Lightnews — Scholar-powered news

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Sacrebleu! Speaking more than one language may help slow down ageing, study finds
www.euronews.com/health/2025/...
via @euronews.com
#multilingualism #ageing #langsky

Speaking more than one language may help slow down ageing, study finds

Forget snake-oil creams and supplements — learning more than one language is a powerful way to protect against ageing, according to a new study.

www.euronews.com

November 11, 2025 at 7:45 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Swedish word of the day #swotd is sameslöjd (Sami handcrafts) or duodji in Northern Sami, an important part of Sami culture. This refers to handicrafts and arts and crafts made by the indigenous Sami people, based on their traditions, design thinking, patterns and colours.
#Sweden #sapmi

Famous Sami handcraft knives from northern Sweden, made of reindeer antlers, inlets of mountain dwarf birch, with traditional patterns.

November 10, 2025 at 3:15 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

My #interestingread (short) read today:
What is sociolect?
localazy.com/dictionary/s...
#socialgroups #language #jargon #slang #langsky

What is Sociolect | Localazy Dictionary

Varieties of languages used by certain age, professional, or social groups.

localazy.com

November 10, 2025 at 2:51 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

How the #Ukrainian #language is protected today - an interview with the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language
unn.ua/en/news/how-...
via @unn.ua.web.brid.gy
#langsky

How the Ukrainian language is protected today - an interview with the Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language

УНН Slider ✎ Olena Ivanovska, Commissioner for the Protection of the State Language, spoke about the mechanisms for protecting the Ukrainian language, the number o…

unn.ua

November 10, 2025 at 2:49 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Hallucinating Machines: The Trust Issue in Large Language Models
trendsresearch.org/insight/hall...
via trendsresearch.org
#llm #hallucination #xl8 #langsky

Hallucinating Machines: The Trust Issue in Large Language Models

TRENDS Research & Advisory strives to present an insightful and informed view of global issues and challenges from a strategic perspective. Established in 2014 as an independent research center, TREND...

trendsresearch.org

November 10, 2025 at 2:47 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Kneecap is revitalising #Irish. These 5 artists are doing the same for #Indigenous #languages
theconversation.com/kneecap-is-r...
#revitalisation #langsky

Kneecap is revitalising Irish. These 5 artists are doing the same for Indigenous languages

A new generation of First Nations artists is helping keep Indigenous languages alive through song.

theconversation.com

November 10, 2025 at 2:46 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

What AI earbuds can’t replace: The value of learning another language
theconversation.com/what-ai-earb...
via @theconversation.com
#languagelearning #langsky

What AI earbuds can’t replace: The value of learning another language

AI-fueled technologies make communicating in other languages easier than ever, but it still can’t replace the transformative value of learning a new language.

theconversation.com

November 10, 2025 at 2:43 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Oldtimer, Bodybag oder Homeoffice.
False friends: Wörter, die auf Englisch etwas ganz Anderes bedeuten
www.lingoda.com/blog/de/engl...
via lingoda.com
#falsefriends #langsky

Anglizismen und False Friends: Wörter in der deutschen Sprache, die eigentlich Englisch sind

Was ist eigentlich ein Peeling, und wo kommt flirten her? Lerne mehr über englische Wörter in der deutschen Sprache.

www.lingoda.com

November 7, 2025 at 10:07 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

I just staumbled across ELDP, Endangered Languages Documentation Programme, "creating a repository of resources for linguistics, the social science, and language communities."
Lots to read here!
www.eldp.net
#endangered #languages #project #langsky

Picture of an elder woman in rural Africa weaving baskets.

November 7, 2025 at 7:30 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

How Jordan Built a New Scholarly Ecosystem for #Linguistics #Research
al-fanarmedia.org/2025/10/how-...
via al-fanarmedia.org
#Jordan #langsky

How Jordan Built a New Scholarly Ecosystem for Linguistics Research

How Jordan built a new scholarly ecosystem for Arabic linguistics research: a scholar’s view.

al-fanarmedia.org

November 6, 2025 at 11:10 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

“They no longer knew their language, they spoke and dressed differently”
#Native #American children were sent to boarding schools. When they returned
home, many no longer felt part of their communities.
www.sciencenorway.no/history-immi...
via sciencenorway.no
#language #identity #langsky

“They no longer knew their language, they spoke and dressed differently”

Native American children were sent to boarding schools. When they returned home, many no longer felt part of their communities.

