nationales). L’idéologie derrière cette approche demande une valorisation du savoir et du savant avant toute considération de la langue d’expression de son savoir. Elle rejet l’exclusion systématique de certains citoyens aux opportunités nationales sur la base de leur capacité à lire ou à écrire dans des langues d’origine européennes.
L’adoption d’une telle idéologie dans la formulation des politiques linguistiques peut permettre la valorisation des experts comme feu Yacouba Sawadogo dans l’administration publique, quitte à lui attribuer des interprètes pour des besoins de communication avec les mondes francophone, anglophone et les autres communautés linguistiques.
Les langues nationales doivent permettre l’accès aux opportunités nationales
Kountiala Jean de Dieu Somé estime que la justice linguistique recherchée à travers les différentes reformes de politiques linguistiques n’est possible que si la question des langues est traitée comme une question transversale ayant des implications professionnelles, économiques et politiques. Tant que les langues nationales ne permettent pas l’accès aux opportunités nationales accessibles via le français, l’anglais et bien d’autres langues d’origine européenne, leur promotion demeurera des rhétoriques politiques.
Pour bénéficier de nos identités plurilingues et promouvoir toutes nos langues, Dr Somé appelle à des textes nationaux (constitution, loi, décret, etc.) qui promeuvent le plurilinguisme dans tous les domaines. Ces textes nationaux pourraient ensuite être traduits en plans stratégiques avec des lignes d’activités et de budget de promotion des langues nationales. Cela pourrait par exemple signifier l’ouverture de certains postes aux experts et savants ne pouvant exprimer leurs savoirs qu’en langues nationales, la recherche et la traduction entre langues nationales et les langues actuellement constitutionnalisées langues de travail et la création de répertoire de documents en langues nationales, spécifiques à chaque ministères pouvant être déversés aux ministères de l’éducation pour la conception des curricula.
Pour un suivi des efforts de chaque ministère, Kountiala Jean de Dieu Somé recommande la création d’un organe stratégique qui sera rattaché à la présidence ou à la primature. Un tel organe, au Burkina Faso, pourrait être le Secrétariat permanent de Promotion des langues nationales et de l’éducation à la citoyenneté (SP PLNEC), à condition qu’il ne soit pas rattaché au ministère de l’Éducation, mais plutôt à la primature ou à la Présidence. Détaché du Ministère de l’éducation, le SP/PLNEC pourrait avoir un champ d’action plus large, y compris la collaboration avec des chercheurs et des techniciens pour garantir la création d’approches fondées sur l’équité dans l’utilisation et la relation des langues dans tous les secteurs, et principalement pour la redistribution des valeurs économiques et politiques entre toutes les langues du répertoire des langues du Burkina Faso.
Lefaso.net
Source : compte rendu de l’auteur
https://lefaso.net/spip.php?article138972
#metaglossia_mundus
"(Re)traduire les autrices du XIXe s. aujourd’hui : d’Emilia Pardo Bazán à la redécouverte d’un matrimoine européen (La Main De Thôt)
Date de tombée (deadline) : 15 Novembre 2025
À : UT2J
Publié le 18 Juin 2025 par Marc Escola (Source : Carole Fillière)
La Main De Thôt 2026 - N° 14
(Re)traduire les autrices du XIXe siècle aujourd’hui :
d’Emilia Pardo Bazán à la redécouverte d’un matrimoine européen
Amélie Florenchie, Emilie Guyard et Carole Fillière (éds.)
La circulation des textes dans l’espace public est un enjeu politique majeur. L’invisibilisation systématique des textes d’autorité féminine est un phénomène qui a largement été constaté et qui est désormais réparé grâce à un processus dit de réhabilitation [1]. Il s’agit de récupérer tout un patrimoine féminin -un matrimoine [2]- et de le faire connaître au-delà des frontières quelles qu’elles soient, réelles ou symboliques.
Du cas Emilia…
A l’instar d’autres auteurs espagnols du XIXe siècle, mais plus encore parce que c’était une femme et une personnalité publique polémique, Emilia Pardo Bazán n’a été que peu traduite en français [3] : on compte aujourd’hui seulement deux romans traduits (Los pazos de Ulloa et Un viaje de novios [4]) et une quarantaine de nouvelles traduites, réparties dans cinq recueils [5], alors qu’elle est l’autrice d’une œuvre prolifique : plus de 40 romans, plus de 600 nouvelles, des pièces de théâtre, des recueils de poésie, des centaines d’articles de presse, de nombreuses conférences, une autobiographie, plusieurs essais, biographies, hagiographies, carnets de voyage, livres de cuisine, etc.
