Translation technology introduced in Ottumwa schools - Local 5 - weareiowa.com - Translation

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Translation technology introduced in Ottumwa schools  Local 5 - weareiowa.com

Chiafele receives Italian Prose in Translation Award - Office of Communications and Marketing - Translation

Notice body

Associate Professor of Italian Anna Chiafele and Canadian writer Lisa Pike’s collaborative translation of Penelope (Bordighera Press, 2021) received the 2022 Italian Prose in Translation Award, administered by the American Literary Translators Association, or ALTA. The Italian Prose in Translation Award, or IPTA, recognizes the importance of contemporary Italian prose and promotes the translation of Italian works into English. Penelope, a novel by Italian writer Silvana La Spina, is a retelling of the Odyssey from Penelope’s point of view. For the first time ever, La Spina has been brought to the Anglophone world.

This year’s judges for the award were Nerina Cocchi, Douglas Grant Heise and Barbara Ofosu-Somuah. The winners were announced at an awards ceremony held during ALTA’s 45th annual programming, ALTA45: Value(s). The ceremony included a focus on the 2022 shortlist, and the winners were featured in conversation with judge Barbara Ofosu-Somuah, followed by a short reading by the translators from the winning text.

Chiafele has published a monograph on Luigi Malerba and scholarly articles on Italian writers, such as Massimo Carlotto, Elisabetta Bucciarelli, Ugo Riccarelli and Antonio Scurati. Her current research focuses on Italian climate fiction in conjunction with material ecocriticism. Together with Lisa Pike, Chiafele published the translation of three short stories by Malerba. Penelope is their first book-length translation.

Adblock test (Why?)

Pull up the dictionary: We’ve got to redefine language learning - The Georgetown Voice - Dictionary

After binging “Tokyo Girls” on a Sunday night, I retreated to my dorm decorated with knick-knacks of all things Japanese. There’s the pink poster of Osaka, reminiscent of 1980s anime. The Gudetama socks, the Totoro figurine, my blinking computer wallpaper of the Itsukushima Shrine. But there’s also my Japanese textbooks, waiting to be read. 

I’ve loved studying Japanese since I started college. I love the way the language sounds, and discovering the nuances of expression. My love for the linguistic aspect aside, I’ve had difficulty grappling with my relationship to Japanese culture as a person of non-Japanese descent.

Too often, I guiltily relish in my daydreams about the flashing lights of Tokyo and scroll through endless TikToks that romanticize life in rural Okayama. But besides a three-week trip to Japan and a few treasured friendships with Japanese exchange students, I am a stranger to the country and culture. 

This irony is often the case for non-native language students at Georgetown. Despite spending hours learning vocabulary and practicing pronunciation, we remain estranged to the cultures of the languages we study—It’s why we end up with Korean students who continue to view BTS as perfectly epitomizing, or Arabic students coming to class in full military garb.

And of course, myself, the ignorant fan of all things Japanese. But as I was lamenting about how my relationship to Japanese culture was no different than that anime-loving white guy to a friend, she scoffed. “You’re an Asian-American girl, it’s different.” 

Is it different, though? For me and other non-native language learners, we’re viewing the culture out of context. There are academic phrases for this: voyeurism, festishization, the white gaze. Culture becomes an object: The languages we learn become a personality trait, a fun addendum that makes us seem different and cosmopolitan. We cherry-pick aspects of a culture we like, glossing over the parts that don’t fit the assumed aesthetic ingrained in our brains. In a freshmen Japanese culture class, my professor showed us videos of historical protests in Japan. Afterwards, he remarked, “Sometimes my students are shocked that Japan has … protests.” The American imagination has built up Japan to be this hallmark of peaceful society, so we conveniently forget aspects of an entire culture in order to reinforce a stereotype.

Nevertheless, language textbooks often choose topics that easily fit into this assumed aesthetic. Some advanced texts branch out, but I can’t count how many times Studio Ghibli was introduced in my beginner and early-intermediate textbooks. At a certain point, I felt like each unit was an in-depth tourist brochure catered toward Western sensibilities. 

But at the same time, my friend is right. Our relationship with other cultures depends on a multiplicity of identities. It depends on the proximity of our cultural backgrounds with the languages we’re engaging with, and the power dynamics therein, political and social. For example, my relationship with Japanese culture as an Asian American woman is different from, say, a white man’s—there are different cultural distances and colonial dynamics at play. At the very least, there’s less of a negative stereotype attached to me. Yet given the whole package of who I am, how do I engage with the fraught relationship between my identity and the culture I’ve decided to learn about?

