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Charles Tiayon
November 26, 2011 1:17 AM
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Ask an average Kenyan how many tribes there are in the country, and the answer will vary from between 40 and 45. If you count sub-groups, there are by some estimates about 70 different tribal groups. English is the national language of Kenya but Swahili is the most widely-spoken lingua franca, not just in this country but across East African nations like Uganda, Tanzania and the Democratic Republic of Congo. In Kenya, languages like Luo, Kikuyu and Kikamba are also quite common, and local culture is kept alive through active involvement in arts, crafts, music and dance. In most popular game reserves and resorts, we encountered only one particular Masai performance.
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
"...As AI becomes ubiquitous, how will the UN ensure that its software is secure — using encryption, for example — given the many options that are now available? What about workflows, staff training and best practices covering quality control, intellectual property, data privacy and cybersecurity?
One current use of AI internally involves creating multilingual content. For example, AI is being used to take several sources of information — press releases as well as audio from conference summaries enhanced with background material from across the UN ecosystem. This content is used to whip a story into shape. It is also being used to create content around UN observances and international days. This creation involves risk as errors can happen when the content is further translated through AI.
UN language experts routinely using transcription and auto-translation are best positioned to assess the quality of producing content through AI. Since its early days, these teams, especially in the Department of Global Communications, have seen notable improvements in translating such material from several languages into English. Yet, there are many exceptions. Translating content from English into Arabic, Chinese and Russian remains imperfect; and French and Spanish only slightly better. The work of professional translators and communications experts often fill the gaps that AI cannot cover.
Indeed, some major media outlets have told the UN that they are leery about wholesale use of AI and only green-light it for limited fact-checking but not content production.
Meanwhile, the UN plays a leading global role in forging international AI governance and exploring regulatory frameworks for responsible use while bridging the digital divide.
In August 2025, Secretary-General António Guterres established an independent scientific panel on AI — 40 experts serving as a technical body conducting research similar to that of the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change. The new panel will synthesize AI research and policymaking in annual reports, guiding a global dialogue on AI governance launched in September and beginning work in 2026 with sessions on the sidelines of the annual AI for Good Summit, hosted by the International Telecommunications Union to be held in July in Geneva.
These steps kickstart the search for an international framework in which all countries can participate and benefit. The panel acts as an early-warning system and evidence engine, providing scientific foundation while the “dialogue” handles policy discussion. The big-tent approach allows all countries and the private sector to participate, and many parties taking part from the global South are hopeful that it will bridge the digital divide and break the United States-China stranglehold on AI.
In September, the Stanford Institute for Human-Centered Artificial Intelligence warned the UN Security Council that AI progress is concentrated among just a few companies and countries, limiting global benefits.
“When only a few have the resources to build and benefit from AI, we leave the rest of the world waiting at the door,” said Yejin Choi, who heads the Stanford center. She urged stronger linguistic and cultural diversity representation, noting that leading models underperform for non-English languages and reflect narrow cultural assumptions.
At the same time, Guterres told the Security Council that AI had become a daily reality and warned that without guardrails, it could be weaponized. He noted the closing window to develop useful regulatory frameworks and tasked his tech envoy, Amandeep Singh Gill, to lead.
AI use in a political organization offers advantages but can miss nuances, be manipulated and cause other problems. While irresponsible AI threatens journalism principles and feeds disinformation, misinformation and hate speech, UN member states lack consensus on how to use it in communications, translation and other sectors.
At the November committee meeting with Fleming, the United Kingdom lamented growing threats to information integrity fueled by AI, distorting truth and sowing division. The European Union representative at the meeting characterized AI for translation and multilingualism as promising. The group of friends of Spanish flagged that AI allows enormous possibilities with risks and challenges and that nothing the Department of Global Communications does in the name of budgetary constraints should undermine multilingualism.
The Group of 77 and China didn’t say anything at all about use of AI but cautioned about the need to reduce the disparity in the use of official languages.
South Africa was a lone voice warning against over-reliance on AI for UN reports and summaries, given the technology’s early-development inaccuracies and potential manipulation. Several countries remain concerned about a world of AI haves and have-nots.
The contradiction is stark: While the UN establishes global AI governance frameworks emphasizing transparency and human oversight, it lacks clear, approved internal guidelines for its own AI use in critical communications and translation functions. Many UN leaders have pushed to embrace AI, which can offer apparent quick wins, especially amid downsizing and slashed budgets.
AI is a fact of life — but “human oversight” is a loaded term that still demands a sizable cohort of language professionals with appropriate skills to manage the use of AI, and the UN cannot rush into it if it wants to lead with thoughtful internal governance.
This is an opinion essay."
https://passblue.com/2025/12/17/the-double-edged-sword-of-ai-use-by-the-un/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Digital health tools hold enormous promise. For pregnant women and new mothers navigating the physical and emotional challenges of the perinatal period, websites and apps offer the potential for instant support, accessible information, and a vital connection to care. In theory, these resources should break down barriers, providing a lifeline to women anytime, anywhere.
However, for many migrant women, this digital promise is not being met. Instead of building bridges, these tools can inadvertently erect new walls, reinforcing feelings of isolation and exclusion at a time when support is most critical. These failures are not just about cultural missteps; they are symptoms of a digital health ecosystem that overlooks the complex social and structural realities—from digital literacy gaps to the profound need for privacy—that shape a migrant mother's life.
New research led by Monash University researchers including Dr. Areni Altun, Dr. Rochelle Hine, Professor Andred Deussens, Dr Levita D'Souza, Professor Helen Skouteris and Associate Professor Jacqueline A. Boyle, reveals significant systemic barriers limiting the uptake of digital mental health tools among migrant women. The qualitative study of Chinese, Arabic, and Indian-language speaking mothers in Australia provides powerful, and often surprising, insights into why. By listening to their lived experiences, we can see exactly where well- intentioned digital design goes wrong. Here are the top five most impactful takeaways from their stories.
Takeaway 1: By the Time Help Arrives, It's Already Too Late
One of the most consistent findings was a critical mismatch in timing. Digital mental health resources are typically introduced to women postpartum, a period when new mothers are physically exhausted, emotionally overwhelmed, and consumed with caring for a newborn. Compounding this, many participants noted that after childbirth, the healthcare system’s focus shifts almost exclusively to the infant, leaving their own wellbeing unaddressed.
One mother articulated this frustrating reality perfectly:
"Because after delivery you’re not going to actually use those [websites], you really don’t have the time. I guess when you’re pregnant, I remember I had a good pregnancy, if I was given those resources at that time, I would have sat and read. I would have gone through those websites, I would have at least known.” (Indian Focus Group C).
This is a profound "missed opportunity" in the healthcare system. The ideal time to introduce these resources is during pregnancy, when women are actively seeking information and have more capacity to engage. By waiting until after birth, the system fails to provide support when it is most likely to be effective.
Takeaway 2: Language Access Is Often an Illusion
While some digital health platforms offer translated content, participants revealed that this access is frequently an illusion. The good intention is to offer multilingual support. The reality is a design that makes this support functionally invisible, rendering the intention meaningless. Language selection tools are often hidden behind unintuitive icons or buried in menus, making them nearly impossible to find for someone who cannot already read English.
A participant described the design failure on one prominent website:
“This website …my observation is about the language selection. It's not obvious to select Chinese language and you have to find this icon, that looks like a globe... But for someone who does not understand English we cannot read or speak English, it’s very difficult or inconvenient to find the language selection menu. It could feel inaccessible or too complex.” (Chinese Focus Group B).
This isn't a minor UX issue; it is a gatekeeping mechanism that locks out vulnerable users before they even begin. The consequences are significant: the study found that when faced with inaccessible local resources, women often default to health websites from their home countries, driving them toward information that may be irrelevant to the Australian healthcare context. It is a failure of digital hospitality at the most fundamental level.
Takeaway 3: "Inclusive" Imagery Can Feel Tokenistic and Erode Trust
Authentic representation is crucial for building trust, yet the well-intentioned goal of ‘inclusive’ marketing often backfires when it relies on tokenism. Participants observed a stark contrast between the "relatable, like someone next door" Caucasian women and the inauthentic depiction of women from their own backgrounds.
This powerful quote highlights the disconnect:
“The Caucasian women look relatable, like someone next door. The CALD women don’t always feel authentic. When they use faces of CALD women... they use supermodels... not relatable” (Indian Individual Interview).
But the problem runs deeper than unrelatable faces. Participants expressed a desire for imagery that demystifies an unfamiliar system, showing what help actually looks like, who provides it, and where it happens. This failure in representation sends a clear message that users are not truly seen or understood. To foster a genuine connection, digital resources must use imagery that reflects the reality of everyday mothers and visually explains how to access care.
Takeaway 4: When 'Professional' Design Feels Like a Funeral
This study uncovered a surprising and critical insight: seemingly neutral design choices can carry deeply negative cultural associations. A clean, "clinical" colour palette of grey and white, often used to convey professionalism, was perceived very differently by some participants from a Chinese background.
As one woman explained, the colours evoked a powerful and unintended negative feeling:
“...if you’re looking at black and white, sometime in Chinese culture, we use black and white in funerals. So … it’s not very culturally sensitive to us because when I was looking at that I was thinking about a negative thought.” (Chinese Focus Group A).
This finding underscores the vital importance of cultural humility in design. What is considered calming or professional in one cultural context may be stressful, inappropriate, or even frightening in another. Without deep cultural understanding, even the most well-intentioned design can inadvertently alienate the very people it is meant to support.
Takeaway 5: The Smartphone Is More Than a Convenience—It's a Safe Space
For many migrant women, the primary value of using a smartphone to access health information is not just convenience—it is privacy and emotional safety. Phones offer a discreet way to learn about sensitive topics like mental health, which is crucial in cultural contexts where stigma may be high or within shared family homes where privacy is limited.
The power of this discretion was summed up perfectly by one participant:
“Mobile is... more discreet. Just hit the button and the screen is black” (Chinese Individual Interview).
This insight reframes mobile-first design from a technical choice to a vital feature for user safety and empowerment. However, this safe space is not available to everyone. The study makes it clear that owning a device does not equate to being connected or confident. Significant barriers related to the cost of data, inconsistent internet access, and varying levels of digital literacy prevent many women from benefiting at all, potentially widening the equity gap for the most marginalized mothers.