Emilia Pardo Bazán est née en 1851 à La Corogne, en plein règne d’Isabelle II, et décédée en 1921 dans son pazo de Meirás, non loin de sa ville natale. Elle est également l’autrice d’une œuvre moderne, car elle fut pionnière dans bien des domaines, comme le naturalisme (La cuestión palpitante) ou du le genre policier (« La gota de sangre », « La cana », etc.). Elle fut enfin une femme moderne, engagée dans la défense des droits des femmes puis ouvertement féministe. Autant d’éléments qui ont contribué, par la suite, à une invisibilisation partielle de son œuvre.
De nombreux travaux ont été menés sur l’œuvre d’Emilia Pardo Bazán, sur sa réception à l’étranger, et notamment en France, mais nous proposons d’aborder cette œuvre à cheval sur le XIXe et le XXe siècles sous l’angle de sa traduction pour la faire (re)découvrir à un public francophone. Le projet NUMILIA [6] s’est ainsi donné pour objectif de « réhabiliter » une partie de l’œuvre de l’autrice avec la publication de la traduction inédite en français de « La gota de sangre » coordonnée par Emilie Guyard chez Un@éditions et la prochaine publication de la traduction d’une sélection de nouvelles féministes inédites en français coordonnées par Amélie Florenchie et Catherine Orsini, chez le même éditeur [7]. Une journée d’études organisée en avril 2025 autour de ces deux publications est à l’origine de ce nouveau numéro de LMDT dont la première partie est consacrée au cas d’Emilia Pardo Bazán et la seconde aux autrices européennes.
… à l’Europe du XIXe (re)traduite de nos jours
Dans ce numéro, il s’agira d’entamer un dialogue avec d’autres chercheur.euses sur ce que signifie (re)traduire au XXIe siècle l’œuvre d’écrivaines européennes du XIXe siècle et réhabiliter un matrimoine encore largement méconnu en tant que tel, depuis une perspective qui ne peut ignorer ni l’évolution de la condition des femmes ni celle du regard qui est porté sur leurs productions culturelles et artistiques. Voici quelques lignes de recherche :
1. Qui sont les autrices du matrimoine européen du XIXe siècle à (re)traduire ?
2. Quels sont les enjeux de la retraduction d'une autrice du canon ?
3. Qu'implique aujourd’hui la traduction d’un texte écrit par une femme du XIXe siècle ? Et la traduction d’un texte écrit par une féministe du XIXe siècle ?
4. Quelles stratégies utiliser pour traduire aujourd'hui un texte qui s’inspire de courants et tendances esthétiques du XIXe siècle (romantisme, réalisme, naturalisme, modernisme, mais aussi genres émergents comme le genre policier, le genre fantastique, etc.) ?
5. Qu’est-ce qu’une traduction féministe ? Quels en sont les objectifs et les éventuelles limites ?
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BIBLIOGRAPHIE indicative
Emilia Pardo Bazán
Bieder, Maryellen, (1995) « Emilia Pardo Bazán y la emergencia del discurso feminista » in Zavala, Iris M. (coord.), Breve historia feminista de la literatura española (en lengua castellana). V. La literatura escrita por mujer (Del s. XIX a la actualidad). Barcelone, Anthropos, pp. 76-97.
Burdiel, Isabel, (2021 [2019]) Emilia Pardo Bazán. Madrid, Taurus. Col. Españoles eminentes.
Freire López, Ana María, (2005) « Las traducciones de la obra de Emilia Pardo Bazan en vida de la escritora », La Tribuna: cadernos de estudios da Casa Museo Emilia Pardo Bazán. Nº 3, pp. 21-38, disponible sur : https://www.cervantesvirtual.com/obra-visor/las-traducciones-de-la-obra-de-emilia-pardo-bazan-en-vida-de-la-escritora/html/020e2b4a-82b2-11df-acc7-002185ce6064_10.html#I_0
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (1883 [1975]) La tribuna. Édition de Benito Varela Jácome. Madrid, Cátedra.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2008 [1990]) Le château d’Ulloa. Traduction de Nelly Clémessy. Paris, Viviane Hamy.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (1992a) Nouvelles de Galice. Édition bilingue. Préface et traduction d’Isabelle Dupré & Caroline Pascal. Nantes, Le Passeur-Cecofop.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2016) « Feminista, d’Emilia Pardo Bazán ». Traduction de Carole Fillière, in Hibbs, Solange et Ramon, Viviane (coords.), Voix de femmes. Hommage à Karen Meschia. Toulouse, Presses du Mirail, p. 40-43.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2018) El encaje roto. Antología de cuentos de violencia contra las mujeres. Édition et prologue de Cristina Patiño Eirín. Saragosse, Contraseña.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2021 [1999]) La mujer española y otros escritos. Édition de Guadalupe Gómez-Ferrer. Madrid, Cátedra, colección « Clásicos del feminismo ».
