The Linguist

@Linguist_CIOL Quebec Accused of Launching 'Culture War' on English with Strict French Language Law, 28/12/21 [Bill 96] seeks to unilaterally change the Canadian Constitution to affirm Quebec as a nation and French its official language… Among the most controversial proposals are the extra powers handed to government language inspectors to raid offices and access the computers and phones of any businesses – including media organisations – suspected of violating the new law. The draconian measures have inflamed the rhetoric around the debate, with prominent Canadian lawyer Anne-France Goldwater comparing the new snooping powers to the 'Gestapo'. What the papers say… People Flocked to Language Apps During the Pandemic – but how much can they actually teach you? 31/12/21 The process of picking up a new language can feel mysterious because there are several elements going on at the same time. These can be divided into the linguistic and the social… An app has none of that social peril – it's safe, and therefore slightly empty… Just as social media apps provide a vehicle for connection, but not connection itself, the magic of language learning happens in the world, not on the screen. The latest from the languages world EBacc fails to deliver A report showing that just 38.7% of GCSE students were entered for the EBacc (English Baccalaureate) in 2021 has highlighted the measure's failure to stem the decline in school languages. To qualify for the EBacc, pupils must take the compulsory subjects English language and literature, double science and maths, as well as a humanities and a language. Among those falling short of these requirements, only 12.4% did so because they lacked a humanities, with 87.3% missing out because they did not take a language. When the EBacc was introduced in 2011 it was hoped that it would reverse the downward trend in languages. Instead, the number of students missing the language NEWS & EDITORIAL FEBRUARY/MARCH The Linguist 5 The Welsh authority's approach to promoting Welsh has been adopted as a "model for language revitalisation" by a New Zealand university. Discussing the strategic partnership of the universities of Waikato and Cardiff, Wales's Education Minister Jeremy Miles said an interest in "the promotion and study of our native languages" was among the many "areas of synergy" shared by the two nations. The number of people studying British Sign Language (BSL) has soared thanks to the TV dance contest Strictly Come Dancing. Google searches for BSL courses shot up during each episode, with one provider reporting that enrolments had risen by 2,000% as the first deaf competitor, Rose Ayling-Ellis, won. The EastEnders actor supports MP Rosie Cooper's bill to make BSL an official UK language. Welsh model for Māori revival BSL buoyed by 'Strictly' win component is increasing, up from 86% in 2019. It is now clear that the Department for Education's target of 75% of pupils studying a language GCSE by 2022 will not be met, while drastic changes would be required to hit the target of 90% taking a language GCSE by 2025. A shortage of language teachers and perceived harsh marking were among the reasons identified for the fall in entries. The situation is of even greater concern in Wales, where fewer than 100 pupils will take French and German GCSEs by 2030 if the current rate of decline continues, according to 'Language Trends Wales'. Published in December, the report noted that take-up has dropped by nearly 50% in the last six years. In Africa, Rescuing the Languages that Western Tech Ignores, 23/12/21 Improving the systems requires not just more data but careful human review from native speakers who are underrepresented in the global tech workforce… "We are getting to the point where if a machine doesn't understand your language it will be like it never existed," said Vukosi Marivate, chief of data science at the University of Pretoria. © SHUTTERSTOCK

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