Stories about Language from December, 2011
Online Highlights from the Portuguese-Speaking World in 2011
2011 has been another year in which bloggers and activists from a number of Portuguese-speaking countries have come together to report, translate and promote blogs and citizen media from all over the world. This article selects the highlights in the coverage of Lusophone countries on Global Voices over the last year.
Macedonia, Greece, Turkey: Bridging the Divides Through Multilingual Reporting
Two recent initiatives by civic-minded journalists added value to the e-content in local languages from Macedonia and nearby countries: Diversity Media is offering news analysis through text and audio podcasts in Macedonian and Albanian, and Balkon3.com is enabling “peeking over the neighbors’ fence” in Macedonian, Turkish, Greek, and English. The...
Cuba: on writer Achy Obejas
Montague Kobbe profiles Achy Obejas, a Cuban-American writer who “constantly challenging her readers to (re)think their positions in relation to the most basic principles that govern our attitudes towards each other.”
China: English-only European town in Beijing Suburb
Ministry of Tofu translated a news story about a billion-yuan construction plan of an English-speaking town as large as 60 hectares (165 acres) in Miyun county, a suburban region in the northeast of Beijing city. According to the plan, people can't talk in Chinese inside the walled-city.
Estonia: Language and History
Giustino of Ithing for Eestimaa discusses Estonians’ obsession with language – and especially their own as opposed to Russian – against the backdrop of a recent interview with the country's president Toomas Ilves.
Pakistan: English Should Be One Of The National Languages
Habib R. Sulemani introduces us to some of the new faces of Pakistan excelling English literature and thinks that English should be declared a national language along with other Pakistani languages.
Taiwan: Announcing Best Blog Award 2011
The 4th annual Taiwan Best Blog Awards was announced on Dec. 1st which aims to promote English-language blogs about Taiwan. David on Formosa piles up his list of best blogs 2011 candidates for you to visit.
Video Highlights: Identity, Refugees, Conflict and Open Technology
A selection of Global Voices' recent and interesting stories including video from East Asia, Sub Saharan Africa, Central Asia - Caucasus and Latin America, selected by Juliana Rincón Parra.
St. Lucia: Poetic Preaching
Caribbean Book Blog profiles a local priest who “has just published a book of narrative prose and poetry”, which he describes as ” a Caribbean-centric “theological reflection on the social, historical, economic, religious, political, and national consciousness.”
Africa: Online Space for African Languages and Poetry
Maneno Matamu is a platform for African poets/writers to showcase their work in the rich and beautiful languages this continent is blessed with. It is a collective breath expressing our linguistic peculiarities, discoveries and oddities.