On International Mother Language Day 2018, celebrated on 21 February every year, UNESCO reiterates its commitment to linguistic diversity and invites its Member States to celebrate the day in as many languages as possible as a reminder that linguistic diversity and multilingualism are essential for sustainable development. This year UNESCO also commemorates the 70th anniversary…
A new bill has been submitted in New Zealand to make English the official language. New Zealand First submitted the bill. The nationalist, populist political party recently formed a coalition with the Labor Party, which currently holds the Prime Minister seat with Jacinda Arden. The proposed bill, titled English an Official Language of New Zealand…
February 2018 is Lead with Languages Advocacy Month. Throughout this month, we will be celebrating the successes of language advocates from around the country, and we encourage you to share how you are encouraging language learning using #LangMag and #LeadWithLanguages At Language Magazine, we believe that every child deserves the opportunities offered by speaking multiple…
The Texas Computer Education Association (TCEA) Convention and Exposition is in its second day in Austin, with activities running until February 9. TCEA (Texas Computer Education Association) is a global, nonprofit, member-based organization supporting the use of technology in education. Founded in 1980, TCEA has been playing a vital role in increasing technology funding and…
Friday February 8 is the last chance to apply for the study abroad Boren Scholarships. These scholarships promote long term linguistic and cultural immersion, and therefore study abroad proposals for two or more semesters are strongly encouraged. Preference will be given to undergraduate applicants proposing a at least 6 months overseas. Where Can You Go…
Languages Canada, the country’s national language-education association, has launched a dynamic new web tool for students, parents, agents, foreign governments, and Canadian trade commissioners, which allows users to conduct a personalized search for the accredited language programs that best meet their needs by filtering their criteria.The move comes at a time when many international students…
An Arabic calligraphy exhibition hosted by Qatar Foundation in September 2014.Spanish, Mandarin Chinese, French, Arabic, and German are the languages the UK will need most following Brexit, according to a report released by the British Council last year. Languages for the Future identified these as the top five languages for the UK’s prosperity once the…
Al Jazeera has launched a Mandarin-language news website targeting a Chinese population of 1.4 billion people. The project, which is the first of its kind from an Arabic news provider, is part of Al Jazeera’s strategy to engage with Chinese audiences and builds on the success of its content on the popular Chinese social media platforms Weibo,…
It has been widely thought that humans learn language using brain components that are specifically dedicated to this purpose. However, new evidence strongly suggests that language is in fact learned in brain systems that are also used for many other purposes, which pre-existed humans and even exist in many animals, say researchers in PNAS (Early…
Stephen Krashen finds an easy way to help close the achievement gap in literacy and clean up clutter at the same time There is overwhelming evidence that those who live in poverty have little access to books at home, in schools, and in public and school libraries, and that the lack of access to books…