Translating

Here is my translation of the first few verses of the Old Testament from English to French. 

(1) In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth. (2) Now the earth was formless and empty, darkness was over the surface of the deep, and the Spirit of God was hovering over the waters. (3) And God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. (4) God saw that the light was good, and he separated the light from the darkness. (5) God called the light "day," and the darkness he called "night." And there was evening, and there was morning-the first day.

Au début, Dieu créa les cieux et la terre. Maintenant la terre fut informe et vide, l’obscurité était au-dessus de l'abîme, et l’Espirit suspendait au-dessus des eaux. Et Dieu dit, « Que la lumière soit ! » Et la lumière fut. Et Dieu vit la lumière, qu’était bonne, et Dieu sépara la lumière des obscurités. Et Dieu appela la lumière Jour, et l’obscurité, il appela Nuit. Il y eut soir, et il y eut nuit- le premier jour. 

The biggest difficulty that I had with this translation was remembering the formal written past tense that French uses. The past tense used in everyday speech differs completely from the written past tense in older or more formal writing. After that the hardest thing was translating specific phrases. I especially had trouble with "darkness was over the surface of the deep". I could translate all of those words literally, which I did above, but I don't think that it conveyed the same sense. I looked up the exact phrase that the French bible uses and it was nowhere close to what I had translated. "il y avait des ténèbres sur la face de l'abîme". This difficulty is definitely a result of not being completely fluent in French. The word that the French bible uses for darkness, instead of l'obscurité, is les ténèbres which can  also have the connotation of confusion. I was also confused about how to translate the simple phrase over because it has one main meaning in English but French distinguishes these nuanced differences with completely different phrases. Overall translating just a few phrases was more difficult than I had anticipated. 

Too Many Languages?

Belgium officially has three languages: German, French and Dutch. An interesting article in the Guardian, a UK newspaper, brings to light how language divides the politics of this small country. On the one hand there exist the French-speaking Wallonia and on the other stands the Flemish-speaking Flanders. In this situation language is the major barrier between these two factions. Each party plays a powerful role in the government of Belgium and it seems that the government only works when these parties work together. On Thursday April 22, 2010 the Prime Minister Yves Leterme resigned after the Flemish party withdrew its support, prompting the headline "Belgian coalition government crumbles as PM resigns".

The language split is literally making Belgium impossible to rule. The article in the Guardian takes this to a further level by likening this political trouble to what could have or might plague the EU. At the present the EU is translating across 23 different languages, which undoubtedly takes up a lot of time and money. However, as in Belgium, each nation refuses to yield to the idea of working in just a few core languages. This situation presents one of the core dilemmas about language differences in government. Where is the line between choosing to reduce languages used regularly for the sake of simplicity and standing by language as part of a cultural, national or political identity?

For Belgium I think it is too late to reform these deeply ingrained language divisions politically. However, their country can be a warning about the difficulties of having a government run in different languages. This example indicates that on some level it is more efficient to have a monolingual government if language so irrevocably divides politics in a way that compromise becomes impossible. I refuse to make a blanket statement saying that all government should choose to be run solely in one language, however, it could be a unifying factor in creating new governments.

In the case of the EU, I don't think there is any way around translating between all 23 languages. Since they are dealing with so many different countries, respecting each language is key in making this union work. If one or a few languages dominate, it will give power to those countries whose languages are preferred. In a union of multiple nations, it remains crucial to allow each individual country to express themselves in the native tongue in order to ensure a feeling of equality for all.

TXTNG

Quite a few of the articles I came across this week were debating whether or not texting was destroying language skills. This was mostly in response to Canadian Wireless Telecommunication Association's announcement of the number of texts sent in 2009: 35.3 billion. According to Vancouver Sun this is up 70% over last years statistics. These statistics really emphasize the latest shift in technological dependence. Technology rapidly changes and thus so do the trends. What is most surprising about texting, however, is how people have abbreviated language to make this form of communication easier. Along with the change that has been implemented texting has created even more words, the "-exting" words. The Montreal Gazette 's article even presents -exting words that I hadn't heard of or used before such as wexting: walking and texting.

Many of these articles claim that these invented words are corrupting normal spoken and written language. It's true that texting has created a whole new category of words. However, this is true of almost every new technology. It is how language adapts and changes with new inventions. What worries people most is the shear number of words introduced. However, according to a linguist quoted in the Gazette, 90% of these will fade away as the texting phenomenon levels off.

The next large concern is about the impact of texting on the brain and social skills. In 2008 a book called Txtng: The Gr8 Db8 was published to address many of these concerns. NPR's review of the book highlighted some of the key ideas that invalidate many of the arguments that texting is ruining the minds of children. For one, studies have shown that children who text actually do better in spelling. How does this makes sense since so many people use abbreviations when texting? The experts hypothesize that in order to use abbreviations there needs to be a deeper knowledge of the language and its sounds. This is encouraging evidence that perhaps texting is not destroying our generation. However, none of these articles come close to addressing what should be done about the social repercussions of texting. When a third of all adolescents send more than 100 texts per day, how are their social abilities being affected? Will they eventually just grow out of this rather obsessive habit? 

