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NEWS AND COMMENTARY


Scientists trace world’s languages back to single African mother tongue

April 15, 2011—Scientists say they have traced the world's 6,000 modern languages—from English to Mandarin—back to a single "mother tongue," an ancestral language spoken in Africa 50,000 to 70,000 years ago.

New research published in the journal Science suggests this single ancient language resulted in human civilization—a Diaspora—as well as advances in art and hunting tool technology, and laid the groundwork for all the world's cultures.

The research, by Quentin Atkinson from the University of Auckland in New Zealand, also found that speech evolved far earlier than previously thought. And the findings implied, though did not prove, that modern language originated only once, an issue of controversy among linguists, according to The New York Times.

Before Atkinson came up with the evidence for a single African origin of language, some scientists had argued that language evolved independently in different parts of the world.

Atkinson found that the first populations migrating from Africa laid the groundwork for all the world's cultures by taking their single language with them. "It was the catalyst that spurred the human expansion that we all are a product of," Atkinson said, the Wall Street Journal reported.

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How Shakespeare helped make English a world language
By the Big Think Editors, BigThink.com

April 18, 2011—In the ancient world, Latin became the dominant language through the Roman practice of cultural imperialism. Similarly, the international prominence of Arabic grew during and after the Islamic conquests of 632-732 AD.

It was said that the sun never set on the British Empire during the 19th and early 20th centuries. England conquered one quarter of the world's population, resulting in a period of British cultural imperialism and language imperialism. The economic and cultural influence of the United States after World War Two also greatly added to the dominance of the English language.

This dominance is seen in many ways today. English is the dominant language on the Internet. While French was the European diplomatic language of the 17th century through the middle of the 20th century, English today is the official language of the United Nations and the International Olympic Committee. English has also come to dominate the discipline of science. In 1997, the Science Citation Index reported that 95 percent of its articles were written in English, even though only half of them were written by authors in English-speaking countries.

So what accounts for the global dominance of the English language? The political and economic supremacy of England and the United States is just the beginning of the explanation. For it could be said that while the British Navy secured military victory for the British Empire, Shakespeare's words were used to secure the peace…

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English tests largely computer-based now but human assessors still a must

UNITED KINGDOM, April 12, 2011—Computer-based testing has made big advances in English language assessment in recent years, but the future remains bright for human examiners.

Last year the IELTS test of English was taken over 1.5m times and the speaking and writing sections of the test were evaluated by up to 5,500 examiners who assessed candidates in one-to-one interviews or read and marked their scripts.

Cambridge ESOL, which is part of the consortium responsible for IELTS, produces its own suite of English language exams and employs either directly, in the UK, or via local tests centres, about 15,000 examiners to carry out face-to-face oral assessment and to mark written work for exams ranging from tests for young learners to its advanced-level certificate.

So the demand for examiners remains strong, but what can humans bring to assessment that computers can't?

For Cambridge ESOL the key ability that it believes still eludes computers, is the accuracy by which humans can evaluate the language produced by other humans. But that ability doesn't come naturally, and Cambridge ESOL, like other recruiters of examiners, relies on the skills developed by English language teachers and their understanding of the productive and receptive skills of learners.

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China speaks better English than India, says study

NEW DELHI, April 8, 2011 (AFP)—Emerging market giant China has pipped neighbouring rival India in English language proficiency skills, despite the South Asian nation's strong anglophone tradition, according to a new study.

Both countries were given a "low-proficiency" score, with China standing 29th, one place ahead of India in a list of 44 countries rated according to an English proficiency index.

The study was carried out by EF Education (EF), the world's largest privately held education company that specialises in language training and other education areas.

"Despite its British colonial legacy, extensive use of English for administrative purposes and vibrant English media, India is now no more proficient in English than rapidly improving China," the study said.

A large English-speaking population has been one of the key factors behind the boom in outsourcing to India which has seen Western companies set up IT back-up or call centres in cities such as Bangalore and Hyderabad.

