language posts

Father Spoke Only Klingon to His Infant Son

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Nov 19th 2009 at 10:03AM

We're pretty sure that what Minnesota man d'Armond Speers did to his child could easily be defined as cruel and unusual punishment. For the first three years of his son's life, Speers spoke only a foreign language to him as part of a personal experiment in linguistics -- that's the cruel part. The unusual part is that he didn't even speak a real (nonetheless useful) language to him -- he spoke Klingon.

That's right, Speers decided to put his computational linguistics Ph.D. to use by trying to ensure his son would never be able to communicate with anyone outside of the nerdiest members of a Star Trek convention. Worst of all, Speers claims he isn't even a huge 'Star Trek' fan, according to City Pages, a Minneapolis/St. Paul news blog. So was he was doing this just for fun? Apparently so, since Speers grew bored of his experiment after three years when he decided that his son was, "definitely starting to learn it." Now a teenager, his son doesn't speak a word of Klingon, and is able to converse fluently in English, something we're very happy to hear.

Tags: geek, klingon, language, linguistics, movies, star trek, StarTrek, top, weird

Cell Phones

300K Bangladeshis Sign Up for English Classes via Cell

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Nov 18th 2009 at 5:45PM

The BBC World Service Trust, the charity arm of the international broadcast company, is preparing to launch a service in Bangladesh that will offer lessons in English via cell phone. Called Janala, the service, slated to go live Thursday, started accepting subscriptions this weekend, and the BBC was surprised by the rush of customers. Sara Chamberlain, the manager of the service, told the Financial Times, "25,000 people would have been a good response on the first day." To her delight, or possibly terror, Janala has instead seen over 300,000 sign-ups to date. The sheer volume could bring the service to its knees before it's even had a chance to launch.

Learning English is considered a key to economic mobility both within Bangladesh and to Bangladeshis seeking work abroad. According to the Financial Times, 70-percent of employers in Bangladesh are looking for workers with "communicative English" skills.

Tags: bbc, cellphone, education, english, language, top

Web, Social Networking

'Unfriend' Named Word of the Year

by Amar Toor (RSS feed) — Nov 17th 2009 at 11:05AM

After a year that saw so much action and chaos on the political, economic, and pop cultural fronts, the New Oxford American Dictionary has decided that 2009's vaunted Word of the Year should be firmly planted in the new social media lexicon. The envelope, please...

That's right, ladies and gentlemen, "unfriend" is your 2009 Word of the Year (cue applause). The Oxford Dictionary defines this year's winner thusly:

unfriend – verb – To remove someone as a "friend" on a social networking site such as Facebook.

Tags: facebook, language, New Oxford American Dictionary, NewOxfordAmericanDictionary, socialnetworking, top, word of the year, WordOfTheYear

Cell Phones, iPhone

New iPhone Apps Translate Text in Photos -- and Live Speech

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 31st 2009 at 12:29PM

If you aren't well-versed in a native language, traveling to another country can be intimidating. But two new iPhone applications seek to remedy that anxiety by translating foreign languages on the fly. More interesting, the apps use two different methods -- audio or images.

PicTranslator, which supports more than 10 languages, can translate text that appears in a picture you've taken with the iPhone's camera. If you're at a fancy French restaurant and don't want to seem uninformed about the cuisine, just snap a pic of the menu, crop the image so it only includes the words you want, and the app gives you a translation (video after the break). According to Lifehacker, the app, which costs $1 for each language you want included, even includes audio that helps with pronunciation.

Tags: apple, application, audio, images, iphone, language, top, translation, travel

Web

Web Addresses to Include Chinese and Arabic Characters

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Oct 26th 2009 at 2:00PM

Despite what some might say, it's not often that an opportunity comes along to change the lives of billions of people. But that's just what the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) will do by changing the rules of Web addresses, shaking up the Internet like never before.

According to the Daily Mail, the ICANN board will pass a resolution this Friday that will allow entire Web addresses to be written in non-Latin alphabets. Those languages could be anything from Japanese to Arabic, or Hindi to Greek. The change means that many people around the world could more easily navigate the Web, and even create Web sites in their native tongue. Of the 1.6 billion people who use the Internet, about half are native speakers of languages that do not use the Latin alphabet. "This is the biggest change technically to the Internet since it was invented 40 years ago," said ICANN chairman Peter Dengate Thrush at a press conference in Seoul, South Korea yesterday. If approved, the first non-Roman domain names should hit the Web sometime in mid-2010.

