Global Languages Day, Sept. 17, Dokk1, Aarhus, Denmark

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Researchers and teachers connect to Aarhus University (AU) who are interested in languages, are organizing Global Languages Day, an initiative aimed at showcasing the work they do with and about languages at AU to the general public, including gymnasium students. As many languages  as possible will be represented.
The event is planned in three parts:
  1. Short talks
  2. Small booths representing the languages we have at AU (sprogsmagning) – including snacks and possibility for 2-minute language dating
  3. Q&A session (with questions selected in advance for preparation: globallanguagesday@cas.au.dk)
Global Languages Day will take place on September 17 at DOKK 1.
We plan to have the talks (part 1) from 10:00 – 12:10, the sprogsmagning (part 2) from 12:10 – 13:30, and
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Creaking in the throat – why Danish high school students have a hard time pronouncing Spanish

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¿Mi casa… Jacobolo Ditzolo. Pablo spaniol?

The quote comes from Jacob Ditzel, a character played by comedian Charter McCloskey from the Danish satirical TV show called Ditzel All Inklusiv. Ditzel has gone to the Spanish island of Mallorca and is explaining to the viewers how you make do on the island with only a few Spanish words and phrases. Most importantly, he reminds 11- 12 year old kids that they should say ’¡no!’ to sangrias and cervezas.

One of the reasons why the show is funny to Danes is that many of us have some knowledge of Spanish, although it might be quite limited. This helps us realize that there is something strange about Ditzel’s Spanish – it’s just … ↪

Expanding Greenlandic Language to Support 2SLGBTQIA+ Terminology and challenging the colonial heteronormativity

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Greenlandic is a language which is rich in cultural heritage, and it is currently evolving to be more inclusive by developing words and terms for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community. This is a big step, enabling all queer Inuits in Greenland to express themselves in their native language.

Last year, Sipineq+ (a volunteer association for the 2SLGBTQIA+ community in Greenland) started this important work. They teamed up with three volunteer translators to create a list of 132 words and terms which cover the wide range of identities and experiences in the 2SLGBTQIA+ spectrum. They collaborated continuously and discussed their suggestions on what these terms could be in Greenlandic and they explained the meaning to our volunteer translators. This helped the translators to … ↪

Silent letters and consonant pairs in Irish

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I’ve had a fascination with Gaeilge, the Irish language, for a long time. Its long words and complicated writing, which together allow for such fun things as fheicfeadh [ɛcətʲ]. Oh! And its consonant mutation, one of the coolest features I think a language can have. Initial consonants changing based on prepositions, adverbs, gender, tenses, and so on. It’s so amazing and interconnected! Add to that, Irish’s long literary history and the modern attempts to save the language from extinction, and I just can’t help but love the language.

But I’m not here to write about any of that. I’m here to write about the Irish consonants, more precisely, the leathana and caola pairs, the two categories that most Irish … ↪

Who Understands Comics? Or: How I learned that I don’t draw bad comics, I just read backwards

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To my delight and misfortune, I have been making comics since my 2017 Erasmus plus stay at Aarhus University.

I was never very good at drawing, but someone once told me that I was good at making circles, so I stuck with it. When I shared my early comics with my family, I got mixed reactions. In a WhatsApp correspondence, one family member resorted to “wow”, while the other offered their interpretation: “charming illustrations! I suggest not to try to understand the humor. It’s cool that there is a recurring character that repeats throughout. It creates empathy. Even if I do not understand the humor.” 4 years later I was still at it, and sent some more comics to my … ↪

What is the New Nordic Lexicon and how did it come about?

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The new nordic lexicon

Media coverage of the Nordic region is often dominated by clichés. Commercial and political branding can quickly reduce ‘Norden’ to easily understandable messages, such as ’gender-equal’, ’consensus-orientated’, ’little or no corruption’, ’green’ etc. The main purpose of the New Nordic Lexicon is to provide a more nuanced and research-based approach to the Nordic countries by giving a popular voice to researchers and to disseminate this to young people in the Nordics.

The lexicon is a collection of articles about topics within Nordic society, history, and culture. It is written by researchers, and accompanied by a series of research-based podcasts and films. It has been developed with the input of researchers and students from across the Nordic countries. Young peoples’ input … ↪

Portuguese Language Day: Exploring the Global Tapestry of Portuguese Influence

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The 5th of May: World Portuguese Language Day… What are we celebrating?

On the 5th of May, we commemorate World Portuguese Language Day, but what exactly is the significance of this celebration? In 2019, UNESCO designated May 5th as World Portuguese Language Day, a date initially established by the Community of Portuguese Language Countries (CPLP) in 2009. Portuguese – a language spoken by over 265 million people across all continents – holds official status in four continents, including the CPLP nations of Angola, Brazil, Cape Verde, East Timor, Equatorial Guinea, Guinea Bissau, Mozambique, Portugal, and Sao Tome and Principe. Additionally, Portuguese is an official language in Macau. Portuguese ranks as the 5th most spoken language globally and it … ↪