FEATURED NEWS
August 9, 2019 | UN News
“Languages are how we communicate, and they are inextricably linked to our cultures, histories and identity”, the UN chief said, noting that 2019 also marks the International Year of Indigenous Languages. 

He pointed out that almost half of the world’s estimated 6,700 languages, which are mostly indigenous, risk extinction. “ With every language that disappears, the world loses a wealth of traditional knowledge ” said Mr. Guterres.

Noting that a significant proportion of the estimated 370 million indigenous people in the world today “still lack basic rights, with systematic discrimination and exclusion continuing to threaten ways of life, cultures and identities”, the UN chief stressed that this contradicts the UN Declaration on the Rights of Indigenous Peoples and the 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development, “with its promise to leave no one behind”.  

August 13, 2019 | Migration Policy Institute
The public-charge rule issued this week by the Trump administration will have profound effects on legal admissions to the United States and on use of public benefits by millions of legal noncitizens and the U.S. citizens with whom they live.

The rule gives the government broad discretion to deny admission to a large share of those who currently enter based on family relationships. At the same time, the complex new standards for determining when an immigrant is likely to become a public charge could cause a significant share of the nearly 23 million noncitizens and U.S. citizens in immigrant families using public benefits to disenroll , the Migration Policy Institute estimates.

These chilling effects may be broadened with the expected release of a new proposed regulation expected to expand the grounds for deporting legally present noncitizens using public benefits.

August 9, 2019 | ATA Pressroom
The California State Assembly recently passed a bill that ATA believes will improperly classify the majority of the association's members as employees, when in fact they are independent contractors.  Without an exemption, this bill would unduly lump together these independent professionals with individual workers who have not made a deliberate choice to provide freelance services.
 
ATA Calls for an Exemption
In support of our California-based colleagues, ATA has issued a statement requesting that an exemption be made for professional translators and interpreters.

August 12, 2019 | LanguageLine Solutions
Any American student who has enrolled in a Spanish class knows that schools typically reference it as a “foreign language.” But is it really?

Our linguistic landscape is growing more and more complex . U.S. based organizations that don't communicate in Spanish are leaving a significant audience of multicultural consumers on the outside looking in. How significant? Try this: U.S. Hispanic buying power is now bigger than the gross domestic product of Mexico.

Organizations that do not acknowledge this fundamental shift in how America communicates will be bypassed by competitors that do.

COMMUNITY ANNOUNCEMENTS

On August 9, the world celebrated the International Day of the World's Indigenous Peoples. To mark the day, the  United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO) shared a video honoring indigenous people all over the world. 

The video starts by asking "have you ever met an indigenous person?" and shows shots of forests and beaches. It goes on to explain that indigenous peoples' futures are threatened by things that many of us encounter every day, but likely don't give a second thought to: grocery stores, skyscrapers, modernization. 


The National Endowment for the Humanities (NEH) today announced $29 million in awards for 215 humanities projects across the country. The grants include funding to produce a television series, South by Somewhere (wt), on the foodways, history, and culture of the American South, and for the archaeological analysis of the overseer’s quarters at James Madison’s Montpelier plantation. 

This round of funding, NEH’s third and last for fiscal year 2019, will support vital research, education, preservation, and public programs in the humanities . These peer-reviewed grants were awarded in addition to $48 million in annual operating support provided to the national network of state and territorial humanities councils during fiscal year 2019.


For those learning a new language, or those who want to maintain or brush up on their skills, Jeenie is offering access to on-demand “virtual immersion” practice 24 hours a day . With the tap of a button on a smartphone or iPad using the Jeenie Mobile App, learners can connect with LIVE bicultural, bilingual speakers any time of day or night to:

  • Practice speaking a language
  • Improve pronunciation
  • Do better in language class
  • Answer questions about language & culture

For more information, contact Jeenie at  info@Jeenie.com . Academic discounts are available to learners referred by a language school or program.

PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES

Deadline: September 12
Bemidji, MN
October 10-13, 2019 | March 26-29, 2020
Concordia Language Villages invites you to join us for 'Intercultural Communicative Competence: Linking Language and Culture,' a professional-development series for K-16 instructors of Arabic language and culture.

Thanks to a generous grant from Qatar Foundation International, tuition and program fees are free for participants. In addition, participants will be reimbursed for qualifying travel expenses of up to $400 (travel to MSP) or $500 (travel to BJI) per workshop.


Deadline: September 20
San Diego, CA
March 15-18, 2020
GALA conferences attract experienced professionals from all parts of the translation and localization industry: language services and language technology professionals, managers and directors of localization at multinational organizations, and individuals from government, research, and educational institutions. More than 40% of our audience are top-executives, and all delegates are looking for challenging, growth-oriented topics.


Registration Deadline: September 26th
Hilton Irvine/Orange County Airport
18800 Macarthur Blvd., Irvine, CA 92612
September 27-28, 2019

The Orange County Department of Education (OCDE) Educational Services Division is hosting the 3rd Annual Interpreting and Translators Conference 2019.   The 3rd Annual Interpreters and Translators Conference will focus on offering our participants the opportunity to engage more in depth with nationally and internationally recognized experts in the field and explore techniques to enhance interpretation and translation skills . This annual conference is a major educational event for bilingual staff, educators, and community stakeholders committed to ensure proper language use in school settings and the community we serve.


Registration Deadline: September 30th
Honolulu, HI
November 7-10, 2019

This year’s programming digs into local and regional culture throughout the conference with several place-based experiences that help shed light on important contemporary issues facing Pacific Island communities, including migration, militarism, political status, and climate change, which also resonate with broader national concerns. 

FEDERAL BUSINESS OPPORTUNITIES
Solicitation Number: ID06190003
Agency: General Services Administration
Office: Federal Acquisition Service (FAS)
Location: IFMPS
Award Date: Mid-Aug

Solicitation Number: FA520919QA031
Agency: Department of the Air Force
Office: Pacific Air Forces
Location: 374 CONS - Yokota
Response Date: August 26
THURSDAY, August 15, 2019 ISSUE
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