Multilingual States Research Articles

Translation and Interpreting as a Tool for Multiethnic State Development: A Diachronic Case of Russia

The research goal is to consider the phenomenon of translation and interpreting (T&I) as a tool for multilingualism inside a multiethnic state using Russia as an example. The study explores a number of issues, including language repertoire and legislation on languages in Russia, milestones within the historical paradigm of translation and interpreting practice with the use of local languages of peoples in Russia across history, current trends regarding T&I with the use of local languages of peoples within the Russian Federation. The research combines theoretical and applied qualitative analysis and stands on the grounded theory. The findings lead to the conclusion that translation and interpreting can be a tool for sustainable multilingual development inside a multiethnic state under certain conditions, namely the following: 1) T&I use languages of peoples who are citizens of the respective state; 2) T&I operate on grounds of state legislation as part of its policy implementation within the major areas of the multiethnic country activities; 3) local languages are part of T&I Academia and Industry activities in terms of research, training, and institutionalization; 4) the use of languages within multilingual state follows the principles and practices of international, and regional multilingual T&I, thus representing mesolevel (local), along with mega (international) and macro (regional) levels of the contemporary multinational world development. The findings also justify the relevance of a diachronic study of T&I practices for multilingual state development.

Identity Politics and Ethnic Marginalisation in Post-1991 Ethiopia

Abstract This paper examines identity politics and marginalisation in post-1991 Ethiopia, focusing on the genesis of ethnicity as a political mobilising mechanism during the ‘nationalities questions’ in the 1960s. Despite the presence of Marxism in the political culture of that era, ethnicity eventually became the dominant political reality in post-1991 Ethiopia, now enshrined in the constitution. The study analyses theoretical perspectives and employs a qualitative approach using secondary data to explore contemporary political culture. The study analyses the theoretical perspectives of instrumentalism, primordialism, and constructionism to explore the contemporary political culture of Ethiopia based on identity. The study recognises the role of the politicisation of ethnicity in ongoing ethnic conflicts and political violence. Finally, it concludes with lessons learned regarding the politicisation of ethnicity in a multi-national, multi-cultural, and multi-lingual state like Ethiopia, emphasising the importance of organising civic programmatic political parties over the proliferation of ethnic non-programmatic parties.

Linguistic Diversity and Public Servants’ Turnover Intentions: Theory and Analysis From a Multilingual State

Although approximately a quarter of the world’s countries are officially bilingual or multilingual, the relationship between linguistic diversity and human resource management has largely been overlooked. This article advances research by theoretically considering, and empirically investigating, whether public servants’ ability to use their official language of choice at work is related to their turnover intentions, and whether this relationship is moderated by one’s linguistic minority status. Analysis of survey data from Canada’s full-time permanent public service shows a statistically significant and substantive relationship between public servants’ ability to use their official language of choice at work and their internal and external turnover intentions. Moreover, the results from various hierarchical sequential multivariate models, which build-up to control for employees’ personal characteristics and work environment, suggest that the relationship language of use has with turnover intention is important regardless of whether one is a linguistic minority or a linguistic majority.

Qurʾan Translation in Indonesia: Scriptural Politics in a Multilingual State, by Johanna Pink (ed.)

Qurʾan Translation in Indonesia: Scriptural Politics in a Multilingual State, by Johanna Pink (ed.)

Exploration on the Influence of Bilingualism on Language Production

The ability to speak two languages has a significant impact on language production, cognitive function, linguistic aptitude and neurological processes. This study explores the acquisition of bilingualism, its influence on cognition and language development as well as neurobiological implications in comparison with monolingual speech. Bilingual individuals demonstrate improved executive functioning abilities such as flexibility while exhibiting deferred decline through regularly switching between both languages spoken. Linguistic proficiency is affected by ecological factors like age at which learning began or attitudes towards multilingual states that affect usage frequency across differing environments. Although word retrieval can become an impediment for those who are bilingual; however advantages lie in increased vocabulary range alongside metalinguistic awareness gained from diverse communication scenarios. The structure of brain regions linked to processing multilinguality also correlate intrinsically during decision making. The future research direction benefits studying cross-cultural creative expression impacting effective simultaneous use .Enhancing appreciation amongst speakers via comprehension urges us further into grasping influences behind producing multicultural forms essential within our modern day society.