English Only Driver's License Test?

According to the ProEnglish group, which is pushing for English to become the official language of the United States, nine states have instituted English only driver's license test laws. Many groups in Georgia hope that their state will soon make that count ten. According to the Gwinnett Daily Post Georgia is already part of the 30 states that have officially declared English to be their official language yet this doesn't directly extend to the driver's license test yet. Proponents of the English only driver's test bill, like Phil Kent who wrote this article, argue that this is a matter of public safety. Basically they claim that only English speakers can understand the rules of the road. This bill would ensure that people would have to be sufficiently fluent in traffic vocabulary. Perhaps their most valid claim is that drivers should at least be able to communicate with police official if there were to be an accident. As we discussed in class, miscommunications with police due to language can lead to serious and unintended consequences. On this point this, I agree that this would probably be the easiest solution to miscommunication with traffic patrol officers.

However, this article also implies that if people don't take the test in English they don't understand the basics rules of the road or what road signs mean. To me this doesn't actually work as a completely logical argument. It is true that all our signs are in English, which means that initially non-English speakers won't understand the meaning. However, like everyone who has to take the driving test it is important to learn the significance of these signs. As long as non-English speakers can learn to recognize the common signs and understand what their meaning in which ever language one thinks in,  that makes them just as capable of driving correctly. The driving test also includes detail about how many feet away from a fire hydrate you should park, how many feet you should be from the car in front of you when driving, ect. These rules are the same whether they are in English or not, so the written language on the test really is inconsequential.

The article in the Huffington Post brings up even more objections to the English only bill. Specifically it says that no research exist that indicate speaking English makes anyone a safer driver. In fact, many traffic signs are used internationally. It's the reason Americans can drive in other countries safely. The point is also made that this will negatively affect society as a whole because it further disables non-English speakers who suffer through low-paying jobs because they don't know the language. I feel that it is important for these people to learn English to improve their way of life. However, hindering their ability to get to work and support themselves will not further this goal; It will only make their lives harder in the present. A similar bill passed in Utah in 2000 and consequently some non-English speakers who could not get their license, began driving illegally. If anything this is more dangerous than if they had passed the test in their own language. Especially in cities with poor public transportation, this will be the response for many people who still need to get to work. This bill has so many negative aspects that degrade the rights of non-English speakers in this country. As long as they understand the rules of the road, in whatever language they speak, what are the consequences of them taking the drivers license test in which ever language they are most comfortable with?

Science and Language

Thus far in class we've talked about how losing a language also means losing much of the culture attached to it. Many of the articles I've come across several articles that try to emphasize the importance of bringing back these languages. My previous post is one example of one effort to bring back language and culture. There is a similar struggle in Dimapur to restore Naga languages. These reconstruction efforts focus specifically on the fear of losing culture to a new wave of modernity that emphasizes more widespread languages like English.


An article I read in the University World News addresses the lose of african languages in a different manner. It points out that the development of science exacerbates the decline of many african languages for one basic reason: these languages lack a word for science. The lack of words obviously is a major barrier, however, that leads to a bigger problem. Due to the lack of language, the basic concepts of science are also missing. This poses a challenge to many scientists trying to research anything from agriculture to medicine and significantly devalues these languages in the sense being a progressive language and society.


One solution would be to teach speakers of these languages English then introduce the concepts of different sciences. People have followed this track but these bilinguals are in the minority in a culture that resists the overwhelming influences of English. The article elaborates that "In Southern Africa science remains a minority, English-language based pursuit that reinforces the domination of English at the expense of local languages such as Ndebele, Swahili and many others." This presents the fine line between trying to spread knowledge through science and invading another language and consequently the culture attached to it. At the same time the knowledge of the land that these people hold could also be useful in many other parts of Africa but this language barrier makes it very difficult to transfer these secrets. So what happens when these languages die out taking hundreds of years of history of the land with it?


Scientist are making the effort to lessen the language barrier through several methods. Most basically, there are dictionaries being complied that try to literally communicate different scientific concepts. However, this will only be effective for the people who already want to study English and science specifically. Those people will still be in the majority. Another method outlined in the article consists of having three different kinds of interpreters, each serving a different function. Basically there are integrators, filters and synthesizers (for more information please look at the linked article). These people serve important function but also create a rather lengthy chain of communication. It also costs more money to train three different categories of translators. This presents a large problem in the poorer African countries. While this method definitely has many benefits and allows some scientific knowledge to be passed on, another more effective route needs to be established. I personally don't have a solution for this conundrum. I would postulate, however, that a shift toward science would need to start with a young generation. If and when a complete dictionary of basic scientific ideas is finished, it would be easiest to begin spreading these ideas through the younger school aged generation in their own language. Hopefully this would, in a generation's time, allow scientific thought to flow freely while preserving the native languages. 

