Metaglossia: The Translation World

El 96,5 % de los escritores y traductores exige autorización expresa para el uso de sus obras en la IAG
Madrid, 8/01/2025. Una encuesta realizada entre más de 9.000 escritores y traductores españoles pone de manifiesto una exigencia casi unánime: el 96,5 % considera imprescindible que cualquier uso de sus obras para entrenar modelos de inteligencia artificial generativa (IAG) cuente con su autorización.

Las principales asociaciones de escritores y traductores de España han llevado a cabo un estudio con el objetivo de conocer la percepción de los profesionales del sector autoral sobre el uso de sus obras para entrenar modelos de IAG.

Esta consulta surge a raíz del anuncio del Gobierno de España de desarrollar un modelo de IAG en español y en el resto de las lenguas oficiales, que utilizaría, entre otros, libros y otros tipos de obras editoriales de estos autores.

Uso autorizado de sus obras
Los resultados de la encuesta muestran un apoyo unánime de estos colectivos por la defensa de los derechos morales y patrimoniales de los escritores y traductores, así como a la exigencia de respeto y cumplimiento de la Ley de Propiedad Intelectual. En concreto, el 96,5 por ciento cree que el uso de la obra para el entrenamiento de los modelos de IAG debería requerir la autorización expresa del autor.

Marco de colaboración seguro
La mitad de los escritores y traductores, por el momento, rechaza autorizar el uso de sus obras para el entrenamiento de modelos de inteligencia artificial, incluso a cambio de cualquier tipo de remuneración, hasta que no se establezca un marco seguro de colaboración entre las instituciones públicas, las empresas privadas y su colectivo.

El estudio, realizado por la empresa Qbo, señala como principal razón para este rechazo es que el uso de IAG en el proceso creativo socava el valor del trabajo literario, también esgrime la falta de transparencia en los desarrollos de esta tecnología.

Criterio de remuneración
En el caso de aceptar un modelo de remuneración, dos de cada tres autores consideran más adecuado el pago por palabras que por libro y solo un cinco por ciento consideraría razonable un precio de diez euros de remuneración por obra.

La encuesta dibuja un marco de trabajo que puede ayudar al Gobierno en los futuros desarrollos legislativos. En opinión de este colectivo, tal y como han informado en un comunicado, solo una autorización previa puede garantizar que las obras se protegen y que el sistema no aprende a través de materiales no legítimos.

Autorización, remuneración y transparencia
Las entidades promotoras de la encuesta respaldan, al igual que en otros países de nuestro entorno, que el uso de obras editoriales para el desarrollo de la IAG y sus aplicaciones futuras debe fundamentarse en el principio "ART" (Autorización, Remuneración y Transparencia), acuñado por el Consejo Europeo de Escritores.

Según estas organizaciones, esta práctica es la única forma responsable y legal de utilizar los valiosos fondos literarios y científicos que las administraciones públicas custodian en bibliotecas y archivos, los cuales podrían ser empleados en el entrenamiento de modelos de IAG.

El papel de las administraciones públicas
Las asociaciones de escritores y traductores promotoras de la encuesta consideran que «en nuestro Estado los derechos de autor del sector editorial han sido olvidados constantemente por parte de las Administraciones Públicas, como ponen de manifiesto los informes del Observatorio de la Sostenibilidad de la Cultura Escrita, promovido por CEDRO».

También destacan que esta cuestión está de plena actualidad ante la reciente decisión del Tribunal de Justicia de la Unión Europea, del pasado diciembre, que permite a los tribunales nacionales inaplicar las transposiciones nacionales incorrectas de Directivas dentro de la UE.

La situación de los derechos de los colectivos del sector, ya sean escritores, traductores o editores, es insostenible e impacta gravemente en la salud de nuestro sistema democrático, perjudica a los ciudadanos y, como es inevitable, frena el crecimiento económico del país. Por eso aseguran que «impulsar la labor del escritor y el traductor también pasa por reconocer y respetar sus derechos de autor».

La encuesta
La encuesta fue cumplimentada, en las lenguas castellana, catalana, gallega, euskera y asturiana, con un margen de error de +/- 3,4 % y desarrollada con la colaboración de CEDRO.

Las asociaciones que han impulsado esta encuesta son:

Asociación Colegial de Escritores de España (ACE), Associació de Escriptors en Lengua Catalana (AELC), Asociación Colegial de Escritores de Cataluña (ACEC), Asociación de Escritores en Lengua Galega (AELG), Asociación de Autores Científico-Técnicos y Académicos (ACTA). Entidades de la Conferencia de Asociaciones de Escritras y Escritores del conjunto del Estado que han participado en su desarrollo: Asociación de Escritores de Euskadi– Euskadito Idazleen Elkartea (AEE-EIE), Asociación Valenciana de Escritores y Críticos Literarios (CLAVE), Asociación de Escritores y Escritoras de Extremadura (AEEX), Asociación Aragonesa de Escritores (AAE), Asociación de Escritores de Castilla La Mancha (AECLM), Asociación Navarra de Escritores/as – Nafar Idazleen Elkartea (ANE-NIE), Sociedad Cántabra de Escritores (SCE), Nueva Asociación Canaria de Escritores (NACE), Asociación de Escritores y Escritoras de Asturias (AEA), Asociación Riojana de Escritores (ARE).

https://www.cedro.org/sala-de-prensa/noticias/noticia/2025/01/08/escritores-y-traductores-reclaman-autorizaci%C3%B3n-previa-para-el-uso-de-sus-obras-en-la-ia

"Colloque International « Langage(s) et Traduction » (VIIIème édition)

Écrit, oral et corpus multimodaux : l’envers et l’endroit de la variation diamésique et diaphasique

9-12 juin 2025, Université de Bucarest"

Read more >
https://www.fabula.org/actualites/125006/colloque-international-langage-s-et-traduction-viiieme-edition-ecrit-oral.html
#metaglossia_mundus

VLC real-time captions and translation are coming

"AI will start making videos on popular media player VLC more accessible, the company announced at CES. VLC is adding a new feature that uses AI to generate subtitles and translations in real time. No more digging through shady subtitle databases or syncing files. Instead, VLC’s AI will transcribe audio and display it as the video plays, even translating it into any of more than 100 languages.

It's a notable shift from the way you currently have to add subtitles. If your video didn’t come with captions baked in, you had to go hunting for the right file online VLC’s new AI-powered subtitles aim to make that process obsolete. VLC is using open-source AI models for the feature and said that the whole thing will work on your device, meaning you won't need to be online or send any data about what you're watching.

Of course, the AI doesn’t just transcribe; it translates too. Say you’re watching a Korean drama and want to share it with a friend who doesn’t speak the language. VLC’s AI can generate subtitles in English, Spanish, or one of the dozens of other languages.

VLC's AI plans aren't a perfect solution, of course. Any AI transcription or translation may fall prey to confusion, bad transcription, and awkward translation. Accents, fast-talking, and other elements may make the captions more of a hindrance than you'd like. The feature is also likely to demand some serious processing power. Real-time transcription and translation are no small tasks, and older devices might struggle to keep up. It might be time for an upgrade if you’re still running VLC on a laptop from the pre-HD era.

Still, the potential is enormous for more than just casual viewers. People with impaired hearing or who are learning a new language will definitely benefit from immediate and (mostly) accurate transcription and translation. It could be a real boon for students, international travelers, or others who want or need text to accompany their viewing.

While VLC isn't unique in leveraging AI for subtitles, it stands out in terms of ease of use and practicality. Skipping the need for internet connectivity or a subscription service makes it both cheaper and more private than other options. It might not always get things perfect, but for most users, “good enough” will probably feel like a revelation."

By Eric Hal Schwartz

https://www.techradar.com/computing/artificial-intelligence/ai-will-start-subtitling-your-videos-thanks-to-vlc

"BRANTFORD, Ont. – Last summer, the Brant Community Healthcare System (Brantford General Hospital and The Willett, Paris) acquired the Voyce instant translation system to help patients, families, and hospital staff speak with each other. Like other communities across the country, Brantford and Paris, Ontario are attracting new Canadians, many of whom are not yet fluent in English.

