Immigrant influx to Chicago suburbs spawns foreign language schools for kids

This article from the Chicago Tribune explores the efforts made by suburban Chicago immigrants trying to instill their native heritage in their children, primarily through language study.

Immigrant influx to Chicago suburbs spawns foreign language schools for kids

By Russell Working |Tribune staff reporter

12:05 AM CST, January 4, 2008

Art and Maria Guelis are well-educated Russians who speak their native language at home, read Tolstoy and Dostoevski and watch Internet TV programs out of Moscow. But their 7-year-old son, George, always answers his parents in English.

Determined to pass on their linguistic heritage, the Guelises recently adopted a time-honored immigrant strategy that is burgeoning in Chicago's suburbs.

They enrolled their son in Saturday language classes in addition to his regular public schooling.

George attends a Russian school in Naperville, one of scores of weekend foreign language schools springing up in houses of worship and cultural centers as migration from Chicago and the high-tech industry in DuPage County bring a polyglot populace to the suburbs.

While embracing English as essential in America, these parents are striving to keep their own languages alive in their family for another generation. But history shows they face an uphill battle.

Read more.

Il Lingue della ex Iugoslavia

by Lauren Nemec

Today I stumbled across an article of mine on GlobeArticles.com that has been translated into Italian. I think it'd be great to get some multilingual content on the blog, so here you have it- my article "Languages of the Former Yugoslavia" in Italian. (*Please note: I don't happen to know more than a handful of phrases in Italian, and since Translatus did not manage the translation of this piece, I can't guarantee its quality.*)

**Update, December 8th:
A very special thanks goes to translator/interpreter Cristina Tabbia (www.intertranslation.it) for pointing out the poor quality of the translation of the article into Italian. I'm removing the Italian article from the blog, but if you would like to read the article anyway and don't mind MT quality, you can still find it at GlobeArticles.com here. I apologize for exposing the blog's readers to anything but the best translation work.
Thanks for your help, Cristina! **

What's the world's most beautiful language?

I've been quite busy lately and haven't had much time for original posting. But here's a fun story from the AFP:

Estonian Minister announces language beauty contest

TALLINN (AFP) — Estonia is planning a beauty contest with a difference to mark its 90th birthday, according to a report Monday: the winner will be the world's prettiest language.

Education Minister Tonis Lukas wants his counterparts from around the world to get school pupils to enter recordings of sentences of up to seven words for the contest, the Baltic News Service (BNS) agency reported.

"There's a story that a world championship of beautiful languages was once held in which Estonian took second place after Italian with the sentence 'soida tasa ule silla', or 'go slowly over the bridge,'" Lukas said Monday.

"As part of the events for the anniversary of the republic, we're pleased to turn to other nations with a friendly call to check how our language sounds to others now," he added.

Estonian is a member of the Finno-Ugric group of languages and unrelated to most other European tongues.

It is spoken by only about 1.1 million people worldwide. Around 950,000 of them live in Estonia itself and many of the rest in neighbouring Finland and Russia, as well as Sweden, Germany, North America and Australia.

Preserving their language was a crucial part of Estonian opposition to foreign rule from the 19th century onwards, and remains an important plank of government policy.

Estonia is due to celebrate the 90th anniversary of its first period of independence from Russia on February 24 next year.

The country was taken over again by the Soviet Union during World War II, and became independent once more as the Moscow-ruled bloc crumbled in 1991.

Estonian is now an official language of the 27-nation European Union, which the country joined in 2004.

UT's Profile of the Arab World

by Lauren Nemec

The University of Texas at Austin (my Alma Mater) usually has some wonderful feature stories posted on the homepage of their website. Their current feature story offers insight into the language, religion and culture of the Arab world. The story is called "Translating the Arab World: Language, religion and culture are keys to understanding diverse region".

The story has a section where you can listen to some pieces in Arabic.

