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#languagebarriers — Public Fediverse posts

Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #languagebarriers, aggregated by home.social.

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  1. A ‘crisis communication gap’ threatens #IndigenousPeoples

    Dionne Phillips
    Updated Tue, July 14, 2026

    Excerpt: "Sara Wilson, a graduate communications researcher from Simon Fraser University in Canada, calls this a 'crisis communication gap' — something she highlighted in a submission to EMRIP's conflict study. Wilson previously worked in communications for the province of British Columbia's forest, land, and natural resources department, and also serves as a senior communications associate with Canada's National Centre for Truth and Reconciliation. Her research spotlights underfunding, language erasure from public systems, and exclusion from decision-making during crisis situations. Wilson cites devastating #wildfires and #floods as examples of dangerous communication failures.

    "In a report analyzing its response to 2023 wildfires, the government of the #NorthwestTerritories listed numerous concerns about how authorities communicated during the fire with #Indigenous individuals whose first language is not English. Its Official Languages Act recognizes 11 languages, but the government's alerts are issued only in English and French.

    "On its website, the government highlights its working relationship with Indigenous governments, organizations, and communities to 'co-develop and establish bilateral emergency and communications protocols, as requested, before the 2026 wildfire season.' Government officials did not respond to emails asking what stage of the process they are in. Its website notes that in the interim they have 'developed an Emergency Response Event Communication Protocol with Indigenous Governments to ensure clear communication between Indigenous Governments and the GNWT during emergency events.'

    "A paper published earlier this year by #ClimateCardinals, a youth-led climate organization, revealed that the overwhelming majority of the world's scientific publications are written in English. It argues that without more inclusive language, 'up to 6.5 billion people risk exclusion from climate policy, disaster preparedness, and access to critical information.'

    "In #Aotearoa #NewZealand, #Māori communities have been hit by increasingly devastating storms, like #CycloneGabrielle, which hit the country in February 2023, causing 11 deaths and billions of dollars in damage.

    "The cyclone exposed some key barriers to effective communication, according to a study released by Te Whāriki Manawāhine O Hauraki, a community resource center. It also praised the Māori-led mobilization to assist those impacted by the storm, which included setting up community centers. 'A truly effective response requires more than collaboration, it demands a #Tiriti-based framework [based on the Treaty of Waitangi] where Māori exercise decision-making authority over disaster preparedness and response in their own communities,' it reads.

    "Throughout Monday's session in Geneva, Indigenous delegates highlighted the potential of Indigenous knowledge and argued that better resources and communication would benefit the entire world."

    Read more:
    yahoo.com/news/world/articles/

    #IndigenousPeoples #LanguageBarriers #EnglishOnly? #EmergencyAlerts #WorldPol #ClimateChange #ClimateCrisis

  2. Wall 2: You freeze and go blank
    Your mouth opens. Everything disappears.
    That's not a you problem. That's a preparation problem.
    Inside Practically Speaking Hebrew, we build your go-to sentences until they're automatic. Until your brain doesn't have to search. They're just there.
    That's the difference between freezing and speaking.
    hebrewbyinbal.com/speak

    #LanguageBarriers #LearnHebrew #SpeakHebrew #LanguageLearning #Jewish

  3. Oh, look! AI companies found a way to charge you more for using fancy words instead of grunts and gestures! 🤯💸 Congrats, they’ve now turned the digital Tower of Babel into a thriving money pit where every non-English speaker gets a "special" 60% surcharge privilege. 🌍🎩
    tokenstree.com/newsletter-arti #AIpricing #LanguageBarriers #DigitalEconomy #TechTrends #BabelTax #HackerNews #ngated

  4. Censorship and the Power of Language: Adapting, Not Constraining

    In a recent video from CerosTV, the issue of censorship and its impact on the way we communicate was discussed. Ceros expressed concerns over how banning words and phrases limits our ability to effectively convey ideas, suggesting that the growing prevalence of censorship is fundamentally altering the way we speak. While I don’t disagree with the sentiment that censorship is problematic, I believe the argument that censorship is ruining the way we speak may be overstated. In fact, I would […]

    jaimedavid.blog/2025/12/21/11/

  5. Today I received a call from our daughter’s school telling me she cannot move on to the next grade. It was a really hard blow for me. But unfortunately, that’s how the system works here in Germany. Maybe two years in a new country aren’t enough for a child to fully learn the language and do well academically. In her first school, she was the best in her class, and I hoped it would be the same here too :t_blink:

  6. Challenges Faced By Opportunity Card Visa Holders In Germany

    Have you ever tried to fit into a space that feels just a bit too snug? Like an oversized jacket that’s also somehow two sizes too small? Many Opportunity Card Visa holders in Germany feel this way today. They navigate the highs and lows of starting a new life in one of Europe’s economic powerhouses. Buckle up, folks. Today, we’re diving deep into the choppy waters of job hunting. We will explore language barriers and bureaucratic mazes, all through the engaging lens of a relatable […]

    munaeem.de/2025/03/15/challeng

  7. I think Dr. Zamenhof was right when he said language was the main source of conflict.

    But I would expand it. Conflict do not arise mostly from people speaking different languages and not understanding themselves. It mostly arises when people think they speak the same language, when in fact they do not. That is the cause of so many conflicts.

    There is an example I like to take. Here in France, the people from outside the suburbs thinks that the youth living there is dumb. But, from what I have heard, it mostly that people don't understand what this youth is saying. They use the same words, but the meaning behind it vary so much, that we could consider this language as more than one.

    #zamenhof #suburbs #language #languagebarriers

  8. scientificeuropean.co.uk/scien

    Non-native English speakers face several barriers in conducting activities in science. They are at disadvantages in reading papers in English, writing and proofreading manuscripts, and preparing and making oral presentations in conferences in English.
    #English #AIbasedtool #Languagebarriers #Artificialintelligence #science #Translation #NonnativeEnglishspeakers

  9. Two delivery drivers outside this building were trying to find 170 Preston Street the other day. I wonder why? Maybe because the smug condo marketers were too narcissistic to put an actual number on the building! #accessibility #languagebarriers

  10. It feels apt to share this on #InternationalMotherLanguageDay. While creating this workshop I've learned so much about my own experiences communicating in multiple languages. I also found many excellent resources from a community dedicated to speakers of languages other than English.
    I'm grateful to ComSciCon Atlanta for the invitation and impetus to think more deeply about #LanguageBarriers and #accessibility in #SciComm 🗨️