Stories about Language from March, 2014
Why Learning Italian Still Makes Sense
As Italian publishing company Alma Edizioni was busy organizing an event about the Italian language in Rome, they received an unexpected letter [it] from someone who defined himself as a “disappointed student”: Why? What's the point of studying Italian today? […] No one wants to study a language that no...
Taiwan’s Indigenous Oppose Trade Deal With China
Taiwan's indigenous people fear the trade agreement with China is a threat to their land, language and culture.
Embattled Opposition Blogger's Insanity Defense?
When attempts to silence Alexey Navalny, Russia's top blogger and anti-corruption activist, don't work quite as planned, it's time to shovel the dirt.
750 Million People Expected to Speak French by 2050
Countering the assertion by John McWhorter at the New republic that learning French is pointless, Pascal Emmanuel Gobry writes on his Forbes blog that French might just be the language of the future: French isn’t mostly spoken by French people, and hasn’t been for a long time now. The language is...
Divisions Persist in Cameroon Despite Reunification's Grandiose Golden Jubilee
Criticism was heaped on President Paul Biya for the celebration, held three years late and on a date that had no historical significance.
State of Literature in Post-Dictatorship Myanmar
Writing for The Dissident Blog, James Byrne reviews the status of Burmese literature in the post-dictatorship era in Myanmar: When I was in the country last year there were poems being read about the Arab Spring. There were others about the harsh treatment of Burmese farmers. There were satires about...
Taiwan's #CongressOccupied Protest, Translated
Hundreds of translators have organized themselves through Facebook to translate stories about protesters' occupation of Taiwan's legislature following the ruling party's passage of a controversial trade agreement with China.
Zapatista Textbook Now Available in English
Put on your thinking caps because the first of four Zapatista textbooks from last year’s widely popular escuelita (little school) have been translated to English. For those who are not yet familiar, the Zapatista Escuelita (Zapatista little school), brought 1630 students from around the world to learn what it really...
Flipboard Adds Global Voices to Local Content Guides
Starting this month, Global Voices (in different languages) will be recommended to the millions of people who use an app called Flipboard on their tablets and smartphones.
Korea: English, Borrowed Words, Konglish
Words adopted from another language, or ‘borrowed words’ permeate the Korean language. R. Elgin wrote an informative post about how borrowed English words are being used in Korea compared to loanwords in other countries; many English words are, instead of being completely or partially naturalized, phonetically rendered into Korean, often...
The Role of Portuguese-Language Community Radio in Australia and East Timor
For 2014 World Radio Day, we spoke with Manuel Ribeiro, one of the voices of the programme "Portuguese Voice", broadcast for the Portuguese community in Australia.
Global Voices Partners With Refugees United
We're proud to assist Refugees United with translation and local advice as they help families who have lost each other reconnect online.
“Hands Off Russian-Language Press” in Tajikistan
Is Russian-language print media in Tajikistan a "threat" or is it "under threat"?
Ukrainians, Russians on Social Networks: ‘In Case of War, Everyone Will Lose!’
After Russia deployed its troops and seized the southernmost region of Ukraine, both Ukrainians and Russians took to social networks with messages of shock and anti-war sentiment.
Japan's Endangered Languages Still Considered Mere Dialects
It may come as a surprise, but Japan has eight endangered languages. We interviewed Fija Byron, who is fighting to protect the language of Okinawan.