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2021a) Algo de feminismo y otros textos combativos. Sélection, édition et notes de Marisa Sotelo Vázquez. Madrid, Alianza editorial.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2021b) Contes d’amour. Traduction d’Isabelle Taillandier. Clamecy, La Reine Blanche.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2022a) La dentelle déchirée. Traduction d’Isabelle Taillandier. Clamecy, La Reine Blanche.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2022b) Naufragées. Traduction d’Isabelle Taillandier. Clamecy, La Reine Blanche.
Pardo Bazán, Emilia, (2025) Une goutte de sang. Traduction collective coordonnée par Emilie Guyard. Bordeaux, Un@éditions. Disponible sur : https://una-editions.fr/une-goutte-de-sang/
Thion Soriano-Mollá, Dolores, (2021) « Emilia Pardo Bazán, una intelectual moderna, también de la Edad de Plata », Feminismo/s. Nº 37, pp. 53-80.
Traduction féministe
Brufau Alvira, Nuria, (2011) “Traducción y género: el estado de la cuestión en España = Translation and gender: the state of the art in Spain” @ MonTI 3, 181-207.
Castro Vázquez, Olga & Emek Ergun, (2017) Feminist Translation Studies. Local and Transnational Perspectives. London, Routledge.
Flotow, Luise von, (1997) Translation and Gender. Translating in the ‘Era of Feminism’. Manchester: St. Jerome.
Flotow, Luise von & Farzaneh Farahzad (eds.), (2017) Translating Women. Different Voices and New Horizons. New York: Routledge.
Flotow, Luise von & Hala Kamal, (2020), The Routledge Handbook of Translation, Feminism and Gender. London: Routledge.
Federici, Eleonora, (2011), Translating Gender. Bern: Peter Lang.
Godayol Nogué, Pilar, (2017) Tres escritoras censuradas. Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan y Mary McCarthy. Granada: Comares. ISBN 9788490454893. [2016. Tres escriptores censurades. Simone de Beauvoir, Betty Friedan & Mary McCarthy. Lleida: Punctum. ISBN 9788494377990]
Godayol Nogué, Pilar, (2019) “Translation and Gender” @ Valdeón, Roberto & África Vidal (eds.) 2019. Routledge Handbook of Spanish Translation Studies, 102-117. London: Routledge.
Godayol Nogué, Pilar, (2019b) “Feminist translation” @ Wyke, Ben Van & Kelly Washbourne (eds.) 2019. Routledge Handbook of Literary Translation Studies, 468-481. London: Routledge.
Hurtado Albir, Amparo, (2001) Traducción y traductología. Madrid, Ediciones Cátedra.
Massardier-Kenney, Françoise, (1997), « Towards e Redifinition of Feminist Translation Practice », The Translator. Nº3 (1), pp. 55-69.
Oster, Corinne, (2013) « La traduction est-elle une femme comme les autres ? – ou à quoi servent les études de genre en traduction ? », La main de Thôt. Nº1, disponible sur : http://interfas.univ-tlse2.fr/lamaindethot/127
Panchón Hidalgo, Marian & Gora Zaragoza Ninet, (2023) « Recuperación (de textos censurados de escritoras) ». Dictionnaire du genre en traduction / Dictionary of Gender in Translation / Diccionario del género en traducción. Disponible sur https://worldgender.cnrs.fr/es/entradas/recuperacion-de-textos-censurados-de-escritoras/
Riley, Catherine, (2018) Feminism and Women’s Writing. Edinburgh: Edinburgh University Press.
Santaemilia Ruiz, José (ed.), (2017) Traducir para la igualdad sexual / Translating for sexual equality. Granada: Comares.
Sardin, Pascale, (2009) Traduire le genre : femmes en traduction. Paris (France) : Presses Sorbonne nouvelle.
Simon, Sherry, (2023) Le genre en traduction : identité culturelle et politiques de transmission. Traduction de Corinne Oster. Arras, Artois Presses Université.
