Stories about Language from May, 2008
China: Sharon Stone on Earthquake
Lam Kay pointed out that the mainstream media had mistranslated[zh] Sharon Stone's comment on Sichuan earthquake and caused a lot of misunderstandings in the Chinese world.
Jamaica, U.S.A.: Everglades Litany
“In anticipation of Caribbean American Heritage Month“, Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp is running video series, which begins with one of his own, entitled Everglades Litany.
Guyana: Identity Crisis?
Signifying Guyana blogs about her “personal struggle with a hyphenated identity”.
India: Sanskrit and Hindutva
The politics of a classical language, education and secularism in India explored at varnam.
China: Quake Lake
Michael from the Opposite End of China points out that the Sichuan earthquake has added a new lexicon “Quake lake” to the English speaking world.
Jamaica: American Standard
Litblogger Geoffrey Philp is not in Jamaica for the Calabash International Literary Festival, but he's keeping track of what's going on, including Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott's criticism of the American...
Jamaica: Literary Feud
Blogging from Jamaica's Calabash Literary Festival, Annie Paul talks about Derek Walcott's poem The Mongoose, “written specifically with V.S. Naipaul in mind”: “Down here at Treasure Beach we give thanks...
South Africa: What is the meaning of “makwerekwere”?
Khanya traces the origin of the word “makwerekwere,” a slang for foreigners in South Africa: ” A couple of bloggers with an interest in language have asked about the the...
Burkina Faso: Learn Fulfude in six seconds
Stephen believes you can learn Fulfude (one of the languages spoken in Burkina Faso) in six seconds!: “We're all familiar with dazzling language-learning promises made by Linguaphone and similar companies:...
Global Agenda for Lusophone Africa
“The past, present and future of Africa will be debated for two days in Lisbon during the II International Congress of Lusophone Africa. Organized by the University of Lusophone Humanities...
Jamaica, Guyana: “Creole Gang”
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp features a poem by Guyanese writer Rooplall Monar.
Ukraine: A View From Crimea
Last week, Ukraine banned Moscow mayor Yuri Luzhkov from the country, after he called for Russia to take ownership of Sevastopol, a Ukrainian Black Sea naval port. The incident received much coverage in the Russian and Ukrainian media and blogs. Below is one more post, written by a Russophone resident of Balaklava, a Crimean town that has an official status of a district of the city of Sevastopol.
Estonia: “Asymmetrical Bilingualism”
Itching for Eestimaa writes about “asymmetrical bilingualism” and the Estonia report by Doudou Diene, the United Nations Special Rapporteur on contemporary forms of racism, racial discrimination, xenophobia and related intolerance.
Guyana: Looking for Poetry
Signifyin’ Guyana posts a piece by John Agard to illustrate the things to look for in a poem.
Brazil: Making your blog speak tongues
Tiago Dória [pt] tips bloggers about Der Mundo, a multilingual publishing tool for blogs whose “idea is to follow a hybrid model in which machine and the readers themselves translate”....
Japan: Japan and the iPod
GT!Blog explores 30 years of history to answer the question: Why didn't Japan create the iPod?
Mozambique: In defense of native languages
Jorge Saiete [pt] is very disappointed that some people in Mozambique believe that native languages, such as Xangana, Xitswa, Ndau, Nhugwe, Macua, and Chuabo should be avoided and are often...
Angola: On the standardization of the Portuguese language
Eugénio Costa Almeida [pt] breaks the news that the deal to standardize the Portuguese language in all countries was ratified in the Portuguese Parliament and within six years new spelling...
Kuwait: Zero Hour for Elections
Kuwait is all set for its National Assembly elections on Saturday (May 17). A total of 246 male candidates and 27 female candidates are running for 50 seats in the hotly contested elections. Abdullatif AlOmar brings us a selection of posts on the elections and other matters from the Kuwaiti blogosphere.
Russia: “Siberian Language”
Window on Eurasia writes about “Siberian language.”
Guyana, USA: Speaking With Soul
Signifyin’ Guyana is enjoying reading a book about Ebonics, but says: “If I ketch any one of my students writing that way, he or she gon get a straight up...