“Brantford and the County of Brant is growing and becoming more diverse,” said Alden Leung (pictured), who works in the Quality, Risk, and Patient Relations department. “We sought out a translation service called Voyce that provides live interpreters on demand whenever patients and staff need assistance. Voyce professionals are medically trained and provide service twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week,” Leung said.

Hospital staff access Voyce using one of six mobile devices throughout both the Brantford General and Willett hospitals. Typically, within seconds, an expert interpreter appears on a screen, which is important in a hospital.

“We can access more than 240 languages and dialects, including Indigenous languages and American Sign Language,” Leung said. “The translators convey cultural nuance and complex medical terms with sensitivity.”

In the first six months of the Voyce Translation Service, the most popular languages required at BGH and Willett are Spanish, Polish, Arabic, Ukrainian, and French. To date, 50 different languages have been accessed through Voyce translators, most often in the BGH Emergency Department.

Linda Foster is a registered nurse and has worked in the BGH Emergency Department for 20 years. “Time is very important for many patients in the emergency department and Voyce is a game changer,” she said.

“Instantly, the patient and I and the interpreter appear on the screen.”

Foster recalled a young man in his twenties being treated in the BGH Emergency Department. “He was new to Canada and still learning English. He was so excited and relieved when the interpreter helped us with the language barrier.”

In just six months of the new service, interpreters have assisted on over 250 occasions in the emergency department, provided support another 200 times in the emergency department’s ambulatory assessment area, and helped with 50 pediatric department patients.

Statistics show that the average wait time to connect with an interpreter is 30 seconds.

It is not only the hospital staff that appreciates the new translation service, but also patients and families. “Once they see all of us on the screen together and are able to communicate in their native tongue, it’s like a lightbulb going off in their head. They realize quickly that we can speak their language, which opens up dialogue to assessing and treating,” Foster said.

Source: Gary Chalk, Brant Community Healthcare System."

https://www.canhealth.com/2025/01/08/brant-community-acquires-voyce-for-translation/
#metaglossia_mundus

"...Wycliffe Associates, an international organization that empowers "mother-tongue Bible translators and partners with local churches in the advancement of Bible translation," announced they will use Elon Musk's Starlink technology to help national Bible translators in isolated regions gain access to the internet.

Most of the time, translators have no internet access and are without electricity. They also rely on solar energy to power their equipment. However, according to the organization, the technology will give users in distant areas internet speeds similar to those with in-ground services.

The technology will benefit Bible translation teams, whose members typically live and work in some of the world's most hard-to-reach places.

"This is going to make a tremendous impact in terms of encouraging the translators, helping them with theological questions, and having that consistent connection where you can actually speak on the telephone as opposed to having to rely on a text message or an email," said a Wycliffe Associates staff member. "Starlink's going to improve our ability to stand alongside our translators.""

https://cbn.com/news/world/wycliffe-associates-use-elon-musks-starlink-spread-gospel-remote-parts-world
#metaglossia_mundus

"UNESCO estimates that there are 8,324 languages, spoken or signed. Out of these, around 7,000 languages are still in use. However, linguistic diversity is under threat, with many languages disappearing at an accelerated pace in our rapidly changing world.

Learning in one’s mother tongue enhances comprehension, engagement, and critical thinking, particularly for marginalized communities, but 37% of learners in low- and middle-income countries lack this opportunity. Multilingual education addresses these gaps, boosting participation, retention, and socio-emotional development, while also supporting global goals like gender equality, climate action, and sustainable communities. UNESCO champions multilingualism as a powerful tool for inclusive education and meaningful global engagement.

In February, UNESCO will celebrate the 25th anniversary of International Mother Language Day, reaffirming the importance of linguistic diversity and multilingualism in fostering dignity, peace, and understanding. This milestone highlights decades of efforts to preserve mother tongues, safeguard cultural heritage, and improve education. With the theme “Make Languages Count for Sustainable Development,” the Silver Jubilee underscores the urgency of accelerating progress on linguistic diversity to build a more inclusive and sustainable world by 2030. It also supports the International Decade of Indigenous Languages, emphasizing the role of languages in achieving global development goals.

The event will review progress, showcase successful multilingual education practices, and advocate for inclusive language policies that respect all communities. The two-day event will feature technical dialogues (20 February), high-level sessions (21 February), cultural performances, and an exhibition celebrating global linguistic diversity, all accessible through live streaming and interpretation."

https://www.unesco.org/en/articles/make-languages-count-sustainable-development-celebration-international-mother-language-day
#metaglossia_mundus

"KUALA LUMPUR, Jan 7 — The trial of Israeli national Avitan Shalom, facing charges of possessing 200 rounds of ammunition and trafficking six firearms, was postponed once again to Monday, Jan 13, due to his request for a Hebrew interpreter.

Judge Norina Zainol Abidin set the new date after Avitan’s lawyer, Datuk Naran Singh, informed the court that his client required a Hebrew interpreter throughout the trial.

“It is the right of the accused to have interpretation in a language they understand. The court will give one more shot to look for a Hebrew interpreter. Therefore, the case will be adjourned to this Monday (Jan 13),” said Norina.

Earlier, Norina reprimanded Avitan for requesting a Hebrew interpreter at the last minute, as it was never raised before the trial.

“The case has been going on for almost nine months, and you were represented by a counsel. The issue of the interpreter was not raised or brought up to the court’s attention at all during case management,” she said.

“The issue of your wish to request for a new interpreter was brought up to the court’s attention at the 11th hour, the last minute, which is on day one of the hearing (yesterday),” said the judge...."

https://www.malaymail.com/news/malaysia/2025/01/07/judge-rebukes-israeli-defendant-as-hebrew-interpreter-request-delays-firearms-trial/162325

Foreign woman assists Chonburi immigration police as interpreter, sparks mixed reactions online
By Pattaya MailJanuary 8, 20250592

Breaking barriers and bridging languages—Varvara Davidova assists Immigration Police as an interpreter, sparking admiration and debate online.
CHONBURI, Thailand – A foreign woman named Varvara Davidova shared photos on Facebook of herself wearing an Immigration Police vest on January 7 while captioning:

“Worked until 2 AM last night as an interpreter.”

The post quickly garnered significant attention, sparking a debate among netizens. Some questioned how a foreigner could serve as a civil servant in Thailand. However, the woman clarified that she was only assisting as an interpreter for the Immigration Police in Chonburi and other agencies, not employed as a civil servant.

The situation led to backlash against the person who raised the question, with many netizens criticizing the inappropriate comment. Some argued that skilled individuals, regardless of nationality, can contribute their expertise in various countries, just as Thais work abroad in specialized roles.

Meanwhile, another group of commenters, particularly Thai men, humorously praised the woman’s beauty and cuteness, with some jokingly expressing a desire to be “arrested.” Others offered words of encouragement for her work, commending her for her politeness and fluency in communication.

The post continues to circulate widely, with many appreciating the woman’s role in bridging communication gaps as an interpreter.

https://www.pattayamail.com/thailandnews/foreign-woman-assists-chonburi-immigration-police-as-interpreter-sparks-mixed-reactions-online-486423

FUKUOKA -- The number of cases where police across Japan hired outside interpreters to interview foreign suspects and victims reached approximately 66,100 in fiscal 2023, a 1.7-fold increase from 10 years earlier, the Mainichi Shimbun has learned from the National Police Agency (NPA).

According to the NPA, prefectural police forces nationwide have secured internal interpreters, totaling about 4,200 as of April 2024. However, the quick growth in foreign resident numbers plus the need to cover minor languages has outpaced these efforts, leading to more reliance on private-sector interpreters. Experts point out that there is a shortage of personnel and budgets necessary for interpreting.

The number of outsourced interpretation cases increased annually from about 38,600 in fiscal 2013, to about 63,000 in fiscal 2020. Although it decreased in fiscal 2021 due to the COVID-19 crisis, the trend resumed as the pandemic subsided, surpassing 60,000 again in fiscal 2022. The roughly 66,100 cases in fiscal 2023 were the highest in the past decade.

