Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The National Resistance Movement (NRM) Party unveiled an ambitious initiative to impart Kiswahili language skills to its members nationwide, in a bid to align with the broader East African integration agenda where Kiswahili has gained prominence as a regional common language. Honourable James Magode Ikuya, …
Read More »Uganda adopts Kiswahili
Kampala, Uganda | Xinhua | Uganda has adopted Kiswahili as an official language, a top government official said here on Tuesday. Chris Baryomunsi, Minister of Information Communication Technology and National Guidance told reporters that the Cabinet on Monday approved the implementation of a directive by the 21st East African Community …
Read More »Mind your language, speaker Oulanyah urges MPs
Kampala, Uganda | THE INDEPENDENT | The Speaker of Parliament Jacob Oulanyah has asked Members of Parliament to refrain from using unparliamentary language while debating, saying the debates are broadcasted live to all Ugandans. This was after Manjia County MP and Opposition Whip John Baptist Nambeshe, talked about sex during the …
Read More »Chinese language craze in Ghana
Accra, Ghana | XINHUA | Despite multiple challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Ghanaians’ craze for the Chinese language continues, Chinese Director of the Confucius Institute at the University of Ghana Chu Beijuan told Xinhua Saturday. Speaking to Xinhua in an interview during a Chinese proficiency competition named “Chinese Bridge”, …
Read More »Dreaming of returning home, Egypt’s Nubians revive language
Aswan, Egypt | AFP | Fatma Addar grew up in a Nubian family, connected to her ethnic minority’s rich history through its tales of a bygone life on the Nile, though regaled less and less in their original language. She lives in the southern Egyptian city of Aswan and was schooled …
Read More »Neutral pronoun ‘they’ chosen as word of the decade
New York, United States | AFP | The neutral pronoun “they” has been voted word of the decade by US language experts, beating out other contenders that included “climate” and “meme”. “They” is used in English by a growing number of non-binary individuals, people who do not identify as …
Read More »Facebook messaging app adds real time translations
San José, United States | AFP | Facebook on Tuesday gave its popular Messenger app the ability to translate missives in real time, deploying artificial intelligence to enable text conversations between people using different languages. Messenger has become a tool for businesses to connect with customers, and the ability to converse …
Read More »Macron unveils plan to boost French, ‘language of liberty’
Paris, France | AFP | President Emmanuel Macron on Tuesday unveiled plans to get more people speaking French, saying the “treasure shared by 700 million people” belonged to all and should be given more prominence in the EU ahead of Brexit. France’s youthful president has impressed foreign audiences with his near-flawless …
Read More »Making French great again: Macron looks to Africa
Paris, France | AFP | He’s France’s most anglophone president ever, who reaches for the language of the old foe when telling global audiences that “France is back”, or that he wants ecologically to “make our planet great again.” Emmanuel Macron’s mastery of English has wowed foreign leaders, who are …
Read More »‘Youthquake’ named Oxford Dictonaries’ word of 2017
London, United Kingdom | AFP | “Youthquake” was crowned Friday as Oxford Dictionaries’ word of the year 2017, following a five-fold increase in usage. The word is defined as “a significant cultural, political, or social change arising from the actions or influence of young people”. It first rose during Britain’s …
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