We already know the importance of  social media in marketing, brand awareness and communication. Social media now has a major role in democracy and in the fight against repression.

In the recent Arab Spring revolution people used social media to communicate about the facts, to organise struggle against tyranny and to raise awareness worldwide. The world media was then able to take testimonials from places where they were not allowed to report from and inform the international community. Without this, the ONU and OTAN interventions to liberate Arab people from repression may not have taken place. If governments decide to act, it is probably due to people’s opinion.

According to HansardSociety :

“Key tools for the modern revolution are digital because they achieve significant things; first, they bring together otherwise remote and disparate groups. Second, they create channels to bypass traditional state control of the media so the outside world can see what is going on. Alongside traditional activism and action, the tools of the trade today are the internet (for information dissemination and news), social media (to connect and coordinate), mobile phones (to capture what happens) and digital, particularly satellite, television to report it.”

Even if social media cannot be responsible for the uprising on its own, we see that major changes about the use of social networks have come into effect since the beginning of this year.

The International Business Times adds:

“Compared to 2010, in the first three months of 2011, Facebook grew in the Arab region at an even faster rate, growing 29% in the first three months as compared to 18% over the same period in 2010 (…) Interestingly the report also shows that English is the language of choice in seven Arab countries, while French is the language of choice in five Arab countries, with Arabic the language of choice in three Arab countries’’.

Many of the people that set up Facebook pages for the Arab Spring were well known cyber activists in their country and rightly seized the opportunity to use those networks as tools. During the uprising in Tunisia, for example, one of the best-known activists on Facebook and Twitter was Slim Amamou, who after Ben Ali’s demise became Tunisia’s Minister of Sports and Youth.

Two weeks ago, I wrote an article about the increase of  digital language and its negative consequences on human relationships but we see that social media can be a fantastic catalyst for democracy. So now, check your Facebook and Twitter account to make your own revolution!

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | Arab Spring Social Media

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The Italian province of South Tyrol has always been a land apart. Originally part of Austria-Hungary, the province only became part of Italy in 1919, after World War I ended.

Since then, the inhabitants, most of whom speak a dialect of German, have often been made to feel that they don’t “fit in” in their own country. For example, when the Fascists ruled Italy, the government made a concerted effort to ban public use of the German language in the region, and to encourage Italian speakers to immigrate and “crowd out” South Tyrol’s original inhabitants. Things got better after the end of World War II, when strong protections for German language speakers were made law and the province was granted a large degree of autonomy.

Still, in this bilingual region, tensions over language have long simmered below the surface, and according to the Telegraph’s Nick Squires, those tensions are once again becoming evident in a struggle over trail signs in the Dolomite Mountains.

The signs in question were once bilingual, but as they’ve worn out over the years, the Alpenverein, the organization responsible for replacing them, has been putting up German-only signs in their place. So far, 1,500 signs have been erected in German.

Giuseppe Broggi, the regional president of the Italian Alpine Club, told the Telegraph that Italian hikers are being made to “feel like foreigners in our own country.” German-speaking South Tyrol citizens could perhaps identify with that feeling, but it seems that signs giving directions to travelers in what is a beautiful but forbidding region might not be the best place to make a stand against bilingualism.   According to the Telegraph:

“Mountain rescue services say that the showdown is about more than injured national pride – an Italian walker could get seriously lost if he has a map with Italian place names but only finds sign posts in German.”

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | In Italy’s South Tyrol, German Trail Signs Cause Controversy

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A botched language translation of a speech given by James Warlick, the US Ambassador to Bulgaria, at the  “Europe as a Global Actor” Conference last week apparently infuriated Bulgarian President Georgi Parvanov.  And since this is the age of the internet, President Parvanov took his beef directly to Facebook.

According to Novinite.com, during his speech at the conference Mr. Warlick took the liberty of commenting on an ongoing dispute between President Parvanov and his Defense Minister, Anyu Angelov, on how much support the Bulgarian armed forces should provide for international peacekeeping interventions. President Parvanov is firmly in the “stay-at-home” camp, while the defense minister wishes to continue to honor Bulgaria’s commitments to its international partners, expanding the armed forces as necessary.

