Multilingual Communication Research Articles

Towards Development of a Multilingual Mobile Chat Application for Enhanced Global Communication

The advent of mobile chat applications has revolutionized everyday communication. These applications facilitate the exchange of user's textual and multimedia content across languages and cultures. Most chat applications are known to only support a limited set of predominantly spoken languages, thereby, leaving a substantial portion of the user population without adequate multilingual support. This paper aims to bridge the linguistic gap by presenting Kobapp, a multilingual chat application. The Kobapp, leverages some of the cutting-edge technologies, such as React-Native, Next.js, and the DeepL API, to offer real-time, accurate translations while at the same time offering user privacy. The development process of the Kobapp is outlined from the system architecture and design, emphasizing the integration of a client-side (Android) and server-side using Node.js, Express.js, and MongoDB. Notably, user feedback plays a crucial role in shaping an application's features and functionality. Therefore, the application’s performance was evaluated through a conducted user study. Results of the study indicate a strong positive linear relationship between overall user satisfaction and translation accuracy for different language pairs. Moreover, the absence of outliers and the model's significance further reinforces the application's commitment to data quality and accuracy. Future research will explore new dimensions in multilingual communication and applications to promote a truly global community.

Enhancing Cross Border Crime Investigations through the Application of Mother Tongue

This article explores the benefits of using mother tongue languages in cross-border criminal investigations. It highlights the importance of linguistic ability and cultural awareness in detecting international crimes. Mother-tongue languages can improve information accuracy, trust, and communication. However, they can also lead to communication breakdowns, language barriers, and incorrect interpretation of evidence. The article also discusses the challenges of using dominant languages, such as resource requirements, technology's role in multilingual communication, and legal and ethical requirements. The article concludes that embracing linguistic diversity in law enforcement can improve investigations, promote cooperation, and enhance community safety and security.

Development of African Languages as the Medium of Instruction in Higher Education: From Policy to Practice

This study, using the University of KwaZulu-Natal (UKZN) as a key case study, critically examined the integration of African languages, specifically isiZulu, in South Africa’s higher education system. Employing a qualitative approach, the research conducted semi-structured interviews with lecturers and students while analysing relevant policies through a comprehensive examination of secondary data. The theoretical framework is grounded in sociolinguistics that focuses on diglossia—a linguistic phenomenon where two languages serve distinct functions in multilingual communities. The article engaged with the legacy of apartheid and colonialism, considering racial power differences that position African languages as inferior. The findings highlight the transformative role UKZN has embarked on of intellectualising isiZulu, challenging persistent misconceptions about the capacity of African languages to contribute to knowledge within higher education. The recommendations stressed the need for innovative teaching approaches, and robust support services for students engaging with academic content in African languages. This paper contributes to reshaping the narrative around African languages, recognising their vital role in higher education. Keywords: African Languages, Higher Education, Transformation, Language Policy, Diglossia

The Use of Educational Stickers as Indonesian Language Learning Campaign Media in the Era of Multilingual Communication

Technological advances have caused numerous changes in every aspect of human life, including the languages used in communication. Indonesia is one of the countries with a multitude of languages, so in general, the Indonesian population communicates in more than one language. However, Indonesian serves as the national language that unites the nation amid the various regional and foreign languages that exist. The position of the Indonesian language should be prioritized over others because it is used as the national language and for communication in public spaces. However, over time, the existence of the Indonesian language has begun to erode. To preserve its existence, a campaign for the Indonesian language is necessary, and this can be achieved through the creation of educational stickers using Canva as a medium. This research employs a qualitative descriptive method. The production of stickers through Canva is expected to be one of the efforts to preserve the Indonesian language and its status as the national language for communication in public spaces.

A Systematic Survey of Multilingual Speech Transcription and Translation

This paper presents an innovative initiative dedicated to revolutionizing multilingual communication by leveraging state-of-the-art technologies such as Artificial Intelligence (AI), NLP, or natural language processing and Machine Learning. With a primary focus on Indian languages, the research aims to develop an advanced system capable of seamlessly transcribing speech across diverse linguistic landscapes. Through the incorporation of cutting-edge algorithms and parallel processing techniques, the proposed system facilitates real-time transcription and translation of multiple languages concurrently. Rigorous experimentation and analysis demonstrate the efficiency of the developed framework in breaking down language barriers and fostering inclusive communication. Furthermore, the paper emphasizes the cultural significance of this technology in promoting global connectivity and celebrating linguistic diversity. Ultimately, this research underscores the transformative potential of technology in facilitating cross-cultural understanding and enabling meaningful interactions within a multilingual society

Effective multilingual communication based on English and German business letters

The increasing importance of business communication has been widely discussed in recent years. English and German have become the languages of international communication. The mastering of languages, which are the definite means of communication with the peoples of other countries is getting a greater significance in our modern society. This work aims to study the architectonics of English and German business letters, identify the function of "black" and "white" spaces in business correspondence, and a comparative analysis of English and Russian business letters.