La Mort du Président Polonais

Here are the links to French Newspapers reporting the death of President Kaczynski of Poland

Le président polonais meurt dans un accident d'avion Le Monde 10/04/10, France

Lech Walesa : "Une tragédie inimaginable" Le Monde 10/04/10, France

Crash de l'avion du président polonais Le Figaro 10/04/10, France

Kaczynski: profonde tristesse (Sarkozy) Le Figaro 10/04/10, France

La Pologne décapitée dans un crash en Russie, les réactions affluent  Tribune 10/04/10, France

Le président polonais Kaczynski périt dans un accident d'avion en Russie  Le Nouvel Oberservateur 10/04/10, France


Crash: l'Etat et l'armée polonais décimés Le Nouvel Oberservateur 10/04/10, France


Le president polonais Lech Kaczynski tue dans le crash de son avion l'Humanité 10/04/10, France

Reviving Gaelic

The decline of Gaelic in Scotland has been uniform across the whole country for hundreds of years now. According to The Herald about 1% of the population of Scotland speaks Gaelic today. The map to the left indicates the concentration of Gaelic speakers in Scotland in 2001. It is interesting to note how in the Western Isles the majority of the population still speak Gaelic. The preservation of Gaelic in the Western Isle could possibly be attributed to the isolation of the farming communities that are present in that area that have retained a similar culture over the centuries. Ewan Innes suggests that much of the decline of Gaelic was caused by the growth of formal education. As more material was present in English than in Gaelic, there was a push for education in English in order to access these resources.

Now in many parts of Scotland there is a push in the opposite direction to restore the Gaelic Language. In 2005, the Scottish Parliament passed the Gaelic Language Act that officially recognized Scottish Gaelic as an official language of Scotland. Within the last couple of days Glasgow released their own plan to promote Gaelic in their city and schools. Their plan includes redoing signs throughout the city to reflect both the English and Gaelic languages. More importantly, however, the plan includes a second Gaelic school in the city. They hope to detach the bad stigma that many people associate with speaking Gaelic because it was not included as a part of the higher education system.

Their plan in ernest is to completely reverse the process that led Scottish Gaelic to its diminished state. Where as once society saw Gaelic as an uneducated form of speech, now the government hopes that Gaelic will be a study of it's own. At the moment the question that comes to mind, however, is whether or not the government can artificially construct social pressures that can bring a language back in its natural form. The government's efforts are nobel however as they try to preserve the culture that they see as intrinsically connected to Gaelic. The Herald also notes the opposition to this revival is based on the financial cost to institute all these changes. In order to really make this act effective the government will estimates that it will have to spend £21.7 in 2010-11. The Scottish government has made a huge statement by passing this expensive bill. To them preserving the Gaelic language will preserve the culture attached to it and that is worth millions of man-hours and euros.

Dual-Language Classes

     Many of the articles I've read this week focused on new dual-language classes in different cities of the United States. In Seattle, the Beacon Hill International School teaches science and math classes in Mandarin. Since Beacon Hills started this program a wait list had to be implemented because of the popularity of this program. The dual-language program is probably one of the best ways to teach second languages. Research shows that children exposed to a second language early on almost always gain better fluency and comprehension of the acquired language than adults who learned later. Beacon Hills and other dual-language schools, especially in Modesto, hope to further the research that suggests that dual-language students preform better over all. So far the evidence points that way. The Seattle Times states that "On the state's fourth-grade test, the children in the Spanish-English program scored about 20 percentile points higher in reading and math." Not only will the children reap the rewards of knowing a second language in an ever expanding global community but they also are immediately rewarded with better performance on state tests. Hopefully, I will get a chance to look into the effects that the dual-language program has on children more deeply later.

     What really sparked my interest in the dual-language classes actually was the article posted in the Los Angeles Times that had a rather controversial focus. While the previous articles acclaim the benefits of the dual-language programs, this article focuses on who funds a specific program. As it turns out the Chinese language program at Cederlane Middle School is called the Confucius Classroom and is funded by Hanban, the Chinese Language Council International. This program has many supporters but there are some people that feel that Confucius Classroom is "a way for Chinese people to brainwash our students." It was this outlandish claim that prompted me to look up Hanban. In the General Principles portion of their website, Hanban states, "Adhering to the principle of mutual respect, friendly negotiations, and mutual benefit, the Confucius Institutes shall develop and facilitate the the teaching of the Chinese language overseas and promote education and cultural exchange and cooperation between China and other international communities." No where in there does it say brainwash. The goal of Hanban is very admirable. Due to the rapid expansion of China as a power in the global community, it become more important everyday for their culture to be understood. The Chinese language programs set up in the elementary education systems and on the university level are present in countries around the world. This clearly shows how important it is for people to understand language in order to understand a different culture. There are many benefits of a dual language program but understanding another culture is a crucial aspect. Hopefully more schools will take advantage of this program and not let outdated fears about other culture scare them away from wonderful dual-language programs like Confucius.