Matrimoine
Caeymaex, Florence, (2021) « Reprise. Mémoire, histoire et espace public à l’épreuve du matrimoine », Matrimoine. Quand des femmes occupent l’espace public. Cahiers du Centre Pluridisciplinaire de la Transmission de la Mémoire, #2, MNEMA- Cité Miroir, Liège, p. 177-191.
Chabod, France, (2023) « En quête du matrimoine au Centre des archives du féminisme », Bulletin des Bibliothèques de France, 2, p.1-9.
Donadille, Julien, (2019) « Un "matrimoine de raison" Que faire des fonds patrimoniaux non classés dans une bibliothèque territoriale ? », Bulletin des Bibliothèques de France, 21 novembre 2019, p.1-7.
Évain, Aurore, (2008) « Histoire d’‘autrice’, de l’époque latine à nos jours », Femmes et langues, numéro spécial de la revue Sêméion. Travaux de sémiologie, Anne-Marie HOUDEBINE (dir.), 2008, pp. 53-62, réédition numérique, http://siefar.org/wp-content/uploads/2015/09/Histoire-dautrice-A_-Evain.pdf , SIEFAR (Société Internationale pour l'Étude des Femmes de l'Ancien Régime).
Hertz, Ellen, (2002) « Le matrimoine » dans M.-O. GONSETH, J. HAINARD et KAEHR R. (dir.), Le musée cannibale, Neuchâtel, Musée d’ethnographie, p. 153-168.
Moreau, Antoine, (2018) « Matrimoine, le patrimoine à l’ère de l’internet et du numérique ». Hyperheritage International Symposium (HIS) 5, Patrimoines et design d’expérience à l’ère numérique., May, Constantine, Algérie.
Riuz, Geneviève, (2020) « Non, “matrimoine” n’est pas un néologisme », Hémisphères, revue suisse de la recherche et de ses applications, no18.
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Les propositions (10 lignes maximum, comprenant un titre, un résumé et des mots-clés, en français ou en espagnol) doivent être envoyées au plus tard le 15 novembre 2025 aux adresses suivantes : carole.filliere@univ-tlse2.fr, emilie.guyard@univ-pau.fr et aflorenchie@u-bordeaux-montaigne.fr
Les articles sélectionnés sur proposition seront à envoyer aux mêmes adresses pour le 1er mars 2026.
Responsable :
Amélie Florenchie, Emilie Guyard, Carole Fillière
Url de référence :
https://interfas.univ-tlse2.fr/lamaindethot/
https://www.fabula.org/actualites/128303/la-main-de-thot-2026-n-14-re-traduire-les-autrices.html
#metaglossia_mundus
"Two Welsh councils could work closer together on translating documents into Welsh, including using AI technology.
Councils, and other public bodies, are legally required to produce documents and provide services in Welsh.
Monmouthshire County Council looked at alternatives to its current use of external translators as part of its budget-setting process due to increased demand which has seen spending on translations exceed the allocated budget.
Its performance and overview scrutiny committee was told total costs, to the council of providing Welsh language services, was £226,940 last year.
But it wasn’t clear if that figure only covered translations or also the cost of two officers. Equalities and Welsh language manager, Pennie Walker, described the “major costs” as translations and her salary, and that of the Welsh language officer, while ensuring compliance with Welsh language standards is the “day to day responsibility of all officers”.
Nia Roberts, the Welsh language officer, said closer working with neighbouring Torfaen Borough Council is currently “the most desired option” to save on translation costs and it is already using AI, also known as artificial intelligence.
Ms Roberts said Monmouthshire currently uses external translators, who may already be using AI systems, but that wouldn’t produce a saving for the council as it currently pays by the word.
She said AI would “never produce 100 per cent accurate translations” and added: “It will need to have some kind of proof reading to make sure the translation is accurate.”
Rogiet Labour member Peter Strong had asked if a favoured option had emerged from the ongoing review that has also considered continuing with external translators and setting up its own in-house translation team.
Ms Roberts said joining with Torfaen “looks the more desirable” and said: “Torfaen is similar to Monmouthshire in the type of documents to be translated.”
She also said Torfaen uses technology that memorises words it has previously translated which would help with the consistency of documents.
Proof-reading required
Torfaen councillors, who were presented with their annual report on how their council is complying with Welsh language standards at their June meeting, were told AI has helped with increasing translations by 24 per cent on the previous year.
Torfaen’s Welsh language officer Alan Vernon-Jones cautioned: “Everything needs to be proof read by a competent Welsh speaker.”
Monmouthshire’s review of translations has also given “careful consideration” to the potential impact on small Welsh businesses, quality and timeliness, and the need to maintain full compliance with the Welsh language standards...
