New Zealand Celebrates Maori Language Week
July 26, 2010
"Te Mahi Kai"—"the language of food"—is the theme of this year's Maori Language Week, taking place in New Zealand from July 26 to August 1. Organizers aim to encourage the use of Maori, the language of New Zealand's indigenous people, as a spoken language in communities. The theme was chosen … » read more
Pioneering Bible Translator Dies
July 26, 2010
The translator behind one of the best-selling Bible versions of the 20th century has died. Robert Bratcher, who has passed away at the age of 90, was responsible for the Good News Bible, a translation that sold close to 20 million copies in its first three years. Bratcher penned the Good News Bible in … » read more
Milkman Chats with Migrants in Their Own Language
July 19, 2010
A British milkman has learned Gujarati to help his Asian customers. John Mather, known to his customers as 'Jimmy,' has been delivering fresh milk and dairy products to customers in the county of Lancashire, north-west England, for 50 years. He began learning Gujarati, the Indian language with 45 million … » read more
Criticism over Impact of Census Changes on Language Data
July 19, 2010
Canada's Official Languages Commissioner is questioning the Canadian government's decision to make a major part of the census voluntary. Graham Fraser has launched an investigation to determine whether the move compromises the requirements of the Official Language Act. In the past, the entire … » read more
Language War in Canadian City
July 19, 2010
A feud over bilingualism is escalating in the capital of New Brunswick, Canada. Business owners have attacked proposals to make it compulsory for all commercial signs in Moncton to be in both English and French. Moncton has a long history of linguistic division, but the last major conflict between … » read more
Mickey Mouse Will Help Chinese Children Learn English
July 5, 2010
The Walt Disney Company is sending its most cherished personalities on a teaching mission to China. Mickey Mouse, Winnie the Pooh and the Little Mermaid are among the famous characters at the centre of the curriculum in new language schools, to be built by Disney in China. The company has already run a … » read more
Caribbean Creole Flourishes in an Age of Dying Languages
July 5, 2010
Creoles and other minority languages are rapidly disappearing, but an obscure creole language spoken in the Caribbean is an exception to the rule. According to a recent New York Times report, Papiamentu, a language spoken in just a few islands off the coast of Venezuela, is experiencing a renaissance … » read more
Student Travels 5,000 Miles to Study Dead Language
July 5, 2010
A European artist has travelled to Alaska to learn an extinct native Alaskan language that has only one fluent speaker. Frenchman Guillaume Leduey, 21, is undecided whether he will be the one to pass on the Eyak language to future generations. The financial demands of such a course of study are a … » read more
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