Conclusion: Building Digital Bridges, Not Just Websites
The experiences of these women reveal a clear and consistent theme: good intentions are not enough. The evidence is clear: designing for migrant mothers cannot be an afterthought. It requires a fundamental shift from ‘translate and tolerate’ to ‘co-design and celebrate.’ Creating effective digital health tools demands deep cultural understanding, genuine community partnership, and thoughtful integration into trusted healthcare pathways.
We must demand that digital health equity becomes a non-negotiable metric of success for any tool that claims to support maternal health. As digital tools become central to healthcare, how can we ensure they are built not just to be looked at, but to be truly seen by every mother they are meant to serve?"
https://www.monash.edu/medicine/news/latest/2025-articles/beyond-translation-why-digital-health-tools-are-failing-new-migrant-mums
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"IALA announces 2025 creative writing and literary translation grant recipients
International Armenian Literary AllianceDecember 18, 2025Last Updated: December 18, 2025
The International Armenian Literary Alliance (IALA) has awarded $2,500 to Nevdon Jamgochian for his work-in-progress, Intercessoress of Snakes, and $3,000 each to Maral Aktokmakyan to translate Heranoush Arshagyan’s Lusnyag «Լուսնեակ», Rupen Janbazian to translate Souren Chekijian’s Half-Drawn «Անաւարտ դիմանկար» and Nazareth Seferian to translate Secret of the Dragon Stone: Stone’s End «Վիշապաքարի գաղտնիքը․ Քարի վերջը» by Artavazd Yeghiazaryan.
IALA has also announced runners up for its 2025 Creative Writing Grant – applicants who hold great promise: Karen Babayan and Lena Dakessian Halteh.
Nevdon Jamgochian is an artist whose practice in painting, film and text explores cross-cultural narratives, memory and heritage. He holds an MFA in Painting with Outstanding Achievement from SCAD. His work has been exhibited internationally for over two decades, including at the Museum of Modern Art in Yerevan. His film was featured at Lincoln Center’s Armenians in Film series, and his writing has appeared in Hyperallergic and the Journal of the Society for Armenian Studies, among other publications.
Jamgochian maintains a practice as an icon painter for the Armenian Apostolic Church while teaching fine art in West Africa, Europe, South and Southeast Asia, and currently East Asia. His current projects include oil paintings, short stories, a television series and a traveling exhibit that critically examines Turkish and Western perspectives of Anatolia. He can be found at @nevdon.bsky.social and @nevdonjamgochian on Instagram.
December 17, 2025
Maral Aktokmakyan is a scholar, writer and translator whose work centers on Western Armenian literature and its enduring creative legacy. She contributes to this legacy through her original writing, crafting essays, analysis and creative works that illuminate overlooked voices and literary traditions. In addition, she makes Armenian literature accessible to wider audiences through her translations (to and from Armenian, English and Turkish), preserving the nuance and richness of the original texts. Her research appears in both academic and literary venues, where she examines how literature carries memory, imagination and identity into new contexts. Through her writing, scholarship and translation efforts, Dr. Aktokmakyan is committed to expanding the visibility, vitality and future possibilities of Western Armenian literary art.

Rupen Janbazian is a writer, editor and translator from Toronto, currently based in Yerevan. He is the editor of Torontohye, a bilingual Armenian-English community print newspaper in Toronto, and the former editor of the Armenian Weekly. He writes in both English and (Western) Armenian, and his work often explores questions of homeland-diaspora, identity and community life between Canada and Armenia.
Janbazian has translated, co-translated and edited a range of literary works, memoirs, articles and short fiction. He is currently working on several original writing and translation projects. Among these is an English translation of his late friend Souren Chekijian’s novel Անաւարտ դիմանկար, for which he was awarded the 2025 IALA Israelyan Western Armenian Translation Grant. The novel is a Toronto-set Western Armenian work that examines exile, aging, desire and the inner world of a Lebanese-Armenian painter in Canada.
He lives in Yerevan with his partner, Araz, and their dog, Srjeni.
Nazareth Seferian was born in Canada, grew up in India and moved to Armenia in 1998, where he has been living ever since. His university education has not been specific to translation studies, but his love for languages led him to this work in 2001. He began literary translations in 2011 and his published works include translations of novels and short stories by Gurgen Khanjyan, Mushegh Galshoyan, Susanna Harutyunyan, Grig, Karine Khodikyan, Aram Pachyan, Levon Shahnur, Armen of Armenia (Ohanyan), Areg Azatyan, Avetik Mejlumyan, Anna Davtyan, Arman Aghlamazyan and more. Seferian’s typical work week includes activities in a completely different sector combined with several pages of translation. Driven by his desire to promote greater availability and recognition of Armenian culture for English speakers worldwide, one of Seferian’s dreams is to play a key role as the translator when an Armenian author wins a major international literature prize.

Karen Babayan is a multidisciplinary artist, writer and playwright. Born in Iran, she moved to the UK in 1978. Her well-established art career includes exhibitions in the UK, Armenia, Canada and Japan, and work in many public and private collections.
Her first book of short stories on the Armenians of Iran, Blood Oranges Dipped in Salt (2012) was born out of a Ph.D. in Contemporary Art Practice. Her first full-length theater production based on her second book of short stories, Swallows and Armenians (2019), toured venues in London and Leeds this year. It champions the Anglo-Armenian family from Aleppo who inspired English author Arthur Ransome to write a classic of children’s literature.
She is currently working on her first novel, set in historic Western Armenia/Eastern Turkey. Babayan lives near the English Lake District. Learn more at karenbabayan.com or on Substack at @karenbabayan and @babayan1654 on Instagram.

Lena Dakessian Halteh is a San Francisco–based writer, visual artist and storyteller. She holds a B.A. in English Literature and Art History and an M.J. in Journalism, all from the University of California, Berkeley. Her writing and artwork have appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle, Al Jazeera’s AJ+, Chariot Press, Hyebred Magazine and Noor Magazine. She is a former multimedia reporting fellow at Al Jazeera’s AJ+. In 2019, she founded Pom + Peacock, an art and paper goods company showcasing her original fine art and illustrations. A dedicated performer and arts educator, Dakessian Halteh has trained and performed with ARAX Dance for two decades and now serves as the program’s artistic director. She is currently at work on her first novel. Alongside raising her three little ones, she continues to pursue storytelling across a range of literary and visual arts media. Learn more at lenahalteh.com or on Instagram at @lenahalteh.
The International Armenian Literary Alliance’s 2025 Creative Writing Grant, now in its fourth year, was awarded for a work of fiction. In previous years, IALA has also offered writing grants for poetry and creative nonfiction. The 2025 grant was judged by Chris McCormick, and was made possible by a generous donation from author Aline Ohanesian.
IALA’s 2025 Israelyan Eastern Armenian Translation Grant was awarded for a work of literature (in any literary genre) written in Eastern Armenian and published any time after 1915, including the Modernist and Contemporary periods. It was judged by Dr. Margarit Ordukhanyan, and was made possible by a generous donation from Souren A. Israelyan.
IALA’s 2025 Israelyan Western Armenian Translation Grant was awarded for a work of literature (in any literary genre) written in Western Armenian from any period. The grant was judged by Dr. Tamar Marie Boyadjian and Dr. Jennifer Manoukian, and was made possible by a generous donation from Souren A. Israelyan.
IALA also offered the 2025 Israelyan English Translation Grant, judged by Arevik Ashkharoyan and Dr. Shushan Avagyan, and made possible by Souren A. Israelyan. Based on IALA’s review criteria, however, the judges chose not to award the grant this year."
https://armenianweekly.com/2025/12/18/iala-announces-2025-creative-writing-and-literary-translation-grant-recipients/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"A Nigerian-American Engineer and Entrepreneur, Omolabake Adenle, is breaking ground in preservation of African languages through cutting-edge Artificial Intelligence (AI).
As founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of AJALA.ai, formerly known as AJA.LA Studios, she is developing voice automation systems that give under resourced languages a place in the global digital space.
Her company builds automatic speech recognition and speech synthesis software for Yoruba, Hausa, Igbo, Kiswahili, and Kinyarwanda, helping businesses connect with people in their native languages.
The technology is already enhancing customer engagement, security processes, and operational efficiency for organisations serving both urban and rural populations. One of her standout products, the SpeakYoruba app, has earned global commendation for making Yoruba learning simple and accessible in a Duolingo style format.
Adenle was born and raised in the United States to Nigerian parents and followed a demanding academic path that prepared her for a career at the intersection of engineering and advanced technology.
She earned a doctorate in Bayesian Signal Processing from the University of Cambridge in the United Kingdom, where she specialised in high level computational techniques. Her academic excellence was recognised early through awards such as the National Science Foundation Graduate Research Fellowship and the Tau Beta Pi Honors Fellowship.
After completing her PhD, Adenle moved into the finance sector and rose to become Vice President of Quantitative and Derivative Strategies at Morgan Stanley.
It was during her years on Wall Street that her interest in developing natural language processing tools for African languages deepened, driven by the need to digitise dialects often overlooked by global tech companies.
She later left the financial world to establish AJALA.ai, focusing on building scalable voice technologies for education, business, and daily communication across Africa.
Adenle’s groundbreaking work has earned her international acclaim. In 2021, she received the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion in Voice Award from Women in Voice for her role in creating the SpeakYoruba app. The app was also shortlisted for the Innovation Prize for Africa in 2017.
In 2025, she was selected as a Leshner Fellow by the American Association for the Advancement of Science, a platform through which she promotes public understanding of artificial intelligence and its growing influence on African enterprises.
Through her efforts, Adenle continues to champion linguistic diversity and digital inclusion, ensuring that African languages remain vibrant and relevant in the future of global technology."
By Efa Sunday
https://newspeakonline.com/meet-nigerian-american-engineer-preserving-african-languages-with-cutting-edge-ai/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Language is the soul of a people. It is not merely a tool for communication but the living essence of identity, culture, and belonging.
Our mother tongues weave the intricate fabric of who we are, shaping worldviews, preserving histories, fostering solidarity, and transmitting traditions across generations.