Recovering multilingual children’s literacy loss through multimodal literacy practices in a pull-out program

The global COVID-19 pandemic has significantly impacted various aspects of human life, including hindering language and literacy skills development in multilingual students. This study aims to explore multimodal literacy practices among multilingual primary school students in an English pull-out program. Data sources encompassed students’ artifacts, photos, videos, field notes, and semi-structured interviews, collected from July to December 2021 following the Indonesian government’s reversal of its school closure policy. The research reveals that the pandemic has impeded language and literacy skills development, particularly in writing skills, as students heavily rely on screen typing with auto-correction assistance. Consequently, students' proficiency in constructing grammatically correct English phrases has diminished, impeding effective communication in English in the multilingual school community context. In response to this literacy issue, the joint cooperation school has implemented diverse multimodal literacy practices in its English pull-out program to mitigate language and literacy setbacks. Multimodal composition emerges as a potent tool for language learning, encompassing reading, writing, and speaking skills. Notably, multimodal composition facilitates multilingual children in connecting with their home language and cultures within the target language, aiding in the recovery of writing and pronunciation skills. This study contributes valuable insights for designing English pull-out programs tailored to multilingual students in joint-cooperation schools, addressing language and literacy delays induced by the pandemic.

Locked out, but not disconnected: multilingual community engagement in Australia

ABSTRACT At the onset of COVID-19, many Local Government Areas (LGAs) indicated they were struggling to communicate effectively with multilingual migrant communities. Communities were isolated from vital LGA support due to factors including the digital divide, barriers to language access, and top-down communication strategies. The pandemic also provided insights into the ways migrant communities mitigate hardship by engaging in placemaking and place-shaping, using existing networks and resources to provide vital support during crisis, which requires significant invisible labour. In this article, we present three case studies from a larger community-based project which began in early 2020 with an LGA in Western Australia. We use case narratives to illustrate and analyse three common actions migrant women used to engage their communities prior to, and during, COVID-19 recovery. These simple, yet profound actions, which include visiting communities, acknowledging challenges, and identifying opportunities further evidence the ways community leaders facilitate culturally sustaining placemaking, even during crisis; they underscore the intense emotional, cultural, and linguistic labour required to enact support in contexts where resources are inaccessible or misaligned with community stories. We argue it is only in partnership with communities that LGAs can learn to address some of the long-standing issues COVID-19 highlights.

Boston Medical Center’s Communications Campaign to Build Confidence in Covid-19 Vaccines

Summary Health systems play an important role in efforts to build vaccine confidence in communities that have been hardest hit by diseases such as Covid-19. Boston Medical Center (BMC), New England’s largest safety-net hospital, along with its community partners implemented a Covid Response Program aimed at building vaccine confidence. The program was supported by a multifaceted and multilingual communications campaign including (1) traditional and social media channels with trusted messengers, (2) consistent and accessible core messaging, (3) transparent dialogue, and (4) partnership with state and local health government officials. Between December 2020 and June 2022, BMC disseminated 650 social media posts, leading to 12 million impressions and more than 1.8 million post engagements. The campaign included a TikTok video later featured during the U.S. presidential inauguration, resulting in more than 3.7 million views. BMC’s HealthCity digital publication released 20 articles that gained more than 73,000 views, and the frequently asked questions/vaccine scheduling site, translated into seven languages, reached 844,000 page visits. At 6 months into the vaccination program, 70% of patients 18 years and older in BMC primary care had received at least one shot, and 60% were fully vaccinated, having received either two messenger ribonucleic acid doses or one adenovirus vaccine. The proportions rose to 82% with one dose and 75% fully vaccinated at 12 months. By 24 months into the program, 83% of patients in BMC primary care had received at least one shot, and 77% were fully vaccinated; however, notable differences existed by race or ethnicity. Seventy-six percent of Black patients and 75% of Latine patients were fully vaccinated compared with 85% of Asian patients and 81% white patients. Key lessons learned include the importance of a multilingual, multimedia campaign and the need for bidirectional communication that could quickly shift to address evolving issues.