The National Security Education Program recently awarded the University of Texas at Austin's Department of Middle Eastern Studies with $700k to set up an Arabic language program, in hopes the program will produce more proficient Arabic speakers in the United States.

Russish - The Invasion of the English Language in Russia

by Lauren Nemec

Many of the world's languages these days are peppered with English words and phrases. In Czech, for example, you might wish someone a "hezký víkend" (nice weekend), ask for "dresink" on your salad, participate in "aerobik" workouts, or confirm plans with a friend by saying, "fajn" (super, good, right or fine).

Things are no different in Russia, where English words and phrases are being transliterated into Russian, combined with Russian words, or "twisted beyond recognition", much to the chagrin of Russian linguists and nationalist groups. Russian youth are especially enthusiastic users of "Russish" or "Runglish", throwing Anglicisms into e-mails and text messages or conversations with friends.

Read more:

'Russish': language of Shakespeare invades land of Pushkin

English invades Russian language

Invented Languages

by Lauren Nemec

The LA Times posted an enjoyable and thought-provoking article today about invented languages. In it, the author takes a look at the world's constructed languages (called "conlang" for short) ranging from Esperanto to Klingon.

In their own words - literally

A Monument to Language

by Lauren Nemec

I read the other day that the Russians have erected a monument to their language in Belgorod. The monument depicts a large bible opened to a page with letters of the Russian alphabet, symbolizing the holiness of the language and its links to the Orthodox Church. You can read more about it here.

The monument to Russian language. Photo Credit: kp.ru

I must admit... I had never heard of a monument to a language before. But it turns out that the Russian monument isn't the first of its kind.

Though not the first, the Afrikaans Language Monument in Western Cape Province, South Africa is surely the most dramatic. It was built in 1975 to commemorate the anniversary of Afrikaans becoming an official language of South Africa. The first monument built in honor of the Afrikaans language was the Burgesdorp monument, erected in 1893 and depicting a woman pointing to a book she is holding.

The Afrikaans Language Monument symbolizes the impact of culture and language on
Afrikaans and South Africa. Photo Credit: about.com

The Monument of Martyrs in Bangladesh (also called the Shaheed Minar) commemorates the people who lost their lives during the Language Movement of 1952 in Bangladesh (then East Pakistan). Every year on the 21st of February, people gather to remember those who sacrificed their lives for the movement to make Bengali an official language of Pakistan and affirm the culture and identity of the Bengali people.

Shaheed Minar, or the Monument of Martyrs, is a significant aspect of Bengali culture.

Know of any others?

Foreign Language Tongue Twisters

by Lauren Nemec

Tongue Twisters are a source of fun for people all over the world. I've asked some members of Translatus' very multicultural staff to provide me with their favorite tongue twisters in their language. Have fun, and don't hurt yourself ;)

Lauren Nemec’s Favorite English Tongue Twisters

If Peter Piper picked a peck of pickled peppers, how many pickled peppers did Peter Piper pick?

The sixth sick sheik's sixth sheep's sick.

She sells sea shells by the sea shore.
The shells she sells are surely seashells.
So if she sells shells on the seashore,

I'm sure she sells seashore shells.

How much wood would a woodchuck chuck
if a woodchuck could chuck wood?
He would chuck, he would, as much as he could,
and chuck as much wood as a woodchuck would
if a woodchuck could chuck wood.

Jean-René Savoie’s Favorite French Tongue Twisters

Les chemises de l'archiduchesse sont-elles sèches ou archisèches ?

Are the shirts of the archduchess dry or extra dry?

Ce chasseur sait chasser sans son chien dit le sage garde-chasse, chasseur sachez chasser sans chien!
This hunter knows how to hunt without his dog, says the wise hunting ward. The hunter knows how to hunt without dog!

Le blé s'moud-il ? L'habit s'coud-il ? Oui l'blé s'moud, l'habit s'coud.