But numerous experts have warned that India is losing this linguistic edge to its giant neighbour which is pouring far more resources into English-language teaching.

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South Korea ranks 3rd out of Asian countries in English proficiency

SEOUL, April 4, 2011 (The Korea Herald/ANN)—South Korea ranked third out of Asian nations according to an English Proficiency Index announced on March 30 by Education First, a global education center.

Korea, with an overall ranking of 13th, overtook Japan (at 14th) and Taiwan at (25th).
From 2007 to 2009, Education First conducted online English tests on 2.3 million working adults all from over the world. English proficiency was tested in four categories—grammar, vocabulary, reading and listening.

Among Asian countries, Korea’s 54.19 points followed only Malaysia (9th) with 55.54 points and Hong Kong (12th) with 54.44 points. Koreans’ English proficiency can be considered relatively high considering that Korea’s official language is not English. Malaysia and Hong Kong, however, use English as one of their official languages.

The overall English proficiency of an average Korean adult also rated “above average." South Korea placed among the top tier nations by ranking 13 out of 44 non-native countries.
English education is important in Korea, Education First says, citing Korea's efforts to promote early English education in public schools and the emphasis on English education in private education.

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New study shows large gaps in English skills around the world
By Eva Dou, Reuters Life

March 31, 2011—Speaking English is increasingly a basic requirement for participating in international business, but a new study shows large gaps in English skills around the world.

Scandinavian countries have the best command of English among countries where English is not the native language, while Russia, Turkey and South American countries lagged, according to a study released on Wednesday by EF English First, the world's largest training school.

The study compared test scores of more than 2.3 million adults in 44 countries from 2007 through 2009.

China and India performed worse than expected, despite their large investment in private English training, ranking 29 and 30 respectively out of 44 countries. Although analysts say that China is on the cusp of becoming the world's largest English-speaking nation, its proficiency level still lags behind South Korea, Japan, and Western Europe.

India performed no better than China, despite its history as a British colony.

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OMG! LOL: Internet slang added to Oxford English Dictionary
By Daniel Ionescu, PCWorld   

March 26, 2011—Time-saving online abbreviations like LOL, OMG, and IMHO are now part of the official English language. The Oxford English Dictionary (OED) announced the addition of several acronyms to its dictionary, adding some interesting trivia behind the origins of these Internet-associated expressions.

OED explained that although "initialisms" like OMG (Oh My God), LOL (Laughing Out Loud) and IMHO (In My Humble/Honest Opinion) are strongly associated with the language of electronic communications, their origins are surprisingly predating the Internet era.

For example, OED found a quotation for OMG in a personal letter from 1917, and FYI (For Your Information) originated in the language of memoranda in 1941. Also, apparently the LOL expression had a previous life, starting in 1960, denoting an elderly woman (Little Old Lady).

OED notes that some expressions like OMG and LOL are used outside electronic communication contexts as well, including print and spoken use, in the form of more than a simple abbreviation:

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OMG! OED destroying English language
By Lauren Schoenemann, HBUCollegian.com

The computer has started the greatest evolution in the English language since William Shakespeare.

In its new online edition, the Oxford English Dictionary defined 45,436 new terms. Many derive from text-message abbreviations to the chagrin of some linguistic traditionalists.

The list of additions includes the nearly universal abbreviations OMG (oh my gosh) and LOL (laugh out loud), while the most controversial "word" added seems to be the "<3" that attempts to capture the apparently outdated "heart."

The rapid expansion of vocabulary brought about by the computer age is a testament to the subjectivity of language to the transformation of culture, but the reciprocal impact on society by evolved language could be for the worse.

English speakers owe their extensive use of words such as "advertising" and "unreal," as well as many clichés including "heart of gold," "laughing stock" and "in a pickle," to the linguistic innovations of Elizabethan poet and playwright Shakespeare.

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New Bible draws opposition from critics of gender-neutral language

NASHVILLE, Tennessee, March 17, 2011 (AP)—In the old translation of the world's most popular Bible, John the Evangelist declares: "If anyone says, 'I love God,' yet hates his brother, he is a liar." Make that "brother or sister" in a new translation that includes more gender-neutral language and is drawing criticism from some conservatives who argue the changes can alter the theological message.