www.sciencenorway.no

November 6, 2025 at 11:09 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

“A Laboratory for Studying the History of Language”: A Conversation with Linguist Brian Joseph About the #Balkan #Sprachbund
www.tovima.com/society/a-la...
via @tovimagr.bsky.social
#history #language #langsky

"A Laboratory for Studying the History of Language": A Conversation with Linguist Brian Joseph About the Balkan Sprachbund - tovima.com

American scholar discusses his groundbreaking new book on linguistic convergence, the role of Greek in shaping regional languages, and why preserving dialects matters

www.tovima.com

November 6, 2025 at 11:06 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Brazil sees growth in number of #indigenous #language speakers
tvbrics.com/en/news/braz...
via @tvbrics.com
#Brazil #langsky

Brazil sees growth in number of indigenous language speakers | TV BRICS, 05.11.25

According to the 2022 Demographic Census by the Brazilian Institute of Geography and Statistics (IBGE), Brazil currently has 433,980 indigenous people aged five...

tvbrics.com

November 5, 2025 at 5:42 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Bahtalo Internacionalno dive e Romane chibjako! Happy International Romani language day!
www.coe.int/en/web/porta...
@coe.int Council of Europe acts to protect Roma identity and culture by safeguarding the #Romani #language
#langsky

Bahtalo Internacionalno dive e Romane chibjako! Happy International Romani language day! - Portal - www.coe.int

<p>Council of Europe acts to protect Roma identity and culture by safeguarding the Romani language</p>

www.coe.int

November 5, 2025 at 5:41 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

My task today: sending a #donation to Médecins Sans Frontières @doctorswithoutborders.org - instead of wasting money for useless end-of-year gadgets for clients. Probably they won't cancel our business relation just because of missing presents. And if they take offence, I can do without them.

November 4, 2025 at 3:29 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Important for #translators:
Thanks to esteemed colleage @loekalization.bsky.social for ths excellent #blogpost. This is indeed a very interesting and insightful analysis of what's happening at RWS at the moment.
www.loekalization.com/blog/blog/20...
#freelancing #xl8 #rws #payment

November 2, 2025 at 12:21 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) and @unesco.org Launch Global Call for Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages
languagemagazine.com/2025/10/02/i...
via @langmag.bsky.social
#literature #indigenous #languages #langsky

IBBY and UNESCO Launch Global Call for Books in Indigenous and Endangered Languages

IBBY (International Board on Books for Young People) and UNESCO have launched a global call for books to be included in their Collection of Remarkable Books for Young Readers in Indigenous and Endange...

languagemagazine.com

October 28, 2025 at 1:48 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

You Go, Tito! How Yugoslavia lives on in Ethiopia
www.nicknasev.com/blog/you-go-...
> another excellent #blogpost from @nicknasev.bsky.social

You Go, Tito! How Yugoslavia lives on in Ethiopia

Tito's in his House of Flowers and Yugoslavia's off the maps, but you'd think otherwise in Addis Ababa, Ethiopia, where their spirits are eternal.

www.nicknasev.com

October 28, 2025 at 1:45 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Hands up if you're like me and donate to @wikipedia.org

Tom Irwin @tomirwin.bsky.social · 13d

I implore everyone to donate to Wikipedia.

Just think how often you use it.
It's packed with reliable information.
It's run by passionate volunteers.
There are no ads on it.
It's free.

WIRED @wired.com · 14d

The new AI-powered Wikipedia competitor falsely claims that pornography worsened the AIDS epidemic and that social media may be fueling a rise in transgender people.

October 28, 2025 at 1:37 PM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

Cracking the code of Papua New Guinea’s undocumented languages
observer.co.uk/news/science...
via observer.co.uk
#png #language #diversity #langsky

Cracking the code of Papua New Guinea’s undocumented lang...

Nicholas Evans has spent decades trying to decipher the undocumented tongues of Papua New Guinea and Australia. His work has redefined the way we think a...

observer.co.uk

October 27, 2025 at 7:22 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

How Language Shapes Gender Stereotypes in AI Image Generation, Study Finds
www.digitalinformationworld.com/2025/10/how-...
voa digitalinformationworld.com
#ai #gender #stereotypes #langsky

How Language Shapes Gender Stereotypes in AI Image Generation, Study Finds

Study of nine languages reveals AI-generated faces reflect stereotypes, influenced by grammar, prompt structure, and cultural assumptions.

www.digitalinformationworld.com

October 27, 2025 at 7:19 AM

Erik Hansson

@erikhansson.bsky.social

International Teddy Bear Day and Ukrainian Written Language Day: what else is celebrated on October 27
unn.ua/en/news/inte...
#ukrainian #language #langsky