Indian Leader Vows to Push Tamil Language above Others
June 28, 2010
An Indian politician has announced controversial steps to promote the Tamil language in his country. Speaking at the World Classical Tamil Conference last week, M. Karunanidhi, Chief Minister of the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, demanded that the Indian government recognize Tamil as an official language. He also … » read more
Canadian Comedy to Make Fun of Bilingualism
June 28, 2010
A new movie will make light of Canada's linguistic divides. French Immersion, currently being filmed on location near Montreal, tells the story of four English-speaking Canadians and a New Yorker travelling to Quebec to learn the French language. The comedy will revolve around the cultural and … » read more
Portuguese Nobel-Prize Winner Dies at 87
June 21, 2010
The novelist who became the first and only Portuguese-language writer to win the Nobel Prize in Literature has died at the age of 87. José Saramago received the award in 1998. His novels, known for their complex style, included Memorial do Convento (Baltasar and Blimunda) and O Evangelho Segundo Jesus … » read more
British Politician 'Insults' French Language
June 21, 2010
A former foreign minister in the UK has invoked anger after describing the French language as "useless." British Member of Parliament Chris Bryant, who was Minister of State for Europe in the recently deposed Labour government, was addressing the decline in language learning when he made the … » read more
Linguist Tackles Made-up Languages
June 21, 2010
An American scholar has written a book about artificial languages. While studying for her PhD at the University of Chicago, linguist Arika Okrent found herself disappointed with the lack of literature on the subject, and penned In the Land of Invented Languages to fill the gap. It was published in hardback in 2009 … » read more
Soccer World Cup Refs Learn Bad Language
June 14, 2010
Brazilian soccer referees familiarized themselves with English curse words ahead of the recent FIFA World Cup clash between England and the USA. The FIFA rule book states that using "offensive, insulting or abusive language and/or gestures" is cause for a yellow card. Two yellow cards lead to ejection … » read more
Canada Divided over New Bilingual Supreme Court Law
June 14, 2010
A bill passed by the Canadian Senate has made the Supreme Court officially bilingual. But the new law has provoked harsh criticisms. The newly enacted Bill C-232, approved by the Senate last month, means that all future appointees as justices of the Supreme Court of Canada will have to be fluent in both English … » read more
Young People Using "Secret Language" Online for Privacy
June 14, 2010
Teenagers are creating their own vocabulary in order to prevent their parents from understanding them. Such linguistic innovations are not a sign of illiteracy, according to researcher Lisa Whittaker, but of creativity. Whittaker, a doctoral student at the University of Stirling, in Scotland, studied 16- to 18-year … » read more
Teenager Clinches Medal at Welsh-Speaking Festival
June 07, 2010
A 16-year-old has been awarded the Learners' Medal at the Urdd Eisteddfod, the annual youth arts festival held in Wales. Jack Pulman-Slater knew little Welsh when he moved from Norwich, in east England, to Crymych, south Wales, in 2003. However, life in a Welsh-speaking village of just 400 people forced … » read more
Academy of English Formed to Defend 'Proper English'
June 07, 2010
A new "academy" in the UK hopes to be consulted about correct English. The Academy of English plans to "sit in judgment" on what it considers incorrect forms of English – especially "text speak" (or "txt spk"), the abbreviated English widely used in SMS messaging to and from mobile devices. The academy is the … » read more
Hit Show Will Open in China in 2011
June 07, 2010
The hit London musical Mamma Mia! will be translated into Chinese and performed in China, it has been announced. It will be the first time a major western show has been produced in the communist country, where imports of such productions are limited. Judy Cramer, who produced the West End … » read more
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