The increase in foreign residents and tourists in Japan is a contributing factor. According to the central government's "Roadmap for the Realization of a Society of Harmonious Coexistence with Foreign Nationals," there were about 3.41 million foreign nationals staying long-term in Japan as of the end of 2023, more than double the approximately 1.32 million 30 years before. Notably, there has been a significant increase in residents from Asian countries, with nationalities becoming more diverse. Inbound tourism also grew more than 2.4 times from 10.36 million in 2013 to 25.06 million in 2023.

As a result, crimes and accidents involving foreigners as suspects, victims or witnesses have surged. Police officers need to question foreign nationals who are not proficient in Japanese in various cases, increasing the importance of interpreters.

The police are not standing idly by. Prefectural police forces are sending young staffers to language training at the National Police Academy's International Police Center to enhance their skills. According to the police agency, about 20 police forces nationwide, including Saitama Prefectural Police and Aichi Prefectural Police, have set special recruitment quotas for linguistically skilled personnel, hiring some 370 people.

Fukuoka Prefectural Police, which oversees Fukuoka Airport, a gateway to Asia, began a pioneering initiative in fiscal 1995 to recruit linguistically skilled people as "special investigators." They have hired 23 English speakers, 64 Mandarin Chinese speakers, 23 Korean speakers, and two each for French and Spanish.

However, this has not fully addressed the skills shortage, and the number of times the force sought cooperation from private interpreters continued to rise, with the cost of private interpretation reaching a record 42 million yen (about $300,000 at the time) in fiscal 2023. The prefectural police have also launched a program to send young employees to Nepal for language training for seven to 12 months, but they are struggling to keep up with demand.

Ensuring the quality of interpretation is also a challenge. In March 2024, the Tsu District Court in Mie Prefecture acquitted a Filipino woman who had been accused of violating the Stimulants Control Act, recognizing that the charges were based on misinterpretation. The woman had been detained for more than two years with restricted visitation rights. Her lawyer, Miwako Honjo, criticized the case, saying, "Investigative authorities indicted the woman based on the assumption that she had transferred illegal drugs, failing to adequately verify the facts despite the interpretation containing basic errors."

Takahiro Akedo, an associate professor of sociology at Osaka Metropolitan University who has researched police responses to people with foreign roots, pointed out, "Japanese society can no longer function without foreign workers. As Japan accepts foreigners, the police need to secure the necessary systems and budgets to respond appropriately."

(Japanese original by Rokuhei Sato, Kyushu News Department)

https://mainichi.jp/english/articles/20250107/p2a/00m/0na/010000c

"...seven new words from Korean culture, including "dalgona" and "hyung," in its latest update.

The December update, announced Tuesday, incorporated "noraebang," "maknae," "jjigae," "tteokbokki" and "pansori" into the dictionary.

It marks the first significant addition of Korean-origin words since September 2021, when 26 words, including "K-drama," "hallyu," "mukbang" and "daebak" were added.

The seven new entries reflect the growing global influence of Korean culture, particularly in English-speaking countries. Many are associated with K-culture, which has gained immense popularity worldwide.

"Dalgona" is described as "a Korean confection made by adding baking soda to melted sugar, typically sold by street vendors in the form of a flat disc with a simple shape, such as a heart or star, carved on its surface." The term gained international recognition following the Netflix series "Squid Game."

"Maknae" is defined as "the youngest person in a family or group; (now) spec. the youngest member of a K-pop group."

"Tteokbokki" is explained as "a Korean dish consisting of small, cylindrical rice cakes cooked in a spicy sauce made with gochujang, usually served as a snack (often as street food)."

Jieun Kiaer, a professor of Korean linguistics at the University of Oxford's Asian and Middle Eastern Studies who serves as the Korean language consultant for the dictionary, told Yonhap News Agency that words frequently used and discussed in English-speaking countries, with textual evidence, are included in the dictionary.

The inclusion of the words reflects the global spread of Korean culture, particularly through popular media and cuisine, she explained.

She anticipates a steady increase in Korean-related words in the dictionary, adding that words like "haenyeo" (female divers), "ajumma" (middle-aged woman) and "bingsu" (shaved ice dessert) are being considered for future updates.

"Korean-related words will be updated annually from now on," she said. "Korean food terms are expected to continue being added to the dictionary."

sshim@yna.co.kr"

 

"Every year, the world loses some of its 7,000 languages. Parents stop speaking them to their children, words are forgotten and communities lose the ability to read their own scripts. The rate of loss is quickening, from one every three months a decade ago to one every 40 days in 2019 – meaning nine languages die a year.

 

The UN’s culture agency, Unesco, says predictions that half the world’s languages will have died out by the end of the century are optimistic.

 

Some languages are disappearing with their last speakers, but thousands are endangered because they are not being spoken widely enough or are not being used in formal settings such as schools or workplaces.

A quiet fightback is under way in communities that feel their traditions are drowned out by the dominance of the most spoken languages globally, such as English, or by the official languages of their country.

Tochi Precious, a Nigerian living in Abuja who helps endangered language activists, says: “It pains my heart every day to see that a language is dying off, because it’s not just about the language, it’s also about the people.

“It’s also about the history associated with it and the culture. When it dies, everything linked to it dies off too.”

 

Precious says it was the community aspect that brought her to join efforts to save Igbo, a west African language that was predicted to become extinct by 2025. Ensuring there is a substantial record of words and meanings, how it is written and how it is used is key, according to campaigners such as Precious, who help others protect their languages through the organisation Wikitongues.

 

Amrit Sufi, who speaks the Angika language of India’s eastern state of Bihar, records videos to preserve its very oral culture, providing transcriptions and translations. “Documenting the folk songs was my way into getting to know my culture and doing my bit for it,” says Sufi, who has recorded dozens of such videos.

“It is urgent to document and to make it accessible where other people can see it – not just archived somewhere in a library,” she says. “Oral culture is disappearing as new generations are more inclined towards consuming industry-produced music rather than sitting in groups and singing.”

Sufi says that while Angika has about 7 million speakers, it is not used in schools and is rarely written down, which is accelerating its downfall. Some people are ashamed to speak it because of a perceived stigma attached to it, seeing Angika as inferior to dominant languages such as Hindi.

Sufi uses the same set of tools that Precious used for Igbo to upload videos of people speaking Angika. Wikipedia is favoured by language activists as a good way to upload media and build effective and affordable dictionaries.

Wikitongues, in particular, focuses on helping activists document languages using collective resources such as dictionaries and alternative-language Wikipedia entries. Wikitongues says it has supported activists to document about 700 languages in this way.

 

There are moves to use artificial intelligence to document languages by processing texts and feeding them into chatbots, though some have ethical concerns around these services “stealing” written material for training purposes.

Many language activists also create books, videos and recordings that can be widely shared. Community radio stations also have a long record of providing services in local languages.

For the Rohingya people from Myanmar, who now mostly live as refugees in Bangladesh after decades of persecution, concerns about their mostly oral language being lost because of their dispersal abroad have led to attempts to develop a written version.

Books written in the recently developed Hanifi script have now been distributed to more than 500 schools within the Rohingya refugee camps in Bangladesh, which host more than a million people.

Sahat Zia Hero, who works with the Rohingya Cultural Memory Centre, says: “Using books translated into Rohingya language, as well as historical, political and educational books published in our Rohingya language, can significantly speed up the process of educating our community.

“If we prioritise teaching our language, especially to the younger generation, we can prevent the loss of both education and cultural identity for future generations. Otherwise, they will face the dual threat of losing their language and access to meaningful education.”

The museum provides a physical space for Rohingya culture. There are also efforts to use the script on social media, where most Rohingya write their language using Roman or Burmese lettering.

But after preservation, activists then have to persuade people to use a language – a major challenge.

 

Precious says that even though Igbo is one of Nigeria’s largest languages, many parents believe only English is useful for a child’s future.