Does the wheat mill itself? Does the coat sew itself? The wheat mills itself! The coat sews itself!

Si six scies scient six cyprès, six cent six scies scient six cent six cyprès.

If six hundred saws saw six hundred sausages,
six hundred six saws will saw six hundred six sausages.

Sonia Černohorská and Veronika Svobodová’s Favorite Czech Tongue Twisters

Vlk zmrzl, zhltl hrst zrn.

The wolf froze, he swallowed a handful of grains.

Strč prst skrz krk.

Stick your finger through your throat.

Třistatřiatřicet stříbrných křepelek přeletělo přes třistatřiatřicet stříbrných střech.

Three hundred and thirty three silver qu

ails flew over three hundred and thirty three silver roofs.

Pštros s pštrosicí a malými pštrosáčaty. Pštros s pštrosicí a pštrosáčatz šli do pštrosačárny.

A male ostrich with a female ostrich and baby ostriches went to the ostrich house.

Pan kaplan v kapli plakal.

The chaplain cried in the chapel.

Kmotře Petře, nepřepepřete mi toho vepře.
Godfather Peter, don't put too much pepper on my pork.

Marco Berg’s Favorite Dutch Tongue Twisters

Zeven Zaventemse zotten zullen zes zomerse zondagen zwemmen zonder zwembroek. Zware Julien zijn zuster zaliger zei: "Zo'n zeveraars! Ze zijn zijle zeker zot zeg! Ze zullen zinken!"

Seven fools from Zaventem will swim six Sundays in the summer without swimming trousers. The dead sister of fat Julien said: "Such fools! They are nuts! They'll sink!"

Drie dikke drilboren drillen door drie dikke deuren.

Three large drilling machines drill through three large doors.

Kapper Knap, de knappe kapper, knipt en kapt heel knap, maar de knecht van kapper Knap, de knappe kapper, knipt en kapt nog knapper dan kapper Knap, de knappe kapper.

Hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair smartly, but the mate of hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair more smartly than hairdresser Knap, the smart hairdresser, cuts and does hair.

Gooi geen groene groenten in de grote gracht.

Don't throw green vegetables in the big canal.

Alexander Larsson's Favorite Swedish Tongue Twisters

Sex laxar i en laxask.

Six salmons in a salmon box.

Sju sjösjuka sjömän sköttes av sju skönsjungande sjuksköterskor på det sjunkande skeppet Shanghai.

Seven sea sick sailors were taken care of by seven beautifully singing nurses on the ship Shanghai.

Flyg fula fluga, flyg, och den fula flugan flög.

Fly ugly fly, fly, and the ugly fly flew.

Knut knöt en knut bakom knuten, och när Knut hade knutit knuten så var knuten knuten.

Knut tied a knot behind the corner, and when Knut had tied the knot the knot was tied.

Want to see more tongue twisters in other languages? Check this out!

For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
www.translatus.com

Common Sense Advisory's "Global Watchtower" Posts about Irish

by Lauren Nemec

A week before I wrote the "Kiss Me, I'm Irish" post, the Common Sense Advisory posted a commentary about Irish in their Global Watchtower. This article offers a more in-depth profile on the Irish language, focusing on the challenges caused by increasing demand for Irish since becoming an official language of the EU.

You can read it here. Enjoy!


For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
www.translatus.com

Tabhair póg dom, táim Éireannach - Kiss me, I’m Irish!

by Lauren Nemec

Beannachtaí na Féile Pádraig oraibh! Saint Patrick’s Day blessing upon you! The recent Irish holiday, which fell on Saturday, March 17^th, has inspired me to write a profile on the Irish language. Also an inspiration for this entry is a recent business trip I made to Ireland. As Irish is a language that Translatus has not yet had the opportunity to work with, I am not too familiar with it and was excited to learn more about it!