When we speak our indigenous languages, we affirm our heritage and connect deeply with our communities.
Yet, when foreign tongues supplant them, the consequences are profound: eroded identities, uprooted generations, and a lingering sense of cultural dislocation.
The intimate bond between language and identity is undeniable. As Frantz Fanon, the revolutionary thinker and Pan-Africanist, powerfully argued, a colonized people’s adoption of the colonizer’s language internalizes their worldview, breeding inferiority complexes and hindering genuine liberation.
Mastering the oppressor’s tongue often means embracing their standards, while suppressing indigenous languages constitutes profound cultural theft.
True decolonization, Fanon asserted, demands reclaiming native tongues to rebuild authentic selfhood and collective power.
This insight remains as urgent today as during the struggles against colonialism.
In stark contrast, Europe exemplifies linguistic pride through multilingualism, a cornerstone of the European Union.
The EU’s Charter of Fundamental Rights guarantees citizens the right to interact with institutions in any of its 24 official languages, safeguarding linguistic diversity as a pillar of unity and identity.
Africa, however, has often undervalued its own rich tapestry of over 2,000 languages.
Colonial legacies have fostered tribal divisions, viewing speakers of different tongues as outsiders or aliens.
This self-imposed fragmentation undermines continental integration and perpetuates elusive dreams of true liberation and unity.
Nonetheless, a beacon of hope emerges from the African Union (AU).
In a landmark move aligned with its Year of Reparatory Justice, the AU has appointed Kim Poole, a distinguished founding fellow of the Teaching Artist Institute from Baltimore, United States, to the African Languages Week Coordinating Committee (ALWCC).
Poole, renowned for her innovative work in arts, education, and cultural advocacy, brings international acclaim to this vital role.
Her mission: to lead the revitalization of African languages across the continent and diaspora as an essential act of reparatory justice.
Operating under the African Academy of Languages (ACALAN), the AU’s dedicated body for linguistic promotion, the ALWCC seeks to decolonize education, governance, and cultural expression.
Poole views language restoration as holistic reparations: “Reparations isn’t just about financial restitution, but about restoring everything that was stripped from us”.
For her, language is a pathway to healing and empowerment.
“Language is how we tell our stories,” she declares. “If we are serious about reparatory justice, we must ensure that our stories are told in our own tongues.”
Poole’s efforts will culminate in African Languages Week 2026, a milestone event uniting artists, educators, and leaders to deploy creative strategies for revival.
Initiatives include embedding African languages in music, theatre, literature, and digital platforms, developing community-based education programmes, and leveraging arts to spread global awareness.
This appointment marks a historic bridge between the African Diaspora and the continent, positioning Poole as a pivotal force in reclaiming linguistic sovereignty.
The challenges are immense. Africa’s publishing sector starkly illustrates neglect: 95% of books produced are textbooks, starving readers of fiction and poetry that nurture imagination and creativity.
Building indigenous languages into vehicles for knowledge, science, education, and professionalism demands deliberate political and cultural investment.
Africans must actively learn one another’s languages, granting them the currency needed for pan-African communication and solidarity.
The persistent elevation of colonial languages rests on a debunked myth: that Western tongues alone embody modernity and civilization.
Counterexamples abound in the Global South – China and Singapore have modernized spectacularly while centring their indigenous languages, proving decolonization and progress can coexist.
Africa stands at a crossroads. We must develop our languages into instruments of prosperity and innovation, or remain shackled by colonial tyranny.
Indigenous languages, intertwined with native knowledge, values, and histories, form the unfinished package of postcolonial liberation.
Restoring them is not nostalgia, but revolutionary justice.
By reclaiming our tongues, we reclaim our future, fostering a united, empowered “Africa We Want” where cultural pride fuels continental renaissance."
Abdelmonem Fawzi
https://egyptian-gazette.com/op-ed/the-africa-we-want-the-urgent-call-to-restore-african-languages-for-true-liberation/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"What is it like to teach at an international school, surrounded by different languages, cultures and educational traditions? The World Teachers Programme (WTP), a profile within the teacher training programme at ICLON Leiden University, offers students the opportunity to experience this.
The bilingual profile prepares future teachers for a career at international and bilingual secondary schools. In addition to an internship at a bilingual or international school in the Netherlands, students have the option of doing a few weeks' internship abroad.
Charlotte van Beek: ‘In 2022, I studied at ICLON to become a biology teacher and I chose to participate in the WTP. For my international internship, I went to Curaçao with a classmate (and friend). We taught at a bilingual havo/vwo school. Since the island is part of the Dutch Antilles, the school system there is identical to the one in the Netherlands...
The WTP broadens your perspective on education. I truly believe it makes you a better teacher, especially in today’s society. On top of that, I wouldn’t have wanted to miss the adventure I described above. It was awesome.
I’m still enjoying a career in education. I love my job, even though it’s hard work. If you have a passion for education, enjoy helping and supporting teenagers and want to make a positive impact on the world, become a teacher! We need more (good) teachers!'
Leipzig: from internship to new home base
Malou den Dekker’s international internship took her to the Leipzig International School (LIS) in Germany for two weeks. This school, without her knowing it at the time, would become her home for the next three years.
‘I followed the Teacher Education Programme and the WTP programme at ICLON to become a Social Studies teacher and I loved it. I was looking forward to going abroad, though I initially worried that two weeks would be too short to really get a sense of a school. Upon arrival in Leipzig, however, I was quickly immersed in school life: I taught a wide range of classes (from Grade 6 Individuals & Societies to Grade 12 Geography) and was welcomed into department meetings.
One seemingly small difference with the school I had been teaching at – the fact that every lesson lasted at least 75 minutes – felt daunting at first. The benefits of this schedule quickly became clear to me, and I found it deeply rewarding to explore how much was possible in a longer lesson. I also appreciated the curriculum’s flexibility, particularly in secondary school, where there was a lot of scope to develop our own guiding questions and learning goals.
What stood out most in those two weeks was a collaborative planning meeting with the Individuals & Societies team. The department was developing a new cross-disciplinary unit on empire. I loved watching the concept-based teaching we had been taught at ICLON in Vakdidactiek come to life. There were discussions on the meaning of the concept and how students could approach it from multiple perspectives. With my broad academic background, this interdisciplinary approach suited me well..."
19 December 2025 text: Louise de la Motte image: pictures courtesy of the interviewees https://share.google/r0Gu8uittf37HH0Y2
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"AUGUSTA COUNTY, Va. (WHSV) - A new translation device is helping bridge language barriers for patients and families at Augusta Health.
The technology, called Pocketalk, is a translation device that supports more than 90 languages. Ty Cashatt, patient advocate for Augusta Health, said it has already been making everyday conversations easier.
“The patient experience piece is what we’re really leaning towards with this,” Cashatt said. “Can we fill in that gap of not just your clinical visit, but was your family taken care of in the waiting room? Did they get that cup of coffee while they were waiting on you to get out of surgery that maybe they wouldn’t have been able to ask for before?”
Cashatt said that since Pocketalk’s rollout earlier this year, the system has already been used nearly 25,000 times.
“It has been hot and heavy. It is well received with the practices,” Cashatt said. “It’s really nice to take something out to train people, where the nursing team wants to learn, that the front desk team wants to learn. Everybody wants to huddle up and figure out how to use it.”
Cashatt added that more industries should use this device, not just in health care, as it helps connect the community to each other.
Copyright 2025 WHSV. All rights reserved"
Mason Willett
Dec. 20, 2025
https://www.whsv.com/2025/12/19/new-translation-device-bridges-language-gap-augusta-health/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"A man who recently quit his job at the Maine Bureau of Motor Vehicles (BMV) says that translator services are helping illegal aliens cheat to get state driver’s licenses despite a lack of English proficiency or understanding the rules of the road, and without even taking a road test.
John Morin, who worked for the BMV as a license examiner for more than a decade, said that he watched as translating services helped migrants cheat on driver’s exams by directly providing the migrants with the answers to the tests, not just offering to help them understand the questions during their exam, Maine Wire’s Steve Robinson reported.
“I had to quit that job because of all of the cheating going on with people from overseas that was happening regularly. I would witness up to 10 or 12 Class C permits a day being issued by us,” said Morin, who worked for the BMV from 2013 to 2024.
Morin noted that migrants using translators passed their tests at a 100 percent rate, compared to the only 70 percent pass rate of English-speaking drivers. Migrants, Morin says, are buying licenses, not translation services.
The former DMV employee also says that he repeatedly alerted his bosses to the cheating schemes, but his bosses ignored the warnings. In fact, he says he was punished for raising the concerns.
“I wrote him up and sent a referral for criminal prosecution to our detectives at BMV, and I was written up for writing him up,” Morin said. “This was after many, many attempts by me to clean up the cheating over the course of my time at BMV.”
“Examiners over my time there have brought this up with our superiors many, many times only to be told that there is no cheating going on, or ‘How do we know that there is cheating going on?’” Morin explained. “All examiners who deal with this in person, day-to-day know that there is cheating going on.”
“The Secretary of State’s office, which runs the BMV, will always cover for these illegal and unsafe practices,” he added. “I saw this personally from the time that Matt Dunlap was Secretary of State to Shenna Bellows’ time there.”
State officials have denied that cheating has occurred and have insisted that an investigation failed to find any substantive proof. They also claimed that whistleblowers are never punished for reporting problems.
Morin’s whistleblowing in Maine comes amid reports from across the country of multiple road accidents at the hands of illegal aliens who have been given driver’s licenses by blue state authorities. Many of these incidents have resulted in the deaths of Americans, deaths that could have been prevented if left-wing Democrats had not prioritized the welfare of illegal migrants over Americans.
Warner.Todd.Huston, Truth Social @WarnerToddHuston, or at X/Twitter @WTHuston"
https://www.breitbart.com/immigration/2025/12/20/maine-whistleblower-translator-services-helping-illegal-aliens-to-cheat-on-drivers-exam/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"AI video translation is not yet a perfect substitute for human translation, according to new research from the University of East Anglia.
The new study, "Generative AI for Video Translation: Consumer Evaluation in International Markets" published in the Journal of International Marketing, shows that AI tools can be useful when speed and clarity are priorities.