“Parents saw that if you do not speak English you do not belong, you’re not part of the society, and it feels like you don’t know anything. So, no one was passing down the language any more – they used to say you’re not going anywhere with Igbo,” she says.

 

But efforts to save it have worked, she says, adding that it gives her pleasure to see the language thriving again.

“I have realised that, yes, a language can be endangered but then the people who speak the language can also fight for its survival. Because 2025 is already here, and definitely Igbo is not going extinct,” she says.

Jan 08, 2025 // The African Union has a strategy that, if successful, could help African states develop AI tools designed to their needs—and perhaps help the continent become a global leader in AI

BYSTEPHANIE GULL .

JANUARY 8, 2025
The African Union has a strategy that, if successful, could help African states develop AI tools designed to their needs—and perhaps help the continent become a global leader in AI, writes Stephanie Gull.

 

In 2024, the African Union Executive Council unveiled its Continental AI Strategy, emphasizing the need for an African–centric AI development strategy. The Continental AI Strategy focuses on ethically and sustainably developing AI to mitigate the risks of the developing technology while relying on the collaboration of African Union members. Through this strategic development of AI, the African Union hopes to achieve the goals outlined in Agenda 2063—a framework to establish Africa as “the global powerhouse for the future”—while also meeting the Sustainable Development Goals created by the UN.

Countries in Africa have already implemented AI in impactful ways. In 2023, Google’s Flood Hub AI began including African countries in its data sources to address the increased risk of flooding from the climate crisis. Thus far, the AI’s predictions of flooding have had “remarkably high accuracy.” In 2024, the PlantVillage App offered Zambian farmers the opportunity to begin mitigating the impact of the climate crisis on critical produce in Zambia. The app uses AI to identify different pests and diseases afflicting crops, creating a massive database to facilitate solutions to ensure food security. The free app encourages users to keep expanding the database.

Perhaps most notably for the development of AI, African countries like Nigeria and Rwanda have been developing AI with digitized language models to include different local languages in AI data sets. African languages are not often included in global AI models, and including this data is essential for African citizens to use AI effectively.

The creation of the AI Hub for Sustainable Development Startup Accelerator Pilot also highlights Africa’s ability to develop AI technology further, as the program connects AI–focused startups across Africa with investors. The partnerships created by this platform will be instrumental in implementing the Continental AI Strategy.

With the Continental AI Strategy, the African Union wants to further focus on African–centric development of AI, utilizing the technology to strengthen African Union states’ economies, create more job opportunities, and improve health and education while prioritizing sustainability and addressing the climate crisis. The strategy plans to utilize AI to improve the lives of African people while “leaving no one and no place behind.” Fortunately, Africa already has a climate ready to embrace AI, with countries like Rwanda, Ethiopia, and Kenya already established as technological innovation hubs with tech–savvy populations ready to foster technological development. And as part of the action plan, the African Union states will begin investing in the necessary infrastructure to successfully establish and maintain startup AI ecosystems.

The Continental AI Strategy also emphasizes the need for African Union states to collaborate on developing AI, including investing in and implementing AI in both the public and private sectors. By fostering AI development through innovative startups on a regional and national level, the African Union states will be able to integrate AI with areas of focus in Agenda 2063, such as healthcare, education, agriculture, and sustainability.

The final step of the strategy’s action plan is to expand these AI partnerships worldwide, further improving Africa’s position on the global stage.

Still, the Continental AI Strategy acknowledges the risks that come with the development of AI: a lack of diversity and bias in data, concern around cybersecurity, potential privacy infringement, and potential spread of misinformation. The first step of the action plan is to develop regional and national AI governance and regulation levels to address these concerns. By making AI development African–centric, the strategy also addresses the lack of diversity that often hinders other AI models—the action plan includes the need to expand models to include women, migrants, people with disabilities, and communities with different sets of values. The action plan also emphasizes the need for AI models to prioritize human rights and dignity above all else.

The successful implementation of the Continental AI Strategy would have enormous benefits for African Union states’ economies and populations. And through the steps outlined, the plan would encourage the creation of regulations and improve the focus on ethical and sustainable usage of AI globally.

https://www.diplomaticourier.com/posts/african-union-strategy-make-africa-global-leader-ai

Progressivement, les membres des communautés linguistiques ne souffrent plus d'initiatives pour promouvoir les langues locales. Un dictionnaire Ewé-français, désormais disponible pour booster l'apprentissage de la langue en Afrique de l'ouest. Plus de 7,5 millions de locuteurs au Ghana, Togo et Bénin partagent la langue éwé

Ecrit par
Jean Sovon
Publié le 08/01/2025

En Afrique de l'ouest, un nouveau dictionnaire Français-Éwé est désormais disponible pour faciliter et booster l'apprentissage de cette langue parlée principalement au Togo.

Classée dans la famille des langues nigéro-congolaise, la langue éwé est parlée au Ghana, Togo, et au Bénin. Elle réunit plus de 7,5 millions de locuteurs dans ces trois pays qui partagent de nombreuses traditions culturelles. Au Togo où la langue est parlée par une très forte proportion de la population, l'éwé a le statut officiel de langue nationale, inscrite dans la constitution depuis 1975. Mais l'intégration de la langue dans le système éducatif reste imparfaite.

Paru au premier semestre de l'année 2024, le dictionnaire intitulé ” Ele nam be mado Eʋəgbə ” (Il faut que je m'exprime en éwé, ou Je dois parler éwé) est un ouvrage de de 562 pages qui contient 120 000 mots et expressions. Kuizian Atitso Baba est l'auteur togolais de cette œuvre linguistique majeure qui permet à toute la communauté de langue éwé de renforcer la lecture, l'écriture et la compréhension de cette langue maternelle face aux autres langues présentes dans le pays, comme le français.

Kuizian veut ainsi contribuer à un enseignement professionnel de l'éwé dans le secteur éducatif dans la région. Interviewé, via Whatsapp, par Global Voices, l'auteur explique la genèse cette initiative et dévoile ses projets futurs pour le repositionnement de la langue éwé dans le concert des langues locales en Afrique.

Jean Sovon (JS) : Depuis quand la langue éwé est-elle codifiée par écrit? Est-elle activement présente sous forme écrite dans la société togolaise?

Kuizian Atitso Baba (KAB) : Selon des informations que j’ai glanées, la phonétique éwé aurait commencé en 1847 par les négociants Allemands installés à Anlo autour de la ville de Keta, situé dans la région la région de Volta, au sud du Ghana. Mais c’est depuis 1891 que l’étude de la langue éwé et sa codification ont commencé par les Allemands J. Knùsli, Schlegel et Westermann, en collaboration avec les Éwé d’Anlo. Ces travaux ont abouti à la traduction de la Bible en éwé. Malheureusement, depuis lors, les travaux lexicologiques et phonologiques éwé sont demeurés lacunaires.

JS : Comment est né ce dictionnaire? Est-ce un travail d'équipe? Existait-il d’autres dictionnaires monolingues ou bilingues? Y-aura-t-il une version en ligne?

KAB : L’élaboration du dictionnaire Français-Éwé est motivée par un constat : la langue d’une communauté est par excellence ce à quoi elle s’identifie. Cette langue, si elle est étudiée, parlée et écrite, se développe en intégrant dans son lexique de nouveaux mots. Tel n’est pas le cas de l’éwé, la langue du peuple Éwé. Pourquoi, depuis les travaux lexicologiques et lexicographiques éwé menés par les Allemands, la recherche sur la la lexicographie et surtout sur la phonétique Éwé demeure-t-elle lacunaire et ne porte pas sur la technique, la technologie, la science et l’économie qui constituent le levier par excellence du développement d’un pays ?

L’élaboration du dictionnaire Français-Éwé a été un travail collaboratif. Outre les personnes ressources rencontrées au cours des voyages de collecte et d’étude des mots, vocables, termes techniques et d’expressions idiomatiques sur l’aire culturelle éwé, j’ai bénéficié de la collaboration étroite de Professeur Joseph Koffi Nutәƒe TSIGBE et du doyen Gédéon ASI avec lesquels l’institut Éwé dénommé Institut de Recherche en Communication Endogène de Développement (IRCED) est créé ainsi que de la collaboration de Mme Amè Akoele Aziakor.