Родные языки в системе образования в этнических федерациях: сравнительный анализ

The initial and main thesis of the article is that the teaching and learning of native languages in ethnic federations differs in specifics in comparison with other federations and unitary states. Comparing the experience of a number of ethnic federations in the field of education seems relevant for all multinational and multilingual states. The article consists of three parts. The first one deals with the problem of the division of powers in the management of teaching of native languages in the education system between the federal center and subjects of a federation. There is a difference in the implementation of these powers in multinational ethnic federations with a dominant national language and federations where there is no single official national language, and the sphere of education, including teaching of native languages, falls within the competence of the subjects of a federation. The author argues that the most optimal model of the division of powers in the field of language policy in the education system consists in consolidation of the basic provisions and principles at the federal level and transfer of issues of operational management of education and the functioning of educational institutions to the regional level, taking into account the elements of autonomy of the subjects of a certain federation. The second part discusses the problem of the voluntary choice of language in the education process or the non-alternative legislative designation of the language of teaching and learning. Generalization of the experience of a number of ethnic federations leads to the conclusion that in these states teaching of both national official language and official language of a subject of a federation, as well as the native language, as a rule, is not established on the basis of a free choice of parents or students, but is in fact mandatory. The third part is devoted to comparing the experience of both ethnic multinational and bi-ethnic federations in the face of conflict-causing factors that hinder the study of native languages. Rarely do ethnic federations avoid disputes over the use of dominant and non-dominant languages in teaching and learning, and there has been a number of extremely contradictory or even conflict situations. One of the reasons is that it is not always possible to develop an optimal model of the distribution of powers between the federal center and subjects of a federation in the system of education in the field of language policy, while all countries possess institutional mechanisms that can prevent the existing contradictions from escalating into conflicts on ethno-linguistic grounds. In conclusion, the author attempts to identify common features that characterize the teaching and learning of native languages in ethnic federations.

Language as a Barrier to Access to Justice: An Analysis in Terms of Multi-Lingual State.

Language as a Barrier to Access to Justice: An Analysis in Terms of Multi-Lingual State.

Language and neutrality: glottopolitical processes and consequences. Introduction to the monographic section

This monographic section of Revista de Llengua i Dret examines whether and how language neutrality is a discursive construction that results from political positionalities and vested socioeconomic interests. Adopting a critical lens on “neutrality” as a political position in a given sociopolitical and language struggle, the five contributions look into language as the vehicle of such a stance in post-colonial language blocs such as la Francophonie and la Lusofonia, early 20th century Esperantism, and language policies in an international organisation and in two officially multilingual states, Switzerland and South Africa. We propose a historiographic approach to the conditions of production with a focus on ideological tensions, the linguistic work required to (re)produce language neutrality and the resulting social differentiation and exclusion in specific language interventions.

Documenting Multilingualism and Contact

Abstract In order to understand why languages become endangered, linguists must shift from documenting the last fluent speakers to documenting the larger ecology of language use in an area. The papers in this special issue all address different aspects of documenting language multilingualism. They address three related topics: (1) consideration of the state of multilingualism in endangered language ecologies; (2) tools and methods for transcribing, annotating, analyzing and presenting multilingual corpora; and (3) methods in documenting and studying language contact in process.