But human translators remain crucial for tone, cultural nuance and for sounding natural.
Jiseon Han, a lecturer in digital marketing at UEA's Norwich Business School, said, "As brands race to reach global consumers on platforms like TikTok, Instagram, and YouTube, a new question has emerged—can generative AI truly replace humans in video translation?
"We decided to put it to the test."
How the research happened
Researchers examined how consumers in different countries respond to marketing videos translated by generative AI tool HeyGen compared to videos translated and performed by human speakers.
In two experiments, one with Indonesian consumers and another with US and UK consumers, participants watched marketing videos delivered either by native human speakers or by AI-translated versions.
The AI-generated videos automatically converted language, voice, and even lip movements to match the target language—replicating what many global marketers are now testing in real campaigns.
The results reveal a mixed picture.
AI less natural
Jiseon Han, a lecturer in digital marketing at UEA's Norwich Business School, said, "We found that viewers consistently found AI-translated videos less natural and less native-sounding than those performed by humans.
"However, AI performed better on language comprehension when translating into English, likely reflecting the greater availability of English-language training data in AI models.
"Interestingly, these perceptual differences did not affect engagement intentions that participants were just as likely to like, share, or comment on AI-translated videos as they were on human ones."
These insights suggest that AI video translation is not yet a perfect substitute for human translation, but it already offers practical value.
"For marketers, AI can be a great choice when speed and straightforward messaging matter most, but when it comes to capturing tone, personality, and cultural context, human expertise is still irreplaceable," she added.
"Generative AI can already handle parts of video translation that once required entire production teams," said the lead author Risqo Wahid from the University of Jyväskylä, Finland.
"But consumers still notice when something feels off. The human touch still matters, especially in how a message sounds and feels," he added.
As AI models evolve, the study provides a timely benchmark for understanding how consumers perceive AI-translated content today, highlighting both the opportunities and the limits of automation in global marketing communication."
by University of East Anglia
edited by Sadie Harley, reviewed by Andrew Zinin
More information: Risqo Wahid et al, EXPRESS: Generative AI for Video Translation: Consumer Evaluation in International Markets, Journal of International Marketing (2025). DOI: 10.1177/1069031x251404843
https://techxplore.com/news/2025-12-ai-video-humans-edge.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"On February 12, the annual Albertine Translation Prize Ceremony returns, honoring translators and American publishers of English translations of contemporary French works.
This year, Villa Albertine is partnering with the Colloquy Series at World Poetry Books to celebrate the art of translation in a new and exciting way.
Bringing together translators and readers, the evening will feature translation jousts: two translators and a moderator will engage in a lively discussion of their different renderings of the same French texts, one a work of fiction, the other a poem. Through the translation jousts, the creativity, nuance, and choice behind each translation choice will be highlighted, and the often-invisible labor behind the books we read will be displayed.
Representing emerging trends across a variety of genres, including fiction, non-fiction, and comics, the Albertine Translation Fund helps cover publishing and translation costs for U.S. publishers of works translated from French to English.
We will announce the winner of the 2025 Albertine Translation Prize at the end of the evening.
We look forward to celebrating to the 2025 laureate with you!
The lists of titles supported by the program this year are available here (session 1) and here (session 2) (TBA).
To attend for the ceremony, please RSVP HERE.
The Albertine Translation Prize is made possible through the generous support of The Florence Gould Foundation and Albertine Foundation."
https://villa-albertine.org/va/events/albertine-translation-prize-ceremony-february-2026/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"(WXYZ) — A Macomb Township man has been identified as the interpreter who was killed in Syria over the weekend while working with the U.S. Army.
According to an online obituary, Ayad Mansoor Sakat, 54, was killed when soldiers were ambushed in Syria by the Islamic State group on Dec. 13. Sgt. Edgar Brian Torres-Tovar, 25, of Des Moines, and Sgt. William Nathaniel Howard, 29, of Marshalltown, who were part of the Iowa National Guard, were also killed.
The news came as a huge shock to our family, and we are still struggling to believe it. My father worked as an interpreter for the U.S. Army during the Iraq invasion from 2003–2007, which is why my family was granted Special Immigrant Visas to come to the United States. Service to this country has been in his blood for a very long time, and all four of us—his children—have the utmost respect for everything he did alongside American soldiers.
Everything we have accomplished is a testament to his sacrifice and perseverance. Because of him, we became a general surgeon, a police officer, a medical student, and an IT coordinator.
We will honor his legacy by continuing to live the kind of life he worked so hard to make possible.
He was a devoted father and husband, a courageous interpreter, and a man who believed deeply in the mission he served.
Sakat, affectionately known as Eddie, was born in Bakhdida, Iraq, according to the obituary, and previously worked as an interpreter along with U.S. soldiers from 2003-2007.
"Ayad died in Syria while supporting U.S. forces, serving with the same courage and devotion that defined his life. His fellow soldiers affectionately called him Eddie, a nickname that reflected the trust, warmth, and friendship he inspired," his obituary reads.
Sakat is being remembered as a loving husband and father of four.
President Donald Trump was on hand on Wednesday and witnessed the dignified transfer of the two soldiers and Sakat."
By: WXYZ Web Team
Posted 8:26 PM, Dec 17, 2025 and last updated 5:51 AM, Dec 18, 2025
https://www.wxyz.com/news/macomb-man-identified-as-interpreter-killed-with-u-s-service-members-in-syria
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"CLACS Faculty Affiliate Professor Amy Olen (UWM Translation & Interpreting Studies) has recently published a new literary translation: the short story collection Marayrasu, released in December 2025 with Northwestern University Press.
The new book is the first English-language collection of short stories by award-winning Peruvian author Edgardo Rivera Martínez, and includes a foreword by CLACS Faculty Affiliate Professor César Ferreira (UWM Spanish).
The publisher’s website notes that “Amy Olen’s translation smoothly captures Rivera Martínez’s impressive stories, offering a unique lens into the region at the heart of this canonical author’s inimitable work.”
Read more about this new release on the publisher’s website."
https://uwm.edu/clacs/professor-publishes-new-translation-of-peruvian-authors-short-stories/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Japan may require language proficiency for permanent residency as new visa rules take shape
Japan may require language proficiency for permanent residency as new visa rules take shape
Japan may require language proficiency for permanent residency as new visa rules take shape
Japan is exploring the possibility of requiring Japanese language proficiency for foreign nationals seeking permanent residency, sources confirmed Thursday. This potential change is part of the government's preparations for an anticipated increase in applicants, according to the Japan Times. The new language requirement is expected to be incorporated into proposals for updated residency criteria by April 2027, when an amendment to Japan's Immigration Control and Refugee Recognition Act is set to take effect.
The shift is not limited to language proficiency. The revised law would also introduce provisions for revoking permanent residency if individuals intentionally neglect essential public responsibilities, such as paying taxes.
According to the Immigration Services Agency, the number of foreign residents in Japan reached a record high of 3.96 million by the end of June, with permanent residents comprising the largest group, at approximately 930,000, or 23.6% of the total foreign resident population.
Currently, applicants for permanent residency in Japan must have lived in the country for at least 10 years and demonstrate the ability to financially support themselves, among other requirements. With a projected increase in the number of permanent residents, the government is considering additional criteria, including proficiency in the Japanese language and participation in programs that promote community norms. There is also talk of raising the minimum income threshold for applicants.
The government is also reviewing stricter regulations for international students' part-time work. Under the current system, students are allowed to work up to 28 hours per week, provided they have received permission from immigration authorities. There are discussions to shift toward a system that evaluates factors like academic performance before granting work permissions, rather than allowing unrestricted work upon arrival.
Concerns have also been raised about foreign nationals holding engineer or humanities specialist visas being employed in unskilled labour, a violation of their residency status. The government is considering implementing stricter monitoring of staffing agencies and employers to ensure compliance with visa rules."
Story by Business Today Desk
19 December 2025
https://share.google/Z3byXXdOXvVVb5UM8
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
Prix international Cheikh Hamad pour la traduction et la compréhension internationale
"La langue pulaar figure officiellement parmi les langues sélectionnées pour l’édition 2026 du Prix international Cheikh Hamad pour la traduction et la compréhension internationale, dans la prestigieuse catégorie « Réalisation », aux côtés de langues de rayonnement mondial telles que le chinois, l’anglais, l’italien, l’azéri et l’arabe.
Cette sélection constitue une reconnaissance sans précédent pour le pulaar, langue africaine parlée par des millions de locuteurs en Afrique de l’Ouest et au-delà.
Elle souligne les efforts soutenus menés ces dernières années pour la valorisation, la normalisation et la traduction de cette langue, longtemps marginalisée dans les grandes initiatives internationales de traduction.
Créé en 2015 et placé sous le haut patronage de Son Altesse l’Émir de l’État du Qatar, Cheikh Tamim ben Hamad Al Thani, le Prix Cheikh Hamad est aujourd’hui considéré comme l’une des plus importantes distinctions internationales dédiées à la traduction et au dialogue interculturel.
Il vise à encourager la traduction d’ouvrages majeurs entre les langues, à renforcer la compréhension entre les peuples et à promouvoir la diversité linguistique comme pilier du vivre-ensemble.
La catégorie « Réalisation », dans laquelle le pulaar a été retenu, récompense des contributions professionnelles structurantes, des initiatives collectives et des efforts durables ayant un impact significatif sur le développement de la traduction dans une langue donnée...
La nomination du pulaar ouvre de nouvelles perspectives académiques, culturelles et institutionnelles. Elle offre un cadre international propice à la traduction d’ouvrages de référence – littéraires, scientifiques, religieux ou philosophiques – vers et depuis le pulaar, renforçant ainsi sa présence dans les circuits mondiaux du savoir.
Dans les principales catégories linguistiques, la dotation globale peut atteindre 200 000 dollars américains, tandis que les prix d’excellence, notamment pour les langues moins courantes, peuvent aller jusqu’à 100 000 dollars. Les candidatures pour la session 2026 seront ouvertes du 1er janvier au 31 mars 2026, offrant aux traducteurs, chercheurs et institutions une occasion concrète de valoriser leurs travaux...