So when it was reported that Ambassador Warlick called the dispute a “farce discussion,” President Parvanov was not pleased. He posted the following statement on his Facebook page (and English translation is below):

“The discussion between President Georgi Parvanov and Defense Minister Anyu Angelov about the defense policy of the nation seems a little bit like a farce. This is what US Ambassador James Warlick said today. I will only point out that since the time of General Kaulbars, a special envoy of the Russian Emperor, no foreign envoy has ever behaved like that, like a governor-general. If there is something farcical, it is Warlick’s behavior.”

Historical footnote: General Kaulbars was sent to Bulgaria in the late nineteenth century after Prince Alexander I Batenberg abdicated. His mission was to influence events in Bulgaria according to what the Tsar wanted, and he took it very seriously. The Bulgarians sent him packing, and he’s been a despised figure ever since.

President Parvanov’s fiery statement garnered more than 145 likes and 57 comments. There’s only one problem: Ambassador Warlick never said the discussion was a “farce.” His actual statement was much more measured:  “It’s a little bit of a false discussion, and that’s what I would like to reflect on a little bit right now”.

Oops. The brouhaha provides one more illustration of the importance of accurate translation as well as the wisdom of working disputes out in person, rather than on Facebook.

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | Botched translation leads to tension between the US and Bulgaria

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An Egyptian-American businessman found himself trapped in an Egyptian jail cell last month, all because of a translation issue. Mostafa Soliman has dual Egyptian and American citizenship and owns an Egyptian health food company called Healthy Harvest. He claims his problems began when he went to Egypt to manage the shipment of a variety of products he imports into Egypt, including hemp oil.

Hemp oil is made from the hemp plant, the same plant that produces marijuana. Unlike weed, hemp oil is not psychoactive. It will not give you a buzz. However, it is highly nutritious, containing all the amino acids you need and a bunch of good-for-you fatty acids as well. It is often sold in health food stores and natural food stores as a supplement.

Unfortunately for Mr. Soliman, in Egypt the words for “hemp oil” are exactly the same as the words for “hash oil.” So, according to a press release issued on EarthTimes.com, the businessman  found himself jailed as a drug trafficker for importing non-psychoactive hemp oil and faces the death penalty if he is convicted.  This is despite the fact that according to him, “even the Egyptian drug enforcement people told me they knew it wasn’t hash oil, but they said they had to follow procedure.”

He was held in jail for over a month and freed in the protests on January 28^th.  Unfortunately, though he has sought help from the American Embassy, they have refused to provide him with a new passport or with translations of documents that might be able to convince Egyptian authorities of his innocence, according to Reason.com.

Here’s hoping this gets straightened out soon. Surely if Mr. Soliman were really a drug dealer he would have known better than to label his product with the Egyptian words for hash oil!

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | Translation Issue Puts Businessman in an Egyptian Jail

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Chinese President Hu Jintao spent four days in America last week, meeting with US government officials and business leaders. Unfortunately, his visit was dogged by multiple translation issues.

First, both President Hu and President Obama held a joint press conference. Instead of having the questions from the press and the responses from the presidents translated simultaneously, the Chinese leader’s team preferred to have them translated consecutively. Technical issues with the consecutive translation led to President Hu believing that a question about China’s human rights record was directed solely at President Obama, when in fact the reporter wanted him to answer as well.

According to CNN.com, when the next reported asked the question again and gave the impression that the Chinese president had avoided it on purpose, President Hu replied sternly:

“First, I would like to clarify, because of the technical translation and interpretation problem, I did not hear the question about the human rights. What I know was that he was asking a question directed at President Obama. As you raise this question, and I heard the question properly, certainly I’m in a position to answer that question.”

Then, before the Chinese president’s policy address in Washington, Muhtar Kent, the CEO of Coca-Cola, attempted to toast President Hu in his native language. Here’s how that went, according to Businessweek:

“In honor of this very historic moment, I would like to propose a toast to President Hu and also to his esteemed delegation — kanpai,” Kent said. His toast was followed immediately by laughter from the crowd, which included hundreds of China hands…”

Whoops! Turns out “kanpai” is the Japanese version of the toast. The Chinese version is “ganbei.”

