Featured stories about Language
Stories about Language
23 September 2016
A Specially Designed Keyboard Allows Yorùbá and Igbo Speakers to Type Their Languages
"With this keyboard, we are addressing technical barriers to the use of Yorùbá and Igbo online."
20 September 2016
Emojis Created for and by Indigenous Peoples in Latin America
Indigenous language digital activists are making culturally diverse emojis available for use in electronic communication as a way to promote their native culture and language.
28 August 2016
Meet the Newly Born Tulu Wikipedia, the 23rd in a South Asian Language!
Tulu is spoken by 3-5 million people in the Indian states of Karnataka and Kerala, plus a sizeable diaspora living in the US and the Gulf countries.
20 August 2016
Defying Web Censors, Chinese ‘Worship’ Toads to Mark a Former State Leader’s 90th Birthday
"While the toad's era was not free, it looked better than [Xi's] era...Chinese people worshiping the toad is similar to prisoners in confinement, missing their brief outdoor recess."
9 August 2016
Learn About Australian Rules Football, Animal Names and More in the Kaurna Language
How do you say koala in Australia's Kaurna language? Karuna Warra Pintyanthi's video project teaches viewers that and much more.
5 August 2016
South Asia's Largest Wikimedia Conference Kicks Off in India
Some of the noted guests addressing the gathering include Wikimedia Foundation's newly promoted Executive Director Katherine Maher and Punjabi-language poet Surjit Patar.
31 July 2016
Once, Students in the US Were Punished for Speaking Spanish. Here, They Are Honored.
This is Concurso Nacional de Deletreo en Español, the National Spanish Spelling Bee.
Japanese on the Move: Life Stories of Transmigration
What is it like to call two countries home? What makes migrants move in the first place and how do they settle in a new society? Where do they belong?
26 July 2016
A School in Timor-Leste Is Fining Students for Speaking One of the Country’s Two Official Languages
Students "who do not speak the language,” the school's director says, are better off “remaining silent.” According to reports, students caught speaking any language other than Portuguese are fined.
21 July 2016
One Children's Song, Translated Into Australia's Many Local Languages
Australia's children are being invited to translate a song into Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander languages for an internet video competition promoting linguistic diversity.
11 July 2016
Learn Amazonian Languages With Apps Made in Iquitos
The Peruvian Amazon is revealed as an area of great potential for the community of software 'developers' in the region.
8 July 2016
‘Talking Dictionary’ Transmits Language of Japan's Indigenous Ainu People
An online "talking dictionary" is attempting to preserve the Ainu language spoken by the indigenous inhabitants of Japan's northeastern island of Hokkaido.
13 June 2016
Talk of Spanish as an Official ‘Second Language’ Has Jamaicans Asking, What About Patois?
"English language must be taught as a second language. Let us take care of home before we look abroad."
23 May 2016
What Is Latin American Social Media Laughing at? One Critic Offers a Clue
"Having a good sense of humor is self-criticism, and these 'telepresidents,' which is what I call politicians who are obsessed with the screen, don’t accept any type of criticism."
12 May 2016
Happy 50th Birthday to Rana, Masud Rana, Bangladesh's Very Own James Bond
"But for the 90s kids like me, Rana and Kazi Anwar Hussain are legends. I am indebted to them as they showed the world to me through those books."
27 April 2016
Eight Challenges Indian-Language Wikipedias Need to Overcome
While native-language Wikipedias are becoming game-changers in other parts of the world, India, in spite of having numerous languages, lags way behind. Here are a few of the reasons why.
20 April 2016
In Australia, Learning the Gumbaynggir Language Three Minutes at a Time
Tune in to an Australian radio show to learn phrases in Gumbaynggirr language. If you happen to miss that episode, head over to their blog to read what you missed.
11 April 2016
Japanese Social Media Goes Gaga Over Anime-Style English Textbook
"After her middle school entrance ceremony today, my daughter came home with her new English textbook. Ellen Sensei is totally cute!"
1 April 2016
Two-Day Workshop Strengthens Ties Between Indigenous Language Digital Activists in Peru
Peruvian digital activists working to promote their native languages online found common ground at a workshop held in the historical city of Cusco, Peru.
20 March 2016
Series of Animated Stories Revitalise Indigenous Languages in Mexico
‘68 tongues, 68 hearts’ is an animated project aimed at preserving and sharing the indigenous languages of Mexico through a series of short animations narrated in the indigenous languages.
