Current Events

Traditionally, baby talk has been thought to hinder proper speech development in children. However, a new study suggests that baby talk may actually aid in infants’ language acquisition by strengthening the linguistic bond between parent and child.

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Efforts to preserve the Plains Indian Sign Language system of “hand talk” reveal that it’s not only spoken native languages that are in danger. What was once used as a lingua franca among Plains Indian tribes is now used less than ever.

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It seems that even untrained lip-readers can pick up on your southern accent. New research suggests that language imitation is possible even if we never actually hear the voice of the person whose speech we are imitating.

» Read More of Language Imitation Goes Beyond the Spoken Word

The recent media frenzy surrounding Sarah Palin’s coinage of the non-word “refudiate” has put the topic of word invention in the news. A look at how words go from the streets to the dictionary shows that word invention is ultimately a popularity contest.

» Read More of Can’t Refudiate that Word Invention Is a Popularity Contest

Court or legal interpreting gone wrong not only reflects poorly on interpreters, it can undermine the entire legal system. When proper interpretation means the difference between freedom and incarceration (or worse!), it’s vital that court interpreters are equal to the task.

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The endangered Shoshone language has only around 3,000 speakers in the world. To change this, the language is benefiting from a University of Utah project to revitalize American Indian languages in hopes of saving them from extinction.

» Read More of New Program Gives Shoshone Language a Lift

The number of Cayuga language speakers in Canada is dwindling. In response, the Canadian government has announced a series of new projects, one of which is aimed at preserving not only the Cayuga language, but also Cayuga culture.

» Read More of Canadian Government Acts to Save Cayuga Language

The suggested establishment of an Academy of English to help regulate and maintain the purity of the English language raises many difficult questions. First and foremost – is such an institution even necessary?

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The Native American Potawatomi language is in serious jeopardy. But by creating dictionaries, storybooks, and audio guides, one woman – the last known fluent Potawatomi speaker – is making an effort to ensure it isn’t lost to future generations.

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The latest developments in EU patent translation reform suggest that the long-awaited establishment of a single EU patent is within reach, promising to save inventors and companies thousands of dollars in EU patent expenses.

» Read More of European Patent Translation Reform: Latest Updates