The 2011 translation of the New International Version Bible, or NIV, does not change pronouns referring to God, who remains "He" and "the Father." But it does aim to avoid using "he" or "him" as the default reference to an unspecified person.

The NIV Bible is used by many of the largest Protestant faiths. The translation comes from an independent group of biblical scholars that has been meeting yearly since 1965 to discuss advances in biblical scholarship and changes in English usage.

Before the new translation even hit stores, it drew opposition from the Council on Biblical Manhood and Womanhood, an organization that believes women should submit to their husbands in the home and only men can hold some leadership roles in the church.

The council decided it would not endorse the new version because the changes alter "the theological direction and meaning of the text," according to a statement. Similar concerns led the Southern Baptist Convention to reject the NIV's previous translation in 2005.

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China aims to be the world’s top science nation, US experts say

WASHINGTON, February 19, 2011 (AFP)—China has its eye on becoming the top science nation in the world, a position held for decades by the United States and European nations, researchers at a US science conference said Friday.

After being the world's main source of cheap manufactured goods, "China hopes to become one of the leading sources of intellectual property in coming years," said Denis Simon, a professor at Penn State University who is also the science and technology adviser to the mayor of the Chinese city of Dalian.

At a time when the United States and Europe are hamstrung by shrinking budgets for science, China has increased spending on science and technology "significantly," Simon said at the annual meeting of the American Association for the Advancement of Science (AAAS).

"The Chinese have indicated that by 2020 they hope to spend around 2.5 percent of GDP on research and development," said Simon.

In the United States, meanwhile, Republican lawmakers are talking about trimming a billion dollars from the National Institutes of Health, the world's largest public research institute, and slashing funds for other science and research agencies, in a bid to narrow the trillion-dollar US trade deficit.

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Bilingual people are more adept at learning third language, says new study

February 4, 2011 (HealthDay News)—Children who know two languages find it easier to learn a third one than those who know only one language, a new study finds.

The research included two groups of sixth graders in Israel who were learning English. One group included 40 students from the former Soviet Union whose mother tongue was Russian and who spoke fluent Hebrew as a second language. The other group included 42 native Hebrew speakers with no fluency in another language.

The University of Haifa researchers tested the students' language abilities, and found that the students who spoke both Russian and Hebrew were more proficient in both English and Hebrew than the students who spoke only Hebrew.

The study authors said their findings show that preserving a mother tongue in a bilingual environment does not compromise the ability to learn a second language. In fact, proficiency in one language assists in the learning of a second language which, in turn, helps a person learn a third language.

"Gaining command of a number of languages improves proficiency in native languages. This is because languages reinforce one another, and provide tools to strengthen [language] skills," researcher Professor Salim Abu-Rabia said in a University of Haifa news release.

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“App” is named 2010 Word of the Year
By David Gardner, Daily Mail

January 10, 2011—High school English teachers across the country are crying into their textbooks today over the American Dialect Society’s choice for “Word of the Year”—“App.”

The abbreviated tech slang for a computer or smart phone application beat out another word that would have had language purists tearing their hair out even more.

“Nom”—a chat, tweet, and text-friendly syllable that connotes “yummy food”—was the runner-up. It derives from the Sesame Street character Cookie Monster’s sound as he devours his favorite food, and was popularized on blogs such as LOLcats.

BP's oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico spawned many 2010 nominees, but none made the final cut, not even “spillion,” defined as an immeasurable number, in reference to the billions of gallons of oil that spilled into the ocean.

“App” was chosen by the linguist group as the word that best summed up the country’s preoccupation last year.

Critics complained the word was somewhat stale, while proponents said 2010 was the year the word became omnipresent—with one arguing that her elderly mother knows the term, even though the woman doesn't have any apps.

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Page last modified: 24 April, 2011, 2:45 p.m.