Towards Language Sensitivity and Diversity in the Digital Humanities

English Recent years have seen a growing focus on diversity in the digital humanities, and yet there has been rather less work on geolinguistic diversity, and the research which has been carried out often focuses on the structures of geographic representation in the field or has viewed ‘language’ as a technical or linguistic problem to solve. This article takes a different view, namely that we need to consider this diversity through multiple ‘frames’ of digitally-mediated language and culture, and that this is not just a question of epistemic justice or community manners, but that the digital humanities also need to address more actively challenges around global dynamics of digital multilingualism, transcultural exchange and geodiversity in its research agenda. This paper explores these questions through the prism of ‘language indifference’ in digital studies and, responding to Galina’s call for better data on the state of geolinguistic diversity in DH (2014), it articulates possible frameworks for addressing this diversity in a strategic, programmatic and research-led manner. We conclude by exploring the role of a greater multilingual focus in what Liu calls ‘the techne of diversity’ in digital humanities (2020), and contend that the digital humanities has much to gain, and much to offer, in engaging more fully with the languages-related cultural challenges of our era. RésuméCes dernières années l’accent a été mis de plus en plus sur la diversité dans les sciences humaines numériques, et pourtant il y a plutôt eu moins de travaux sur la diversité geo linguistique, et les recherches qui ont été menées portent souvent sur les structures de la représentation géographique sur le terrain, ou estiment le ‘langage’ comme un problème technique ou linguistique à résoudre. Cet article adopte un point différent, à savoir que nous devons considérer cette diversité à travers plusieurs ‘cadres’ de culture et de language à médiation numérique, cela n’étant pas uniquement une question de justice ou de savoir-faire communautaire, mais que, dans son programme de recherches, les sciences humaines numériques doivent également relever plus activement les défis à la dynamique mondiale du multilinguisme numérique, aux échanges transculturels et à la geo diversité. Ce document explore ces questions à travers le prisme de ‘l’indifférence linguistique’ dans les études numériques et, en réponse à l’appel de Galina pour de meilleures données sur l’état de la diversité geo linguistique dans DH (2014), il définit des systèmes possibles pour faire face à cette diversité de manière stratégique, programmatique et axée sur la recherche. Nous en concluons qu’en explorant le rôle d’une meilleure focalisation sur le multilinguisme dans les humanités numériques de ce que Liu appelle ‘la tech de la diversité’ (2020) et nous soutenons que les sciences humaines numériques ont beaucoup à gagner en s’engageant pleinement dans les défis culturels liés aux langues de notre époque.Mots-clés: Humanités numériques multilingues, Diversité linguistique et culturelle, Langues modernes numériques, Indifférence linguistique, Perturber le monolinguisme numérique

VALIDATION OF THE MINI LINGUISTIC STATE EXAMINATION (MLSE) TO BRAZILIAN PORTUGUESE: TASKS INTELLIGIBILITY PILOT STUDY

Background: The Mini Linguistic State Examination (MLSE) was developed in British English as a 20-minutes Primary Progressive Aphasia (PPA) screening test (Garrard, P. et al, 2012). Its tasks are: picture naming; listening comprehension of sentence; comprehension of single word; word repetition; sentence repetition; reading; writing; semantic association; and figure description. The MLSE was later translated to Italian and Spanish (Patel, N. et al, 2020) due to the following features: applicability by clinicians without expertise in language; sensitivity for diagnosis, distinction and progression of PPA subtypes; ability to identify features of atypical forms of PPA. Objective: Translation, cultural adaptation, standardization and validation of the MLSE English version to Brazilian Portuguese, allowing its application for PPA screening in the Brazilian population. Methods: Five controls were evalu- ated in order to verify tasks intelligibility of the first Brazilian Portuguese version of the MLSE. A control performed the test via telemedicine. The highest possible score was 100. Results: All controls were female. One subject was left-handed. Mean age was 50,4 (+- 12,94) years with mean schooling of 17 (+- 3,28) years. Mean Mini Mental State Examination score was 28,6 (+- 1,52), while mean MLSE score was 98,2 (+- 1,40). Conclusion: All MLSE tasks were intelligible to five individuals without aphasia. Subsequently more controls with different ranges of age and schooling will be evaluated for standardization.

SONG AND MOVEMENT AS MEDIA OF EARLY CHILDHOOD LANGUAGE DEVELOPMENT

The early childhood learning should cover many aspects of development, ranging from religious and moral values, social, emotional, cognitive, physical motor, linguistic and artistic. Song and Movement are still identified with motion. Early childhood learning is synonymous with singing, clapping and playing while active. Motion and song activities are very tightly attached and can not be separated, especially in providing learning to young children. Motion and song learning is an activity in playing while learning and learning through playing, so activities performed through motion/movement and song are expected to please the child as well as touch the development of language, sensitivity to the rhythm of music, motor development, confidence, and the courage to take risks. Through motion or movement and song, children learn to develop their linguistic ability, it is through listening song dan music rhythm, children develop their receptive ability in language. And children’ expressive ability in language is developed while children sing the song. Therefore, it is necessary for an activity that can train early childhood educators in giving stimulation to children through motion and song.

Connecting language students internationally in an era of heightened nationalism

Since the 1999-2000 academic year, the teaching network known as the Trans-Atlantic & Pacific Project (TAPP) has internationally connected teachers and students in writing classes with students in translation studies and/or usability classes at nearly 30 universities in 15 countries on 4 continents. The network began forming as globalization knit nations closer together and as communication technologies, beginning with e-mail, began to become commonly available (Maylath, Vandepitte, & Mousten, 2008). Now, however, the world seems to be entering an era that runs counter to globalization, as nationalists in many countries attempt to retract from international collaborations and connections. Despite that, students in language professions must learn how to collaborate internationally and across languages, cultures, and international borders. Despite a backlash to globalism that might threaten other international collaboration efforts and arrangements, the TAPP persists and grows because it is loose, lithe, and limber. It operates with nearly complete teacher autonomy, not relying on institutional agreements or funding—not even grants (Maylath et al., 2013; Lisaité et al. 2016). This plenary address describes how the TAPP is able to function in this way and to continue to add partners in ever more countries. It also depicts how TAPP collaborations raise audience awareness, intercultural aptitude, language sensitivity, and writing effectiveness for both undergraduate and graduate students. Moreover, it demonstrates how international collaboration boosts recruitment, bolsters retention and engagement, and leads to job- placements at all levels, including the doctoral.