Bien avant la publication de mon ouvrage, des dictionnaires bilingues avaient été publiés: Wörterbuch der Eẇe-Sprache: Éẇé Deutsch Eẇé Wörterbuch, (Dictionnaire de la langue Éwé: Dictionnaire Éwé-allemand-Éwé) paru en 1905 sous la plume de D. Westermann ; Dictionnaire Français-Éwé Togo publié par K. Adzomada ; Dictionnaire Éwé-Français écrit par Jacques Rongier, un linguiste français.

A ce jour, il n’existe pas de dictionnaire monolingue Éwé-Éwé. Et il n’est pas, pour le moment, envisagé une version du dictionnaire Français-Éwé en ligne. Néanmoins, un site internet est en cours de création pour la promotion de la langue éwé par son apprentissage en ligne.

JS : Qui seront les principaux utilisateurs.trices de ce dictionnaire?

KAB : Le présent dictionnaire Français-Éwé est destiné surtout aux cadres de la haute administration togolaise et aux locuteurs éwé de la diaspora togolaise. En effet, les manuels éwé sont quasi-inexistants dans les librairies et dans les bibliothèques. Les équivalents éwé de certaines disciplines telles que la philosophie, l’ingénierie, la littérature, les mathématiques, l’arithmétique, le calcul, et des vocables tels le magistrat, le notaire n’existent pas dans les rares manuels ou documents. Du coup, les langues étrangères aliènent les locuteurs éwé créant ainsi un fossé entre les élites de la haute administration togolaise et leurs communautés d’origine d’une part et entre les locuteurs natifs éwé installés ou nés à l’étranger et leurs communautés d’origine, d'autre part.

JS : L'initiative a-t-elle reçu le soutien des autorités éducatives du pays? Quelle sera la prochaine étape ?

KAB : L’initiative a été saluée par Victoire Tomegah Dogbé, Premier Ministre à qui l’ouvrage a été officiellement présenté au cours d’une audience qu’elle a accordée à son auteur le 8 mai 2024.

Les travaux de révision de l’ouvrage ont repris pour une prochaine publication d’édition révisée. Ainsi, l’édition révisée du dictionnaire intégrera de nouveaux mots et expressions proposés par les usagers du dictionnaire Français-Éwé. Parallèlement à la prochaine édition révisée, des travaux d’élaboration d’un dictionnaire bilingue Éwé-Français et d’un dictionnaire monolingue Éwé-Éwé sont en gestation.

JS : La langue éwé se maintient-elle dans la diaspora?

KAB : Malgré la quasi-inexistence de manuels éwé, les locuteurs natifs éwé installés à l’étranger continuent de parler éwé, sauf qu’il leur manque des mots et vocables qui sont des équivalents des mots et vocables et expressions français, anglais ou allemands. Lors de la cérémonie de dédicace de l'ouvrage, les représentants et parents des locuteurs natif éwé de la diaspora ont acheté plusieurs volumes du dictionnaire.

Dans le prolongement de son engagement pour le rayonnement de la langue éwé à travers le monde, l'auteur se donne une autre mission: la publication d'un manuel de grammaire et d'orthographe éwé. Ce second ouvrage est conçu pour faciliter l'apprentissage de la langue éwé et son utilisation professionnelle.

https://fr.globalvoices.org/2025/01/08/292691/

"Si Alice in Borderland est désormais mondialement connu, c'est surtout grâce à l'adaptation du manga en série. Voici 3 différences entre les deux œuvres.

Diffusée en 2020 sur Netflix, Alice in Borderland est une série adaptée du manga d'Haro Asō. Publié entre 2010 et 2016, ce shônen a été particulièrement apprécié et a eu de nombreuses versions en format manga. Mais c'est surtout sur la plateforme de streaming qu'Alice in Borderland a touché le plus de monde, avec tout de même quelques différences majeures par rapport à l'histoire originelle.

Des jeux différents
L'une des principales différences entre la série et le manga est le type de jeux. Dans le récit d'Haro Asō, le premier jeu se passe dans une fête foraine. Les participants doivent trouver un chiffre en répondant à des questions. S'ils se trompent, ils sont visés massivement par des flèches enflammées qui correspondent à la différence entre leur réponse et le bon résultat. Dans la série, ils doivent "simplement" trouver la bonne pièce dans un bâtiment. Les mauvaises salles s'enflamment.

La notion du feu est donc présente mais Netflix a décidé de modifier la première épreuve. Le jeu du cache-cache est également beaucoup plus traumatisant dans le manga que dans la série. Afin d'adapter au mieux le manga, Netflix a pris la décision de supprimer quelques passages, notamment certains chapitres bonus.

Des chapitres retirés et des personnages modifiés
L'un des chapitres était consacré à l'épreuve du quatre de cœur, avec Dodo Hayato, un personnage qui n'apparaît jamais dans la série. Il sauvera Arisu d'une mort certaine, alors que ce dernier était suspendu dans le vide. L'épreuve du six de carreau avec une partie de Black Jack meurtrière est également absente, tout comme l'épreuve trois de pique, qui était essentielle pour montrer l'alliance entre plusieurs personnages secondaires.

Enfin, le caractère de certaines personnes est différent entre le manga et la série. Shibuki est beaucoup moins manipulatrice dans le roman et Arisu n'est pas un passionné de jeux vidéo. De même pour Karube, qui est célibataire dans la série alors que dans l'intrigue d'origine d'Alice in Borderland, il est sur le point de se marier..."
Publié le 2 janvier 2025 à 16:25 par Adrien Barbet
https://www.gamesider.com/pop-culture/netflix/alice-in-borderland-3-differences-majeures-entre-le-manga-et-la-serie-netflix_art42385.html
#metaglossia_mundus

ABU DHABI, 7th January, 2025 (WAM) -- The International Prize for Arabic Fiction (IPAF) has revealed the longlist of 16 novels in contention for the 2025 prize.

The longlist has been chosen from a total of 124 submissions by a panel of five judges chaired by Egyptian academic Mona Baker. Joining her on the panel are Moroccan academic and critic Said Bengrad, Emirati critic and academic Maryam Al Hashimi, Lebanese researcher and academic Bilal Orfali, and Finnish translator Sampsa Peltonen.

The selection includes three authors who have been previously longlisted by IPAF: Rashid al-Daif (2012, 2024), Sausan Jamil Hasan (2023) and Taissier Khalaf (2017), alongside one previously long- and shortlisted author, Azher Jirjees (2020, 2023 respectively).

The other twelve authors feature on the list for the first time: Aqeel Almusawi, Inam Bioud, Ahmed Fal Al Din, Jan Dost, Iman Humaydan, Hasan Kamal, Ahmed Al-Malawany, Mohamed Samir Nada, Nadia Najar, Haneen Al-Sayegh, Sumar Shihada and Ayman Ragab Taher.

Mona Baker, Chair of the 2025 judges, said that this year's longlist is remarkable in its diversity of both theme and literary form.

Professor Yasir Suleiman, Chair of the Board of Trustees, stated that the longlist continues the trend of recent years of exploring the past to comment on the present from multiple perspectives.

The International Prize for Arabic Fiction is an annual literary prize for novels in Arabic, which will award $50,000 to the winner. It is sponsored by the Abu Dhabi Arabic Language Centre at the Department of Culture and Tourism - Abu Dhabi.

The six shortlisted titles will be chosen by the judges and announced on Wednesday, 19th February 2025, at the Bibliotheca Alexandrina, Egypt.

The winner of the prize will be announced on Thursday, 24th April 2025, in Abu Dhabi.

This year, IPAF will launch its inaugural editing workshop, which aims to develop the skills of professionals in the Arab publishing world and encourage excellence in the industry. It will take place from 18th to 22nd January in Jordan, at the Abdul Hameed Shoman Foundation.