Une législation suisse glottophile ? Entre territorialité et liberté, pragmatisme et indifférence : un plurilinguisme à géométrie très variable

Unlike other officially multilingual states, Switzerland is often seen as a glottophile country, where linguistic minorities have few complaints. Its success is often attributed to the principle of territoriality (one official language per territory), but the principle of personality (free choice of by citizens of the language in State-citizen communications) is also important in bi/plurilingual cantons, in what appears to be a differentiated territoriality. The legal framework is based on cooperation between the cantons, which govern their own linguistic matters, and the federal State. The officialization of the three main languages (German, French, and Italian) was recently supplemented by that of Romansh, a vulnerable language from a demographic perspective. At the same time, the Swiss-German dialects have remained very much alive, despite their absence from constitutional texts. However, one should be wary of total acceptance of this idealised image of Switzerland, when the legislator seems indifferent to languages of immigration and, moreover, does not grant recognition to Franco-Provençal. This Romance language that is still spoken in parts of Francophone Switzerland is not protected by any policies aimed at ensuring its survival. This article aims to reflect on the applicability of the notion of glottophilia to Switzerland by focusing on the texts that constitute the architecture of language legislation in the country.

СОЦІОЛІНГВІСТИЧНІ ПАРАМЕТРИ БАГАТОМОВНОСТІ: ЄВРОПЕЙСЬКІ ЗАСАДИ Й УКРАЇНСЬКА ДІЙСНІСТЬ

The concept of multilingualism has gained considerable spread in linguistic and political discourse. It causes the need to concrete the sociolinguistic parameters of the term in the context of the Ukrainian language situation, taking into account the experience of pan-European theories and practices. The feasibility of the research is also caused by the expansion of approaches to the problems of multilingualism in the 21st century and some differences in the interpretation of multilingualism in different countries, which is caused by differences in implementation of policy and practice of multilingualism in different state and regional contexts. Theoretical approaches to the definition of multilingualism and the classification of its types allow us to consider the policy of multilingualism and the practice of multilingualism in the coordinates of social types of languages - state (official), minority, immigrant, foreign. This research is also an attempt to give some answers for questions: “What is the difference between multilingual society and multilingual state?”, “How does the practice of multilingualism influence on language policy or language policy on language practices of multilingual territories?”, “How do the concepts of language diversity, multilingual communication, plurilingualism and language education differentiate in sociolinguistic concept of multilingualism?” The sociolinguistic dimension of multilingualism is defined in terms of systemconceptual connections: multilingualism and globalization, multilingualism and territorial linguistic identity, multilingualism and the status of languages, multilingualism and the functionality of languages, multilingualism and language education. The description of the language situation in Ukraine is presented in the coordinates of the theory of social and institutional multilingualism as a monolingual state with bilingual and multilingual territories. The basic sociolinguistic concept of multilingualism is proposed; it is based on the distinction between the policy of multilingualism and the practice of multilingualism and the principles of coexistence of linguistic identities and linguistic practices of individuals and communities.

Language conflicts and securitization in multilingual societies

Abstract Societal multilingualism is an essential aspect of political communication. This applies in particular to the management of security issues and language conflicts in multilingual states. As this article demonstrates, these processes of securitization set in much earlier than just in situations of open conflict. They can lead to a spiral of competitive securitization. It is therefore surprising that so far hardly any theoretical considerations have been made to explore the intersection between conflict dynamics, securitization processes and multilingualism. This article therefore examines this theoretical gap and identifies questions and requirements for future theoretical work. The aim is to open new avenues for studying multilingualism through the prism of securitization and conflict theory.

On the state of multilingualism and polyglottery in Japan

In the research done for this article, the matter of multilingualism and polyglottery in modern Japan was addressed and the relationship between these phenomena and how they affect one another is discussed. Before discussing the matter of polyglots in Japan, it was felt to be useful to first examine what or what not a polyglot might be and how that term might differ from the word “multilingual” in the context of Japan, as we can assume that, even if the two terms cover much of the same semantic territory for a Japanese, they are not, as now generally understood, completely alike nor should the terms be considered interchangeable with one another. This matter is addressed in the section on vocabulary definitions. The second section, on factors of language relation, typology and culture, in which Japanese views on language and polyglottery are addressed, deals with the obstacles to becoming a polyglot that Japanese are often facing. It is proposed that the most important obstacle to achieving polyglottery by Japanese is imposed by time; and, for this reason, an overview of the approximate necessary timeframe to learn different languages for an elite cohort of American State Department educated individuals is provided. From this, guesstimates of what would be expected of a similar Japanese cohort in a Japanese context are given. The language policy and language education of Japan are also addressed. In connection with this, a short discussion is made as to why this might also contribute to the scarcity of polyglots in Japan, though it is also maintained that a scarcity of polyglots among people of Japanese ethnicity living in Japan does not necessarily mean that there is an equal level of scarcity of multilinguals, who, if they had learned their languages in different circumstances with more self-awareness, would be considered as polyglots.