Enhancing Sentiment Analysis using BERT-Hybrid Model for Detection of Irony and Sarcasm in Code-Mixed Social Media

Sarcasm is a common verbal irony that can be difficult to apply in code-mixed social media, as people fluently switch between languages. The difficulty of sarcasm detection in these kinds of language environments is the subject of this study. Conventional models find it difficult to capture the complex interactions between different languages, slang terms, and cultural quirks. As a result, we suggest an Hybrid model based on BERT that efficiently detects sarcasm by utilizing the contextual knowledge of BERT embeddings. Combining different BERT versions, the Hybrid model performs better at detecting and interpreting sarcasm in code-mixed social media. Our method greatly advances the state of natural language processing through extensive experimentation, especially when it comes to managing the intricacies of multilingual and multicultural online communication. Keywords: Sarcasm detection, code-mixing, BERT Hybrid model, linguistic complexity.

Code Switching by Novice Teachers in EFL Classes and its Effects on Students

Code Switching (CS) is shifting from one language to another in a dialogue, a lesson, a sermon, etc. It is used across the board in multilingual communities deliberately and unconsciously. It has many benefits. It has many negative impacts, though. It might distract students’ attention and result in opposite consequences. Therefore, in this study, using CS by novice teachers who do not have enough experience as a medium of explaining the taught material. Besides, it takes into consideration students’ attitudes toward CS as positive or negative. If they understand better after implementing CS, they consider it positive. If, on the contrary, distracts their attention, they consider it negative. The data for this study were collected from 70 students through distributing an open questionnaire and direct observation. They were analyzed using IBM SPSS. The outcomes proposed that some students switch codes at the level of words to have a smooth conversation with colleagues. However, some novice lecturers tend to explain the whole lesson using students’ first language to make sure that they have grasped it well. They do so due to the lack of experience and shortage of vocabulary. The results also pinpointed that some students have a positive reaction toward CS, yet there are many students who do not prefer following it.

Cultural Aspects of Multilingual Communication

Today multilingual communication is increasing as the context of globalization and therefore, contact between different cultures is being practiced in non-western communities in political, business and art meetings. Culture as a critical part of multilingual communication performs several functions in community, has several categories according to different culturologists. The students of translation studies faculty must be aware of constituent parts of multilingual communication, its theoretical basis, basic terms and the role of intercultural competency in translation process. In this paper, cultural aspects of multilingual communication, its concepts and terms, types of culture are discussed. We also provide the definition of the terms of culturology that each Bachelor student of translation studies department must know.

The Vitality of Mother Tongues in a Multilingual Society in Dieng, Central Java

Multilingual conditions can threaten the mother tongue in a tourism area because most people use other languages when interacting with tourists. Thus, it can hamper the inheritance of the mother tongue or even replace it with another language. This study used a sociolinguistic theoretical approach to measure the mother tongue’s vitality level in a multilingual community in Dieng, Central Java. This descriptive study used a mixed method. Data were collected from interviews with 53 informants and with the help of a research instrument namely the Interview Package of “Basa Urang”. Data were analyzed based on Miles dan Huberman’s model (1984), covering data collection, reduction, presentation, and drawing conclusions. The study results showed that the vitality of the mother tongue in the multilingual community in Dieng, Central Java is in the vulnerable category as the mother tongue is only used in the domestic domain. This is proven by the percentage level of mother tongue use based on patterns ‘with’, patterns ‘in’, and patterns ‘for’. The main factors causing the low vitality of the mother tongue in the multilingual community in this area are economic and educational. This study describes the condition of each living language in a multilingual society in Dieng, Central Jawa. This study provides quite large implications in describing the vitality of mother tongues in a multilingual society in Dieng, Central Java, but further studies are needed to get a deeper understanding of the implications.

Language Choice in Expressing Swear Words among Multilinguals in an Iranian Azari-Speaking City

The growing prevalence of multilingualism in our interconnected world has sparked the attention of scholars across various fields, particularly in understanding how proficient multilingual individuals articulate their emotions. This qualitative study explores how Azari multilinguals in an Iranian Azari-speaking city express emotions, specifically swearing preferences. Twenty adult multilinguals (10 female, 10 male), fluent in Azari, Persian, and English, participated. Semi-structured interviews examined their language preferences when expressing anger and swearing. Thematic analyses revealed Azari swear words carried the most emotional weight, leading most participants to choose Azari to vent frustration. Gender differences were also noted, with females generally refraining from swearing. However, when they did swear, they predominantly used milder swear words in Persian. This study provides valuable insights into the language dynamics of multilingual communities, with significant implications for researchers and language educators regarding practical applications for language education and social interaction.

