The Language Feed - February 20, 2005

[Harold F. Schiffman]

The Language Feed
February 20, 2005

This issue and archives can be read on the web at
http://mason.gmu.edu/~smorris2/feed
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Bill for teaching non-English speakers the language will top $200M
Arizona Daily Sun, February 19
Arizona lawmakers need to spend more than $200 million more than they do
now to properly fund programs to teach English to kids who come to
school without that as their primary language, a new study has concluded.
http://www.azdailysun.com/non_sec/nav_includes/story.cfm?storyID=103758

Deaf Alabama residents seek to make signing a foreign language
Tuscaloosa News, February 19
Kayleen Pugh had a distinct disadvantage compared to other students when
she was in high school and college, and it wasn't because she is deaf.
http://www.tuscaloosanews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050219/APN/502190683


Piscopo's quest for English language takes hit
Thomaston Express, February 18
A hearing for Rep. John Piscopo's, R-76, bill to make English the
official language of Connecticut has been denied by the Government
Administration and Elections Committee.
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?newsid=13970250&BRD=1644&PAG=461&dept_id=10660&rfi=6


US College Students Crowd Into Arabic Language Classes
Voice of America, February 17
Arabic has been part of the language departments at some U.S.
universities since the 1950s. But the number of students taking Arabic
classes was always relatively small -- until the terrorist attacks on
New York and Washington in 2001.
http://www.voanews.com/english/AmericanLife/2005-02-17-voa28.cfm


Chinese latest trend in language education
AZ Central, February 17
Move over French and Spanish. Chinese is emerging as a popular high
school course offering.
http://www.azcentral.com/families/articles/0217mandarin17-CR.html


Parents try to salvage 2-language instruction
Denver Post, February 16
Carrying bright- color placards with slogans such as "Save the
dual-language program," parents, students and language experts pleaded
with the Aurora Public Schools Board of Education on Tuesday evening not
to kill the district's only dual-language program.
http://www.denverpost.com/Stories/0,1413,36~53~2713772,00.html


Math skills evolved independent of language
New Scientist, February 19
Noam Chomsky’s theory that the evolution of language provided the portal
to all higher thought has taken another knock. A study of people with
language difficulties suggests that mathematical skill evolved
independently.
http://www.newscientist.com/channel/being-human/mg18524875.200


W3C to Break Web Language Barriers?
Internet News, February 15
As part of a continuing effort to break down language barriers on the
Internet, the World Wide Web Consortium (W3C) has published a standard
for how applications can exchange and process characters from languages
all over the world.
http://www.internetnews.com/dev-news/article.php/3483386


Computers keep ancient Native language alive
KTUU, February 14
A last-ditch effort is underway to save one of Alaska’s most-ancient
dialects. That dialect is “Ahtna-Athabascan” and its roots go back to a
people who lived here even before the Eskimos.
http://www.ktuu.com/CMS/templates/master.asp?articleid=11669&zoneid=4


Rural ways lost, word by word
Seattle Times, February 20
Years ago, before the watermen had to become bus drivers and the crab
shanties were replaced by new red-brick houses, everybody on St. George
Island knew about the arster, the kitchen and the sun dog.
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2002185296_dialect20.html


Y'all's sprawl
Houston Chronicle, February 19
In a June appearance on NBC's Today Show, singer Marc Anthony made an
unusual but, according to some linguists, not-so-surprising word choice.
http://www.chron.com/cs/CDA/ssistory.mpl/headline/features/3045366

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