On AI Cllr Neill, who chairs the committee, said: “It sounds like AI doesn’t speak Welsh very well. The ‘tech bros’ are going to have to do some more work on it.”"
https://nation.cymru/news/councils-could-use-ai-to-translate-documents-into-welsh/
#metaglossia_mundus
"Manx Care says it's spent just over £23,000 on translators since 2021.
It gave the figures in response to a Freedom of Information request, saying the translators were needed to help patients with poor English.
The figures show this so far year, £1,255 has been spent on such services.
But the organisation hasn't provided any details about whether extra translators are needed during motorsport periods when the Island sees thousands of foreign visitors."
https://www.three.fm/news/isle-of-man-news/translators-paid-23000-by-manx-care-in-five-years/
#metaglossia_mundus
European literary organizations see the Archipelagos project as a way to identify and promote translations from lesser-used languages.
"Navigation
Europe’s ‘Archipelagos’ Project: Supporting Translators and Lesser-Used Languages
In News by Jaroslaw AdamowskiJune 16, 2025
European literary organizations see the Archipelagos project as a way to identify and promote translations from lesser-used languages.
Participants in a 2024 Berlin meeting of Ukrainian literature translators. Image: Atlas-CITL
By Jarosław Adamowksi | @JaroslawAdamows
Open for ‘Scouting Residency’ Applications
Today (June 16), a collective open call for scouting residencies for literary translators is announced by European literary organizations working to promote the Archipelagos project. The program is designed to unearth the diversity of literary voices in Europe by offering residencies to literary translators working in lesser-used languages.
Led by France’s Atlas-Citl (International College of Literary Translators), the Archipelagos project has eight main partners from seven countries. They work in 10 languages. There are four associated partners that support the project with dedicated activities such as a summer school for booksellers, seminars for librarians, and translation workshops.
The Archipelagos project will offer residencies over the next three years for more than 100 literary translators throughout Europe. There are also to be 10 translation workshops expected to attract as many as 150 participants.
The main partners of the project include:
Czechia’s Czechlit;
Bulgaria’s Next Page Foundation;
France’s IReMMO;
Germany’s Literarisches Colloquium Berlin;
Poland’s College of Eastern Europe;
Spain’s ACE Traductores; and
The Ukrainian Book Institute.
‘The Translator’s Scouting Activity’
Julie Duthey, who is responsible for communication at Atlas, tells Publishing Perspectives that the Archipelagos project was created to help develop linguistic diversity in Europe’s translated literature marketplace. The key goal is to highlight how literary translators facilitate the discovery of less translated literatures.
Julie Duthey
“Literature written in European languages other than English,” Duthey says, “is in the minority in this market. According to the Translators on the Cover report, around 60 percent of books translated each year into French, German, or Italian are translated out of English.
“A little-known and often unpaid part of the translator’s work consists of finding new voices,” she says, “by funding residencies dedicated to the translator’s scouting activity. Archipelagos recognizes and supports this research. We support translators from all over Europe in their scouting activity, offering them the opportunity to prepare a portfolio and build trusting relationships with publishers.”
During their residencies, the project’s participants can work on synopsis and translation excerpts of the books they discover, and their work can be found on the project’s site.
“The final beneficiaries of this program,” Duthey says, “are the publishers, who can raise what we call ‘unseen stories,’ giving visibility to diverse experiences of the world, and new perspectives.”
Atlas, the French organization, plays an overarching role in the project, according to Duthey
“As a lead partner,” she says, “we coordinate the project activities, communications, and deliverables with and for all partners. As one of the residency hosts, we provide successful candidates with an accommodation at the Collège International des Traducteurs Littéraires or elsewhere in Europe, depending on their project, and a bursary to cover their expenses.
“We bring together translators for translation and editorial workshops. We highlight their discoveries through public readings and a podcast series.”
‘Empowering Translators as Scouts and Connectors’
Established in 2024, Archipelagos is a three-year project. Between 2024 and 2026, the initiative is expected to support more than 25 European languages, through its scouting residencies and workshops.
Monica Dimitrova
Monica Dimitrova, the communications manager at Next Page Foundation, tells Publishing Perspectives that Archipelagos is “more than a literary project. It’s a cultural act of resistance against linguistic marginalization and a step toward a more inclusive, interconnected European identity through literature.
“By empowering translators as scouts and connectors, it not only uncovers new literary treasures but also builds lasting bridges between communities, languages, and readers.”
Some of the planned professional and public events to be held this year and in 2026 include: a workshop for translators translating from Lithuanian planned for October in Vilnius; and Adab, a festival on Arabic literatures in December in Paris.