IQNA – Amazigh activists welcomed the Moroccan ministry of Awqaf and Islamic affairs’ initiative to translate the Holy Quran into the Amazigh language.

 

The effort to introduce the Amazigh language in the Awqaf ministry is a serious and significant step towards activating the official Amazigh identity, Abdullah Bu Shatart, an activist said. 

He called for the broader use of the Amazigh language in the programs of the ministry and for the imams and preachers of mosques, both inside and outside Morocco, to become proficient in this language in order to facilitate interaction with citizens and minorities in the country, Sawt al-Maghrib website reported.

The translation of the Quran into the Amazigh language is an important step for the language and its culture, he stated.

Previously, Hussein Jahadi al-Ba’amrani, a Moroccan researcher, published the first Quran translation in Amazigh in 2003.

He dedicated significant effort to this project, and the research, editing, and translation of this work took 12 years to complete.

Also, Imad Al-Mounyari, the president of the Moroccan Association for Research and Cultural Exchange, said, “We consider the Awqaf ministry’s initiative to translate the Quran into Amazigh a positive step that creates the conditions for obtaining an official translation of the Quran in this language.”

He added that al-Ba’amrani’s translation of the Quran and Islamic books can be used as a base for the new translation.

 

Amazigh has been an official language in Morocco since 2011.

According to official figures, nearly one-third of Morocco’s population of 35 million can speak the language.

 

Protecting translation is a commitment to fostering empathy, understanding, and creativity in a globalised yet divided world.

"The theme for International Translation Day (ITD) last year—"Translation, an art worth protecting"—under the Berne Convention for the Protection of Literary and Artistic Works, first adopted in 1886, underscores the enduring importance of recognising translation not merely as a craft, but as an art form in its own right. Translation, while derived from another origin, emerges as an "original" creative work, standing independent in its artistry. In anticipation of the 2025 ITD theme, to be announced by the International Federation of Translators (FIT), this reflection highlights the timeless resonance of the 2024 appellation, transcending any afterthought. Translation assumes an "afterlife" (Benjamin, 1923) of the original text, with an "always already" inequivalent textuality embedded in a distinct linguistic and cultural context. Reimagining a text for new audiences demands not only linguistic expertise but also a creative vi sion and artistic sensibility. It involves breathing new life into the original, seamlessly interweaving the sights, sounds, and silences of the foreign with those of the domestic.

Ezra Pound's translation of the German poet Heinrich Heine serves as an example of translation as art. Burton Raffel (1993) insightfully observed that "Pound seems instinctively to have understood that the translation of poetry is an art, but at its best, it is only a partial and inevitably somewhat derivative art." This brings us to a crucial aspect: genuine translation does not simply reproduce the original; it reinterprets it, transposing its essence into a new form for a different audience. In this sense, translation is an act of transformation—beyond the purely technical exercise and the merely linguistic shift—that requires a leap of "dialogic imagination" (Bakhtin, 1981). It transforms the act of reading, requiring the translator to reimagine the text and bring it to life within a new cultural and linguistic world. In his preface to the translation of Eusebius, St Jerome, the "patron saint of translators," claimed, "I have at once translated and written a new work" (Jerome, 395/1965).

 

If "genuine poetry communicates before it is understood" (Eliot, 1933), then genuine translation reinterprets this communicative act (in line with Gadamer, 1975, who viewed translation as the essence of communication). Translation demands "writerly" rather than "readerly" (Barthes, 1970) engagement with the text, transcending mere comprehension. Translation, therefore, should be seen as a performative act—actively reshaping meaning—rather than a constative one, which would merely report or describe the original text. In JL Austin's terms, translation is not simply about transmitting content, but about recreating the experience of the original in a new cultural and linguistic world (Austin, 1962). As André Lefevere (1992) notes, the translator becomes a co-creator, shaping the text's impact and ensuring its survival across cultural boundaries.

...

Historical role of translation
Historically, translation has been pivotal in fostering multilingualism, cultural exchange, and the spread of knowledge across borders. Luis Kelly (quoted in Raffel, 1993) asserts, "Western Europe owes its civilisation to translators, and to a considerable extent, we owe what civilisation we embody to them." The Renaissance, which marked the intellectual zenith of Western Europe, was made possible by the revival of classical knowledge—especially from Greek, Roman, and Islamic sources—through the Graeco-Arabic and Arabo-Latin translation movements (Gutas, 2001). Translation bridges linguistic and cultural divides, blurring boundaries and forging connections across people and ideas. It also has the power to challenge and negotiate unequal power structures, as Tejaswini Niranjana (1992) points out, highlighting translation as a site for interrogating representation, power, and historicity, especially in postcolonial contexts.

Translation's historical contributions also include facilitating religious and philosophical exchanges. The translation of sacred texts, such as the Bible, into vernacular languages not only democratised access to spiritual knowledge but also spurred literary and cultural revolutions. Similarly, the transmission of Indian, Chinese, and Islamic philosophies to the West through translation enriched global intellectual traditions (Pollock, 2006). These examples underscore how translation serves as a cultural and intellectual catalyst, propelling societies towards new horizons of understanding.

Marginalisation of translation
Despite its profound significance, translation has often been relegated to the margins. Lawrence Venuti (1998) argues that translation is stigmatised as a lesser form of writing, facing discouragement from copyright law, depreciation by academic institutions, and exploitation by publishers and other institutions of power. This marginalisation reveals how translation exposes institutional asymmetries, inequities, and power relations. However, translation is anything but endangered. Its inherent agonism—constantly confronting challenges—demonstrates its resilience and enduring significance. As a living art, it evolves with its context, surviving in the face of institutional and cultural resistance.

In addition to economic and institutional marginalisation, translation faces cultural devaluation. Translators are often perceived as invisible, their creative contributions overshadowed by the original authors (Venuti, 1995). Yet, as Venuti reminds us, the translator's role is both derivative and authoritative, encompassing the dual responsibilities of fidelity to the source text and adaptation for the target audience. This duality not only highlights the translator's indispensable role, but also challenges the reductive notion that translation is merely secondary to original creation.

 

Of translation
Authority and allegiance of translators
Venuti (1998) attributes a unique "authority" to translators, one that diverges from the traditional prestige of original authors. This authority, while derivative, is not subservient. Translation embodies a nuanced form of authorship, serving both foreign and domestic communities. Translators find themselves in a constant negotiation between the source text and the target culture, balancing domestication (adapting the text to align with target cultural norms) and foreignisation (preserving the text's "foreignness"). The tensions between these choices underscore the agonistic nature of translation. Venuti's concept of "double allegiance" emphasises this delicate balancing act, where translators navigate the competing demands of both source and target cultures. This dual allegiance highlights the inherent instability of interpretation, reminding us that no act of translation can ever be definitive or final.

Relevance of Grice, Deleuze and Guattari, Spivak, and Derrida
Paul Grice's (1989) theory of implicature suggests that meaning can be implied rather than explicitly stated. However, Venuti (1998) critiques such pragmatic approaches for their tendency to domesticate the text, suppressing its foreignness. Instead, Venuti advocates for an "ethics of difference" that strives to preserve the foreign essence of the text. This aligns with Gilles Deleuze and Félix Guattari's (1987) view of language as inherently conflictual and rhizomatic, where meanings emerge from a multiplicity of linguistic exchanges. Gayatri Spivak (1992) emphasises the instability of language and challenges translation to confront the inherent contingency of meaning. Her notion of "dissemination" demands that translation engage with meaning's scattering beyond linguistic control, a concept echoed in Jacques Derrida's (1979) theory of différance, where meaning is always deferred, never fully encapsulated. Translators must acknowledge this deferral, resisting simplifications and emphasising the gaps and differences between languages and cultures.

These theoretical frameworks underscore the complexity of translation as both an intellectual and artistic endeavour. By engaging with the inherent instability of language and the multiplicity of meanings, translators can elevate their work beyond mere technical accuracy, embracing the tensions and contradictions that define intercultural exchange.

