Stories about Language from June, 2011
Bermuda, Bahamas: Moving Poetry
Take some time out to read a beautiful poem by a Bermudian writer, at tongues of the ocean.
India: The Future of Wikipedia
Wikipedia celebrated its tenth anniversary this year, and almost 100 cities and towns in India registered to host celebrations, the highest number of any country. This year the Wikimedia Foundation will open its first office outside the United States, in an Indian city as yet to be announced. Global Voices has spoken to Tinu Cherian, an active Wikipedian, about Wikipedia in India.
East Timor: UN agencies directed to use Tetum language
To enhance its national identity, East Timor's Council of Ministers has directed all international agencies working in the country, including UN institutions, to use the Tetum language in their transactions with the government.
Kenya: Should Use of Indigenous Language be Banned in Public Offices?
Moreen asks readers if the use of indigenous language should be banned in public offices in Kenya: “Work place diversity is a complex issue when you consider issues of the gender, age, education, background, ethnic group, language adds another layer to the complexity. What has your experience of use of...
Trinidad & Tobago: Defending Our Dialect
“I doh know bout alyuh, but I love to talk Trinidadian Creole English all de time”: Karel Mc Intosh suggests that “an educational approach to Creole must start by raising the level of awareness of what Creole languages are, how they came into being, who speaks them and what their...
Africa: First Swahili iPad/iPhone App Released
A Ghanaian company releases Swahili iPad/iPhone App: “The two-man Ghanaian language learning apps development team has just released Nkyea Basic Swahili, the first Swahili iPhone and iPad app from their startup, on the Apple App Store. Nkyea Basic Swahili, which sells for $2.99, contains more than 650 essential words and...
Featured Translator: Fabienne Der Hagopian
Fabienne Der Hagopian is a volunteer translator for Global Voices in French. Being of Armenian descent, she has translated into French many posts about the Caucasus, but is also passionate about the world at large. Fabienne reflects on her experience as a volunteer translator.
China: the Mainland Rhetoric
Jacky Liu, a mainland Chinese student in Hong Kong, writes a reflective piece about mainland students’ rhetoric in making public speech in China Hush
Australia’s Swear-In: Fine is a Four-Letter Word
Melbourne has just had a swear-in outside Victoria’s State Parliament to protest against new laws for on-the-spot fines for swearing. Kevin Rennie collects bloggers' reactions to the issue.
Equatorial Guinea: A Language That Ignores Human Rights
In June the membership of Equatorial Guinea to the Countries of the Portuguese Speaking Community will be considered. Bloggers discuss the weakness of historic and linguistic arguments and the country's wealth of natural resources. They also recognize the constant human rights abuses that go against the orienting principles of the Community.
Indonesia: English speeches are illegal
nrg07 mentions an Indonesian law which requires top government officials to use the Bahasa Indonesia language when making speeches. Recently, a constitutional expert said that the Prime Minister's English speeches should be considered illegal.
India: Six More Official Languages For West Bengal
Raja Basu at Potpourri comments on the revolutionary decision of Mamata Banerjee-led TMC-Congress government of West Bengal to add six more official languages: “There are some loopholes in the government’s logic, which I cannot ignore.”
