“la parole exportée”

This is the official slogan, one component of the Tools Kit produced by UNESCO (the lead agency). See also this page here, where Don Osborn has put together a wealth of information about the International Year of Languages.

It comes with a 14-page brochure (English here, French here) in which the various sectors where UNESCO is actively promoting the use of local languages are described, keeping in mind the need to ensure that no population is left behind, and to promote mutual understanding, on an international basis.

If you stopped passers-by in the street, and asked them about it, I am quite sure that 99.99% of them would not have heard about it. People tend to think that International Years come and go, and nothing much happens before, during and after this kind of celebration.

This is because most of the groundwork is done elsewhere, in glamorless international technical meetings, and tagging any year the International Year of anything is simply a way to attract a little attention to something huge for all of us, that would otherwise go unnoticed. Incidentally, UNESCO will also be the lead agency for 2009 – International Year of Astronomy. Quite a different subject!

Among the sectors that may be closer to our hearts, if not to our wallets:

- COMMUNICATION & INFORMATION
Language and multilingualism in today’s knowledge societies

Don’t we know a lot about that?

- SCIENCE
Building bridges of knowledge

In the latter section, I found one paragraph particularly interesting and insightful:

Communication among researchers

The impact of languages on the scientific community is often overlooked. Yet attention to linguistic differences is essential to ensure the free flow of ideas and knowledge among researchers across the world. As the English language increasingly tends to dominate scientific discourse, national or local languages and dialects are sidelined. This reduces the flow of ideas and scientific enquiry and results in a loss of opportunities for international dialogue and mutual understanding.

This is exactly what worries me, as a professional translator. Why does mankind have such a diversity of languages, worldwide, and why don’t we use it, or even why are we killing it?

In a document like this, it is difficult to pick specific sections or paragraphs. I had already discussed, in an earlier post, the efforts undertaken in Africa to try to solve exactly that problem, by promoting primary education in local languages. The problem of languages, whether they are directly and undeniably endangered, or simply ’sidelined’, is a problem for all mankind, not just for those who are left behind, to solve.

We as professionals of languages must be part of it.

Sophia Coppola should be made the Patron Saint of Translators. With only 3 words, she has managed to turn a negative concept into a positive (or at best, neutral) one.

Here is a new twist on her formula, found by the New York Times T Magazine. It will enable you to learn a little Brazilian Portuguese at the same time… but of course I’m sure you don’t need this particular sentence.

arte is a joint German-French TV channel and it’s one of my favorites.

I didn’t know until yesterday that they also had an online radio, to be found here and I’ve spent the last hour or so listening to a fraction of their incredible collection of audio clips and programs.

Best thing to do? Go and have a look, the interface is fun and you just pick and chose. They have 1,036 audio clips and programs, some very short, some really long programs to enjoy.

I picked one below that is about the only one in English, but there are a lot more on many different topics, mostly about France and contemporary issues.

Because there is no URL to the actual program and their code messes up this page, here is the best way to get to it:

Go to: http://www.arteradio.com/tuner.html

In the greyish oblong search box about 1/3 down, on the right, type in GOODBYE EUROPE and click OK.

When the purple curtain has stopped moving, click the icon in the middle.