Berne Convention and legal protections
The Berne Convention (1886) and its subsequent revisions have strengthened copyright protections for translators, affirming their rights as authors of original works. However, the widespread practice of "work-for-hire" translations—where translators receive flat fees without royalties—undermines these protections, relegating translators to mere service providers rather than cultural creators. Despite the legal recognition of translators' rights, the concept of "droit moral" (moral rights) often prevails, overriding translators' claims to derivative works and disadvantaging them both economically and culturally. Bangladesh's accession to the Berne Convention in 1999 marked a significant step forward in recognising translators' rights. Yet, challenges persist in ensuring fair treatment. These legal complexities highlight the need for more robust protections and a greater recognition of translators as essential contributors to cultural production. Ethical considerations—such as fair compensation, acknowledgment of intellectual contributions, and legal safeguards—are crucial to fostering a culture that truly values the art of translation.

 

In an era marked by globalisation and transnational flows, translation remains a pivotal tool for bridging linguistic and cultural divides. However, it continues to face significant challenges, from marginalisation in cultural and academic contexts to the delicate balancing act between domestication and foreignisation. By embracing an "ethics of difference," translators assert their role as co-creators, enriching global culture while preserving the complexity and depth of the original text. Lefevere's concept of translation as "a culture's window on the world" underscores its potential to foster genuine intercultural dialogue, resist homogenisation, and protect linguistic diversity. Translation, as both an artistic and intellectual endeavour, is not only a form of cultural preservation but also a transformative act of intercultural exchange.

Recognising translation as a performative, dialogic, and agonistic art ensures its continued significance in a world that increasingly depends on the richness and diversity of human expression. Protecting translation is, ultimately, a commitment to fostering empathy, understanding, and creativity in a globalised yet divided world.

Dr Faridul Alam writes from New York City, US.

https://www.thedailystar.net/opinion/views/news/the-timeless-art-translation-3792486

"The Government has spent £27million on interpreters for non-English speaking benefit claimants since 2019, it has emerged.  

 

The Department for Work and Pensions has boosted spending on interpretation services in the last five years.

 

The highest yearly spend was in 2022, when the department spent £8million - up from £1.7 million in 2019.

 

Nearly a million calls to the DWP Universal Credit helpline needed an interpreter last year.

 

Interpretation contractors are employed from job centres and through video and phone calls.

 

It comes after newly-released figures showed nearly 37,000 people arrived in the UK last year.

 

The cost of interpretation is at record levels and cost the taxpayer £4million in 2023, The Telegraph reported."

12:40 GMT 05 Jan 2025, updated 12:53 GMT 05 Jan 2025

By EMILY JANE DAVIES

https://lnkd.in/eQyBfNx5

#metaglossia_mundus

"Algérie : les écoles de langues sous surveillance, voici les raisons
05/01/2025 - 20:50...
"Dans le cadre du contrôle des activités économiques et commerciales et du respect du contenu des activités commerciales spécifiques à chaque entreprise, nous affirmons que toutes les écoles d’apprentissage des langues, inscrites au registre du commerce sous le code d’activité 607-014, doivent s’en tenir à l’activité spécifiée dans le registre du commerce liée à l’enseignement des langues, et se limiter à cette seule activité », a indiqué le responsable.

Celui-ci n’a pas spécifié les autres activités que les écoles de langues sont appelées à éviter, ni livré les raisons de ce rappel à l’ordre.

Il a seulement souligné que le travail de contrôle du ministère est « routinier » et « habituel » et s’inscrit dans le cadre des activités de la direction générale du contrôle économique et de la répression des fraudes. Il vise à « revoir les conditions que doit remplir chaque entreprise », selon le même responsable.

Ministère du commerce : ce qui est reproché aux écoles de langues en Algérie
Bien que le responsable du ministère du Commerce n’a rien précisé des autres activités auxquelles s’adonneraient certaines écoles de langues, il semble que ce sont les activités d’enseignement et d’apprentissage de disciplines autres que les langues qui soient visées.

Dans une note adressée fin novembre dernier aux directeurs du commerce régionaux et des wilayas, la direction du contrôle économique et de la répression des fraudes avait noté des manquements de la part de certaines écoles privées, agréées pour enseigner les langues mais qui « offrent d’autres services liés à l’enseignement et la formation et d’autres activités touchant au référent éducatif national ».

Ces écoles "dispensent des cours particuliers dans différentes disciplines et différents paliers de l’enseignement, ce qui constitue des activités en dehors de l’objet du registre du commerce", est-il expliqué dans la note.

Aussi, les responsables locaux du commerce ont été instruits de procéder, sous l’autorité des walis et en coordination avec les instances compétentes, à des opérations de contrôle de cette activité et d’adresser des rapports hebdomadaires à la tutelle.

La direction centrale avait précisé dans sa note que, parallèlement à l’ouverture d’une enquête nationale sur les écoles de langues dans le cadre du programme d’activité au titre de l’année 2024, le ministère du Commerce a été instruit par les hautes autorités du pays de renforcer le contrôle sur ce type d’entreprises et ce, à travers des brigades mixtes constituées par les représentants locaux des secteurs de l’intérieur, de l’éducation, des affaires religieuses et du commerce, ainsi que des représentants de la Sûreté nationale et de la Gendarmerie nationale."

https://www.tsa-algerie.com/algerie-les-ecoles-de-langues-sous-surveillance-voici-les-raisons/
#metaglossia_mundus

"Invitation to interpreting students to participate in Model EU Strasbourg 2025 as an Interpreter
Model European Union Strasbourg

(MEUS) is the largest and most realistic simulation of EU politics. It is held for a week each year since 2007 at the seat of the European Parliament in Strasbourg, a city that embodies the spirit of the European Union. The participants, young people from all over Europe and beyond, enjoy a first-hand experience of the decision-making process of the EU by taking on the roles of various policy actors: MEPs, Ministers of the Council, Interpreters, Journalists,Interest Representatives, and National banking representatives of Euro Area countries. Interpreters play a pivotal role at MEUS as they interpret speeches, debates and meetings and work between English and their mother tongue both simultaneously and consecutively. You can find more information about our project in the document attached.

MEUS 2025 will take place from April 6 to 10 in Strasbourg and applications are open now and EXTENDED until January 17, 2025.

Our application form can be found here.

The eligibility of applicants depends on the following criteria:

– The applicant is a Conference Interpreting student or a recent graduate. As the level of interpreting skills is crucial, priority might be given to more advanced students who already have some simultaneous interpreting experience (gained at, for instance, mock conferences, university practice, conference simulations, workshops, etc.). However, first-year students and inexperienced graduates should not be discouraged. All applications are welcome!

– The applicant’s B language is English. Whatever their A language, their language combination has to include English as a B language. As participants will be allowed to speak their mother tongue, English as a B language is a prerequisite to provide relay interpreting. C languages are welcome, but not obligatory.

– The applicant is between 18 and 30 years old.

MEUS 2025 will be an excellent opportunity for students and recent graduates to put their interpreting skills to the test, meet their future colleagues in the interpreting profession and experience EU politics first-hand.

For additional information on our project and the application process, we invite you to visit our website or follow us on social media (for our latest posts, please visit our Facebook and Instagram).

In case anyone has any questions, are encouraged to contact interpreters@meu-strasbourg.org."

https://gp.enl.auth.gr/2025/01/03/invitation-to-interpreting-students-to-participate-in-model-eu-strasbourg-2025-as-an-interpreter/
#metaglossia_mundus

• "To provide government agency interpreting and government translation services for state and federal agencies, there are many strict rules and regulations language service companies must uphold.


• For example, the Court Interpreters Act states that the Director of the Administrative Office of US courts is responsible for “prescribing, determining, and certifying the qualifications of interpreters who wish to provide services at the federal court level”.


• Other government agencies require appropriate education along with 40 hours of professional interpreter training before interpreters can attain certification.


• When an interpreter who does not have adequate qualifications interprets for a government agency, catastrophic consequences can arise.


• For example, in 2017, the police chief for the Tampa police department held a police briefing regarding a homicide case and needed to provide professional American Sign Language interpreting services to those who attended the meeting.


