Tag: language
Separatists take power in Quebec -- but no signs of pushing for separation
Quebec's Parti Quebecois swung into power recently in Canada, which agitated at least one man who believes the long-time separatist party will try and move Quebec into a free, French-speaking country. But so far, there's no indication that the party's leaders will move for such a referendum -- and even less reason to think they'd succeed....
In describing disability, language differences challenge even the best intentioned
As media cover the Paralympic Games in London, many are trying hard to use the most inclusive language possible. But when it comes to foreign languages, what's inclusive doesn't always transcend those boundaries. And that can be a problem for journalists....
In Turkey, Kurdish classes taught by a girl who is young enough to be in grade school
The Kurdish language was banned in Turkey for years. It's still widely discouraged, but restrictions have been somewhat relaxed. But still, few Turkish Kurds can speak the language. But one 7-year-old girl is trying to change that....
Professor explains his creation of Dothraki language for HBO's Game of Thrones TV series
When HBO decided to turn George R. R. Martin's Game of Thrones into a TV series, they realized they needed to turn the Dothraki language written about in the book into an actual, spoken language. They turned to a California professor, David J. Peterson, who specialized in making up languages....
Africans often miss out on resources because of lack of translations
In many African countries, dozens of different languages are spoken by different ethnic groups. And while each country often has a European language as its "official" language, most people don't even begin to understand it. That presents a problem for aid groups, trying to share information....
Racial slur hurled at Boston Red Sox player brings to light disguised racism
When a police officer was fired for hurling a racial slur at Carl Crawford, many sports fans were left scratching their heads. When did the word Monday become racist. Turns out it was sometime about 2004 — and it's not the only everyday word with veiled meaning....
Digital culture morphing Chinese language, one pun at a time
Digital technologies in China have changed more than the way people communicate. They've also helped shape a new digital language that has jumped from text messages and chat rooms into everyday life. ...
Linguists hope to save endangered languages in India
UNESCO lists nearly 200 of India's 900 languages as endangered. Others are dying fast as the county continues its rapid development. A team of researchers are working to catalog what's left of them before they disappear completely. ...
Mass. town makes it easier for cops to hand out $20 fines for public profanity
Middleborough, Mass., has had a law against using "unsavory language" in public places for almost 50 years. But up until this week, it took as much as 12 hours of a police officer's time to hand out a single ticket. But that changed this week, and it should now be easier for a police officer to hand out a $20 ticket for swearing....
In Vietnam, people clamor to learn English
Some 37 years after the United States pulled the last of its forces from Vietnam, ending the Vietnam War, the people of Vietnam are clamoring for closer ties to American culture. To do that, though, they need to know English. So in Vietnam, English is king....
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