Stories about Language from March, 2009
Russia, U.S.: Peregruzka Perezagruzka
On March 6, in Geneva, U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton gave Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov a small box containing a red "reset" button with the Russian word peregruzka printed on it, which was meant as a symbol of better relations between the United States and Russia. But the Russian word for 'reset' is perezagruzka, while peregruzka means 'overcharged' - and Lavrov didn't hesitate to point out the language error. Below is a selection of bloggers' thoughts on language and politics.
Kenya: The Big Language Dilemma For Kenyan Poet Bloggers
Kenyan poets, unlike artists, find it easier to write and perform in English as opposed to any other language. This would be closely attributed to what language enables them express themselves better, and most definitely their command of that language. After a few interactions with a cross section of poets and by visiting their blogs, I realized that virtually none write in their mother tongue as much and very few have written in Kiswahili or Sheng.
Japan: On Twitter, nobody knows you're a bot
“On the Internet, nobody knows you're a dog.” -- The words of a well-known adage dating back to a New Yorker cartoon from 1993 capture the anonymity people generally expect from online communication. This week a new take on this adage hit the Japanese blogosphere when a blogger discovered that two of his closest friends on Twitter were actually bots designed as part of a programming contest.
Russia, Ukraine, the Balkans: Eurovision News
The controversy caused by Georgia's Eurovision Song Contest entry seems to be over (or, depending on one's perspective, has reached its climax), now that Georgia has decided not to take part in this year's event in Moscow, following the European Broadcasting Union's demand that the lyrics of the 'We Don't Wanna Put In' song are either changed or a different song entered. Russia's own entry is causing controversy now as well, however.
Jamaica, Barbados: Mentorship
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp pays tribute to one of his mentors, writer Kamau Brathwaite.
Malaysia: Police used teargas to disperse rallyists
More than 8,000 Malaysians trooped to the streets to oppose the proposal to use the English language in teaching Math and Science in schools. The police used tear gas to disperse the crowd.
Libya: Berber Archive to Close
Lameen Souag reports at Jabal al-Lughat that a valuable online resource will soon close, possibly for political reasons: “Tawalt is a nine-year-old Libya-focused Amazigh/Berber website with a remarkable collection of audio recordings and resources for some of the least well documented Berber languages – those of Tunisia, Libya, and Egypt…If...
Jamaica: Young Writers
Jamaican litblogger Geoffrey Philp features writer Pamela Mordecai's wish list for young writers.
China: Blog credibility
Uln from Chinayouren discusses about the credibility issue in Chinablogs – blogs about China in English.
Jamaica: Self-Esteem
Jamaican blogger/writer Geoffrey Philp gives kids a valuable lesson in self-esteem.
Journal of Lao Studies
Bryan writes that the Fall 2009 issue of the Journal of Lao Studies has chosen four articles which will cover the fields of Anthropology, Economics, Literature, and Diaspora Studies.
Israel: What is the Language of Peace?
MePeace participants discuss whether “language is a barrier to peacemaking on the web.” MePeace is an online community dedicated to promoting conversation among Israelis, Palestinians, and others interested in peace in the Middle East.