A Cork cab driver was happy to answer my many questions about the language on our journey to the airport for my trip back to Prague, though first I had to convince him I am not Irish. He exclaimed, “You’re foxy-haired! When you came to the cab I thought you were Irish!” before jumping into a lively conversation about his native tongue. Also contributing to my Irish education is Folklorist and Curator of the Church of St. Anne Shandon- Declan Kelly (who requested my rendition of "Deep in the Heart of Texas" before allowing me to ring the Bells of Shandon).

Ringing the bells of Shandon at the Church of St. Anne Shandon in Cork.

Irish (also known as Irish Gaelic or sometimes just Gaelic) is the first official language of Ireland and one of the 23 official languages of the European Union, though only a small percentage of Irish citizens are native or fluent speakers. Out of a population of about 4 million people in the Republic of Ireland, there are only an estimated 380,000 fluent speakers of Irish.

My taxi driver explained that children in Ireland learn Irish throughout their education, and are often taught their basic courses, such as mathematics, science, literature, etc., entirely in Irish. Compulsory study of the Irish language ends once students reach university level. Recent discussions have called to abolish the requirement of Irish study in primary and secondary schools, though many Irish people oppose the idea.

For the most part, Irish is not spoken in cities and families do not speak Irish together in their homes, though Irish colloquial phrases are used frequently in every day life by speakers of all proficiency levels. The only places in Ireland where Irish is actively spoken would be in the “Gaeltacht” (literally "Irish-speaking regions"). These regions are few and far between, with a total population of about 85,000.

Despite the prevalence of the English language, Ireland’s second official language, Irish-speakers are able to watch television in Irish, listen to the radio in Irish, and read newspapers and magazines in Irish. Road signs in Ireland are written in both English and Irish. Signs in any Tesco can guide you to Cúram Gruaige (hair care products). And for those who actually read that kind of thing, legislation and other important documents of Ireland and the EU are translated into the Irish language.

Most signs I saw in Cork were written in English and Irish, like this sign at the airport.

As we neared the airport, the taxi driver expressed his great regret (a feeling which I believe many Irish share) that the language is disappearing. The Irish government has made efforts to preserve the Irish language, though most see them as half-hearted and ineffective attempts that work only until the funding runs out. What keeps the language alive today are those few speakers in the Gaeltacht areas. I certainly hope that the Irish will preserve their native tongue for generations to come. After all, it is such a beautiful language.

Slán agus beannacht leat!

Goodbye and blessings on you!

For more information about Translatus, please contact:
Lauren Nemec
Marketing Manager
Email: lnemec@translatus.com
Tel: +420 222 517 153
www.translatus.com

The Languages of the Former Yugoslavia

February 27, 2007

by Lauren Nemec, with contributions from Aleksandar Skripka

Though the Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia has ceased to exist, the ramifications of the tumultuous changes that occurred throughout the region in decades past continues even today. One aspect that continues to be a controversial and touchy subject in the region is the language. Today, many people find it difficult to understand the differences between Serbo-Croatian, Croatian, Serbian, Bosnian, Slovenian, Macedonian, Montenegrin, etc. As outsource language specialists, it’s not only Translatus’ job to understand the nuances of the language systems of the region, but to ensure our clients understand them as well. While the differences between the languages are usually not significant enough to prevent basic understanding between speakers, they can create the potential for significant challenges for a company targeting this region. Perhaps this article will provide better understanding of the language complexities in the former Yugoslavia.

Serbo-Croatian

For many years, “Serbo-Croatian” was the standard, official language used in the former Yugoslavia. However, some would say it was more of a “pseudo language” that was created by communists to smooth over nationalistic feelings in the region. The term “Serbo-Croatian” is not used today, as many native speakers would find it to be politically incorrect or offensive.

