The Linguist

British Sign Language speakers can now make 999 calls in the language. Deaf people can use the 999 BSL app or website at any time of day or night to connect with an emergency services operator via an interpreter. "This is a breakthrough for deaf people that will save lives," said Abigail Gorman of SignHealth. 6 The Linguist Vol/61 No/4 2022 thelinguist.uberflip.com NEWS & EDITORIAL In the media PHILIP HARDING-ESCH There were some interesting news items about languages around the world this summer. The New York Times published a winning essay from its Student Editorial Contest by Zoe Yu, aged 17, entitled 'Endangered Languages are Worth Saving'. And The Guardian ran a profile of the Senegalese singer Benoît Fader Keita who sings in Mënik, a language spoken by only a few thousand people. "If I don't sing about these stories, they will disappear," he said. Meanwhile Politico reported that EU interpreters had gone on strike, quoting an interpreter who compared current working conditions at the parliament to "driving at night under the rain", with an increased risk of health complications and fatigue. Back in the UK, the latest British Council Language Trends survey of language provision in English schools made headlines for showing that languages are the only Ebacc subject on track to miss the government's uptake and attainment targets. In addition, one in four primary schools fails to teach languages weekly thanks to issues such as teacher time being split between year groups. The TES described these issues as "significant challenges the pandemic has created". The paper also reported on further difficulties for schools, as a Cambridge University study showed that student engagement in languages is swayed more by their parents' influence than their teachers. The press in Northern Ireland ran a profile of Rym Akhonzada, who moved to Northern Ireland from Tunisia 20 years ago and is an Arabic teacher, researcher and founder of a language school in Lisburn. But the Daily Mail put paid to any dreams of a more multilingual Britain as it reported that the Information Commissioner's Office – the body responsible for freedom of information and data protection legislation – is recommending that one should "avoid foreign words" (such as 'ergo') as it could "confuse the general public". Sacré bleu! Philip Harding-Esch is a freelance languages project manager and consultant. Ryanair has abandoned its Afrikaans language test for South Africans flying to the UK following fierce criticism. The budget airline initially stood by the policy, dubbed 'apartheid 2.0', which saw passengers who couldn't pass the test removed from flights. South Africa has 11 official languages and only 13% of the population speaks Afrikaans as a first language – mainly its white and mixed race citizens. Ryanair had defended the decision, arguing that the test was to prevent "fraudulent South African passports being used to enter the UK". But the choice of Afrikaans, which is associated with the apartheid regime, caused outrage. Zulu and isiXhosa are more widely spoken as a mother tongue in South Africa. Retracting the policy, Ryanair CEO Michael O'Leary admitted that it didn't "make any sense". Strike action for EU interpreters 999 offers BSL The Intellectual Property Office (IPO) has been slammed for trademarking the Welsh word for 'love'. Cariad has been registered by a candle maker, meaning the word can no longer be used by other candle sellers. The English word 'love' has been rejected by the IPO in similar circumstances and specialists said Welsh words should be treated in the same way. Love TM in Welsh Afrikaans test: Ryanair U-turn Interpreters working for the European Parliament went on strike in June to protest working conditions that are affecting their health. They are refusing to interpret for MEPs who attend remotely after experiencing poor sound quality, bad connections and multiple technical issues, with politicians dialling in from busy public spaces, cars and restaurants. According to AIIC (the International Association of Conference Interpreters), staff "have repeatedly alerted the EU institutions about the health issues". These include tinnitus, insomnia, nausea and fatigue. In 2021, more than 40% of staff interpreters reported ear health problems. AIIC stressed that the strike action is about risky working conditions, with interpreters continuing to provide services for MEPs attending sessions in person. In response, parliament said it was doing a "thorough risk analysis" and enforcing a code of conduct for remote attendance. However, tensions increased when agency workers were hired to fill the gaps, and at the time of going to press the dispute had not been resolved. The latest from the languages world © SHUTTERSTOCK

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