Honestly, translation glitches like what occurred at the press release happen from time to time. Technical difficulties happen to the best of us! But I’m pretty sure the CEO of Coca-Cola has a smartphone. Couldn’t he have Googled the correct phrase ahead of time?

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | Translation Issues Between Presidents

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China’s  General Administration of Press and Publication has ordered Chinese newspapers, publishers and websites to stop using foreign words and acronyms. Chinese media has also been ordered to avoid using examples of the Chinese/English linguistic Frankenstein monster known as “Chinglish.”

According to the People’s Daily Online, the new rules were put into place to protect the Chinese language and to make sure that news is intelligible to all Mandarin speakers, whether they speak English or not:

“Abuse of foreign languages, including arbitrary use of English words; acronym mixing in Mandarin and coined half-English, half-Chinese terms that are intelligible to nobody, are commonly seen. All these have seriously damaged to the purity of the Chinese language and resulted in adverse social impacts to the harmonious and healthy cultural environment.”

To make sure that everyone can understand the news, when foreign words must be used they are required to be translated.  Ensuring that everyone can understand what’s on the evening news is a laudable goal, and there’s nothing wrong with expecting professional media outlets to use proper grammar, but protecting the “purity” of the language may be an uphill battle. Also, having to translate or explain even commonly understood acronyms creates unnecessary hassles for both news professionals and consumers.

One anonymous editor from Beijing told China.org that he believed the new regulations were too strict:

“The intention of protecting the Chinese language is good. But in an age of globalization, when some English acronyms like WTO (World Trade Organization) have been widely accepted by readers, it might be too absolute to eliminate them in all publications. Conversationally, people also use these words all the time, so the regulation could create discord between the oral and written uses of language.”

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | China Orders Chinese Media to Cease Using Foreign Words

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The divide between French speakers and Dutch speakers in Belgium has grown increasingly intractable, and currently affects everything from how well the country’s government does (or does not) function to coaching schoolchildren at a soccer club.

According to the Associated Press, the KFC Strombeek soccer club of Grimbergen, Belgium has been officially banned from coaching children’s soccer in French. Apparently, when Dutch-speaking citizens of the town heard coaches were speaking French to some of the children (presumably, children who already spoke French), they organized a petition to ensure that future coaching sessions were conducted entirely in Dutch.

That might seem mean-spirited, but it’s symptomatic of a divide that extends throughout Belgian society. In fact, over 2 months after the last elections, Belgium’s government is at a standstill as French and Dutch factions of 7 political parties try to negotiate the next steps.  The party that won the elections, the New Flemish Alliance, wants to split the country in two.

The bulk of Belgium’s economic activity and prosperity is concentrated in the Dutch half of the country, leading many Dutch speakers to resent their French-speaking countrymen. But why take these tensions out on a soccer club?

That’s what Christian Donneux, the president of the soccer club, would like to know. He told the AP:

“We are a sports club, not a political party. Many of my patients here in Grimbergen are Francophones. Am I supposed to send them away?”

Meanwhile, Robert Timmermans, the man who organized the petition against the soccer club, watched a group of French-speaking children at practice and declared:

“They must be coached in Dutch. This is our soccer field. (Dutch-speakers) paid for it. It is our tax money. Grimbergen is a Dutch-speaking town.”‘

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | Belgium’s Language Divide Affects Everything From Government to Soccer Clubs

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Is the Irish government doing enough for its Irish-speaking citizens? Not quite, according to a report just released by the office of An Coimisinéir Teanga Seán Ó Cuirreáin. The report shows  that complaints against government entities for violating the Official Languages Act by  providing inadequate Irish language services were up 15 percent in 2009.

According to IrishTimes.com, problems included responding in English to complaints made in Irish, lack of Irish-speaking staff in Irish-language schools, Gaeltacht schools and Irish museums, and more, leading Mr Ó Cuirreáin to conclude that there are “significant gaps” between services for English-speakers and services for Irish-speakers.