“Our next big step is the last open call for a scouting residency in 2026,” Duthey says. “Translators will be able to apply until October 5. Literary translators from across Europe can apply for residencies.”"
https://publishingperspectives.com/2025/06/europes-archipelagos-project-supporting-translators-and-lesser-used-languages/
#metaglossia_mundus
"Agence de presse Xinhua | 16. 06. 2025
Vêtu d'une veste traditionnelle Tang, complétée par une cravate ornée d'une exquise calligraphie chinoise, Joël Bellassen ne se contente pas de parler couramment le chinois : il vit et respire cette langue.
Depuis des décennies, ce Français passe sa vie à apprendre, à enseigner et à promouvoir la langue chinoise, dont il a fait une partie de son identité. Tout a commencé par un vif intérêt pour les caractères de la langue, qu'il a découvert pour la première fois en passant devant des restaurants chinois.
"Les caractères chinois ne sont pas seulement un outil", déclare-t-il à Xinhua. "Ils sont l'ADN de la culture chinoise".
M. Bellassen a été le premier inspecteur général de chinois au ministère de l'Education nationale et a dirigé l'élaboration du tout premier programme d'enseignement complet de cette langue, qui est actuellement utilisé dans toute la France.
Récemment, M. Bellassen est retourné à Beijing pour une visite académique organisée par le Centre mondial de sinologie de l'Université des langues et Cultures de Beijing, son alma mater, où il a approfondi ses études de chinois après avoir obtenu son diplôme de premier cycle en langue chinoise à Paris.
En 1969, M. Bellassen, alors âgé de 19 ans, a choisi de se spécialiser en chinois à l'Université Paris 8. Un choix inhabituel en France à l'époque, compte tenu des perspectives de carrière limitées associées à cette langue.
"C'était un défi", se souvient-il. "Ce qui m'a fasciné, c'est que j'apprenais quelque chose que personne d'autre n'osait faire".
En peu de temps, il est devenu passionné. Il a commencé à tracer des caractères et à enseigner à ses camarades de classe dès qu'il apprenait de nouveaux mots. Ce qui lui a même valu le surnom de "Chinois".
Pour M. Bellassen, la distance a toujours été synonyme d'opportunité.
"Des années 1970 à aujourd'hui, j'ai visité la Chine des centaines de fois", explique-t-il. "Chaque visite m'a permis d'approfondir ma compréhension de la culture chinoise. Plus j'en apprends, plus je réalise à quel point les caractères chinois sont indissociables de l'identité culturelle de la Chine".
Cette compréhension s'est davantage approfondie lors de sa visite des ruines de Yin à Anyang, dans la province chinoise du Henan (centre), en avril. Sur place, il y a vu les inscriptions sur os d'oracle, qui conservent des traces de la langue écrite chinoise d'il y a 3.000 ans.
Découvertes pour la première fois en 1899, les inscriptions sur os d'oracle font partie des quatre caractères les plus anciens du monde et ont été inscrites au Registre de la mémoire du monde de l'UNESCO.
"J'ai eu l'impression de faire un pèlerinage", indique M. Bellassen, en réfléchissant aux racines culturelles profondes de ces symboles anciens.
"Pour moi, les caractères chinois sont plus que des mots ; ce sont des réminiscences culturelles qui aident à expliquer ce qui semble impossible à traduire".
Selon lui, les caractères chinois possèdent même une dimension poétique.
"J'aime la poésie chinoise ancienne et les expressions idiomatiques à quatre caractères", explique M. Bellassen. "Ils résument des idées philosophiques profondes et complexes en seulement quelques caractères."
L'une des possessions les plus précieuses de M. Bellassen est une cravate dont les motifs sont inspirés du travail au pinceau du calligraphe chinois du XIVe siècle Zhao Mengfu. Offerte par un ami chinois, elle l'a accompagné dans d'innombrables déplacements universitaires.
"Les caractères eux-mêmes ont une beauté esthétique", précise-t-il, ajoutant qu'il s'est exercé à écrire son caractère chinois préféré, "wo", qui signifie "je", pendant des années.
M. Bellassen estime que l'apprentissage de l'écriture chinoise présente des avantages cognitifs uniques, en particulier pour les jeunes enfants.
"L'écriture des caractères aide à développer la coordination motrice, la conscience spatiale et le sens de l'organisation", explique-t-il. "Chaque trait a son importance ; chacun doit trouver sa place. C'est une façon différente d'entraîner à la fois la main et l'esprit".