Academia and International Organizations: An Exploration of UN Language Services and Implications for Universities Teaching Translation and Interpretation

Abstract This paper explores the collaboration between academia and international organizations (IOs), focusing on the United Nations (UN) language services, and the implications of such collaboration for universities teaching translation and interpretation (T&I). By examining the historical development, current practices and latest trends in UN language services, the paper describes a comprehensive ecology of language services at the UN. It then highlights the UN’s commitment to multilingualism as a core value, emphasising the significance of high-quality language services in fostering effective multilingual communication among member states. The paper then explores the strategic partnership between Shanghai International Studies University (SISU) and the UN, showcasing how such collaborations can enhance T&I training programs to meet the UN’s operational needs and outreach goals. Finally, it addresses the broader implications for T&I training universities, suggesting targeted measures to align academic training with the practical demands of IOs. This study aims to enhance an understanding of academia’s role and function in supporting IOs, and to delineate approaches through which universities might better adapt to cater for the evolving needs and requirements of IOs. It advocates for intensified collaboration and the longer-term development of training programs aimed at fostering a pool of reserve talents for IOs.

Terminology in the Age of AI: The Transformation of Terminology Theory and Practice

Abstract This article explores the necessary transformation of terminology theory and practice induced by advances in artificial intelligence (AI), in particular generative AI and large language models (LLMs). It underlines the centrality of terminology for accurate and efficient multilingual communication, and it studies the interaction between two different forms of language, the embodied language of humans and the algorithmic and mathematical language of AI. The analysis traces the evolution of terminology, from its normative, concept-centric origins to contemporary challenges such as the concept-context gap, multilingual conceptual modeling and enriching terminologies with contextual relations. The article then highlights how AI and LLM are revolutionizing terminology work, by proposing the construction of relations between terms around prototypical contexts. This innovative approach aims to infuse a more deterministic understanding into human-AI interactions, guiding the latter to generate responses more aligned with human intent and context. Advocating a re-evaluation of current methodologies to interact better with AI's algorithmic mathematical interpretation of natural language, the article envisions a future in which terminology science and AI co-create a framework for improving multilingual knowledge exchange and understanding.

Optimizing Multilingual Communication with Computer-Assisted Translation Tools

Optimizing Multilingual Communication with Computer-Assisted Translation Tools

Tarixiy ravishda bir vaqtning o‘zida tarjima qilishning rivojlanishi

The historical development of simultaneous interpretation can be characterized by significant events such as the Nuremberg Trials. The establishment of the United Nations necessitated effective multilingual communication, leading to the development and refinement of simultaneous interpretation techniques to support diplomatic and international relations. These historical developments have collectively contributed to the evolution and standardization of simultaneous interpretation as a critical tool for international communication, diplomacy, and collaboration in various sectors, including politics, law, diplomacy, business, and academia

Realia in der ein- bzw. mehrsprachigen Museumskommunikation: das Beispiel „Volkskundemuseum“

This paper aims to examine the strategies for conveying regional culture-bound terms in monolingual and bilingual (or multilingual) texts and chooses a type of museum for which such terms are particularly important: the folk museum. After a brief overview of this type of museum in Italy and Germany (section 2), section 3 deals with culture-bound terms, their classification and the strategies for introducing them in texts. Section 4 presents the empirical analysis carried out on a corpus of texts from the websites of 10 Italian and 10 German or Austrian folk museums. The use of realia was examined first in the monolingual, then in the multilingual museum communication.

Essence of religion, culture and indigenous language in a unified sexuality education system

Sexuality education is fundamental in higher and tertiary education institutions (HTEIs). Evidence suggests that its effective education is through translations into the first language of learners. However, in global and multilingual cultural communities such as HTEIs, the foundations for these translations are still a researchable area. Notably, in HTEIs adolescents, young adults and adults co-exist and therefore, any translations must be toned to balance across these groups. The aim of this study was to establish strategies that could enable sexuality educators to effectively transfer information that is steeped in indigenous language, religious and cultural meaning without precipitating stigma and taboo issues. The study setting was the National University of Science and Technology where a cross section of indigenous cultures, languages and religions co-existed with other global cultures. A University Community-based Participatory Research (CBPR) methodology was administered by the researchers using a Delphi research approach to students and staff. Multilingual, multilayered, multireligious, and multicultural nature of the setting presented serious challenges that compromised the prevention of stigma and taboo issues when dealing with sexuality education. We recommend that the strategy to present sexuality education in indigenous languages to the generality of HTEIs population should, in the first instance, involve systematic identification of appropriate interventions that are religious, cultural, and language-specific.Contribution: This research reveals paramount ethical and religious violations that have a potential to precipitate opportunistic sexual relationships that may lead to impediments in capacity building for learners. This research can be utilised by academics on the field of Practical Theology, specifically youth ministry and pastoral care.