In another example of noncompliance with the Official Languages Act, officials in the Revenue Commissioners’ offices made a habit of releasing news releases in English immediately, but not issuing an Irish-language version of the release until 4 to 9 months later, by which time they could no longer be  considered “news.” There was also reportedly a lack of Irish-language signs dealing with the swine flu epidemic.

Mr Ó Cuirreáin explained to the Irish Times that government compliance with the Official Languages Act is vital if the Irish language is to survive:

“The future of Irish as a living community language, even in the strongest Gaeltacht areas, is currently at its most vulnerable level – at crisis point according to some analysts – particularly among the younger generation,” he said.

He added: “While many will continue to speak Irish, a critical mass is required for its survival as a community language. Language preference is not a random issue for Gaeltacht parents and their choice is always in the best interests of their children. Every time State officials require Irish speakers to opt for English, it reinforces the negative message.”

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | More Irish, Please? Report Alleges Irish Government Is Not Doing Enough for Irish Speakers

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A new measure has been proposed in Wales to help encourage the use of the Welsh language there. According to the BBC, the new proposal, which was just published by the assembly government, has several key features. First, it would require some private sector companies to provide services in Welsh when requested by Welsh speakers. Telecoms, electricity and gas providers, bus and railway companies and companies providing sewage services would all be affected and could be fined for not providing adequate Welsh-language services. Public sector companies would also be required to comply.

According to the Daily Post, the fines could be as high as ₤5000, and any company that receives more than ₤400,000 worth of money per year from taxpayers would be affected by the new requirements. Second, the proposed law would scrap the Welsh Language Board in support of appointing a Welsh language commissioner with increased power to enforce language laws.

First Minister Carwyn Jones told the BBC that “The proposed measure provides us with some of the tools we need to ensure that the Welsh language can continue to prosper into the 21st Century alongside the English language.”
However, some Welsh language advocates don’t feel that the proposed legislation goes far enough. For example, the BBC quotes Menna Machreth, chair of the Welsh Language Society (Cymdeithas yr Iaith Gymraeg), who welcomed the proposal but cautioned:

“This measure doesn’t affect much of the private sector. The assembly doesn’t have the powers for shops to be included in this measure, which we’ve been calling for because they are a massive part of day to day lives, and if we want to see the Welsh language as a living language around us, I think the Welsh language should be mainstreamed and pulled into the private sector as well.”

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | New Welsh Language Law Proposed

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Scots Gaelic has been approved for use in EU meetings in a new memorandum of understanding, according to the BBC. The move is an important step forward for Scots Gaelic,although it still does not have the status of an EU “official” language like English.

In addition to being used in meetings, Gaelic speakers can now write to the EU in Scots Gaelic and get a response back in the same language.

In Scotland’s 2001 census, about 58,652 people reported being able to speak Scots Gaelic, while an additional.33,748 were able to understand it.

The Scottish Government will be footing the bill for the costs of translation for EU meetings and correspondence as part of their efforts to increase the use of the language in Scotland.

Use of Scots Gaelic, has declined significantly, especially over the past 100 years.  For example, according to Wikipedia, in 1911 there were 183,998 Scots Gaelic speakers. Also, in 1991 there were 7,300 more Scots Gaelic speakers than there were in 2001-a decline of 11 percent over 10 years!

In the BBC article, Scottish Culture Minister  Mike Russell commented on the news, saying, “This is a significant step forward for the recognition of Gaelic both at home and abroad and I look forward to addressing the council in Gaelic very soon.”
“Seeing Gaelic spoken in such a forum raises the profile of the language as we drive forward our commitment to creating a new generation of Gaelic speakers in Scotland.”
In honor of the occasion, here are some common words and phrases in Scots Gaelic, along with their English translations:

Halò: Hello
Ciamar a tha thu: How are you?
Madainn mhath: Good Morning
Feasgar math: Good Afternoon
Oidhche mhath: Good night
Dè an t-ainm a tha ort?: What’s your name?
Slàn leat : Goodbye
Slàinte: “Health,” usually used as a toast, like “cheers.”

Orginal Article on K International's Language Blog | Scots Gaelic Gets EU Recognition

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