Tags: breakingnews, changes, domainnames, ICANN, internet, language, script, top, web

Web

How the French Language Struggles in the Technology Age

by Leila Brillson (RSS feed) — Oct 14th 2009 at 10:31AM

Take this from someone who went to college in a French-speaking country: no one takes la langue more seriously than the francophone. Heritage, cultural pride, and a sense of protection keep the government involved in the purity of francais, so much so that other languages have suffered in many francophone countries, most particularly France, itself. (Just ask the English-speaking Montrealers who were around in the 70's). In fact, linguistic delegation started in 1593, and 'La délégation générale à la langue française et aux langues de France,' or the committee that delegates the languages of France, ensures that signs, contracts, and advertisements all feature French prominently.

Yet, with the rise of the Internet and rapidly developing buzzwords, the French are getting un petit perdu. The Wall Street Journal chronicles the long 18 months it took for a 17-member French assembly to suggest an adequate signifier for "cloud computing." Their nominee (informatique en nuage) apparently feels too confusing in French, and has been sent back for a review. Other terms that have been attacked by the specially designed Commission of Terminology and Neology are "emoticon" (frimousse, or literally 'show off), "Trojan horse" (cheval de Troie, or 'horse of Troy') and "World Wide Web" (toile d'araignée mondiale, or 'global spider web'), all terms that Louis VIII certainly never had to tackle.

Tags: cloud computing, CloudComputing, france, french, government, language, linguistics, top

Cell Phones

'Moby Dick' to Be Translated Using Japanese Emoticons

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Sep 24th 2009 at 7:00AM

For those of you who thought Herman Melville's 'Moby Dick' was too archaic, or just too hallowed, why not give a new translation a chance? According to the Telegraph, the epic novel about a man's quest for a white whale will be translated into Emoji -- a language based on the emoticons many Japanese use when sending messages via mobile devices.

In order to accomplish this massive (and ridiculous) task, New Yorker Fred Benenson, the man with the plan, is asking the online community to donate $3,500, which will pay folks to translate the classic. If the money is raised, three for-hire editors will come up with their Emoji-fied versions of the epic novel's 6,438 sentences. Then, another group of pre-selected workers will choose the best sentences, eventually making up the final draft. And, bam, you have 'Emoji Dick'.

Tags: bizarre, book, emoticons, japan, language, mobydick, reading, texting, top, translation, weird

Web

Has Google Made Dictionaries Obsolete?

by Caleb Johnson (RSS feed) — Sep 9th 2009 at 6:30AM

Try hard to remember the last time you picked up a dictionary. (You know, that big, old dusty book with gold-leaf on the cover.) For those who've grown up in the 'Age of Google,' it might be hard to recall. Because, with a few keystrokes and a click of a button, a search engine can retrieve the definition of any word, not only in the English language, but many others, too.

According to The Wall Street Journal, dictionaries, which are essentially massive databases, have been eclipsed by Google's ability to provide a quick definition, spelling, and examples of word usage in nanoseconds. Often, the definition appears just by reading the two-sentence summaries on the search results page, no visit to an online dictionary necessary. However, the Journal isn't calling for the burning of all print dictionaries -- they're still useful if you're looking for obscure usages and etymologies.

The real beef here is with dictionaries, period. Unclear or outdated definitions, and a dearth of example sentences plague both print and online versions. For some reason, despite the freedom the Web offers, lexicographers haven't figured out how to make online dictionaries dynamic and up-to-date databases. Until someone figures out how to use them, we'll just have to consult the 'Google-nary' for our language needs. [From: The Wall Street Journal]

Tags: dictionary, google, language, search, web

Web

'Web 2.0' Becomes Millionth English Word

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jun 11th 2009 at 6:45PM

According to at least one estimation, the English language has collected its one millionth word. The Global Language Monitor, whose authority on the issue is on the questionable side, got us geared up for the Million Word March in May. At that time the Language Monitor was expecting the millionth word to be "noob" or "defriend," but both were beaten to the punch by "Web 2.0."

The Global Language Monitor tracks the usage of words and phrases across billions of Web sites. When a word or phrase has been used over 25,000 times, the Language Monitor considers it to be a part of our language. "Web 2.0" apparently crossed that threshold at 5:22 a.m. EST on Wednesday, June 10th.

Language experts like Jesse Sheidlower, editor at large of the Oxford English Dictionary, and Sarah Thomason, president of the Linguistic Society of America and a professor of linguistics at the University of Michigan, were critical of the Language Monitor's count and its methodology. The Oxford English Dictionary has roughly 600,000 entries, but Sheidlower told CNN that it is impossible to count the number of English words, "and to pretend that you can is totally disingenuous." Part of the issue is how to break down "words." Sheidlower gave the example of "great-great-great-great grandfather." Technically, it could be considered its own word, but it would never find its way into a dictionary.