Au-delà du cas du pulaar, cette sélection envoie un signal fort en faveur de la diversité linguistique mondiale et de la reconnaissance des langues africaines dans les grandes instances culturelles internationales. Elle consacre le pulaar non seulement comme langue de communication, mais aussi comme langue de savoir, de création et de transmission universelle.
...Le pulaar s’affirme désormais comme un acteur à part entière du dialogue interculturel mondial, illustrant la capacité des langues africaines à contribuer pleinement à la construction d’un espace culturel international plus inclusif et équilibré."
https://www.cridem.org/C_Info
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"What is multilingual SEO?
Multilingual SEO optimizes your website for discovery via search in other languages. It accounts for “linguistic, cultural, and technical differences to ensure the website performs well globally and the message resonates with users wherever they’re located,” says Antonio Santarsiero, senior SEO specialist at Shopify.
“Practically speaking, multilingual SEO involves considering technical aspects such as URL structure, as well as implementing hreflang tags and creating a market-specific site map,” Antonio says.
Multilingual SEO can be part of a broader multilingual marketing strategy or an effort that is layered on top of content localization work. Whereas localization involves translating and making your content culturally relevant for a specific market, while multilingual SEO ensures that this localized content is search engine optimized in the corresponding language.
Multilingual SEO vs. international SEO
While they may sound similar, there are key differences between multilingual SEO and international SEO. Multilingual SEO targets users’ languages (such as Spanish, German, or French), while international SEO targets the right country or region, but the language might stay the same (for example, English pages for Canada versus the United Kingdom).
In some cases, you may need a combined approach. For example, Represent, a British fashion label, uses both language and regional targeting. As the company expanded to international markets, it launched separate sites for the United States and Europe. The European site features a regional subdomain: eu.representclo.com, but the content is in English. The European site includes euro pricing and local shipping options.
Then, they took it a step further, launching a German version (eu.representclo.com/de/) with a /de/ subfolder, and translated calls to action and payment options. This strategy doubled organic traffic and boosted conversions 30%.
How to implement multilingual SEO
Identify your markets
Do keyword research for each country you expand to
Choose a URL structure
Translate your pages
Implement hreflang tags
Build local backlinks
Before implementing multilingual SEO, you need a localization strategy. Once that foundation is in place, SEO ensures your pages are discoverable in those markets. Here’s Antonio’s step-by-step framework:
1. Identify your markets
Your existing search traffic can help guide your decisions about which languages to prioritize in your localization and multilingual SEO work. Check Shopify Analytics or Google Search Console to see where your organic visitors are coming from.
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For example, consistent traffic from countries such as Mexico or France signals interest. Even though your pages may not appear for local language queries, global users can land on English pages if they search in English or if information in their native language is limited. This would be a strong indicator that there is demand for your content in these regions.
Source: Shopify Analytics
You can also look at competitor successes. If similar brands in your niche have successfully launched in certain international markets, it’s worth investigating why. Use tools like Ahrefs or Semrush to see which language version of your competitors’ site ranks the best locally and which local-language keywords they’re winning.
Once your localization priorities are set, you can focus on SEO optimization in each target language.
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2. Do keyword research for each country you expand to
Once you know which markets you’re geographically targeting, learn a little more about the search behavior of the people who live there.
“Understanding the nuances of each market and tailoring your approach to local search behaviors is definitely the starting point,” Antonio says. “In English, users might search for ’luxury watches’ while in French, the equivalent ’montres de luxe’ might have different search patterns. Understanding these differences is crucial for targeting the right audience.”
Another way to conduct local keyword research is to use Google Translate, layered with Google autocomplete. For example, translating “luxury watches” into Spanish yields “relojes de lujo.” Next, Antonio advises using a tool like valentin.app to access the Spanish Google search results page (SERP). “Once there, start typing ’relojes de lujo’ into the search bar. You’ll notice several autocomplete suggestions appearing, which can provide valuable insights into popular local keywords.”
Antonio advises reviewing Google Keyword Planner, Ahrefs, and Semrush to find high-volume, low-competition keywords specific to each market. Filter by language and region to spot missed opportunities and keyword gaps.
Keyword volume can differ between countries, even in the same language, because of nuances in regional terminology and differences in search behavior. For example, the term “paella” has a varying search volume in Spanish-speaking countries:
Argentina: 9,400 monthly searches
Mexico: 19,000 monthly searches
Spain: 43,000 monthly searches
US: 127,000 monthly searches
Finally, consult native speakers to validate your terms for local nuance. “A native speaker can tell you which term fits your brand best,” Antonio says. For example, in French, both “POS” and “PDV” mean “point of sale,” but one may sound more natural depending on the audience or industry.
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Download template
3. Choose a URL structure
Your URL structure in a multilingual SEO strategy informs search engines which version of your site to display to each audience.
Country code domains (ccTLDs) like example.fr or example.de. These provide you the strongest country signal, but it can be costly to maintain. Since Google treats each of these as separate sites, you’ll have to build backlinks and authority from scratch for each one.
Subdomains like fr.example.com. While you can manage these on the same server and share a CMS (like Shopify), each subdomain still needs its own SEO work. This means you’ll need to optimize each subdomain’s metadata, content, internal links, backlinks, and hreflang setup. Subdomains will inherit some authority from the main domain, unlike country code domains, which are entirely separate from the main domain.
Subdirectories like example.com/fr/. This URL structure is the most efficient for most Shopify stores. All versions share the same SEO strength and are easier to track in analytics, since you can track all regions in the same Google Search Console property and from a single CMS like Shopify. However, this option has the weakest country signals, so you’ll need to rely on localized content and hreflang tags to clarify targeting.
“When it comes to deciding which approach to take to structure the website for different language versions, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. Every solution has its pros and cons. Make sure it aligns with your business goals, team structure, and technical capabilities,” Antonio says.
4. Translate your pages
Translation is a key step to building credibility within regions. Multilingual SEO ensures those translated pages can rank and be discovered. Prioritize optimizing high-impact pages that drive visibility and conversions, such as the homepage, product pages, checkout flow, and support content. Use GA4, Google Search Console, and internal data to identify these.
When translating pages, the best approach is to have a native speaker translate the page. At this point, you can also layer in local keywords. A native speaker would be able to confirm that keywords have been incorporated naturally. If you don’t have access to one, you can use Google Translate or ChatGPT to help by plugging in the English version verbatim. However, these often miss tone, idioms, and context.
“You can use AI to draft a first version, but you should never publish what a machine spits out. You need to capture the nuances of the language and make sure your message feels authentic,” Antonio says. If you must use AI, be sure to have a native speaker review and edit the content before publishing. If you don’t have access to one, you can use a professional translation service like RushTranslate or a freelance translator.
Don’t forget to translate your meta tags, including titles and meta descriptions, as well as your URL slugs. Once you have translated your pages, update your site map to include all translated pages so Google can find and index them quickly.
5. Implement hreflang tags
Hreflang tags tell Google which language or region a page targets, so that the right version appears for the right audience and reduces duplicate content issues. If the pages are in the same language, adding in even small regional cues like currency and spelling can help Google understand their differences.
Antonio advises adding as many tags as needed for every language and region your site supports, so Google fully understands your site structure. For example, you might have a French version for France, Canada, or Belgium:
France: hreflang="fr-FR
Canada: hreflang="fr-CA"
Belgium: hreflang="fr-BE"
This helps Google serve /fr/ pages to French users, /ca/ pages to Canadian users, and /be/ pages to Belgian users, even if all pages are in French.
In addition to hreflang tags, a language or country switcher lets visitors (and Google) easily move between site versions, like switching from English to French in one click. This improves the user experience and helps search engines discover all language versions easily.
Country switcher on Gymshark.com
6. Build local backlinks
After launching localized pages, help search engines trust them by adapting your link-building strategy for your multilingual sites. For example, French pages need links from French sites to rank well in France.
“Treat your local site like it’s a separate entity, even if the domain is the same,” Antonio says. “The goal is to have Google understand and distinguish between the English version and other versions, so the link-building strategy should focus only on those URLs in the subfolder.”
Localize your link-building efforts by connecting with regional media, influencers, blogs, and directories in your target language to increase your visibility. For example, you might try to get your German store featured in local fashion magazines or affiliate lists.
To support this effort, your localized site needs to feature content that is worthy of local attention. “Write content that’s so interesting to that specific market that other websites will want to cite it,” Antonio says. “For example, Square might have data about the top-selling items in retail in Japan. Then, other sites in Japan would want to use it as a data source.”
Each local link signals to Google that your store is relevant, trustworthy, and established in that market, not just translated for it.
Multilingual SEO FAQ
What is the difference between international and multilingual SEO?
International SEO helps your site target users in different countries (like Canada versus the UK), while multilingual SEO helps you reach users in different languages (like English versus French). Most global sites need both.
What is an example of multilingual SEO?
A brand that offers translated versions of its site, such as Represent’s German site at eu.representclo.com/de/, is practicing multilingual SEO. The content, URLs, and metadata are all optimized for German speakers.
How to get search results in multiple languages?
Create localized pages for each language, use hreflang tags to signal different language versions to Google, and build backlinks from local sites. This helps search engines show the right version to the right audience.
Azra Kassam
Dec 18, 2025
Reference:
https://www.shopify.com/blog/multilingual-seo
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"CoeFont Launches AI-Powered Interpreter to Break Language Barriers for Global Teams / Source: CoeFont (EZ Newswire)
TOKYO, Japan, December 18, 2025 (EZ Newswire) -- CoeFont, opens new tab, a leader in AI-driven communication solutions, launched the CoeFont Interpreter, an innovative AI-powered tool for simultaneous interpretation that enables seamless, real-time collaboration for international teams.
For any company expanding globally, the "language barrier" is more than just a hurdle, it is often a ceiling on growth. In the era of remote work, cross-border teams are common, yet true collaboration is frequently stalled by the inability to communicate nuance in real-time.
While text-based translation tools have existed for years, they often fail to capture the context of live business discussions. This leaves companies relying on human interpreters, a solution that is often prohibitively expensive, logistically difficult to schedule, and prone to creating bottlenecks.