One Voice Many Languages, Colonial Radio in India

Languages knit people together, but at All India Radio we witness the reverse trajectory. Radio's first 20 years, 1927–47, coinciding with the last 20 of British rule, saw the subcontinent's kaleidoscopic linguistic profile creating havoc. Three emotive stumbling blocks emerged, affecting radio: did a nation need a single language or was a multilingual state sustainable; could an alien language gain acceptance; and could there be consensus on a language imposed for institutional convenience. With heavy dependence on English, the dominant language of broadcast, station directors, had the authority to allocate rest of the time to prevailing languages, juggling diverse vernaculars. Complications surfaced at most stations, but most prominent at northern stations where language from being socio-cultural indicators became religious pointers, Hindi associated with Hindus and Urdu with Muslims. All India Radio adopted Hindustani, the confluence of both for practical reasons; instead of two languages, it was easier to cater in just one. This espousal led to heated disputes, with Hindi supporters alleging that radio's Hindustani leaned heavily towards Arabic, and the Urdu clique seeing a definite predisposition towards Sanskrit. The epicentre of controversy were the news programmes. The radio policy of British India was generally to be cautious and to avoid needless controversy.

LANGUAGE CHOICE IN EDUCATION IN A MULTILINGUAL SETTING: THE MALAYSIAN CONTEXT

A state of multilingualism allows people to grow up with access to two or more languages which results in exercising choice of languages for different purposes in different domains. Even within a single domain, education for example, the choice of language varies according to contexts, topics and participants. Since Malaysia is a multilingual country, it is not surprising that everyone in this country speaks at least two or more languages. What languages the Malaysians choose in the education domain constitutes the focus of this paper. It also investigates what influences the choice. The issues were investigated through a questionnaire survey administered to a sample of University Putra Malaysia undergraduates who are seen as representative of Malaysian undergraduates. The data were analyzed using Statistical Package for Social Sciences (SPSS). The findings revealed that language choice in education varies according to sub-domains. It was also found that language proficiency, ethnicity, and gender influence the choice of languages.

Multilingualism in Switzerland: An Overview

Multilingualism claims centrality in the discourse community. Besides being an important aspect of linguistics, it has been a socio-political phenomenon. Developments in human history, particularly the growing concept of globalization, wars, treaties, invasions, colonialization, and migrations have ensured that most of the states in today’s world are multilingual, multicultural, or sometimes even multinational in character. During the 18th and the 19th centuries, the rising wave of nation-states based on one language, one culture, and one religion, multilingualism was considered and treated as a curse and menace to the socio-political harmony of the state. Nonetheless, there were few states which showed firm faith in unity in diversity. They remained neutral to those developments and kept alive through preserving, protecting, and flourishing the feature of multilingualism in state policies. Switzerland is considered the spearhead and torchbearer in this march. The foundation of modern Switzerland was established in 1848 by the federal constitution declaring the state multilingual. Even before that, it was a multilingual state comprising French, German, Italian, and Romansch. Today, all the four major languages of the country enjoy the prestige of the national language with a qualified promise to provide equal opportunities for other minor languages. In this context, this present paper offers an overview of the emergence, evolution, and sustainability of multilingualism in Switzerland. The main argument is that “quardilingualism” and multilingualism in Switzerland are not merely due to the state policies but mainly because of the people’s will to live in diversity and their mutual respect for individual idiosyncrasies.