Now the naysayers argue that any entry point into language-learning is good. Students in the SFS often take language courses to learn a new skill or perhaps to increase job prospects. Judging students for why they chose a certain language can be discriminating. So what if someone’s an anime nerd, or a curious student who wants a new challenge? When students are exposed to cultures through language learning, there’s a net benefit to all. Students gain knowledge and communication skills, and the school serves on their responsibility to craft worldly graduates. 

For niche languages to learn at Georgetown such as Japanese, the focus is less political. My classes’ textbook readings are geared toward the assumed interests of foreign students—anime, Mt. Fuji, cherry blossoms—in an effort to keep the small sliver of students from switching to another language. Once, after a classroom debate about anime, my friend whispered to me, “You know, the Chinese class discussed US-China security concerns … I guess Japanese is just a fluffy language to learn.” 

The implications of language learning in foreign relations are huge because it’s often caked with political undertones. Early vocabulary and subjects reflect the zeitgeist of the time. The classic Japanese 010 textbook used in American classrooms, Genki, starts students off with a quirky story about Takeshi’s crush on Mary. On the other hand, my friend joked that after taking Arabic for a semester, they only learned how to say, “my father is a diplomat” and “I work for the United Nations.” What is taught in language classes reveals the assumed reasons why people are taking the class, and the geopolitical priorities underneath.  

I’m not saying that Japanese classes shouldn’t talk about bento, Hello Kitty, and whatever makes up stereotypical Japan. They’re fun topics, and certainly an interesting aspect of culture. But we should consider how educational institutions—such as the SFS and Georgetown—should go about crafting students who are mindful of their relationships to different cultures, especially ones often exotified in the United States.

Of course, such nuances are often explored in classes about culture, sociology, or similar subjects. But these conversations need to be had in the context of language classes, too. I demand more, but I’m conflicted because I don’t know how to demand more. 

Perhaps these critical engagements could be explicit conversations held in language classes, about personal identity and relationship to culture. Or it could be an additional culture class requirement on top of passing proficiency in the SFS. Whatever form this discussion takes on, it’s important to ask ourselves, what are we using this language for? What are we gaining from it and why is it important to engage with the culture of our choosing? For language learning at Georgetown and beyond, we need to rethink our grammar. 

Adblock test (Why?)

Museum of Science Partners with Dictionary.com to Bring Scientific Words to Life - PR Newswire - Dictionary

New collaboration will feature "Science Word of the Week" series

BOSTON, Oct. 7, 2022 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Museum of Science, Boston, one of the world's largest science centers, and Dictionary.com, the leading online and mobile English-language educational resource, announce their new collaboration to bring science to life for millions of followers around the world through "Science Word of the Week," a weekly digital video series that will describe scientific terms, their meanings, and how they are used. The partnership stems from a common theme in mission between the partners to inspire a love of words and science in everyone.

Continue Reading

Dictionary.com logo

Science Word of the Week will feature popular science influencers describing unique, interesting, and funny science words to enhance audiences' command of science terms. What is an areologist? Do you have a yeuk? "Science Word of the Week" videos will explain these words and more every week on Friday, across social media and at Dictionary.com and MOS.org.  

"For over 193 years, the Museum of Science has been inspiring audiences to be curious about the world around them, and about how science helps us understand that world," said Tim Ritchie, president of the Museum of Science. "I am excited about our partnership with Dictionary.com, because it is a compelling way to introduce new audiences to the wonders of science."  

According to the 2022 U.S. State of Science and Engineering Report, inequality persists in K–12 science educational outcomes by race or ethnicity, socioeconomic status, and U.S. region. Enabling all Americans to receive high-quality STEM education and to pursue any science and engineering field of study or career are critical components of sustaining and growing the U.S. STEM labor force.

"At Dictionary.com, we know that one of the challenges of learning science can be learning its vocabulary. It's hard!" said John Kelly, senior director of editorial at Dictionary.com. "Yet as we also know from the millions of word lovers who have been following Dictionary.com's Word of the Day for over 20 years, learning new words is also incredibly fun and rewarding. Our Science Word of the Week with the Museum of Science will help bridge this gap, connecting students, teachers, parents, and lifelong learners alike with the wonders of science through the wonders of words."

Audiences can discover the new Science Word of the Week across social media platforms @museumofscience and @dictionarycom or online at mos.org/swow. And to discover more about those words and a whole lot more, visit Dictionary.com and its Word of the Day.