Serbia and Croatia

Serbian is understood in Serbia, Bosnia, and Croatia. Croatian is understood in Croatia, Bosnia and Serbia. Spoken Serbian and Croatian are virtually interchangeable, meaning Serbs and Croats understand each other. However, due to ethnic tensions between the two groups, and because a translation done in Serbian would be obvious to a Croat (and vice versa) a document destined for both regions should be done in both languages. The same can be said for Bosnian. Though it can be understood in Serbia and Croatia, a Bosnian translation should be used only for the Bosnian market.

Croats are wary of any foreign influence on Croatian. They tend to be protective and purist regarding their language. As a result, Croatian, unlike Serbian, tends not to use loan words or foreign words, but will instead create its own words. For example, the English word “computer” in Serbian would be "kompjuter” – a phonetic spelling of the English word. Instead of borrowing the foreign term, the Croatians have coined the term “računalo”.

Case Study

We experienced this issue first-hand when a client in the telecommunications industry had a document translated from English into Croatian. Our translator came back to us with a question regarding treatment of the English word "router". In his words, “Croatian terminology in [the telecommunications field] is still under development and far from being standardized.” The translator presented the client with a choice of three Croatian terms for the word "router”: router, ruter, and usmjernik, representing the foreign term, the phonetically adapted term, and the new Croatian word, respectively.

In some cases, as well as in this particular case, a client might choose the term listed in their pre-approved term base or glossary. If the client has no term base, or if the term is not yet included in their term base, Translatus would suggest the most appropriate term. In this case, the most appropriate term would have been "usmjernik", as it gives proper meaning while also representing the spirit of the Croatian language.

As this case study illustrates, languages in the Former Yugoslavia are constantly evolving, presenting us with new challenges in selecting the most appropriate terminology.

Bosnia and Herzegovina

The population of Bosnia and Herzegovina is made up of three ethnic groups- Muslim, Croatian, and Serbian. The Muslim group of Bosnia (known as Bosniaks) calls their language Bosnian. However, the Croatian and Serbian groups of Bosnia speak Croatian and Serbian, respectively. All three languages are Bosnia and Herzegovina’s official languages. So what is the best language for a document for this market? It depends exactly what is being translated, but unless a client has a very specific target market within Bosnia and Herzegovina, the best bet is Bosnian.

Montenegro

Montenegrins speak “Montenegrin”. In fact, this is not an official language, but rather a heavy dialect of Serbian. Whether or not "Montenegrin” will become an official language of Montenegro is currently a hot issue. As such, a document intended for the Montenegrin market would best be completed in the official language of Montenegro, which is Serbian. However, a company specifically targeting Montenegro can certainly have a translation done in "Montenegrin" if required. One cost-effective way to do this might be to have an existing Serbian translation proofread or edited by a Montenegrin translator.

Macedonia

The primary official language of the Republic of Macedonia is Macedonian. Macedonian is the most widely spoken language in the country, though many other languages are also spoken. Macedonian is sufficient for translation destined for this region. However, the rapidly increasing Albanian population in Macedonia could lead to an increasing need for Albanian-language documents in the future.

Slovenia

Translations for Slovenia should be done in the official language of Slovenian. Macedonians and Slovenians who were educated during the period of Socialist Federal Republic of Yugoslavia will be able to understand both Serbian and Croatian, but others educated after the mid-1980's will not. Therefore, Croatian and Serbian translations will not work for these countries.

Languages of the Former Yugoslavia- Quick Reference Table

Country	Language for Translation	Alphabet
Bosnia & Herzegovina	Bosnian	Latin
Croatia	Croatian	Latin
Macedonia	Macedonian	Cyrillic
Montenegro	Serbian/Montenegrin	Latin
Serbia	Serbian	Cyrillic or Latin
Slovenia	Slovenian	Latin

Do you have examples to share? Would you like to present your own insights about this topic? Please feel free to post a comment to this article. We welcome your feedback and your thoughts!

For more information about Translatus, please contact:

Lauren Nemec

Marketing Manager

Email: lnemec@translatus.com

Tel: +420 222 517 153

www.translatus.com