• However, the police chief admitted to disregarding the interpreter’s credentials because he believed the responsibility resided with another co-worker.


• Those who would have benefited from interpreting services at the meeting stated that the interpreter was not coherent and was signing incorrect signs.


• The police department’s failure to hire competent interpreting professionals was a clear disservice to those depending on sign language interpreting services and dealt a massive blow to the department’s credibility.


• Clearly, investing in professional interpreting and translation services from trusted providers .... is the only way to ensure the best outcomes for all parties involved in important government matters like courtroom proceedings."

From Language Connections 

ISLAMABAD, Jan 04 ( APP):Allama Iqbal Open University’s Center for English Language and Translation Studies organized a one-day training workshop on lexicography to preserve Pakistan’s endangered languages.

 

On this occasion, resource person Ameer Haider highlighted the intricate process of compiling dictionaries.

 

The workshop provided specialized training to scholars for preparing dictionaries for various languages, with a particular focus on those at risk of extinction.

 

Participants, including Ph.D. scholars and other experts, were introduced to the modern FLEx software, designed to assist in linguistic documentation and dictionary compilation.

 

Dr. Ghulam Ali, Director, Center for Language and Translation Studies, welcomed the participants and emphasized the significance of this workshop in safeguarding linguistic heritage.

La littérature russe à l'honneur, avec les traductrices Claire Delaunay et Emma Lavigne
Publié le samedi 4 janvier 2025

Alors que deux nouvelles traductions paraissent "Le peuple est immortel" de Vassili Grossman aux éditions Calmann-Lévy et "Les frères Karamazov" de Fiodor Dostoïevski aux éditions Gallmeister, Mathias Enard s'entretient avec les deux traductrices Claire Delaunay et Emma Lavigne.
Avec
Emma Lavigne Traductrice et interprète
Claire Delaunay Universitaire et traductrice.
L'universitaire Claire Delaunay, spécialiste de littérature russe du 19e siècle, a consacré sa thèse à Tolstoï et traduit avec Luba Jurgenson, Le peuple est immortel de Vassili Grossman, publié aux éditions Calmann-Lévy.
Le dernier roman de Dostoïevski Les frères Karamazov, traduit par Emma Lavigne est publié aux éditions Gallmeister, dans la collection Litera.
Des chroniques au roman de guerre, Vassili Grossman sur le front
Le peuple est immortel est le premier roman de guerre publié par Vassili Grossman, au printemps 1942 après une défaite de l'Armée rouge. C'est une œuvre de commande, initiée par le rédacteur du Journal de l'armée L'étoile rouge, David Ortenberg. Vassili Grossman est correspondant de guerre au front depuis 1941, il est un écrivain reconnu et membre de l'Union des écrivains soviétiques ; il a lui-même échappé aux purges de la Grande Terreur, contrairement à son entourage. Claire Delaunay retrace le parcours de Vassili Grossman "quand éclate la seconde guerre mondiale, il souhaite s'engager comme volontaire. Et la seconde guerre mondiale va pour lui comme pour beaucoup de Soviétiques, redonner du sens à une lutte cette fois, non pas contre un ennemi plus ou moins imaginaire, mais contre un ennemi réel qui menace le pays". Claire Delaunay rappelle l'arrière-plan historique, le réalisme socialiste imposé à tous les auteurs ; et la censure qui limite et modifie les textes d'origine.

Dans les camps de la Kolyma, entretien avec Luba Jurgenson et Nicolas Werth
L'Entretien littéraire de Mathias Enard

Les frères Karamazov, la trame d'un roman policier
Les frères Karamazov de Fiodor Dostoïevski, dans une nouvelle traduction d'Emma Lavigne est publié aux éditions Gallmeister, dans la collection Litera. La précédente traduction des frères Karamazov était celle d'André Markowicz en 2002.
Les personnages des frères Karamazov sont les fils d'un noble décadent qui va être assassiné, tout accuse l'un des frères. Emma Lavigne poursuit : "cette histoire n'est presque qu'un prétexte et le reste de la narration va partir un peu dans tous les sens (...) c'est une forme de littérature populaire, mais pour faire passer des choses extrêmement importantes et graves." Emma Lavigne énonce qu'il faut se confronter au texte pour entrer dans l'acte de traduire : "Dostoïevski n'a pas une écriture vraiment linéaire je pense ; c'est toujours une quête et une recherche de la vérité chez Dostoïevski (...) il cherche à décrire les profondeurs de l'âme humaine."
Nouvelle traduction des Frères Karamazov : revenir à l'original
Le Point culture
Le traducteur Michel Parfenov évoque Vie et Destin de Vassili Grossman sur France Culture en 2005
Extrait des Frères Karamazov, dans une dramatique de l'ORTF en 1965
E0ODlhNTgyMTIzYjFjMjpmcjpmcjpGUg&usg=AOvVaw3OVOdjFsmoNm4UnUdBAOX4

"La prochaine séance du séminaire L'écriture de la pensée aura lieu le vendredi 10 janvier, à 15h. Cette séance se déroulera dans les conditions désormais habituelles...

Si vous souhaitez nous rejoindre physiquement, la salle est celle qui nous accueille habituellement: Sorbonne, Bibliothèque du CELLF, escalier I, 2e étage (entrée par le 14 rue Cujas ou le 17 rue de la Sorbonne). Attention, si c'est votre choix, vous devrez présenter à l'entrée l'invitation (à retirer auprès de bpe.clement@gmail.com). 

- si vous vous trouvez loin, ou seulement empêchée, vous pouvez malgré tout vous joindre à nous en activant ce lien jitsi 
https://meet.jit.si/moderated/b43d8f1f6cce6728978cb9bbe228c717ac6c44f9832dc13d17633e41404bdb8c

—

Marc de LAUNAY, "La hantise de l'original"

Dans son « Pierre Ménard, auteur du Quichotte », Borgès pose la question de la traduction en partant de la question préjudicielle sempiternellement reposée : la traduction n’est pas l’original, et permet de la déplacer vers la problématique de l’herméneutique dont il faut préciser qu’elle doit rester une méthode sans jamais basculer vers une « philosophie ». Ce qui permet ensuite de situer à nouveau la problématique dans une perspective plus anthropologique qui replace la traduction sur le plan d’une rhétorique générale.

M. de LAUNAY est chercheur au CNRS (Archives Husserl de Paris-ENS-Ulm) spécialiste des courants néokantiens. Il enseigne à l’École normale supérieure dans le cadre du Master de philosophie contemporaine de PSL, ainsi qu’à l’Institut catholique de Paris. Il s’est également consacré à la traduction de philosophes et de poètes allemands (Kant, Schelling, Nietzsche, Husserl, Cohen, Rosenzweig, Scholem, Cassirer, Adorno, Habermas, Blumenberg, Rilke, Peter Handke).

Nietzsche. Essais d’autocritique, Paris, Le Seuil, 1999
Néokantismes et théorie de la connaissance, Paris, Vrin, 2000
Nietzsche, Œuvres philosophiques, vol. I, II, III, Paris, Gallimard, La Pléiade, 2000-2023
Une Reconstruction rationnelle du judaïsme, Genève, Labor et Fides, 2002
Qu’est-ce que traduire ?, Paris, Vrin, 2006 (trad. portugais, O que è traduzir, 2023)
Lectures philosophiques de la Bible. Babel et logos, Paris, Hermann, 2008
Nietzsche. Correspondance choisie, Paris, Gallimard, 2008
Configurations du nihilisme, (en collab. avec M. Crépon), Paris, Vrin, 2012
Der Begriff der Geschichte im Marburger und Südwestdeutschen Neukantianismus, (en collab. avec Ch. Krijnen), Würzburg, Königshausen & Neumann, 2013 
L’événement du texte, Paris, Hermann, 2015
Peinture et philosophie, Paris, Le Cerf, 2022
Nietzsche et la race, Paris, Le Seuil, 2020 (trad. angl. Nietzsche and Race, Chicago, Chicago University Press, 2023)."