About the Museum of Science, Boston

Among the world's largest science centers, the Museum of Science engages millions of people each year to the wonders of science and technology through interactive exhibitions, digital programs, giant screen productions, and preK – 8 EiE® STEM curricula through the William and Charlotte Bloomberg Science Education Center. Established in 1830, the Museum is home to such iconic experiences as the Theater of Electricity, the Charles Hayden Planetarium, and the Mugar Omni Theater. Around the world, the Museum is known for digital experiences such as Mission: Mars launching in 2022 on Roblox, and traveling exhibitions such as the Science Behind Pixar. Learn more at mos.org.

About Dictionary.com and Thesaurus.com

Words define every aspect of our lives, from our ideas to our identities. Dictionary.com aspires to empower every person, of every background, to express themselves, make connections, and open the door to opportunity through the power and joy of language. Dictionary.com is the premier destination to learn, discover, and have fun with the limitless world of words and meanings. The brand helps you make sense of the ever-evolving English language so you can put your ideas into words—and your words into action.

SOURCE The Museum of Science

Adblock test (Why?)

Airbnb expands Automated Translation tool - Travel Daily News International - Translation

[unable to retrieve full-text content]

Airbnb expands Automated Translation tool  Travel Daily News International

Video Recording of a Panel Discussion “The Oxford Dictionary of African American English in the Making” - LJ INFOdocket - Dictionary

From Oxford Languages (via YouTube):

Oxford Languages, a division of Oxford University Press and publisher of the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), and Harvard University’s Hutchins Center for African & African American Research have partnered for a three-year research project, whose aim is to compile the Oxford Dictionary of African American English (ODAAE).

The project is spearheaded by Professor Henry Louis Gates, Jr. (Editor-in-Chief), Director of the Center and Alphonse Fletcher University Professor at Harvard, and is funded in part by grants from the Mellon and Wagner Foundations.

In this talk, some of the project team members provided a quick overview of the project, followed by a panel discussion:- Project overview and aims
– Where we are now
– Why we are compiling ODAAE
– The socio-linguistic importance of African American English
– Q&A time

Additional Information

Filed under: Funding, News, Publishing, Video Recordings

About Gary Price

Gary Price (gprice@gmail.com) is a librarian, writer, consultant, and frequent conference speaker based in the Washington D.C. metro area. He earned his MLIS degree from Wayne State University in Detroit. Price has won several awards including the SLA Innovations in Technology Award and Alumnus of the Year from the Wayne St. University Library and Information Science Program. From 2006-2009 he was Director of Online Information Services at Ask.com. Gary is also the co-founder of infoDJ an innovation research consultancy supporting corporate product and business model teams with just-in-time fact and insight finding.

Adblock test (Why?)

‘Language Connection’ program provides translation services to Shelby County nonprofits - Action News 5 - Translation

SHELBY COUNTY, Tenn. (WMC) - A new pilot program created by the Shelby County Mayor’s Office offers free translation services to more than a dozen area nonprofits.

The program is called Language Connection, launched in May 2022. Translation phone calls that normally charge by the minute have been provided to 13 nonprofits servicing Shelby County residents in different ways.

The program launched in May, since then more than 550 phone calls have been made with 11,810 minutes logged, according to county officials.

“Our partners, to a varying degree of success, were able to serve the immigrant community before,” explained the liaison for nonprofits, Janet Lo, “But now, they have been able to not have language as that barrier and can serve anybody who walks through that door.”

There are 240 languages offered through the program. Officials say Spanish, Swahili and Arabic are the most requested languages.

“I just used it yesterday,” said Lo. “I had a Spanish speaker call for some services. I got an interpreter on the phone in 5 seconds and you could hear the person on the other phone -- their voice suddenly relaxed and they were suddenly able to ask questions in an honest way and really authentically share their needs.”

The nonprofits currently a part of the pilot program include:

• Advocates for Immigrant Rights (AIR)
• Alliance Healthcare Services
• Catholic Charities of West Tennessee
• Community Legal Center
• Greater Memphis Financial Empowerment Center (GMFEC)
• HopeWorks
• Latino Memphis
• Mid-South Food Bank
• Porter-Leath
• The Works CDC
• United Housing
• United Way of the Mid-South
• World Relief Memphis/Connect Language Center

County officials say the pilot program will end at the end of 2022. Their goal is to expand the service to more nonprofits next year at a low cost.

Click here to sign up for our newsletter!

Click here to report a spelling or grammar error. Please include the headline.

Copyright 2022 WMC. All rights reserved.

Adblock test (Why?)