Stories about Language from July, 2010
Trinidad & Tobago: Up Paramin Way
“This village is stunning – the scenery, the variety of panoramic views, and even the crops on the steep hillside are mesmerising”: MEP Caribbean Publishers visits the village of Paramin, “one of the few communities where some of the older residents still speak French patois.”
South Africa: Translation of Miriam Makeba's Hapo Zamani
“Thanks to our Facebook page, African music fans from South African and Kenya were able to get the story behind this late Miriam Makeba song,” writes Chale of African music blog, Museke. The song is in Swahili and Xhosa.
Spain: First Online Galician Newspaper Closes Down
The first monolingual Galician online newspaper Vieiros [gz] has closed down after 15 years because of financial problems. In a melancholy post, Galician reporter McShuíbhne says the loss of language online amounts to a loss of nation.
Bangladesh: The Quality Of English In Bangla Medium Education
Aminul Islam Sajib explains why he had to write a letter in English memorized from the book instead of writing creatively during his school examination.
Algeria: The Origins of the Berbers
Where did the Berbers originate from? Algerian linguist Lameen Souag attempts an answer here. Please read the comments too.
Syria: A Sample of Syrian Proverbs
The Arabic language is rich with proverbs. A sample of Syrian proverbs can be found here.
Panama: Slang and Colloquialism Dictionary
The blog Así es mi país: Panamá shares [es] a list of Panamanian slang and colloquialisms with their corresponding definitions.
Philippines: Dayo and the Filipino Migration
The Marocharim Experiment designates the Filipino word “dayo” as descriptive of the Filipino experience of migration: “Diaspora assumes exile, deportation, the removal of identification. ‘Dayo,’ like ‘pakikipagsapalaran,’ represents the hope for return; of when, they can only tell.”
Lebanon: “Looks like Beirut” Award
Lebanon News: Under Rug Swept periodically awards the “Looks Like Beirut” Award “in recognition of the work done to keep the overused, worn-out, tired cliché “…looks like Beirut…” alive. It is awarded to Hull and East Riding here, a Weymouth resident here, and a resident of Strabane here.
India: Indian English
Indian tweeps are joining in large numbers to gather a lot of Indian English phrases using #indianenglish hashtag. Enjoy!
Lebanon: Don't kill your language!
Is the Arabic language being murdered? Dany Awad comments on a new awareness project taking part on the streets of Beirut, imploring passers-by not to kill their language. See photos of this innovative project in this post [AR].
Japan: Basic English skills, a must for today's workers
In a post titled English necessary for today’s Japanese workers? [en] Adumu at Mutantfrog reflects on a recent debate on the state of English in Japan.
Philippines: Discrimination Against Filipinos in Baltimore Hospital
Four Filipina staffers of the Bon Secours Baltimore Health System in Baltimore City were recently fired from their jobs for speaking Filipino during their lunch break. Bloggers share their views on the issue.
Morocco: The Complexities of Language
Charlotte is an anthropologist who, for the past year and a half, has been conducting field work in Morocco. Her research is focused on "how the complexity of Moroccan society’s multilingualism plays out in daily life." Jillian C. York takes a closer look.
Kazakhstan: Kazakh blogs on national issues
Lately I have often seen posts about national problems in Kazakh language blogs. I am going to review some of them. Ainash Esali in a post titled “The government should have only one flag” [KAZ] says: “An article with the title “Let’s not call for a bad omen by multiplying...
Equatorial Guinea: Portuguese as its Third Official Language
An online petition [pt] against the entry of Equatorial Guinea to the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) has been launched by Portuguese and Mozambican organizations. Brazil and São Tomé & Príncipe [pt] support President Obiang intentions. In case the country is accepted, Portuguese will become its third official language...
Mexico: Technology Changing the Spanish Language
Jesus analyzes [es] how Internet users have modified the Spanish language to fit new technologies; for example, referring to a person that uses Twitter as a “twittero,” or Spanish-speaking users writing “lol” when they chat.
Europe: Multilingualism Video Contest
If you live in Europe, are between 18 and 35 years of age and can speak more than one language, then send in a short on multilingualism to an online video contest to win a place aboard an itinerant film making event which will travel and take place in the archipelago of Turku, Finland.
South Korea: (iPhone 2) A Hierarchical Society Cannot Make an iPhone
Korean corporates who feel comfortable with hierarchical formation are facing an uphill battle with Apple's creative, horizontal network.
China: Proposal to use more Mandarin in TV provokes Guangzhou citizens
A recent proposal to use Mandarin instead of Cantonese in the TV news programs of Guangzhou, the capital city of China’s Guangdong province, has been strongly opposed by local residents. The proposal, brought up at the city committee of the Chinese People’s Political Consultative Conference on July 5, advised Guangzhou...
Japan: Decline of Students Studying in the U.S. and Overseas
Despite the increasing number of people studying abroad via study abroad programs, the overall rate of Japanese college students studying abroad seems to be decreasing across the board — even accounting for Japan's declining birthrate. What is the cause of this remarkable decline?