CoeFont Interpreter has emerged as a solution to this deadlock, offering AI-powered simultaneous interpretation that allows remote teams to communicate naturally, cost-effectively, and without the lag of traditional translation methods.
How CoeFont Works for International Teams
Unlike standard text-to-speech tools or basic meeting captions, CoeFont focuses on the flow of conversation. It acts as a real-time bridge, listening to speech in one language and instantly delivering it in another with high accuracy.
For remote international teams, this shifts the dynamic from "waiting for translation" to "having a conversation." Key advantages include:
24/7 availability: It eliminates the need to schedule human interpreters for late-night or early-morning calls across time zones.
Context awareness: Unlike basic translation bots, it handles the context of business dialogue better than competitors, reducing the "broken telephone" effect.
Cost efficiency: Operating at a fraction of the cost of human consultants, it democratizes access to high-quality interpretation for internal meetings and daily stand-ups...
The CoeFont Solution
Manhattan Associates implemented CoeFont Interpreter in late 2025. The results were immediate.
The most significant change was the removal of the "bridge" role. Fortunately, the CoeFont Interpreter was able to cut out the middleman and help foster direct relationships. "Interpreters became unnecessary," Takatani stated. "We no longer wait for translations. Meeting times have been cut to a fraction of what they were."
Masahiro Sawada, Marketing Manager, highlighted the qualitative shift stating, "We can now speak directly with clients and overseas members. We can convey the temperature and nuance of our words without a filter. It allows us to build direct relationships rather than indirect ones."
Secondly, the tool helped unlock global resources, allowing the Japanese team to instantly tap into the company's global talent pool. "We can now assign a product manager from overseas who handles multiple projects to a Japanese case without needing a dedicated translator," Takatani said. "It allows us to utilize global know-how efficiently."
In terms of consistency and cost, the AI provided a consistent quality of translation that didn't fluctuate based on human fatigue or scheduling. At roughly 5,000 Japanese Yen (approximately $35) per hour, the cost was negligible compared to human interpretation, allowing the team to use it freely for internal syncs and late-night calls with its U.S. headquarters.
The Future of Cross-Border Collaboration
Manhattan Associates is now looking to expand the use of CoeFont beyond internal meetings to external marketing events.
"Organizing events with foreign speakers used to be a logistical nightmare involving expensive simultaneous interpreters who sometimes quit mid-event due to technical difficulty," Sawada recalled. "With AI, we can solve that instantly."
For foreign-affiliated companies and remote teams, the lesson is clear: The technology to bypass the language barrier is no longer science fiction. It is here, and it is reshaping how global business gets done.
https://www.reuters.com/press-releases/coefont-ai-powered-interpreter-language-barriers-global-teams-2025-12-18/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Alors que Christopher Nolan s’apprête à porter L’Odyssée à l’écran dans une superproduction très attendue, une question essentielle se pose, bien au-delà du casting prestigieux ou des effets visuels annoncés : comment rendre Homère intelligible sans le vider de sa substance épique ? Et surtout, quelle langue peut encore porter, près de trois millénaires plus tard, la puissance fondatrice de ce texte européen majeur.
Car L’Odyssée n’est pas seulement un récit d’aventures. C’est un poème fondateur, un chant de la mémoire, du retour, de l’identité, de la fidélité et de l’épreuve. Or, toute adaptation – et toute traduction – engage une vision du monde. Traduire Homère, ce n’est pas seulement transposer des mots : c’est choisir ce que l’on fait de l’épopée elle-même.
Le défi de l’épopée en langue moderne
Le cinéma, par nature, dispose d’armes puissantes : images, musique, rythme, spectaculaire. Mais il lui manque une chose essentielle : la densité du verbe. Chez Homère, le sublime ne tient pas seulement aux exploits d’Ulysse, mais à la cadence du récit, à la répétition, à l’élan oral, à cette musique du langage qui porte l’auditeur autant que le sens.
Tout dépendra donc du texte sur lequel Nolan s’appuiera. Et c’est là que la question des traductions devient centrale.
Trois visions de Homère, trois mondes
Depuis des décennies, le monde anglophone oscille entre deux pôles : la fidélité érudite et la modernisation radicale. La traduction de Richmond Lattimore, longtemps dominante dans les universités, privilégie la rigueur philologique. Elle colle au grec, respecte les structures, mais produit un anglais souvent rigide, solennel, presque administratif. Le texte est exact, mais la poésie peine à respirer.
À l’inverse, la version d’Emily Wilson, souvent citée comme possible source du film, assume une rupture nette : langue contemporaine, syntaxe fluide, vocabulaire psychologique. L’ouverture – « Tell me about a complicated man » – frappe par sa clarté, mais aussi par sa banalité. Ulysse devient un personnage presque sociologique, analysable, domestiqué. L’épopée perd alors sa verticalité, sa gravité, son étrangeté fondatrice.
Michael Solot : faire entendre l’épopée
C’est dans cet entre-deux que s’inscrit la traduction de Michael Solot, publiée en 2025. Son approche refuse à la fois l’archaïsme figé et la modernisation plate. Solot ne cherche pas à imiter mécaniquement l’hexamètre grec – impossible en anglais – mais à retrouver le mouvement, la houle du vers, la respiration du chant.
Son Ulysse n’est ni un concept abstrait, ni un héros désacralisé. C’est un homme façonné par l’épreuve, la ruse, la douleur et la fidélité. Le langage reste élevé sans être compassé, incarné sans être trivial. Le rythme, fondé sur les accents et non sur un carcan métrique, redonne au texte une oralité vivante, proche de ce qu’a pu être la récitation homérique. Là où Wilson raconte une histoire claire, Solot fait entendre un chant. Là où Lattimore conserve un monument, Solot rend un texte habitable.
Ce débat n’est pas technique. Il est profondément civilisationnel.
L’Europe est née de récits comme L’Odyssée. De récits qui parlent du retour au foyer, de la fidélité à la terre, de la mémoire des morts, de la transmission. Réduire Homère à une narration efficace ou à une grille psychologique moderne, c’est l’arracher à ce qu’il est : une matrice culturelle. À l’inverse, redonner chair à l’épopée, c’est rappeler que les Anciens ne nous parlent pas depuis un musée, mais depuis un temps encore vivant en nous.
Le pari de Nolan
Si le film de Christopher Nolan parvient à être autre chose qu’un spectacle impressionnant – s’il devient réellement épique – ce sera parce qu’il aura su s’adosser à une langue capable de porter le sublime sans l’aplatir. Car l’épopée ne supporte ni la tiédeur ni la neutralisation.
Lire Homère aujourd’hui, ce n’est pas chercher le confort du présent. C’est accepter l’étrangeté, la grandeur, parfois la dureté d’un monde qui nous a précédés et nous a faits. À ce titre, la traduction de Michael Solot apparaît comme bien plus qu’une nouveauté éditoriale : une tentative rare de réconciliation entre modernité linguistique et fidélité spirituelle.
Avant de juger l’Odyssée de Nolan, peut-être faut-il donc relire celle de Homère. Et entendre, à nouveau, la voix du chant.
Illustration : DR
[cc] Article relu et corrigé (orthographe, syntaxe) par ChatGPT.
Breizh-info.com, 2025, dépêches libres de copie et de diffusion sous réserve de mention et de lien vers la source d’origine"
https://www.breizh-info.com/2025/12/19/254876/lodyssee-a-lepreuve-du-cinema-traduire-homere-sans-trahir-lepopee/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
«Éclaircie» élu meilleur livre étranger 2024 par de nombreux journaux sera traduit en huit langues
"Littérature sans frontières
Carys Davies, lauréate du Prix du meilleur livre étranger 2025
Publié le : 19/12/2025
Carys Davies a grandi au Pays de Galles avant de partir aux États-Unis. Elle est l’auteure de trois romans dont le premier, «West» (Seuil, 2021), a obtenu le Prix du livre de l’année au Pays de Galles. Son deuxième roman, «Le Voyage de Hilary Byrd» (Seuil, 2022), a été élu roman de l’année 2020 par le Sunday Times. «Éclaircie» a, quant à lui, été élu meilleur livre 2024 par de nombreux journaux, il sera traduit en huit langues. Carys Davies vit aujourd’hui à Édimbourg."
https://www.rfi.fr/fr/podcasts/litt%C3%A9rature-sans-fronti%C3%A8res/20251219-carys-davies-laur%C3%A9ate-du-prix-du-meilleur-livre-%C3%A9tranger-2025
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Human language inspired AI – and now we can use that AI to learn about language
PhD candidate Yuchen Lian (LIACS) wants to understand why human languages look the way they do – and find inspiration to improve AI along the way. She defended her thesis on 12 December.
‘Languages change all the time. Think about ancient Chinese and modern Mandarin. There is a huge difference between them,’ Lian starts talking about her research enthusiastically. ‘And even more so between different languages.’
At the same time, there are universal characteristics, the PhD candidate explains. ‘Linguists want to understand which features are common and why they appear. With the increase in computational power of the last years, we can now learn about language evolution through computer models in increasingly realistic settings.’
‘I believe it's crucial to combine computer science and linguistics to reach a full understanding of language evolution.’
Artificial miniature languages
Lian completed her PhD under the supervision of Tessa Verhoef and Arianna Bisazza, and with support from the China Scholarship Council. As part of the programme, she spent three years at Leiden University before returning to China to continue her doctoral work. ‘I missed Leiden quite a lot, the atmosphere here is really good. I’m happy to return for my PhD defence.’
In her research, the PhD candidate is inspired by miniature languages used in linguistics experiments with people. Participants are given three words: a subject, object and verb. For example, cat, mouse, and chasing. In various assignments, researchers monitor how they use these words. In English, for example, the word order is fixed, explains Lian. “The cat chases the mouse” is the only correct sentence. But in Japanese, there are markers after a word to indicate its function. The order of words is therefore more flexible.
A conversation between AI agents
Lian models two or more AI agents that can communicate with each other. These agents are first trained on a pre-defined artificial language, like the experiments with human participants. ‘We basically give them a vocabulary at the start,’ says Lian. ‘Then we let the agents interact in pairs or even groups through interactive language games. When they accomplish a task successfully, all agents get a reward. That's how they learn.’