A Socio-Linguistic Profile of Nigeria’s Eastern Borderlands

The paper examines the phenomena of language maintenance, shift, separation, and spread of the demographic proportion of the ethnolinguistic groups on either side of the borders, and argues that language use in various public domains is consistent with language policy, planning, and development. The paper is anchored on visible data in a conceptual framework that offers a triglottic configuration that has been used in both and within various multilingual states in Africa, and more specifically with Cameroon by Tadedjeu (1975) and Nigeria by Brann (1981). The Tadedjeu and Brann framework enabled an analysis of the border configuration concerning languages. It is indicated that the seemingly autochthonous peoples of the border are so deeply rooted that it appears most of them wandered there within the last few centuries. Thus, with the growing level of interdependence across the border region, it is considered that the younger generation of the border peoples will someday wander into cities, become bilingual, and forget their language, leaving behind a vanishing generation of chthonophones.

The power of numbers: how majority/minority status affects media coverage and framing of Indigenous contentious politics in Canada

ABSTRACT News media perform an important role in shaping how Canadian society views Indigenous peoples and issues. They are rarely passive, neutral bystanders, as media routinely employ a particular set of frames (e.g., criminality, economic burden, threats to unity, promotion of social justice) when covering Indigenous stories. We explore how the use of such frames is influenced by dynamics of power as they relate to majority/minority linguistic differences. Through a controlled comparison, we examine the 2008–2019 media coverage of Indigenous responses to Ontario’s Far North Act and Québec’s Plan Nord – both of which concerned resource development on or near Indigenous territory. We find that where media serve the linguistic majority, they are much more likely to frame Indigenous responses to development plans as a threat to national unity. In contrast, where media serve the linguistic minority, they are significantly more likely to frame Indigenous responses in terms of social justice. Our findings suggest that traditional understandings of the differences between mainstream and ethnic or minority media fail to capture the complex dynamics at work in multilingual states. The paper addresses this gap in the literature and provides a broader understanding of how media and power dynamics shape the representation of Indigenous contentious politics.

Text-to-Speech Synthesis: Literature Review with an Emphasis on Malayalam Language

Text-to-Speech Synthesis (TTS) is an active area of research to generate synthetic speech from underlying text. The identified syllables are uttered with proper duration and prosody characteristics to emulate natural speech. It falls under the category of Natural Language Processing (NLP), which aims to bridge the gap in communication between human and machine. So far as Western languages like English are concerned, the research to produce intelligent and natural synthetic speech has advanced considerably. But in a multilingual state like India, many regional languages viz. Malayalam is underexplored when it comes to NLP. In this article, we try to amalgamate the major research works performed in the area of TTS in English and the prominent Indian languages, with a special emphasis on the South Indian language, Malayalam. This review intends to provide right direction to the research activities in the language, in the area of TTS.

Assessing Key Factors in the Making Afan Oromo One of the Federal Working Languages

In mosaic countries, choice of a language as lingua franka needs careful scrutiny; since language has more meaning than as a mare communication means. It is related with identity, cultural, political, social, and economic affairs of speakers. In Ethiopia, there are nearly 80 ethno-linguistic groups speaking their respective languages. In such scenario choosing one or more language as federal working language is difficult task. Ethiopia doesn’t have a single policy document yet. However, the country has legally recognized only one language (Amharic) as federal working language. The choice of federal working language in Ethiopia seems arbitrary and also deviates from working language choice in multilingual states. The research is based on integrative literature review that synthesizes and critiques of secondary data. Objective principles for choice of working language; experiences three multilingual federal states having similarity with our country were reviewed. Based on these principles as well as experience countries, the finding claims Afan Oromo is not given the place it deserves in Ethiopia; which in fact is major causes for instabilities in the country. The article recommends Ethiopian government should make Afan Oromo additional federal working language as a part of responding to demands of Oromo people as well as a panacea for instabilities. Moreover, making it additional federal working language is reaching more population in the HoA which facilitate social integration. Keywords: Afan Oromo, Federal Working Language, Horn of Africa, Language Policy DOI: 10.7176/IAGS/93-01 Publication date: January 31 st 2022