“Don’t Insist on English” Patricia Ryan
Sometimes you find tips about our industry in the unlikeliest of places. Although TED talks are highly recognized and are a great source of information and insight, not too many of them focus on translation or the language industry per se. In the following lecture, Patricia Ryan discusses language loss and the globalization of English. Because of globalization and economy, English has been the most preferred and spoken language for business around the world, and because of this cultural globalization and language education, we may be contributing to language loss and the diffusion of new ideas. Focusing solely on English, she argues, we are diminishing the importance of other languages and the importance of contributions other cultures have to offer.
NEW YORK TIMES
Who’s ‘They’?- by Amanda Hess
Language is continuously changing and evolving. In the following article, the author discusses the use of the pronoun “they” as an inclusive gender pronoun for the transgender and LGBT community. The “they” or “we” as gender pronouns give more ambiguity and a more gender neutral quality to speech that results in a more inclusive and accepting reference. It also avoids a static role to the person that otherwise does not or cannot relate to their gender identity. On this vein, the author refers to a study that has found that when there is a distinction between “he” and “she”, behavioral patterns change even among children when referred to as “boys”and “girls” reinforcing the behavioral stereotypes that both these pronouns have. Clearly when there was no distinction and a more inclusive reference was made, people were free to make their own. Although “they” is becoming the more accepted form of speech as a gender neutral pronoun, it is ultimately up to the person to tell you how they want to be addressed.