Stories about Language from May, 2011
China: Writing Imaginary Book Reviews
In 2010, a collection of reviews for non-existent books, written by Chinese author Bimuyu, was published. This month Bimuyu shared with readers his thinking behind these reviews.
Georgia: Beyoncé's Girls Rule an Apocalyptic… Caucasus?
The premiere of American singer Beyoncé's "Run The World (Girls)" video on May 18 evoked much debate among bloggers and social media users in Georgia for a less than expected reason. Not that it was the first single from her highly anticipated new album, or even because of its empowering message, but rather a simple road sign that appeared 1 minute and 50 seconds into the video.
Translating a Vietnamese song to English
Charvey notes the difficulty in translating songs from Vietnamese to English. He translated the lyrics of a song from the Vietnam War era.
Vietnamese phonetic alphabet
¡¡¡Việt Nam ơi!!! blogs about the Vietnamese phonetic alphabet system used to spell out words on the radio or telephone.
Jamaica: A Lucky Poem
Litblogger Geoffrey Philp posts a poem by diaspora writer Shara McCallum.
Russia: Moscow Schools and Migrants’ Children
Window on Eurasia writes that “an increasing number of Muscovite parents are doing whatever they can to ensure that their children go to those schools which have few or no migrant children.”
Mozambique: Portuguese, the Language of Mozambicanness
In Mozambique, while national languages have been introduced into the education system, the decision to ratify the new accord on the Portuguese language is being debated. Global Voices brings together a series of reflections on the role of the language in the construction of a national identity.
Cape Verde: Creole and Portuguese Languages, an Unofficial Pair
On the day that Portuguese speaking countries celebrate the Day of Portuguese Language and Culture, in Cape Verde the status of Crioulo, a mother tongue and unofficial national language, is equal to that of Portuguese.
China: Must-see websites for learning Chinese
Charlie from Chengdu Living introduces 5 must-see websites for readers to advance their Chinese language ability.
Germany: Learning German with a Blog
Every Tuesday, Canadian expat Marie in Berlin uploads recordings of the peculiar new words she learns in German to her blog.
Russia: Quantitative Research Proves Blogs Set an Alternative News Agenda
Bruce Etling, Berkman Center scholar and one of the authors of the “Mapping of the Russian Blogosphere” research, posts the initial results of the Russian online media content analysis. While the “Russian TV channels and newspapers (traditional and Web native) cover topics similar to each other and to the Russian government,”...
Bolivia: Keeping Aymara Alive Through TV?
M. Luk’aña Champi [es] wonders why Bolivia doesn't have a TV channel in Aymara or Quechua, considering that the country is now ruled by an ‘indigenous government': “Modern media like radio and television are ways to keep a language alive and in full use. When a language is not used...
St. Lucia, Trinidad & Tobago: Walcott Wins Bocas Prize
Caribbean Book Blog reports that Nobel Laureate Derek Walcott has won the OCM Bocas Prize for Caribbean Literature for his “seemingly effortless flow of language and imagery.”
Macedonia: The Roma – Inside or Outside the Circle?
A local Roma blogger writes about the contrast between the legal framework providing full protection of human and ethnic rights and the everyday experiences of the Roma in Macedonia.
