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Translation Africa Blog - August 2015

A BBC Film on Kenya’s Languages

A BBC Film on Kenya’s Languages

21/08/2015

We love it when a news story hits about language in Africa; and the BBC have done us proud with a fantastic little film exploring Kenya’s many languages. The BBC Pop-Up blog received a suggestion by a viewer to look at the use and number of languages in Kenya. Although English and Kiswahili are the primary…

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How Translations Impacted Ebola in Kenya

How Translations Impacted Ebola in Kenya

18/08/2015

The wonderful charity, Translators without Borders, have recently released a very interesting infographic outlining the correlation between the availability of translated information and the levels of knowledge people have – in this case, the ebola virus. Firstly, who are Translators without Borders? Translators without Borders is a charity that provides free translation services for humanitarian causes….

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USSD Translation and Localization for Africa

USSD Translation and Localization for Africa

13/08/2015

For many companies looking to connect with consumers in Africa, the mobile phone is without doubt one of the most economical, quickest and effective means of communicating and engaging with an audience. However, in Africa there are some challenges when using mobile phone marketing. For one, the “smartphone” is not widely available mainly due to…

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US Army Invests in African Language Translation Device

US Army Invests in African Language Translation Device

08/08/2015

Interesting news from the US Army that it is currently developing a  handheld translation device that can be used by soldiers in in foreign countries, starting with Africa. According to an article from army.mil, the device, named SQ.410 Translation System, currently works with nine languages. It is worn on a soldier’s chest and can be used without a…

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Is Yoruba becoming a global language?

Is Yoruba becoming a global language?

06/08/2015

OK Yoruba might not yet be a “global” language such as the likes of English, Spanish or Chinese, but an academic in the USA has (rightfully in our opinion) stated that it is definitely becoming more important. Dr. Akinloye Ojo, Associate Professor of Comparative Literature at the University of Georgia, Atlanta, USA, in a recent…

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Idaho Linguists Help Preserve Somali Languages

Idaho Linguists Help Preserve Somali Languages

06/08/2015

Linguists from Boise State in Idaho (USA) are joining forces to help preserve languages from Somalia from potential extinction. Michal Temkin Martinez and Jon Dayley are currently in the process of compiling the first-ever Somali Chizigula-English dictionary which they hope will be used by native speakers and linguists. The project will hopefully secure the future of…

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