Stories about Language
26 February 2020
Literature as a gateway for exploring Indian-Nepali hybridity: Interview with author Prajwal Parajuly
"The book being read by the very people it was about, in the very language the characters speak in? Heart-warming. The book has reached the most remote corners of Nepal."
19 February 2020
Indonesian superhero cartoon fights for the environment and the Balinese language
"The inspiration for the creation of the superhero character of Luh Ayu Manik Mas is the strong, tough and resilient Balinese women who themselves are like superheroes."
16 February 2020
The feminist translators and interpreters revolutionizing the profession in Argentina
"Feminism is always growing and diversifying, and feminists must come together and create areas of common interest and practice unique forms of activism that move away from hegemonic feminism"
13 February 2020
Broadcasters from Nigeria join global celebration of World Radio Day 2020
Nigerian broadcasters joined radio practitioners around the world to honor the powerful role that radio plays in global development on World Radio Day, February 13, 2020.
11 February 2020
Viral prank video mocks Putin's cult of personality
Russian blogger Bashir Dokhov hung a huge portrait of Putin in the elevator of a Moscow apartment block. He then installed a camera to record the reactions of stunned residents.
6 February 2020
Barbadian poet Kamau Brathwaite leaves behind a legacy of language
"His use of nation language and the breadth of work he produced leaves an indelible mark on us all."
5 February 2020
A novel about a Mexican family who migrates to the US comes under fire
"That Lydia is so shocked by her own country’s day-to-day realities gives the impression that Lydia might not be… a credible Mexican. In fact, she perceives her own country through...
4 February 2020
A Mexican engraver revives a mostly-forgotten Russian printmaking tradition
Interview with Alejandro Barreto, the engraver who makes unique Mexican lubki.
31 January 2020
Hope for dying Nepali language wanes as one of the last fluent speakers passes away at 85
Gyani Maiya was one of two fluent speakers of Kusunda. With her passing, the language has suffered an irreparable loss.
30 January 2020
Nigeria's Operation Àmò̩té̩kùn: Was it named after a leopard, cheetah or tiger?
Linguists who study Yorùbá have long taken issue with ascribing meaning of the word àmò̩té̩kùn interchangeably with the leopard, cheetah and tiger.
21 January 2020
Yorùbá loanwords: How languages evolve
Using Yorùbá words in their original forms helps ensure that culture — kept alive through language — continues to thrive.
8 January 2020
The media habits of the Vietnamese minority in the Czech Republic: interview with Professor Tae-Sik Kim
The sizable Vietnamese community in the Czech Republic contributes to the shaping of a new culture that fuses elements of both countries.
13 December 2019
Interview with Aleksandra Lun, a Polish native who became a celebrated Spanish-language writer
"A language is simply a world that you choose to live in. If you live in that world, you own its language."
18 November 2019
Messages in motion: The art of Swahili sayings on public transport in Zanzibar
"They know that people will comment on the condition of their vehicle, or the way they drive. . . and they want to block you — they want you to...
6 November 2019
Museums of the mind: Why we should preserve endangered languages
Sustaining endangered languages involves transforming how speakers are perceived in their communities, how languages are portrayed in the local and national media, and how the matter is treated by governments.
Quichua, a language that sets us free
"Quichua was for me a language with which I cohabited, but I didn’t really know."
2 November 2019
For the first time ever, a doctoral dissertation was defended in the Quechua language in Peru
"In 468 years, no one had defended a doctoral dissertation in any indigenous language in our country. Roxana Quispe did it this year. She wants promote Quechua in academia."
19 October 2019
The Indian state of Odisha publishes online dictionaries in 21 indigenous languages
India is home to over 780 languages and approximately 220-250 languages have died over the last 50 years.
18 October 2019
How Ethiopia's ruling coalition created a playbook for disinformation
Manipulation tactics used by Ethiopia's ruling coalition members against each other in their internal power struggle serve as a blueprint for opposition groups to attack their opponents and the government.
16 September 2019
A professor's self-immolation puts the spotlight on the fragile future of Russia's minority languages
Many people discussing Razin's death seem bewildered that anyone would use minority languages in daily life, let alone die for them—an attitude by no means limited to Russia.