More than anything, we're just confused as to how a several-year-old buzz word like "Web 2.0" has only now crossed the 25,000-use threshold. We're pretty sure it's appeared on Switched almost that many times. [From: CNN and The Global Language Monitor, via John Battelle's Search Blog]

Tags: english, global language monitor, GlobalLanguageMonitor, language, linguistics, web 2.0, Web2.0, word, words

TV Hinders Kids' Language Development, Study Says

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Jun 2nd 2009 at 5:20PM

There might have been more than a kernel of truth to your grandparents' old warnings: "That TV is going to rot your brain."

According to LiveScience, new research lead by Dimitri Christakis, a professor of pediatrics at the University of Washington School of Medicine, suggests that television can in fact hinder the linguistic development of young children. Having selected 329 children between the ages of two months and four years, Christakis and his team gave each kid an audio recording device, which were worn by the children on random days over the course of two years.

According to the team's analyses of the recordings, a child -- on average -- heard 770 fewer spoken words from a parent or guardian for each hour she was exposed to television. Since the minds of young children absorb language like sponges, and depend upon actual interaction in order to do so, those effects could be grave.

Tags: child development, ChildDevelopment, kids, kids tv, KidsTv, language, parenting, study, top, tv

Video Games, Google, Web, Social Networking

Could 'Noob' or 'Defriend' Be the One-Millionth English Word?

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — May 13th 2009 at 1:47PM

The English language is about to pass a historic milestone, at least according to the Global Language Monitor, a group that monitors language. The one millionth English word is nearly upon us. What this will be isn't known yet, but in the running are a number of words straight from the Internet, including "defriend" and "noob."

The standard used by the Global Language monitor requires that the word show up in the media and on social networking sites 25,000 times before it is considered a part of the language, but that doesn't necessarily mean it'll be showing up in your copy of the Unabridged Webster's Dictionary anytime soon.

Tags: defriend, dictionary, english, language, noob, techterms, terms, top, trends, words

Cell Phones

Text Messaging Key to Saving Endangered Languages

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jan 2nd 2009 at 10:12AM

There are 6,912 identified languages spoken around the world. Some languages, only spoken by tiny pockets of populations, are in danger of disappearing thanks to an increasingly global society that is focused on modern western languages like English and Spanish.

One way advocates believe these languages, an important part of local history and culture, can stave off extinction is with text messaging software. It may seem odd, but what language can truly stay relevant in the modern world if it can't be used for text messages?

Companies, like Nuance Corp., are working on developing predictive text software for cell phones, similar to the T9 package that is standard fare on all U.S. handsets, for smaller market languages. There are unique challenges to overcome, however. Languages like Hindi, which has 45 characters, and Gaelic, which uses various accent marks, are difficult to type on a 12 key number pad which is why texting is often done in English, even in countries where English isn't the official language.

Linguists believe making local languages reasonable to use for text messaging is key to preventing them from disappearing from the face of the Earth. After all who actually communicates via voice calls anymore? [From: Wall Street Journal]

Tags: language, linguistics, predictive text, PredictiveText, sms, t9, text messaging, texting, TextMessaging

Cell Phones

Abbreviating Text Messages Takes up Time, Study Shows

by Lee Bains (RSS feed) — Dec 9th 2008 at 7:01AM

A recent study at the University of Tasmania suggests that, while using abbreviations in text messages might save a sender some time, trying to interpret those abbreviations wastes the time of the receiver, News.com.au reports.

Doctor Nenagh Kemp, a professor of psychology and leader of the two-month-long study, told the News, "Though it was quicker to write a message with abbreviations than conventional English, it took twice as long to read and many students made interpretation errors."

This assessment should be of no surprise to anybody who's exchanged text or instant messages with abbreviation-happy friends or co-workers, and has maybe even seen a misunderstanding become ugliness only from a simple lack of clear communication.

Tags: language, lolspeak, psychology, research, study, texting

Computers

Scientists Inch Closer to Mind Reading

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jun 1st 2008 at 11:45AM

Scientists are getting closer and closer to reading your thoughts. Of course, the method uses expensive MRIs, which the subject must be completely still for, and can easily fool by thinking about something other than the target objects.

This is, however, a major advancement for researchers who are able to identify nouns a person is thinking about, even if the model for reading the patterns has never encountered the word before. The scan works by seeing what verbs are associated with the noun by sensing activity in the areas of the brain associated with different senses.