De retour en France en 1975 après un programme d'échange de deux ans à Beijing, M. Bellassen a consacré les cinq décennies suivantes à introduire l'enseignement du chinois dans les salles de classe en France.
L'ouvrage intitulé "Méthode d'initiation à la langue et à l'écriture chinoises", compilé par ses soins, est devenu l'un des manuels de chinois les plus utilisés en France.
"La Chine a connu une modernisation rapide au cours des cinquante dernières années, mais ce qui est particulièrement remarquable, c'est le nombre de pratiques culturelles qui ont perduré", indique-t-il.
Un comportement artistique l'a étonné : dans un parc de Shanghai, il a pu voir un homme utiliser un grand pinceau, trempé dans l'eau, pour écrire des calligraphies sur le sol, appelées "dishu" en chinois. Généralement, les caractères sont amenés à disparaître lorsque l'eau sèche.
"C'est un phénomène culturel typiquement chinois", déclare-t-il. "Il reflète l'essence culturelle profonde de la Chine".
Son amour pour la culture chinoise va bien au-delà de la langue. Il est tombé amoureux de la cuisine chinoise - les boulettes de crevettes et les pattes de poulet de la cuisine cantonaise restent ses plats préférés. "Les Chinois et les Français accordent tous deux une grande attention à la nourriture", observe-t-il.
M. Bellassen espère depuis longtemps que davantage de personnes dans son propre pays apprendront à connaître la culture chinoise, en particulier la beauté des caractères chinois.
En 2019, à l'occasion du 55e anniversaire de l'établissement des relations diplomatiques entre la Chine et la France, il a participé au lancement du premier Festival des caractères chinois à Paris, qui mettait à l'honneur l'art du "dishu".
"J'espère que le festival deviendra un événement où les gens pourront découvrir de plus près la beauté des caractères chinois", ajoute-t-il. "Sans eux, je ne serais pas ce que je suis aujourd'hui"."
http://french.china.org.cn/china/txt/2025-06/16/content_117929959.htm
#metaglossia_mundus
"Le 16 juin. 2025 à 03h00 (TU) à jour le 16 juin. 2025 à 15h20 (TU)
Une initiative d'un collectif pour enseigner le patrimoine littéraire dans les langues régionales de France a reçu lundi un soutien inattendu, celui du secrétaire perpétuel de l'Académie française, Amin Maalouf.
M. Maalouf, écrivain franco-libanais, a été élu en 2023 à la tête d'une institution qui a pour mission de veiller au rayonnement et à l'intégrité de la langue française...
Ce dernier a écrit au Premier ministre, François Bayrou, et à la ministre de l'Éducation nationale, Elisabeth Borne, pour proposer un corpus d'œuvres en langues régionales destiné aux professeurs, afin de sensibiliser à la "richesse de la production littéraire" dans d'autres langues que le français.
"M. Maalouf, comme nous-mêmes, a la conviction qu'il est nécessaire que les élèves de France aient connaissance de ces trésors culturels", écrit le collectif à M. Bayrou, qui lui-même parle le béarnais.
"Je veux souligner à quel point le soutien d'Amin Maalouf est quelque chose de révolutionnaire. (...) Pour nous, c'est une chance extraordinaire...", a souligné lors d'une visioconférence lundi l'un des membres du collectif, le journaliste Michel Feltin-Palas.
"Ce qui le touche, c'est que notre démarche est universelle. Qu'est-ce qui est séparatiste? C'est le fait qu'il n'y aurait qu'un petit Basque qui connaîtrait la littérature basque, un petit Alsacien qui connaîtrait la littérature alsacienne. Alors que notre démarche s'adresse à tout élève français", a ajouté une autre membre,... Céline Piot.
Le Collectif pour les littératures en langues régionales a constitué, avec l'aide de spécialistes, un recueil intitulé "Florilangues" avec 32 textes, en langue originale, de l'alsacien au tahitien, en passant par le basque ou le corse, traduits en français. Il répond à une demande de M. Maalouf.
On y trouve entre autres un poème en provençal de Frédéric Mistral (prix Nobel de littérature 1904), "Mirèio", une chronique en breton de Pierre-Jakez Hélias, "Bugale ar Republik", un court récit en créole martiniquais de Raphaël Confiant, "Bitako-a", ou une chanson en picard d'Alexandre Desrousseaux, "Canchon dormoire" (plus connue sous le nom de "P'tit Quinquin").
Une attention a été portée à la place des autrices, même si elles sont en minorité dans Le recueil.
