Doric-speaking MRI scanner eases patient worries
The University of Aberdeen in Scotland decided to run a £1.2 million upgrade to their MRI scanner. Supporting 17 languages including Spanish, Arabic, Mandarin, Russian, and French, the language offerings now also includes Doric, or Northeast Scots.
The trials and tribulations of digitizing Urdu, the 10th most spoken language in the world
Because Nastalīq has been so challenging to adapt to a digital format, many Urdu speakers have taken to using Naskh, which is written along straight horizontal lines, or even using a non-standardized form of the language that uses Latin script.
New Mexico officials pursue language solutions for state services
Source NM reports that non-English-speaking New Mexico residents are struggling to navigate housing, food, and healthcare systems in the state, resulting in delays for obtaining state aid. Following a lawsuit by the Center for Law and Poverty, public officials are working on potential solutions.
The Economist shares data on English’s role in global pop culture
Data journalists at The Economist used information from Spotify to identify several trends in how local communities across the world listen to music — while English-language music remains quite popular worldwide, its popularity appears to be declining, as local audiences begin to turn more to music performed in their native language.
Microsoft and Canadian government partner to create MT for indigenous languages
Microsoft Translator now offers Inuinnaqtun and a romanized version of Inuktitut, which were developed with the support of the government of Nunavut, Canada, and other community groups. Inuktitut, which is the most widely known and spoken dialect of the Inuktut language, was first added to Microsoft Translator in Jan. 2021. When it was first added to the platform, Microsoft Translator could only translate it using the native Inuktitut syllabary system.
Why Chinese New Year means two weeks off
Every winter, close to 17% of the world ‘s population, including more than 1 billion Chinese citizens, celebrate Chinese New Year. The 15-day festival, also known as the spring festival, kicks off on the second new moon after the winter solstice.
Kriol interpreting efforts misunderstood in Western Australia and abroad
Earlier this month, Australian politician Mark McGowan received harsh criticism for a video campaign intended to disseminate COVID-19-related information to Aboriginal people living in the state of Western Australia (WA). MultiLingual an Australian interpreter about the video and why the outrage against it is largely unjustified.
Language researchers, digital archivists receive grants from NEH
Earlier this month, the National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) announced that it would be doling out $27.4 million in grants for more than 200 humanities projects throughout the nation — including a project that could be pivotal for preservation of the Cherokee language.
Questions for LocPros: Do you have an accent?
Are you speaking a second, third, or even fourth language fluently? Chances are, like me, no matter how hard you try, it is difficult to speak completely without a foreign accent.