Andrew W. Mellon Foundation Grant to Support U.S. Language Education

America’s Languages Working Group has received a $500,000 grant from the Andrew W. Mellon Foundation, which will be used to fund development of the “Guide to Exemplary Programs and Practices in U.S. Language Education.” This project will focus on advocating for more equitable language education in the United States, with an emphasis on the linguistic needs of Native Americans, Latino Americans, refugees, and underrepresented rural communities, among other groups.

New York City in Search of Haitian Creole Interpreters

The city of New York is home to approximately 24,000 Haitian Creole speakers who have limited English proficiency — its Civic Engagement Commission is currently in need of interpreters to offer accessible language services to the community during the city’s upcoming elections in November. According to the Haitian Times, the city has been looking to expand interpretation services for numerous languages since 2017, with Haitian Creole being the city’s main focus at the moment.

Yale to Offer New Translation Certificates

The Yale Translation Initiative is set to launch a new graduate and undergraduate certificate program for students interested in learning more about the field of translation studies, according to a report from the school’s student-run newspaper, the Yale Daily News. The program will be available to students at Yale beginning this fall and aims to give students an opportunity to learn the ins-and-outs of working in translation. The program emphasizes community outreach and practical experience, requiring students to complete 40 hours of community service work in translation.

SAP Expands Use of Machine Translation

Software development company SAP has recently announced in a blog post that it will be expanding its use of machine translation in its communications with customers, such as customer support and other documents. The company — which provides services to customers throughout more than 180 countries worldwide — has made use of artificial intelligence and machine learning systems in recent software, like 2019’s SAP Translation Hub, which can translate 10 languages.