The World As We Speak Archive

Mandarin Noted as Second Most Spoken Language in Hong Kong
New census reports Mandarin overtakes English in Hong Kong

Shanghainese Fights to Survive in China
Dialects suffer as Chinese government demands Mandarin Chinese as official language

Ce n’est pas une mademoiselle
France does away with Mademoiselle as a title

International Mother Language Day

Preserving Languages with Technology
Social media and other advances have helped save indigenous languages

Latvians Reject Proposal for Russian as Official Language
Poll shows that 75 percent of Latvians refuse proposition

Duncan Addresses Latino Community in Twitter Town Hall Talks language, DREAM act, pre-K and student loans

UPDATE: Menominee Girl Punished for Speaking Native Language at School
School launches cultural awareness program in response.

AZ Takes Activist off Ballot for Lacking English
AZ rules that English proficiency is necessary to run for public office

Voting English as Official Language of the U.S.
GOP pushes bill to make English necessary for official government functions

Language Line Services Announces Foreign Language Center of Excellence
Foreign Language Center to assist limited English proficiency populations

Digital Learning Day Launches
Digital Learning Day features virtual Town Hall

On Digital Learning Day, What is Digital Learning’s Proper Place?
A complement to a course or its replacement?

Gingrich and Romney Bash Bilingualism
Call for English-only education and English as official language

Gingrich Rails Romney for Speaking French
Assuming a francophobic audience, Gingrich’s campaign criticizes Romney for his language skills.

Language Immersion Returns to Two Oregon Schools
School district in Oregon votes to return to dual immersion program despite budget cuts

Survey Says Decline in Standard Chinese Usage
Web survey finds frequent computer and online usage as culprits of irregular Chinese usage

Draft Legislation to Reform NCLB
Changes could give more autonomy to states and school districts.

Inuit Language App Developed for Children
Canadian man inspired to develop language app to help kids with traditional language skills.

Global Language Conference in Vadodara, India
900 languages to be represented with release of publication of linguistic survey.

Interpreters Play Greater Role in Local Courts
Increased Need for Translators in Local Court Disputes.

A Vote for Language Learning in Connecticut’s Elementary Schools
Board of Education in Darien, Connecticut passes proposal by 6-1 vote.

Scotland Minister to Meet with Diplomats to Discuss Language Issue
A followup to an article published in the January issue regarding the drop in native language assistants in Scotland.

Vietnamese Find Difficulties in Preserving Language
Vietnamese government and individuals work to promote Vietnamese language study.

New French Citizenship Requirements Stress French Language Acquisition
Applicants for citizenship must prove their proficiency.

Barriers Abound for Swedish language Learners
A recent inspection shows Swedish municipalities can do more.

Global Language Monitor Releases Top Words of 2012
Media analytics company reports on predictions for Top Words of 2012 and word trends of 2011.

Language Capabilities Lead to Better Jobs
See how immigrants in Washington state move up through language.

Abu Dhabi Education Council Focuses on Improving Arabic Skills
Assessment project launched to increase Arabic skills and promote national identity

HispanTV, Iran’s Spanish-language TV channel, Goes On Air
HispanTV is the first Spanish-language channel out of the Middle East.

University of Hawaii Professor States “Korean is Scientifically Superior”
Professor Deems Korean Language is most superior language.

Beijing Scraps Plans for English-Language Town
Local government decides not approve plans for an English-speaking town within Beijing.

Esperanto Celebration
Speakers of the international language celebrate Esperanto’s founder’s birthday

Indigenous Tribe in Brazil Rescues Language from Extinction
The Umutina promote language and culture in school

Shanghai Dialect Promoted on Public Transit
City government makes dialect an official language

Spanish Worth 16% of Spain’s GDP
New report puts value on Spanish language

French taught to form in Canada

Russian Ebbs and Flows in Latvia

New Confucius Institute for Old School