The different agents can have the same vocabulary, but different grammar rules to analyse various scenarios. The results show that these agents can replicate the trade-off between word order flexibility and the use of markers. ‘So we know the model works. Moreover, it allows us to extend the results with humans to a larger scale. This complements experiments with humans nicely.’
Human language inspires AI chatbots
Lian opened a new avenue to learn about language evolution. At the same time, her work has the potential to improve AI. ‘We can take inspiration from human language and use that to improve the outcomes of an AI chatbot, for example. Currently, they are trained predominantly through passive exposure to enormous amounts of data. But humans clearly acquire language in a much more interactive way. My simulations demonstrate that repeated communication can result in more efficient interactions and spontaneous emergence of human-like patterns.’
A computer scientist in the field of linguistics
‘My topic extends over the borders of computer science,’ reflects Lian on her PhD. ‘It's quite a challenge to get into this interdisciplinary field. We speak different languages and have different standards in publishing, for example. It was sometimes hard for me that language evolution has no ground truths, propositions cannot be proved in a mathematical sense.’
At the same time, she also found the combination to be fulfilling. ‘Luckily, my promotors had expertise in both fields. I believe it's crucial to combine computer science and linguistics to reach a full understanding of language evolution.’
https://www.universiteitleiden.nl/en/news/2025/12/human-language-inspired-ai---and-now-we-can-use-that-ai-to-learn-about-language
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"When filing evidence with a court, certified human translations still control.
Welcome to the new multilingual reality of global disputes. International lawsuits no longer involve just multiple jurisdictions; they involve multiple languages, multiple versions of the same document, and multiple interpretations of key communications. As companies expand supply chains, outsource operations, and sell globally, courts are confronting a surge in multilingual evidence:
cross-border emails
bilingual contracts
multilingual warning labels
international HR and compliance records
foreign-language consumer complaints
multilingual product manuals
In complex cases, what a party understood, and in which language, can swing liability dramatically. This has transformed multilingual evidence from a niche issue into a core driver of modern litigation outcomes. Legal authorities such as Crowell & Moring’s Cross-Border Litigation Guide has noted that multilingual evidence is increasingly decisive in global disputes.
Because case timelines move faster than translated documents can be certified, legal teams increasingly rely on MachineTranslation.com, a high-accuracy and free AI translation tool that supports over a million users, processes billions of translated words, and provides legal-friendly features needed to manage multilingual evidence without compromising defensibility.
1. How Courts Evaluate Multilingual Evidence Today
1.1. Courts Now Scrutinize “What Was Understood When”
Judges focus on whether a party reasonably understood:
the contractual obligation
the warning label
the risk disclosure
the regulatory requirement
The question is no longer “What does this document say?”
It is now:
“In which language did the parties act, rely, or misinterpret the meaning?”
Liability frequently shifts when:
language versions conflict
translations were inaccurate
one party spoke both languages and leveraged ambiguity
a party failed to verify a machine translation before acting on it
1.2. Machine Translations Are Admissible — With Limits
Most jurisdictions allow machine-translated documents for:
discovery
early case assessment
privilege review
internal investigations
multilingual e-discovery sorting
red-flag identification
But when filing evidence with a court, certified human translations still control. Courts also caution parties that reliance on faulty MT can increase liability. This proves a statement in a blog on Legal Translation, it will still need to be reviewed, shared, and adopted across jurisdictions. That means translating large volumes of legal text into dozens of languages quickly, but without compromising quality
2. The Five Litigation Areas Where Multilingual Evidence Changes Outcomes
2.1 Contract Disputes
Bilingual contracts often include a “controlling language clause.”
If the versions diverge, courts evaluate:
reliance during negotiation
whether mistranslation created unfairness
whether ambiguity was exploited
2.2 Product Liability
Manufacturers face heightened exposure when:
safety instructions differ across languages
manuals contradict one another
incorrect translations mislead installers
Regulators increasingly consider mistranslation a failure to warn.
2.3 Employment & Workplace Claims
Inconsistent multilingual HR documents impact:
consent
discipline
worker safety
termination fairness
Courts ask whether employees were given clear, equivalent information.
2.4 Data Privacy & Regulated Industries
Incorrectly translated privacy policies can lead to:
GDPR penalties
consumer lawsuits
cross-border compliance failures
Even minor shifts like “may collect” → “will collect” can trigger exposure.
2.5 Cross-Border Fraud & Misrepresentation
Mistranslations can reveal:
deceptive intent
knowledge of falsity
reckless reliance on automated tools
This area is expanding rapidly.
3. How MachineTranslation.com Supports Defensible Litigation Workflows
Legal teams trust MachineTranslation.com because it provides:
accuracy
auditability
speed
scale
3.1 Immediate Translation of Massive Document Sets
MachineTranslation.com processes large collections of:
multilingual emails
attachments
WhatsApp messages
supplier communication
This enables lawyers to quickly identify:
custodians
privilege
key documents
risk factors
3.2 Side-by-Side Translation View
Attorneys can simultaneously see:
source text
MT output
glossary-applied terminology
3.3 Built-In Quality Signals
MachineTranslation.com allows exporting:
confidence scores
revision logs
translation memory matches
audit trails
These features strengthen defensibility when challenged.
3.4 Multilingual Version Comparison
The platform identifies:
mismatched clauses
altered definitions
missing obligations
ambiguous language
across versions.
3.5 Enterprise Integrations
MachineTranslation.com is used by:
compliance organizations
global HR teams
in-house counsel
external law firms
investigations teams
Because it’s secure and designed for legal workflows.
4. Example: How a Simple Mistranslation Alters Liability
Original German Clause
“Der Lieferant muss sicherstellen, dass alle Teile frei von Materialfehlern sind.”
Correct Translation
“The supplier must ensure that all parts are free from material defects.”
Strict obligation → full liability.
Faulty Translation
“The supplier should try to make sure that all parts are free of defects.”
Best-effort → reduced responsibility.
Impact on Liability
Impact on liability between accurate translations and faulty translations. Table by author.
Such shifts can significantly alter:
breach analysis
indemnification triggers
warranty enforcement
damages calculations
settlement leverage
5. Where MachineTranslation.com Prevents These Errors
5.1 Higher Accuracy Engines
The platform blends multiple AI models + legal-domain training.
5.2 Glossaries for Legal Terms
You can lock crucial definitions such as:
indemnify
strict liability
must ensure
5.3 Alignment Tools
Side-by-side comparison reveals discrepancies immediately.
5.4 Exportable Audit Trails
MachineTranslation.com provides:
timestamps
glossaries used
translation history
6. Best Practices for Attorneys Handling Multilingual Evidence
Identify original source language
Use MachineTranslation.com for early triage
Escalate key passages to certified translators
Compare MT, human, and original versions
Preserve every language version
Document all translation steps"
https://www.legalreader.com/how-multilingual-evidence-is-reshaping-liability-in-cross-border-litigation/
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Questel Seamlessly Integrates AI-Assisted Patent Translation with Equinox IP Management Software
Translators are Increasingly Leveraging Innovative AI Tools to Improve Speed and Quality of IP Document Translations
Questel, a world leader in intellectual property including AI-assisted patent translation and filing, announced that it has created multiple Connectors to integrate its patent translation services with its Equinox IP Management Software and other third-party IP systems. The Connectors allow Patent professionals to initiate new cases and communicate with patent translation professionals about case progress. Also, Questel is expanding its application of AI solutions to raise global patent translation to new levels of quality and consistency, while responsibly upholding obligations for confidentiality and security.
IP Translation Services Connected to Equinox
Questel’s substantial patent and IP translation services have now been integrated into Questel’s Equinox IP management software (and third-party platforms via API) via seamless Connectors, thereby expanding the end-to-end IP ecosystem. Due to this integration, IP professionals will experience unmatched ease of use, efficiency, and security throughout their patent translation project. Clients can obtain estimates and instruct translators in seconds using the Questel Services Portal, and can also download case instructions and upload deliverables.
AI-Driven Innovations in Patent Translation
Always a pioneer in applying AI technology to improve translation outcomes, Questel has sharpened its focus on equipping its skilled translators with state-of-the-art AI tools to produce unparalleled quality. While the expertise of human translators is still at the heart of Questel’s patent translation resources, AI innovations allow their multilingual, highly educated professionals to be effective, accurate and confidential. Questel is one of few language service providers (LSP) using AI to check and fix machine translations successfully, and to safely automate specific segments of translation work while maintaining human quality.
Highlights of AI-enabled Translation by Questel’s IP and Patent Translation Services:
Machine Translation Quality Evaluation (MTQE)
Translating IP and patent-related documentation ranges from being incredibly complex or rather straightforward. MTQE tools quickly identify potential problems or complexities to flag them for greater scrutiny from human translators. Effectively, MTQE AI focuses human translators’ efforts where their nuanced expertise and judgement are most needed.
Hallucination Detection
AI has become infamous for generating hallucinations, so Questel uses specialized AI to examine what the large language model or neural tool is producing to detect obvious hallucinations. In some cases, the hallucination can be fixed, while in other cases, the translation may need to be completely redone.
Compliance Checking
Compliance with government regulations and patent filing agents’ requirements is essential to success for any patent translation project. Questel strategically uses patent-specific AI to enhance efficiency and ensure data security compliance. This includes safeguarding consistency of terms used throughout the document and adherence to the filing agent’s unique preferences and formatting requirements.
Scoring and Metrics
The MQM (Multidimensional Quality Metric) is a benchmark Questel employs so that revisers can internally score translators and gauge their performance. MQM measures in an automated way to see what translators delivered and how well the AI assisted them.
Risk Adjusted Service Levels
IP professionals clearly want choice when it comes to service levels in patent translation. Not all clients require a premium level for every translation need. Some patents are worth larger monetary investments, whereas others can be achieved more economically. More routine documents, such as prior art and office actions, may not need high-touch human translation so AI’s role can be more substantial for those. Questel offers a wide range of service levels to meet clients’ requirements and budgetary allowances. These range from Premium-Filing Ready to AI Auto Translations with many gradations in between.