By developing a complex catalog of over a trillion nouns cross referenced with a hand full of simple verbs the computer models were able to predict what the brain scans would like for a given word. A person would then be shown two words and asked to think about one. The computer would take an image of the persons brain scan and compare it with its predictions to generate a guess as to which word the subject was thinking about. The model guessed correctly 77-percent of the time.

The method is far from perfect, but it is the first time that a clear link between the words we use and our neural activity has been shown. [Source: The Guardian]

Tags: language, mind reading, MindReading, research, science

Audio/Video, Computers

'Phraselator' Helps LAPD Break Language Barrier

by Terrence O'Brien (RSS feed) — Jan 16th 2008 at 3:10PM

The Phraselator. The name sounds like a joke, something out of a cheesy Sci-Fi movie from the 50's. But despite its kitschy sounding name, the Phraselator has found a home amongst military and law enforcement personnel.

The Phraselator is a rugged over-sized PDA with a speaker and a hefty amount of storage for audio. Multi-lingual officers translate and record standard issue police commands, the Miranda rights, and questions in roughly 224 different languages. The device has been found particularly useful in Los Angeles which has a very large immigrant population.

The Phraselator was originally developed with backing from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) for use in Afghanistan and Iraq by American soldiers for communicating with locals. The $2,500 device is not a two-way translation system, and is certainly not a perfect communications solution, but having useful phrases pre-translated in a voice searchable device has proven immensely useful. Las Vegas Police are preparing to roll out four of the devices, Florida is using it in correctional facilities, and the Los Angeles Police Department is considering purchasing more.

From Los Angeles Times

Related links:

Tags: army, language, phraselator, police, translate

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'Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

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Black Friday' Deals to Watch For

Traditionalists might balk, but the holiday shopping season is already underway. Skeptical? Head to your local department store and you'll be inundated by Christmas trees and ornaments. Bargain hunters, though, know that the real deals are more than a month away.

Black Friday, traditionally, is when retailers truly slash prices. Early birds can save hundreds, if not thousands, of dollars off of their holiday bills. Switched.com checked with a few elves, who gave a sneak peek at what you can expect deal-wise this year.

Blu-ray Players and Movies: Blu-ray is shaping up to be the biggest door buster of this year's Black Friday. de Grandpre expects at least one retailer will offer a Blu-ray player for just $49. Look for bargains on Blu-ray films as well, with last year's hit titles (such as "Iron Man") to fall as low as $5.

Laptops: With the proliferation of Netbooks this year, it's never been easier to find affordable portable computing, but Dan de Grandpre, CEO of DealNews.com says it will get even cheaper on Black Friday. Look for well-equipped Netbooks to sell for $199 – and basic 15" laptops to go for as little as $249.

HDTVs (Pretty big): The holidays are typically the best time to buy a new TV – and Black Friday is the time to do it. If you're looking for a normal sized set, you're in luck. Piper Jaffrey analyst Mitch Kaiser says he expects to see 32-inch LCD sets for as low as $299. GottaDeal.com is estimating 37-inch plasma and LCD sets will fall to $399 or less.

HDTVs (Really big): Need something bigger? How about a 46-47 inch LCD set for $599 – a 25 percent savings? Or a 52-inch LCD for $999? Dealnews says you can expect both. Plasma deals will be a little harder to come by, but a 50-inch set should run roughly $899.

HD Camcorders: You've wanted to shoot your child's school play in HD for a while, but haven't been able to spring for the pricey camcorder. This might be the year. Low-end, flash-based 720p models could drop as low as $60 (though you won't be able to zoom with those). Expect a high quality 1080p HD camcorder for $349.

GPS: While navigation systems have dramatically expanded their reach this year – even making it onto the iPhone – there's still a market for car-based systems. Dealnews predicts you'll be able to find a no-name entry-level system for $49, while a Garmin or Tom-Tom brand will be as low as $69.

Digital Picture Frames: Showcasing your digital pictures consistently gets cheaper. This year, skip the 7-inch screens and focus on the 8- or 9-inch ones, which should be available on Black Friday for as little as $30.

Monitors: Computer monitors might not be the sexiest of gifts, but they're usually welcomed with open arms – and they'll be cheap this year. Name brand 22-inch LCD models may go for as low as $99, while 24-inch models will drop below $150.

Memory: Don't know anyone who needs a monitor? External hard drives are always popular, since they're an easy way to back-up data. Dealnews expects a 1TB drive to fall as low as $49 this year. Gottadeal is looking for 8GB flash drives to hit $15.

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