The Language Feed - September 19, 2005

[Harold F. Schiffman]

The Language Feed
September 19, 2005

This issue and archives can be read on the web at
http://mason.gmu.edu/~smorris2/feed
------------------------------------------------------------------------

Living language
Press Enterprise, September 19
(email: langfeed at yahoo.com; password: language)
It's easy to lump Latinos into one category, but immigrants from 20
Spanish-speaking countries often find that the vernacular that is
supposed to bind them often sets them apart from one another.
"Politically, culturally and verbally, it's important to understand the
differences among Latinos," said Ilan Stavans, a Latino-culture
professor at Amherst College who specializes in Spanish and was raised
in Mexico. "Understanding us isn't going to happen by putting us in the
same category."
http://www.pe.com/localnews/inland/stories/PE_News_Local_D_latino19.8b70b42.html


Judeo-Spanish language revived
European Jewish Press, September 19
Until recently Ladino or Judeo-Spanish was a dying language, with few
people speaking it since the end of WWII. But the language of the
Sephardim, Jews of Spanish descent, is now receiving a revival in a time
that many saw as its last struggles.
http://www.ejpress.org/article/2998

Language barrier: Two area schools choose different approaches to teach
English to non-English speaking students
Mail Tribune, September 18
State and federal regulations require that every school offer extra help
for students who are learning English as a second language. However, the
rules let districts develop their own programs to suit their budgets,
student needs and community interests, the U.S. Department of
Education’s National Clearinghouse for English Language Acquisition
reports. In Jackson County, two school districts — Phoenix-Talent and
Medford — have chosen different approaches.
http://www.mailtribune.com/archive/2005/0918/life/stories/01life.htm

Japanese sign language opens new world of communication, friendship
Japan Today, September 18
I learned JSL on a train with much more enthusiasm than I ever did
studying Japanese in college. This is because my teacher was a
remarkable 9-year-old deaf boy named Jun.
http://www.japantoday.com/e/?content=feature&id=992


Body language for women's wobbly bits
Sunderland Today, September 16
More than 90 per cent of women in the UK don't like the way their body
looks, according to a new survey. And to help them feel better about
their physical imperfections, they've developed phrases to describe
certain wobbly bits.
But the mention of "love handles" and "bingo wings" is getting the male
of the species in a flap, as they try to crack the code names.
http://www.sunderlandtoday.co.uk/ViewArticle2.aspx?SectionID=1512&ArticleID=1193911


More parents want dual-language classes
The Oregonian, September 15
New Spanish immersion classrooms opened in two Portland elementary
schools this fall, as district officials draft a policy to guide which
schools will launch the popular programs in the future. North Portland's
Clarendon Elementary began teaching 18 first-graders in its
dual-language Spanish program last week.
http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/portland_news/112626388879320.xml&coll=7


One man’s quest to save a language
National Indigenous Times, September 19
The language of the Yalarrnga people from western Queensland is no
longer endangered thanks largely to the efforts of former Boulia
resident Lance Sullivan.
http://www.nit.com.au/thearts/story.aspx?id=5707


More students choosing Spanish
Rochester Democrat and Chronicle, September 18
Thousands of Monroe County teens spend hours each week learning about
other cultures. They learn to ask questions in German and how to haggle
at a market in French. Some even learn to speak with their hands, as
they perfect their American Sign Language skills. But as the national
and regional Hispanic population booms and Spanish become more common in
stores, restaurants and the workplace, an increasing number of teens are
choosing to study Spanish.
http://www.democratandchronicle.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20050918/NEWS01/509180328/1002/NEWS


English-only edict at Torrance care home draws lawsuit
Daily Breeze, September 19
A Torrance, CA, nursing home was sued Friday by the federal government,
which claims the facility discriminates against Hispanic employees with
an English-language-only rule for its workers.
http://www.dailybreeze.com/news/articles/1721986.html


------------------------------------------------------------------------
You are subscribed to the Language Feed. To unsubscribe, send an email
to smorris2 at gmu.edu. Feedback is always welcome. Send yours to
smorris2 at gmu.edu.