L'ouvrage doit paraître en 2026 chez un éditeur spécialiste de l'occitan, L'Aucèu libre, pour une diffusion nationale.
"Il ne s'agit pas de donner des cours de langues régionales mais de présenter des œuvres issues des littératures en langues régionales, que ce soit en français ou en version bilingue", précise le collectif.
Pour lui..., les élèves aborderaient des langues issues d'autres régions que la leur. "Pourquoi seuls les élèves antillais apprendraient-ils qu'il existe une littérature en créole?", demande le collectif."
https://information.tv5monde.com/culture/un-soutien-inattendu-pour-les-langues-regionales-amin-maalouf-de-lacademie-francaise
#metaglossia_mundus
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"Interpreters of more than 130 languages have been called into New Zealand courts over the past decade - and the costs have soared by 229%.
The Waikato Times took a deep dive into the issue in the wake of remarks from Judge David Cameron about a case with a Filipino interpreter.
Thanks to an Official Information Act request with the Ministry of Justice, the Waikato Times can reveal the increased cost of court interpretation, the complete list of languages and the most - and least - common.
In 2014, it cost the Ministry $1,751,874 for interpreter services, a figure that rose to $5,619,896 in 2023.
The Ministry - and several law and linguistic experts the Waikato Times spoke to - said however that the spike in costs does not necessarily equate to more foreign criminals in New Zealand...
The Ministry said the cost increase between 2022 and 2023 - from $3,475,847 to $5,619,896 - was due to factors including the Coronial inquiry into the Christchurch terror attacks.
They also cited a 2023 change “to increase the fees payable to interpreters”.
Professor Tafaoimalo Tologata Leilani Tuala-Warren, Dean of Te Piringa Faculty of Law at the University of Waikato, also cautioned that there could be a few explanations.
“We may be seeing more witnesses, for both prosecutions and defence, in criminal trials needing interpreters. It could also suggest that the cost charged by interpreters has increased. It is important to not make assumptions without the benefit of examining the disaggregation of the data.”
Tineke Jannick, who is conducting doctoral research into court interpreting in New Zealand at the Victoria University of Wellington, told the Waikato Times the language list may simply be a reflection of “the reality of the highly multi-cultural and multi-lingual nation we live in”.
“Over a quarter of New Zealand’s population are born overseas and there are more than 150 languages spoken here,” she said...
Jannick also said interpretation services were “vital to our justice system, particularly as they pertain to fair trial rights”.
One defence lawyer who spoke to the Waikato Times on condition of anonymity cited the 2022 Accredited Employer Work Visa (AEWV) for the spike in costs.
More than 150,000 visas had been approved since - most before increased English language requirements imposed in 2024, they said, and the scheme was “widely rorted”.
“Many migrants have paid money to agents to get a work visa and a job, only to discover when they arrive in New Zealand that the job offers very few hours, or is entirely fake.
“Some ... turn to crime to pay the bills. Others came to New Zealand with the express purpose of committing crime, knowing from the beginning that their job was fake, but using it to obtain a visa in circumstances where applications were being rubber-stamped by Immigration New Zealand in the post-Covid immigration boom,” they said.
“I have personally dealt with many people on AEWVs who turned to crime shortly after arriving on their visa.”
The data also revealed the five most translated languages over the past decade: Mandarin, Samoan, Punjabi, Tongan and Vietnamese.
Those least required are Bulgarian, Hiligaynon [a regional Filipino language], Lingala [a language spoken in the Democratic Republic of the Congo], Ndebele [South Africa and Zimbabwe] and Oromo [Ethiopia].
Dr Simon Overall, University of Otago linguistics postgraduate coordinator, said the top five list was interesting.
“Two of them, Samoan and Tongan, have relatively small numbers of speakers, but of course significant numbers of those speakers live in New Zealand.
“Of the five, all except Vietnamese appear in the list of the top 20 languages spoken in New Zealand (according to 2018 census data).”
“I don’t know what demographic reason there might be for Vietnamese being there – perhaps the Vietnamese speaking community in New Zealand has increased in recent years?”
“All in all, the lists give a good picture of the New Zealand linguistic situation and to me it really highlights the vital importance of interpreters and translators, since we can’t simply expect that everybody (whether New Zealand citizens or not) knows English well enough to be able to represent themselves in court proceedings.”
Benn Bathgate
benn.bathgate@stuff.co.nz
June 23, 2025
https://www.waikatotimes.co.nz/nz-news/360732341/afar-zulu-130-plus-languages-required-translation-court-and-cost
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