Featured stories about Language
Stories about Language
Please don't call the Myanmar military ‘Tatmadaw’
"I humbly ask international readers to make an effort to understand the current situation. And the first step in doing that is to use the correct terms for the military."
Do Russian classics need a new interpretation after Russia's invasion of Ukraine? Interview with scholar Ani Kokobobo
Should Tolstoy and Dostoevsky be approached and read differently in light of Russia's invasion of Ukraine? While some weaponize them, other would like to see them cancelled.
Pride or shame? Russian influencers on the war in Ukraine
Explore the narratives of Russian celebrities and thinkers on the war in Ukraine.
‘Defending life:’ Indigenous way of life imperative to solving climate crisis
“Defending life means protecting the living conditions of biodiversity in order to continue to exist," Nahuatl journalist Miryam Vargas says.
Shagz Chronicles: The Kenyan podcast that wants you to fall in love with the Kikuyu language and culture
Translation of the Kikuyu language continues to be a major challenge. Shagz Chronicles wants to normalize both the oral and written Kikuyu in everyday life, both online and off.
Digitizing a language with two scripts: Satdeep Gill on growing Punjabi online
Satdeep Gill is a free knowledge enthusiast based out of Patiala, Punjab in India. Rising Voices interviewed Gill to learn about his contribution to advancing the Punjabi language online.
‘Ancestral medicine is wisdom, not witchcraft or folklore,’ says Ecuadorian philosopher
Ecuadorian philosopher and writer Tayta Sinchi explains why it is imperative to learn about the fundamentals of ancestral medicine.
What it’s like to encounter the Frisian language in nearly every space in daily life, even online, in Fryslân in the Netherlands
" you will encounter Frisian and use it everywhere in the province: at the baker’s, at the supermarket, at the library, at the doctor’s office, at school.."
Meet Amrit Sufi, who is helping to bring the endangered Angika language onto digital platforms
Rising Voices interviewed Amrit Sufi, a researcher and academician, who is currently working on the digitization of endangered oral languages and cultures in India.
The legacy of Chile's last Yaghan speaker lives on
The passing of Cristina Calderón is a loss for the Yaghan Indigenous community, but she leaves behind numerous books about her language and culture for generations of Yaghan people to come.
First Mro language grammar book brings a ray of hope for the indigenous community
This year, the highlight of the International Mother Language Day in Bangladesh was the publication of the first grammar book written in Mro, an endangered indigenous language.
The battle of identities: Why the Kremlin claims to speak for ‘Russian-speakers’ in Ukraine
Moscow has promoted itself as the protector of Russian-speakers across the post-Soviet space yet many do not identify with Russia. Today it is instrumentalizing a diverse community to attack Ukraine.
What does “Russian World” stand for in Putin’s statements about Ukraine?
The statements of Vladimir Putin about Russia’s invasion of Ukraine frequently include a key expression: “Русский Мир” (Russkiy mir). This phrase literally means the “Russian world”.
Does language policy in Tanzania discriminate against community languages?
We argue the language policy in Tanzania is discriminatory as it prioritises Swahili, and by doing so, negatively impacts communities who don’t use Swahili as their main language.
‘Your’dle: Wordle is now available in many of the world’s languages
Wordle is a fun way to flex your brain, but the open-source code behind the free game has also been adapted to work in different languages, including indigenous ones.
Mourning the death of the Bengali author and publisher who opened a door to world literature
Qazi Anwar Hussain singlehandedly popularised the mystery-thriller genre in Bengali literature, published translations of world classics and gave the Bengali readership the taste of Western, mystery and classic literature.
In Turkey, a singer defies threats with a new song
The president, speaking after Friday noon prayer, said "no one can defame his holiness Adam. It is our duty, to rip out the tongues of those who do when necessary."
These podcasters are carrying African Languages into the new audio world
When it comes to podcasting language, English is the dominant choice for many African podcasters due to its broad appeal at both a continental and global level
‘The king is passing’: Narrie Approo, Trinidad & Tobago's oldest Black Indian masquerader, dies at 94
Narrie Approo had a lifelong love and respect for Trinidad and Tobago's sacred Carnival traditions, which he expressed most passionately through his portrayals of Black Indian mas.
Indians give Chinese places hilarious names after China renames 15 places in Arunachal Pradesh
As China renamed 15 places in the northeastern Indian state of Arunachal Pradesh, Indians on Twitter responded by renaming Chinese places with Indian names.
Portugal: Human rights activist fighting racism wins international award
Mamadou is one of the most prominent voices of the anti-racist movement in Portugal and is also often targeted by far-right and neo-Nazi movements.