“Questel’s Translation Services are known for superior human expertise, ease of use, quality and speed,” remarked Jeremy Coombs, Vice President of Translation & Filing Services at Questel. “Our new Connector-driven integration between our Patent Translation Services and Equinox adds tremendous convenience and visibility to the translation process. Also, our translators are leveraging AI in innovative ways to augment their work, leading to more expedient and comprehensive results for our clients.”
Click here for more information about Questel’s IP Translation Services and more."
https://www.morningstar.com/news/business-wire/20251217721972/questel-seamlessly-integrates-ai-assisted-patent-translation-with-equinox-ip-management-software
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
«Sous-titrer ne suffit pas» : le doublage dopé à l’IA, nouvelle arme des influenceurs pour percer à l’international
DÉCRYPTAGE - Pour fidéliser les créateurs de contenu, YouTube annonce améliorer le doublage automatisé de leurs vidéos et intégrer la synchronisation labiale. Un moyen de se distinguer de ses rivaux TikTok et Instagram.
Charles Sterlings a confié récemment à ses fans ses astuces pour acheter des billets d’avion à prix doux. La vidéo de ce créateur de contenu français, spécialisé en économie, a fait 3 millions de vues sur Instagram. Mais une fois doublée en italien, elle a été visionnée par 5 millions de personnes supplémentaires. La version en espagnol a, elle, intéressé 2 millions d’internautes en plus. Chaque semaine, ce créateur, qui compte 2,7 millions d’abonnés sur ses différents réseaux sociaux, consacre environ dix heures à ses traductions et montages.
Contrairement à Charles Sterlings, la plupart des créateurs de contenu n’ont pas franchi le pas du doublage de leurs vidéos, coûteux et chronophage. Alors, pour leur permettre d’élargir leur audience, YouTube a dévoilé ce mardi de nouvelles fonctionnalités dopées à l’intelligence artificielle. En plus du doublage automatisé, déjà disponible depuis deux ans, la plateforme ajoute la synchronisation labiale..."
Par Keren Lentschner
https://www.lefigaro.fr/secteur/high-tech/sous-titrer-ne-suffit-pas-le-doublage-dope-a-l-ia-nouvelle-arme-des-influenceurs-pour-percer-a-l-international-20250916
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"Cette étude se penche sur les enjeux et les défis traductologiques liés à la traduction littéraire, en particulier dans le cas des nouvelles de Faribâ Vafi, l’une des figures de la littérature iranienne contemporaine. L’objectif principal est d’élaborer une stratégie traductive capable de préserver à la fois la structure narrative, les spécificités stylistiques et les éléments culturels propres à l’univers de l’auteure, tout en produisant un texte fluide, lisible et culturellement accessible en langue cible.
Notre corpus est constitué de quatre nouvelles issues du recueil Pas de vent, pas de rame que nous avons traduites en français. Ces textes, empreints d’un réalisme subtil et d’une écriture intimiste, posent des défis particuliers sur les plans lexical, syntaxique et culturel. Afin d’aborder ces problématiques, notre analyse s’appuie sur l’approche comparative de Vinay et Darbelnet, qui permet de mettre en lumière les procédés de transposition, d’équivalence ou encore d’emprunt mobilisés dans le passage du persan au français. Cette approche sera également enrichie par des apports théoriques issus de travaux récents sur la traduction des culturèmes et des spécificités littéraires dans les textes contemporains."
https://journals.atu.ac.ir/article_20020.html
#Metaglossia
#metaglossia_mundus
"The Tokyo bookstore where translated Korean literature sparks ‘conversation across borders’
Since 2015, publisher Kim Seung-bok has used her shop Chekccori to connect Japanese readers with top Korean authors ‘in the right way’
On a quiet street in Jimbocho, a Tokyo neighbourhood known for its second-hand bookshops and publishing houses, one shop stands out: Chekccori. The store’s shelves are lined with Korean literature translated into Japanese, as well as works in the original language. It has become a gathering place for readers eager to cross cultural borders one page at a time. The name Chekccori means “a celebration after finishing a book” in Korean. The store was founded in 2015 by Tokyo-based South Korean publisher Kim Seung-bok. In recent years, it has seen a surge in young women drawn by their love of K-pop, as well as middle-aged men who have discovered the charm of Korean novels after Han Kang won the Nobel Prize in Literature in 2024.
Ayano Tachibana visited the shop in late August to find books for her coming trip to Seoul. She said she first encountered Korean literature through friends who loved K-pop and later studied Korean at university. “I loved The White Book by Han Kang,” 23-year-old Tachibana said, referring to the author’s poetic exploration of grief and fragility through reflections on white objects such as ice and paper.
“Reading it with classmates, guided by a professor who was a fan, made me realise literature could be a conversation across borders.”
Chekccori stocks around 4,000 books, including titles from Kim’s own publishing company. Kim founded Cuon in 2007 to bring more Korean literature to Japanese readers, at a time when few bookstores stocked such works. Cuon’s first release was Han’s The Vegetarian, a novel that won the 2016 Man Booker International Prize, bringing her international acclaim. The novel, which tells the story of a woman whose decision to stop eating meat provokes a violent backlash from her ignorant husband and authoritarian father, has been acclaimed for its haunting portrayal of repression, desire and the struggle for autonomy.
Kim said that while not an easy read, it is the kind of work that serious readers will recognise as extraordinary. “I wanted to establish a reputation for publishing works of real literary achievement,” said Kim, who has been in Japan since the early 1990s, when she came to study literary criticism after learning creative writing at a university in Seoul. Originally from South Jeolla province on the southern tip of South Korea, Kim witnessed how Japanese culture flowed into the country in the 1980s through magazines such as Non-no and novels by Haruki Murakami and Banana Yoshimoto.
“So I thought, literature could also flow the other way,” she said. After working in advertising, Kim launched Cuon in Tokyo but struggled to promote Korean titles because most bookstores had no dedicated section for them. “The category of ‘Korean Literature’ did not exist, making it hard to find shelf space. Rather than feeling disappointed, I instead decided to create that space myself,” she said.
That led to Kim opening Chekccori in 2015.
Over the past decade, the number of Korean books translated into Japanese has increased dramatically. Kim estimates that 300 to 400 South Korean titles are now published annually in Japan, compared to only about 20 per year around 2010. The trend was fuelled in part by the success of Cho Nam-joo’s Kim Jiyoung, Born 1982, which sold 290,000 copies in Japan after its 2018 release by publisher Chikuma Shobo. The novel, about a woman facing systemic misogyny in a patriarchal society, resonated deeply with readers.
Kim credits this popularity to the rise of social media, which has allowed ideas and movements – including feminism – to spread rapidly across borders. The feminist movement in South Korea gained momentum after a 2016 murder case in Seoul, followed by the global #MeToo movement in 2017. Kim’s publisher has released many feminist-themed books, including a collection of essays titled “#Living as a woman who speaks up” by author and lawyer Jeong So-yeon. Now celebrating its 10th anniversary, Chekccori has set a new goal to introduce more Korean poetry, a genre still relatively under-represented in translation. The bookstore held events for Korean poet Shin Mina, who was in Tokyo for two months earlier this year under a writer-in-residence programme.
Interest in Korean poetry is growing. Yukinori Ebihara visited Chekccori for the first time after hearing Mariko Saito, translator of Han’s novels and many other works, read Korean poems on the radio. “Even without understanding the words, the sound was beautiful. It made me want to hear more, to feel that resonance,” the 74-year-old said. Today, Kim’s focus has shifted from growth to sustainability. After recovering from cancer a few years ago, she hopes to ensure that Chekccori continues connecting readers and writers for years to come.
“What I’d like to do is to return to the basics – the craft of choosing excellent books, creating them with care, and placing them in the hands of readers in the right way,” she said."
Kyodo
Published: 5:15pm, 4 Nov 2025
https://amp.scmp.com/lifestyle/article/3331461/tokyo-bookstore-where-translated-korean-literature-sparks-conversation-across-borders
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Jobs in higher education.
"Sign Language Interpreter II, Office for Disability Equity
University of Montana
Missoula, MT
Type: Full-Time
Salary: $35 per hour
Posted: 1 day ago
Application Due: 12/22/2025
Category: Disability and Accessibility Services; +1
Sign Language Interpreter II, Office for Disability Equity
Salary: $35.00 Hourly
Location: Missoula Mountain Campus
Job Type: Hourly Staff Full-time
Job Number: 202400475
Sector:
Department: UM VP Student Success & Campus Life
Closing Date: 12/22/2025 11:59 PM Mountain
FLSA: Non-Exempt
Bargaining Unit:
Description
The Office for Disability Equity invites applications for a Sign Language Interpreter II to provide sign language interpreting services to students, faculty, staff and visitors of UM.
Examples of Duties and Responsibilities
Voice-to-sign and sign-to-voice interpretation of all courses, lectures, tutor sessions, labs, meetings, special events and community outreach.
Follow current trends in American Sign Language.
Adapt interpreting methods when necessary.
Engage in professional development.
Support the University's inclusive prosperity mission.
Other duties as assigned.
Minimum Qualifications
Bachelor's degree in ASL-English Interpreting or relevant field. An equivalent combination of education and experience, including a 4.0+ EIPA score may be considered.
Fluency in ASL & English.
RID or BEI certification.
Demonstrated ability to apply and analyze the RID Code of Professional Conduct.
Demonstrated knowledge of and skill in American Sign Language, voice-to-sign, and sign-to-voice interpretation.
...
Preferred Qualifications
Five-years' experience working in a post-secondary and/or community settings.
Completion of an interpreter training program; preference given to Bachelor's degree in ASL-English interpretation or related field.
Adherence to follow the NAD-RID Code of Professional Conduct.
Preference given to candidates with RID certification and/or BEI certification and/or EIPA score 4.0 or higher.
Additional Information
Position Number: 100070
Compensation Title: Sign Language Interpreter II
Bargaining Unit: FOCUS-MFPE
Work Schedule: Full-time, 1.0 FTE (40 Hours a week), Monday through Friday 8:00 am to 5:00 pm, 12 months/year
Probationary Period: Six (6) months minimum
Benefits Include: Insurance package, mandatory retirement plan, partial tuition waiver, and wellness program.
https://www.higheredjobs.com/admin/details.cfm?JobCode=179321983
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